MBA Admissions Staff on The Importance of Telling Your Story

Every MBA applicant knows how important their grades are, but what really makes their application stand out?

We’ve spoken with admissions staff from business schools to learn the importance of telling your story.

Kristina Bonfiglio, Associate Director of MS Admissions at Robert H. Smith School of Business, says applicants should do a self-assessment of their strengths and successes before applying to business school.

She says: “This way, when an admissions committee is looking at your undergrad record, there’s a story to tell.”

Some of the elements that make a story successful are a student’s undergraduate curriculum, internship and mentorship history, and career aspirations.

Bonfiglio adds: “When they’re looking at your resumé or reading your essay, they’ll be able to fill in all the pieces you wish for them to know so they can look at you and say ‘yes – this person really wants to be a part of a community, really wants to grow and be a leader long-term’.”

Jenny Larsen, Director of Admissions and Recruiting for Graduate Program at Gies College of Business, says what admissions committees care about the most is why students would be a good fit for the school and what their career objectives are, which they need to be able to articulate in their application.