5 must do’s before you hit submit on your MBA application

5 must do’s before you hit submit on your MBA application : Read more

The 5 must do’s before you hit submit on your MBA application is to be confident that it’s the absolute best reflection of you and your candidacy – regardless of which admissions round you’re targeting. Having reviewed thousands of applications during my career in MBA admissions, as head of Admissions at INSEAD and now Director at Fortuna Admissions, I’ve read many an terrific application undermined by a careless and preventable mistake.

Whether you’re putting on the polish for a round one deadline or planning a technique for subsequent application cycle, here are five key actions to require before submitting your MBA application – along side common mistakes to avoid.

BEFORE YOU HIT SUBMIT ON YOUR MBA APPLICATION:

1. Ensure you’ve built a uniform , coherent narrative.
Every element of the appliance , taken together, should unify to make an image of the important you – your accomplishments and ambitions, your potential and your individuality. Sometimes it’s a balancing act between communicating the range of skills and knowledge you bring back an MBA program and getting a selected message across. From the small print of the appliance form to your resume, essays, and letters of advice , each piece should add your favor, and tell a uniform , unified story.

As you review, ask yourself: What are the key messages i would like to convey, and do they are available through in each element of my application? Are there any areas where I can remove unnecessary duplication? Know that admissions readers also will be scanning for any inconsistencies, including what people say about you (i.e. letters of recommendation) and what you say about yourself. If your application doesn’t interdepend or contribute to an equivalent story, which will raise a red flag.

2. Remove any redundancy.
Beyond reviewing for coherency and consistency, you’ll want to avoid any redundancy between sections. If you’ve highlighted an accomplishment or leadership story within the form , don’t go repeating an equivalent story in your essays. Your essays, especially , offer precious land to convey your uniqueness, so this is often where you would like to capture your reader’s attention by bringing your story to life. Redundancy in your essay are going to be perceived as wasting the reader’s time.

A common pitfall is writing a resume-to-prose style essay – not only does it repeat what could also be cited elsewhere in your application, but it also robs your story of the potential for creating an emotional connection. an equivalent goes for overfocusing on details of some consulting project versus lifting up the teachings learned that shaped who you’re .

3. Let your authenticity shine.
The more authentic you’re in your application, the more interesting you’ll be to the admissions committee. As noted above, above and beyond your professional excellence and academic triumphs, the admissions committee wants to understand who you’re , what you care about, and what causes you to unique. Schools pride themselves on really going to know you as a private during the admissions process. That’s why it’s essential to create in substantial time for self-reflection on the front and ensure it shines through once you hit submit.

Too many candidates waste valuable time speculating what admissions officers want to listen to and crafting a narrative to suit the ‘perfect profile.’ the truth is that there’s no ‘one profile’ that’s more admissible than the other . Introspection will inspire greater self-awareness, which, in turn, will assist you to return across as mature and sincere in your application.

4. Ensure your online profile is aligned.
It’s no secret that your social media posts are prey to the MBA admissions committee. the newest survey data from Kapan Test Prep in 2018 revealed that quite 40% of MBA admissions officers visit candidates’ social media profiles to assist their decision-making (up from 22% in 2011). And, of these that screen applicants’ social media, 46% reported finding something that hurt a candidate’s chances of getting in; 36% found something that helped.

Know that a fast skim can impart incoherence, or, alternatively, a compelling personal brand. Again, the MBA admissions are going to be screening for consistency across your personal and professional identities. does one appear to be the person you represented on paper? How does your LinkedIn profile reflect your personal brand, and is it according to the knowledge and achievements you’ve represented across your application? If you’re invited to hitch this MBA community, will you represent the varsity well? In coaching Fortuna Admissions clients, my colleagues and that i integrate a radical social media audit within the early stages of the appliance strategy.

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Google your name and check your online footprint. a strong presence on LinkedIn may be a must-have; at the minimum, confirm your profile is up so far . Review the privacy settings on your social accounts, check pictures you feature. You don’t want an admissions officer stumbling across something that reflects poorly on your maturity or judgment, from a snarky tweet about your boss to a photograph of you partying without a mask amid social distancing mandates.

5. Don’t rush an unfinished application.
Like removing a cake from the oven before it’s finished baking, your application will fall through if you rush it at the top . While it’s vital to require the 30,000-foot view of the key messages you’re conveying across your application (see tip 1), you ought to also thoroughly review it word by word, noting any points to see or revisit. Admissions reviewers have a practiced eye for spotting errors or sloppiness, like copy-pasting one section of an essay from another application and leaving within the wrong school name. (Alas, it really does happen, and with alarming regularity!). Other common errors include misreporting GMATs or GPAs (where the self-reported data on the appliance form doesn’t match the transcript) or maybe mixing up your birthdate with the appliance deadline!

So double-check the small print and, better yet, find someone to review everything. It’s invaluable to enlist help from someone who can critique your applications and provides you objective, candid feedback.

Finally, put yourself in an admissions reviewer’s shoes: you would like to read something that seems ambitious, honest, thought-provoking and even a touch entertaining—something that you simply can’t put down until the top . Present your story during a way that’s both meticulous and memorable, and you’ll set yourself up for submitting a standout application.

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