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14 Ways to Create a Standout MBA Application (Part 2)

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By Dawn Bournand Updated Nov 17, 2014
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Read part 1 of 14 Ways to Create a Standout EMBA application

You’ve done your research, you’ve chosen your business school; so now you need to go about putting together your Executive MBA application for admission. So, how best to win over the admissions committee – otherwise known as the AdCom?

The school application process is a test of dedication, creativity, time management, eloquence and resourcefulness. The upshot of this is that you will begin to see very clearly if you’re ready to make this investment and if you’re making it in the right place. Here are 14 tips (7-14 are below, and you can find 1-6 in part 1) to help make your application a winning one.

7. Seek out Executive MBA alumni

To get the full inside scoop on an Executive MBA program, there is no better source than those who have already walked the path you are considering – Executive MBA alumni. Seek out Executive MBA alumni to understand the specific highs and lows of the whole experience and be sure to get their advice on the MBA application process. As Executive MBA alumni, they obviously aced the application process and can therefore give you valuable information on what to expect and how best to woo the AdCom.

8. Utilize social media

Use social media to get informed and also to begin connecting with students and even professors at your chosen business school. Not only will you be able to stay on top of what is happening at the program from the people who are directly involved, but social media also offers a great way to see if the environment is the one in which you really want to be spending your time. Each business school has its strengths and weaknesses so test the waters through social media to ascertain whether your top school pick lives up to your expectations.

9. Pause for clarity before launching into your MBA application essay

Once you have gotten to know the program you are considering and some of the Executive MBA alumni, it is now time to get to know yourself a bit better. The Executive MBA application essay process is often a highly personal one. It will require you to do some deep personal analysis and question why you did certain things and chose certain paths. Before you dive into sharing the what, where and why about you, give yourself a bit of time to truly ponder the Executive MBA application essay questions that are being asked of you. This pause for clarity will assure that you write a more compelling and solid portrait of who you truly are.

10. Find an MBA application writing buddy

It is always helpful to have an outsider who can review your MBA application essay and any other materials you will need to hand in; not only for the grammar and punctuation but also for the overall cohesiveness and flow. Seek out someone who knows you well enough to say whether your MBA application offers a clear picture of who you are. They may be able to see brilliant parts of you that you had not even thought to add which will impress the AdCom. If they also happen to be great at dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s, all the better.

11. Prepare with the end in mind

As you are pulling your application for admission together, use the age old business idiom of ‘preparing with the end in mind’. Throughout the process assume that your acceptance is a done deal and you are just pulling together a stellar MBA application as a formality. Not only will this take some of the stress off you as you strive to create a perfect presentation, but it will allow your confidence to shine through in each step of the MBA admissions process.

12. Stay in touch with the AdCom

From the time you decide on the program you would like to attend to the time you turn in all portions of your application, make sure you are letting the school know you are interested and not just with your application for admission. Top programs get hundreds of applications from names the AdCom has never seen before. Let your name be one that they recognize from phone calls, follow-up emails, meeting at QS TopMBA Executive U, or even social media. It is not about being a pest but more about making it clear you want to be a part of the program they offer. In this case, flattery can get you somewhere.

13. Investigate next steps in the MBA application process

Most MBA application processes have more than one step. There will be the written application for admission, a possible school visit and one or more interviews. Some schools are now also adding a video element to the application steps and you may be required to create a short personal film. Be sure to know what is required and when, so you do not miss any of the necessary steps to getting into your favorite program.

14. Go for it

A simple piece of advice, worth its weight in gold: Just go for it! You have come this far, so why not decide that this is the right thing to do and give getting into business school all you have got? After all, aren’t you worth it?

 

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Written by
Dawn Bournand

Dawn Z Bournand is associate director of the Executive MBA department at QS and handles editorial content for the department which includes serving as editor-in-chief of the QS TopExecutive Guide. Along with two of her QS colleagues, she recently wrote the book, QS TopExecutive Passport - Your essential document for entry into the world of Executive MBAs.  One of her favorite parts of the job is serving as an MBA/EMBA expert on webinars and panels, at conferences and in the media.