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How To Write A Successful MBA Application

This document provides tips for writing a successful MBA application. It discusses preparing key application materials like GMAT/GRE scores, letters of recommendation, a resume, personal statement, and transcripts. The essay is emphasized as an opportunity to explain your intentions for pursuing an MBA. Relevant work experience is also important to demonstrate to business schools. Following the application process and deadlines carefully increases chances of acceptance.

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Vikrant Jain
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239 views6 pages

How To Write A Successful MBA Application

This document provides tips for writing a successful MBA application. It discusses preparing key application materials like GMAT/GRE scores, letters of recommendation, a resume, personal statement, and transcripts. The essay is emphasized as an opportunity to explain your intentions for pursuing an MBA. Relevant work experience is also important to demonstrate to business schools. Following the application process and deadlines carefully increases chances of acceptance.

Uploaded by

Vikrant Jain
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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 How to Write a Successful MBA Application

Do you aspire to be in boardrooms making major decisions for your


company? Or envision yourself crunching numbers behind the scenes
for investors? Or maybe you crave the thrill of the trading floor where
investment deals are happening left, right, and center? No matter what
your dream is, getting there involves a lot of hard work. One well-
trodden, prestigious path to the top in business is a Master of Business
Administration (MBA) degree.

An MBA degree will offer you training in the skills and tools you’ll need to
succeed. So, do you think you’re ready to take the plunge to apply to get your
MBA? Great! It will no doubt be a challenging and rewarding career path for
you. Here are some tips on how to write a successful MBA application. Take
notes and get on that MBA application today!

1. Key aspects of successful applications

How do you write a winning MBA application? The successful MBA application


puts your best self forward. You’ll need to be thoughtful in your delivery of the
information and answers to the application questions, so don’t leave the
application process to the last minute.

MBA applicants, generally speaking, must prepare the following items for the
MBA application: GMAT/GRE test scores; a resume or CV with relevant work
experience; an essay or personal statement; your undergraduate transcript;
and letters of recommendation. A successful applicant makes sure all of these
items are submitted on time.
First off, make sure you ask for your letters of recommendation ahead of time.
Giving your recommenders plenty of time to complete their letters of
recommendation is not only common courtesy, it also will hopefully result in
more thoughtful and thorough letters.

Next, take your time and make sure your resume or CV is free of typos and
errors. Have a friend or co-worker take a quick look at it to give you feedback
and to hopefully catch any typos.

Third, make sure you take your time to write an authentic, truthful, and
convincing essay that shows exactly who you are and why you feel like you
are at a good point in your life to pursue graduate school studies and an MBA.

Finally, depending on the MBA program, you’ll need to take the GMAT/GRE
exams. Make sure you schedule the exam ahead of time to allow for enough
time to transfer the test scores to your MBA program(s) of choice. Also, you
might need to take the exam(s) more than once, if your first attempt results in
scores that are too low. Take that into consideration.

The successful MBA applicant makes sure that he or she lines everything up
and adheres to deadlines. Make yourself a color-coded calendar with
deadlines, if that helps you stay on task and keep your eye on the prize.

2. Know the MBA application process

As a potential MBA candidate, you’ll increase your chances of getting


accepted into the MBA program of your choice by doing your research and
knowing the ins and outs of the application process ahead of time. This can
alleviate a lot of anxiety about the overall process, and help you be poised to
succeed. First things first, make sure you get your deadlines set in your
calendar. Every program will have different deadlines and you’ll want to make
sure you don’t miss any. Set up your GMAT/GRE exams and request your
letters of recommendation way in advance. The Economist recommends, “It is
important to take the GMAT exam seriously as this is one aspect of the
application that is very much within your control. In a sea of highly qualified
candidates, the GMAT is an important screening tool.”

Don’t forget to practice interviewing. The Economist also recommends to keep


in mind some basic do’s and don’ts regarding the standard MBA interview:
“Do practice out loud, rather than just mentally preparing answers. You can
have mock interviews with a friend or even speak to yourself in the mirror.
Don’t opt to interview on campus if you will perform better off campus. Set
yourself up for success, by choosing the environment where you will be most
relaxed.”

Your letters of recommendation are vital to the overall strength in the


application process. Karen Schweitzer of ThoughtCo., writes, “Letters of
recommendation are almost always required in an MBA application. You will
need two to three letters from people who are familiar with you professionally
or academically. An individual who is familiar with your community or
volunteer work would also be acceptable. It is very important that you choose
letter writers who will provide a glowing, well-written recommendation.”

3. Write a winning MBA essay

The essay is an essential part of the MBA application process. It is the


opportunity to express, in your own words, why you want to pursue a degree
in higher education that prepares you to take on a role and develop a career in
the business world. This essay needs to be exceptionally well polished and
exemplary of your intentions and reasons behind applying for an MBA.

The Princeton Review explains, “Your MBA essays are your best chance to
sell the person behind the résumé. They should tie all the pieces of your
business school application together and create a comprehensive picture of
who you are, what you've done, and what you bring to the table.”

Meanwhile, Poets and Quants recommends, when writing the business school


application essay, to focus on some of the following qualities: leadership;
collaborative style; integrity; analytical intelligence; emotional intelligence;
creativity; community spirit; global awareness; and self-awareness.

Mark Skoskiewicz of Because Business recommends that you include four


types of items in your MBA essay: 1) knowledge acquisition; 2) project-based
learning opportunities that turned into knowledge and skills; 3) talk about
testing ideas; and 4) focus on building teams. All of these are good things,
however, if it is not framed in a structurally interesting and appealing way, a
reader will instantly get bored and will pass on your application. Think of
storytelling and how the elements of storytelling can help you convey your
own story about your path to pursuing an MBA.

In your essay, you will want to steer clear of many things which can be turn-
offs to the application readers. This could include, but not be limited to,
egotistical writing, too many “I” statements, repetition, arrogance, platitudes,
etc. Remember that you are writing an essay that is both an introduction to
yourself as a candidate in the program and also as a future teammate
alongside a cohort of incoming MBA classmates.
To strengthen your essay, The Princeton Review recommends including an
MBA application video. You’ll want to make sure that the quality is high and
that you don’t look like you are trying too hard. Keep it casual, yet
professional. Easy-going, yet like you take yourself seriously. There are pros
and cons to including a video in your application -- just know your strengths
and weaknesses and only do it if you feel comfortable.

4. Have Some Relevant Work Experience

Most applicants for MBA programs have a few years of relevant work
experience under their belts. You will want to highlight this relevant work
experience to effectively demonstrate your intentions behind applying to an
MBA program at this time in your career, and to also show off your teamwork,
team building, and independent work skills and ethic.

Karen Schweitzer of ThoughtCo., explains, “Work experience is important to


business schools because they want to be sure that accepted applicants can
contribute to the program. Business school is a give and take experience. You
are able to obtain, or take, valuable knowledge and experience in the
program, but you also provide (give) unique perspectives and experience to
other students through participation in discussions, case analyses, and
experiential learning.”

The US News and World Report says MBA recruiters like “to see work
experience on an MBA resume that is business-related, such as a job in
finance or technology [and] to see professional experience that demonstrates
quantitative expertise, since the math skill set in MBA courses is rigorous.”
Regardless of what type of work experience you have, you will want to tailor
your resume or CV accordingly. Make sure you highlight your
accomplishments and focus on the areas that are strengths for you. If you
don’t have a ton of high-level experience, then emphasize your willingness to
learn and your ability to learn quickly and to adapt and thrive in fast-paced,
high pressure, dynamic environments.

If a future in the business world is your dream career, then finding the MBA
program right for you and applying can prove a very beneficial move for your
career (and life in general). Getting your application ready can feel like a
daunting task, but if you are organized and mark your calendar with the
pertinent deadlines, you’ll do just fine. And remember the wise words:
"Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that
counts."

USA MBA Business Business Administration Business MBA MBA Application

S.M. Audsley

S. M. Audsley is a freelance writer and poet who lives and works in Vermont, a small but
mighty state in the United States. She is an avid outdoor enthusiast and a lover of
potlucks.

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