What do MBA admissions committees want to hear?

F1GMAT:What do MBA admissions committees want to hear?

VeritasPrep: The truth.  They want to get to know about you, your background, your goals, and how they can help you to reach them.  MBA admissions committees don’t need to hear a script-worthy story, they just want to hear your story.

What may seem like incredible cliché ends up more than often being pure truth – the end result of the MBA admissions process should be that you have a much stronger sense of what you want to do with an MBA.  And while this provides incredible value to an admissions committee in filling out a class of students who will thrive in that program, add value to one another’s experiences, and fully value the process, it may well provide even more practical utility to you.  By forcing you to honestly assess what type of classroom environment you seek, what kind of curriculum you’d like to pursue, and how an MBA education will help you to transition your current skills, abilities, and interests to a fulfilling career, schools are doing you a favor. 

And as you are forced to question yourself – your goals, your background, and what you want out of the MBA experience – you’re much more likely to fully take advantage of the opportunities that await you once you are admitted; the MBA admissions process provides you with an itinerary of what you want to do once you do finally reach campus.

Business schools make decisions based not only on achievement but also on potential.  After all, most applicants have fewer than 10 years of work experience, and those who have already ascended into the stratosphere have little incentive to spend two years learning how to get there.  One (unintentionally) well-kept secret of MBA admissions is that “being qualified” is only part of the process, and is often overvalued by applicants.  Having a compelling career vision and a thorough understanding of how an MBA – and that particular MBA program – will help you achieve it is a crucial and often-overlooked part of the process.

What do MBA admissions officers want to hear?  They want to know that you’ve taken time to assess your strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities that await you and the role that their MBA program would take in your career should you attend.  To give the admissions officers what they want, you first need to be honest with yourself about what you want. 

Veritas Prep is the world’s largest privately-owned GMAT preparation and admissions consulting  provider, offering industry-leading programs to help applicants improve their test scores and gain admission to the world’s best graduate schools. Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep is now live in more than 90 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online courses  available everywhere. Additionally, Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools, law schools, and medical schools in the world.