Navigating the MBA Admissions Process

Who are admissions officers?  What are their goals?  What pressures do they face?  How do they read applications?  What is the life of the MBA application as it travels through the process?

This session provides answers to these key questions, giving viewers unique insight into their admissions audience.  The information shared is fundamental to a successful business school application – as anyone engaging in a marketing exercise must know their audience.

This session explains how to use the various components of the MBA application to market key attributes in an applicant's profile. In addition to moving through key attributes such as intellectual aptitude, professional skills, career vision and community activities, we also provide an explanation of the key steps applicants should be taking to understand the competitive landscape before they set their strategy. Viewers of this session will come away with a sense as to how they can use each component of the MBA application (essays, recommendation letters, interviews) to promote the attributes which are most valued in the admissions process.

This session tackles the ever-important task of managing one's time in the business school application process.  We review all of the key admissions related tasks and deliverables, estimate the time needed for each task and propose calendars for candidates targeting key deadlines.  The session also details key pitfalls that applicants run into while juggling personal and professional commitments alongside the application process.

This session unravels the mysteries of MBA application essays, tackling best practices and common pitfalls.  We explore critical strategies for devising the best set of essays on a school-by-school, application-by-application basis and review a set of key components that one should find in an effective MBA application essay.  Viewers will also hear the presenter’s take on age-old issues like word count, use of quotations in essays and more.

Recommendation letters offer a unique opportunity to truly enhance the MBA application package.  This session covers everything you need to know about recommendation letters, from brainstorming the potential list of referees to choosing those you will approach and coaching them through the process.  Viewers of this session will also gain insight into the ‘recommender checklist’ - the key list of items that applicants need to deliver to their recommenders to ensure effective responses.

This session focuses on all of the touch points that candidates might have with MBA programs over the course of the business school admissions process.  Taking the view that candidates are constantly ‘on stage’ as they move through these touch-points with MBA community members, we explore the best methods for maximizing candidate interactions with alumni, faculty, admissions staff and current students.  Viewers are also offered valuable guidelines on potential pitfalls that can stem from these interactions.

Why do schools conduct admissions interviews?  Who conducts them?  Where do interviews typically take place?  What is the interview style employed at each school?  How much weight can an interview have on your application package as a whole?  This session covers the answers to these key questions, providing applicants with an insider’s view into the role of the MBA interview and critical best practices for a successful result.

This session covers the use of waitlists in the MBA admissions process and provides guidance to candidates who are seeking to maximize their chances of moving from the waitlist into the matriculating class.  We explore the purpose of the waitlist, demystify the various protocols that the schools set for waitlisted candidates to follow and offer critical advice to improve the viewer’s chances of success following a waitlist decision.

While the hardest part about the MBA application process is clearly gaining admission, the process doesn’t end there.  For fortunate candidates who gain admission to the schools on their list, the hard work continues as they need to evaluate offers and make a final decision.  This session offers advice on how to approach the selection process and what sort of questions candidates should be asking as they put on their ‘due diligence’ hats and begin seeking out critical information.