Business School Applications: An MBA Profile

TopMBA.com talks to Esther Cruz about how she got through the difficult business school admissions process.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. That's successful Wharton MBA applicant Esther Cruz' advice for management hopefuls embarking on the business school admissions journey. However, as she explains to TopMBA.com, Cruz didn't end up needing to take heed of her own advice.

"Fortunately, I ended up getting into Wharton and Columbia during round one," she explains.

"I decided to attend Wharton based on job placement rates in my industry of choice, although I truly believe that either school would have gotten me where I wanted to be. You really can't go wrong with either of those choices and I'm extremely happy with the results. For those who didn't get in this year, I'd highly encourage you to apply again – some of my associates have applied several times and with a lot of perseverance, they eventually got into their school of choice."

For Cruz, hard work, research and preparation was a big factor in submitting a successful MBA application. While preparing for the GMAT for instance, she stuck to an extremely strict schedule.

GMAT preparation

"I set aside two months to study for the GMAT every day after work, Monday through Thursday for one to two hours, and on weekends for larger chunks of time, typically four or more hours.

"I then took one week off work before the exam to hone my skills and solidify everything I had learned. I took one practice exam per week for the last month before the test and one per day for last week before the test. I found that the most useful resources for studying were the Official Guide and the Manhattan Review – I found that other resources were either artificially difficult or artificially easy."

Encouragingly for others in the same boat, Cruz was not happy with her original GMAT score. However, through her hard work and perseverance, Cruz managed to increase her score by around 200 points, roughly taking her from the top 46 percentile, to the top 98.

"When I first began taking practice tests, my score started in the mid-500's, which was discouraging. However, I ended up in the mid-700's, which proves that anything is possible with lots of hard work!"

MBA essays and interviews

Planning is big factor when considering what to write for MBA admissions essays, according to Cruz. In fact, in planning and writing her essays, Cruz discovered that she could also use them to learn more about herself, discovering her ideals and future ambitions.

"I had spoken with many friends who wrote their essays primarily to prove that an MBA was a logical progression of their career goals rather than to explain what they were most passionate about. Some of them were successful in getting into their business school of choice, but I think they forfeited a great opportunity for self-exploration in the process.

"I consciously decided to use the essays as an opportunity to articulate my vocational dreams and the legacy I hoped to leave someday. I'd like to believe that the admissions officers sensed my passion and appreciated it. Even now, I look back on my essays fondly as an expression of some of my most treasured life goals."

The final hurdle for many in the admissions process are the often feared business school interviews. Much the same as the rest of her application, Cruz took a methodical approach to her MBA interview preparation.

"First, I created a list of commonly asked questions and wrote out my answers. I also created a list of interview themes, such as teamwork, leadership, and conflict, then made sure I had brief vignettes to support each theme, where I clearly described the situation, action, and result.

"I then practiced my answers in front of a mirror and with friends to ensure that my non-verbal communication was confident and smooth. My goal was to have all answers under two minutes long, to sound conversational or unrehearsed, and to feel comfortable and relaxed. During my interviews, I felt sure-footed and prepared for every question."

Esther Cruz attended the North American leg of the QS World MBA Tour, which also visits various cities throughout Latin America, Europe and Asia. To find out more, and to register for one of the global events, visit the QS World MBA Tour homepage. Connect 1-2-1, which offers pre-registered MBA applicants the opportunity to meet with business schools on an informal one-to-one basis will also visit Latin America, North America, Europe and Asia in the fall. All Connect 1-2-1 attendees must register prior to the event they wish to attend.