14 Ways to Create a Standout MBA Application (Part 1)

You have chosen the Executive MBA program at the business school you want to attend and are now ready to begin creating an outstanding application for admission. But how can you best impress the AdCom (MBA admissions committee)? The fact is that the MBA application process is not easy. It is a test of not only your dedication but also your creativity, your time management, your eloquence and your resourcefulness.

The great thing is, that as you jump through the hoops like getting your transcripts and MBA recommendation letters to complete your MBA application, you will begin to see very clearly if you are ready to make this investment in yourself, and if this is the institution where you want to make it happen. Here are 14 tips (1-6 are in this article and 7-14 will appear in part 2) to help ensure your MBA admissions application is a winning one.

Give yourself the gift of time. Rushing through your MBA application will not only stress you out, it will also result in unedited essays, incomplete information or a lack of depth in your overall presentation. As soon as you begin narrowing down which programs might interest you, find out when they will accept your application for admission. In some cases programs have what are called ‘rolling application periods’, meaning they are open to accepting application for admission any time of the year with the understanding that if you are accepted you will be ready to join when the next class begins.

Other programs have two or three major application deadlines in the year and some only accept applications once a year. Be sure to get these dates in your calendar and then begin planning so that you have plenty of time to gather all of the required application pieces. (The stats pages in the QS TopExecutive Guide list much of this information for you. Be sure to check them out when you grab a copy at the QS World MBA Tour.)

Most Executive MBA programs will require you pass some sort of test(s) before submitting your application so that they can evaluate your results as part of your overall MBA admissions profile. The GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) is the most common of these tests for MBA applicants, though a number of Executive MBA programs are now opting for their own in-house tests instead of the GMAT. Most EMBA programs are delivered fully or partially in English so if English is not your mother tongue, you may be required to take a test like the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to show a proficient level of English.

Though tests like the GMAT are not the most important part of your application, they offer the school a way to evaluate how you learn and retain knowledge. If you feel you need help to boost your test score, do it. There are plenty of options online or at local testing centers to help you prepare for the tests. Use these resources so your GMAT or other test score is a help not a hindrance to your application.