Can you break down the process involved in writing an MBA Application?

F1GMAT: What is the ideal time that MBA candidates should spend on their Application. When you talk about application, what are the critical components of an MBA application that needs attention. Can you break down the process involved in writing an application?

Stacy: Everyone has their own work style and their own schedule, and as such will have a unique approach to the MBA application process.  However, after spending over a decade coaching many hundreds of clients, I have developed a set of best practice recommendations.

The first phase of your application process is the candidacy phase.  This begins as soon as you decide that you are going to apply.  It might be a couple of years before you actually submit your applications.  During this time, learn about the application process and understand what it takes to be a great candidate.  Then spend some time developing yourself as a strong candidate.  This is the time when you can pursue community service activities, take an extra academic course, lobby for an important promotion or develop bonds with desired recommenders.  This is also a good time to take the GMAT.  Ideally, you will enroll in a GMAT course and have the GMAT behind you when you begin tackling the actual applications.

In the spring or summer prior to submitting your applications, you will enter the more tactical phase of your application process.  I suggest leaving a minimum of six weeks, and as much as three or four months to work on your essays and other application elements.  Important application elements include:

• Data forms
• Resume
• Recommendations
• Essays
• Transcripts

You can begin preparing materials to guide your recommenders early on in order to give your recommender as much time as possible.  It will be up to you to manage your recommenders to make sure they are on time and that their submissions are appropriate and useful.
The next step is ordering transcripts and any related materials, as these can sometimes have a lead time and these also need to be submitted on time. 

The third step will be one of the very most important – this is your essays.  Your essays will be the most time consuming aspect of your process.  You will ideally leave adequate time to brainstorm topics, and then write and rewrite and rewrite.  I suggest beginning with one school and coming close to finalizing that school before moving on to the next one.  This is because despite writing original essays for each school, you will recycle material.  If you work on several application simultaneously, you will waste time during the revision stage as you will need to make revisions across all applications.  You should enlist the help of one or more people to help review your essays.  They can look at the essays with a fresh perspective and provide critical feedback.  Be sure to incorporate time for this into your schedule.  You will need to wait for the feedback and have sufficient time to incorporate it.

Occasionally, you will need a break from your essays.  This is an ideal time to focus on resume data forms.  Both of these elements of your application can be time consuming so don’t leave them until the last minute.  However, they can often be worked on during breaks from the rest of your process.

This is a stressful and time consuming process; be sure to give yourself the time needed so that it is not more stressful than necessary.  

Stacy Sukov Blackman has been consulting on the MBA application process since 2001. She earned her MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University and her Bachelor of Science from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Stacy has worked with the admissions committees at both schools, conducting alumni interviews and evaluating applicants. Stacy has published a book, The MBA Application Roadmap,. Stacy has been profiled in several publications, including Fortune Magazine, BusinessWeek and the Wall Street Journal. For private consulting visit https://www.stacyblackman.com