All MBA Application Related Tips

MBA Resume can be formatted into two broad styles – project-level formatting and strategic formatting. Before you make any drastic changes, you must understand that it is not just about the format that will give you attention. I remember having a conversation with a person running an accounting firm. And he was impressed with a 1-page resume format with two columns - work achievements neatly organized on the left and extra-curricular and volunteering on the right.

I remember reading an essay for review where the applicant was passionately talking about a cause that was controversial. At the end of the 2nd paragraph, the applicant went on to criticize a Businessperson -  a public figure who happened to have close associations with the Business School. It clearly showed a lack of awareness.

A theme that consistently appears in MBA application essays is using Power for Good. Schools carefully read any accounts of your non-profit engagements, team collaboration in your company, and your post-MBA goals to understand how you will use an MBA Alumni network and your acquired skills for the good of society.

Most MBA applicants use the opening line as a shock element. They start with something tragic, violent, anxiety-inducing, or scenery that gives the reader perspective that they are living a much more comfortable life compared to what the applicant went through. This approach works if your story truly has something unique – war, trauma, coming back from a life-threatening illness, or a challenge related to your identity.

If you are applying to Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, or any M7 MBA programs, you must assume that your competitors have unique life and career journeys.

When you are applying to MBA programs, you are switching between two contexts – as a person highlighting professional achievements and as a person managing supervisors through the recommendation letter writing process. On top of it, if you are working in an office with peers from similar backgrounds for 10-14 hours virtually or otherwise, the conversations are about your professional life, your industry, your clients, the project, and the pending recession.

This is a recent trend. Right around 2021-22, the increase in salary in Technology and some functions in Finance was so substantial that it created a scenario where post-MBA salary vs. pre-MBA salary was not this 100-120% shift but a reasonable 30-40% change. And this change has offered leverage both for the admissions team and applicants.

An MBA class could have 35 to 70 nationalities. You will never be in a room with such diverse international peers. So it is surprising when applicants don’t mention this unique opportunity in their MBA essays.