What Kind of Qualifications Are Needed to Get Into a Top MBA Program?
Business schools are professional schools that teach students how to do well in the business world. Because of this, they look for students who have the leadership skills that will help them do well in business. In addition to your test scores and grades, a top MBA program will look at whether you have made important contributions to the places you have worked. This blog post will discuss the five essential qualities an MBA candidate who wants to be competetive should think about.
Emphasize Marketable Skills
Top business schools typically assess whether or not you are a willing team player who can work on group projects and have great communication abilities. According to Bruce DelMonico, assistant dean for admissions at the Yale School of Management in Connecticut, test scores are important since they help compare candidates and are more subjective gauges of preparation for MBA courses. Quantitative exam scores are especially important for MBA candidates with humanities backgrounds who need to demonstrate math competence in order to flourish in an MBA program.
In addition to performing well on the math part of the GMAT or GRE, Dawna Clarke, senior associate dean of admissions at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business, says there are other methods to exhibit acceptable technical abilities. A strong performance in math-heavy or business-related undergraduate or graduate courses might comfort MBA admissions officials.
Clarke says that relevant Coursera classes and a Certified Public Accountant or Certified Financial Analyst credential are also good additions to an MBA application. She also says that analytical work experience is helpful, especially if a recommender praises a candidate's math skills.
2. Display Self-Awareness
DelMonico says that every MBA applicant has both strengths and weaknesses, so the best thing you can do is recognize your weaknesses and find a way to make up for them. No one is better than average in every way. Instead of trying to hide your flaws, you should show that you are humble and talk about how business school would help you advance in your career.
You shouldn't be afraid to say that you want to get better at your profession, because wanting to grow as a person makes your case for business school stronger. DelMonico says that people who want to get an MBA can explain why they want one by talking about how they hope to improve in business school.
3. Describe Non-Academic Achievements
The resume is a very important part of the MBA application. Soojin Kwon, managing director of full-time MBA admissions and student experience at the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor's Stephen M. Ross School of Business, says that MBA applicants with well-known employers on their resumes don't automatically get accepted. Instead, what she's looking for is proof that a student has done excellent work. Leadership is not as easy to define in a narrow way as you might think.
If you are younger and want to get into a business school, you can feel confident that they care less about how long you've been working and more about how your career will go in the long run. Just because you've worked for a long time doesn't make your MBA application stronger. Chirag Saraiya, a part-time professor at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, says that an MBA applicant whose career seems to have stalled is less attractive than someone whose career seems to be moving forward.
Doing a lot of community service is also a plus, because people who are connected to a lot of different networks are likely to stay well-connected for the rest of their lives.
4. Emphasize Originality
In the MBA admissions process, it's a plus to have work experience in a field other than business. For example, an MBA candidate with a background in opera and performance who has worked for four years in the opera entertainment industry and now wants an MBA to prepare to be the manager of the opera house would be much more interesting and unique than someone coming from a consulting or financial firm.
Michael S. Jordan, who teaches online and executive MBA courses for the Washington State University Carson College of Business and the university's Global Campus, says that business schools are eager to accept people who call themselves "creative talents" and have a history of finding and taking advantage of important business opportunities.
5. Focus on Management Skills
Alumni of top business schools say that MBA applicants who want to get into top programs should know that soft skills are important in the admissions process. In addition to high test scores, they want MBA candidates who show initiative.
Vijay Koduri, a graduate of the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and co-founder of the tech startup Sizzle, says that it can be entrepreneurial. For example, have you started a business and grown it? It could be something like intrapreneurship. Have you ever put up your hand and led the way for a new product idea or a new market in your company? It could also be your social impact. Are you passionate about a cause? Have you led big changes in your community or around the world to make a difference?
Top-Flight MBA Programs' Business School Requirements
Even if you have perfect or nearly perfect grades and test scores, that doesn't mean you'll get into a good business school. Most people who get into top MBA programs have worked for a few years, but you can get into these programs with less or more work experience. In the process of getting into an MBA program, things like well-written application essays, important professional achievements, or meaningful extracurricular activities can make a difference. Any of these things done well could make up for a candidate's low GPA, test score, or work history.
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