MBA Event Dos and Don’ts

I am consistently shocked at how MBA event attendees will stand in a room with 500+ people in the same position as them and not want to talk and compare notes with as many as possible! One of the biggest opportunities you have in attending an organized admissions event is to grow your professional network and meet people who are also applying for programs – one of your criteria when choosing a school should be whether you will enjoy and benefit from the other attendees – and so getting to know other applicants as well as possible can really help you make an informed decision as well as developing the right professional network.

It is important to make a good first impression, and so try to dress in a way that you think will help you to do so.

You don't have to know the ins and outs of a school to start a conversation with them – but a quick Google search on your smartphone will at least be able to tell you the location and size of a school, as well as the programs that they offer and any other major features.

Think of ways that you can follow up with schools over the week that follows the event. Chances are that the admissions staff will follow up with you, but also think about ways that you can proactively seek out other perspectives, be it from current students, alumni or prospective employers that you'll be applying to once you graduate.

There are legitimate questions pertaining to average GMAT scores, years of experience or school location which are very relevant to an initial conversation, but can also be found inside the school brochure or on the website before you start your conversation. Try and use the time with admissions staff to ask questions that you would struggle to find online.

Pushing MBA admissions staff to try and give you an insight into whether you are admissible after a five-minute conversation is generally not a good idea.  Admissions staff will be happy to point you in the right direction when it comes to highlighting certain points in your background in your application - but they can't give you an answer on the spot as to whether you would get in.

Yes, the majority if not all schools offer MBA scholarships and financial aid, however it this is your first question then it can suggest that all other aspects of the program are of secondary importance to you!  By all means, ask about the process by which schools award financial aid and MBA scholarships, but there is nothing to be gained by making it your opening question.

One of the most impactful things that you can do at an admissions event is in fact to listen to other candidates talk with schools. Many candidates soon realize that they are asking similar questions to other people, and so it is sometimes just as useful to listen to other conversations as it is to have your own with a school. Most admissions staff and candidates are more than happy to have group discussions. Also be mindful that admissions staff are in attendance to meet with a number of candidates, and so try not to spend 45 minutes with the same school if there is a long line of people waiting behind you.

For every person that I meet who has that eureka moment when speaking to a school that they had not previously considered, there must be another 100 who didn't because they walked past school tables and didn't speak to them.  Every school is different and every school that you speak to is another opportunity to learn more. The most successful MBA candidates are often those who have done the most research and honed their story by explaining it many times.

There may be numerous MBA events in your city but no time is ever like the present. Even if you are considering graduate school two or year years down the line, there is never a better time to start to understand what you need to do in order to make yourself as strong an applicant as possible.