What Makes a Good MBA Candidate a Great MBA Candidate?
The most common and the most often asked question to me by the prospective candidates is: what differentiates a good MBA candidate from a great MBA candidate? Let me be the first to admit that there isn't one simple answer. In fact, it's a difficult one to answer. But let me try to bring up a few things that may be very useful to you when you start writing your MBA applications.
What they examine
The schools start by examining your basic credentials, including your undergraduate performance; your GMAT or GRE score; your work experience to date; and your community contributions and other activities outside of work. On top of that, however, they evaluate your essays, the recommendations submitted on your behalf and the results of your interviews, to determine whether you will be successful in the business school environment and in your post-MBA career.
Broadly speaking, business schools use this information to rate candidates in four general categories: intellectual ability, managerial and leadership potential, personal attributes (such as integrity, determination, and creativity), and career awareness and planning.
BALANCING ACT
The question inevitably arises: how do admissions officers determine who gets in, given that some applicants have outstanding job records, but unimpressive grades and GMAT scores, whereas others have the reverse set of strengths and weaknesses? There is no set answer, but bear in mind:
- The top business schools do not need to make substantial trade-offs. INSEAD, London Business School, Harvard, and Wharton, for example, have many applicants with sterling undergraduate records, high GMAT scores, and impressive work experience, which eliminates the need to accept applicants with any substantial weaknesses.
- Schools value specific criteria differently, depending upon the applicant. For example, if you have worked for fewer than two to three years, your undergraduate record, extracurricular activities, and GMAT score will count very heavily because your work experience is too slight to provide definitive information. By contrast, if you have ten years of work experience, you can expect that less weight will be place on academic measures.
- Each programme is looking to shape an interesting and diverse class. This means that you may be valued particularly highly (or lowly), depending upon how you compare with others in terms of nationality, religion, race, ethnicity, family background, gender, career, and functional background. (Part of the desire for diversity is based on the need to have a sprinkling of experts—in accounting, technology, etc.—able to teach fellow classmates their specialty beyond what is taught in class.)
Experience counts
MBA programmes value work experience in their students. Experienced students can contribute real-world experience to class and caseteam discussions. They know enough about how organizations function, the role of technology in their industry, what is required to succeed in a given job, the prerequisites to move up in their industry, and so on, that they provide a major career resource for their classmates. Similarly, experienced students have learned a great deal about their own strengths and weaknesses, values and interests. They are likely to know what sort of career path makes sense for them. As a result, they know what classes to choose, projects to undertake, and student groups to join. In other words, they are ready to get the most out of their MBA programmes.
Students without practical work experience, in contrast, have a number of substantial weaknesses from the perspective of a serious MBA programme. They:
- Cannot teach other students about their own jobs/organisations/industries
- Are not effective participants in class, especially in case-oriented courses, where real-world experience is particularly valued
- Are generally regarded as adding time inefficiency to student-learning teams and are therefore often avoided by those with practical experience
- Lack sufficient self-understanding and career perspective to know which elective courses to select and student organizations to join
- May not fit the profile traditional recruiters seek from MBA graduates, making it hard to find a successful job.
- Commitment and Focus:
- An MBA program isn't a cakewalk, and the most successful students are the ones who are absolutely committed to the program and to their own career goals. You should have a clear idea of why you want an MBA and what you want it to do for your career. Keeping a strong focus on your goals will help you maximize your program's offerings and give you the most bang for your buck throughout the program.
Sense of direction. Before you dive into an MBA program, make sure you know exactly what you want to accomplish. Grab a Post-it note and jot down a few of your goals, or spend some time talking it over with someone else—a spouse, friend, or Admissions officer. Thinking about what you want out of the program ensures that you’re pursuing an MBA for valid reasons. Plus, as you move further toward your MBA, you can check in with yourself to be sure that you’re reaching—better yet, exceeding—your goals.
Time management. As a prospective MBA student, it should come as no surprise that dividing your time—whether it’s between your current career and education, your education and social life, or all of the above—will require planning, patience, and communication among all parties. (If time management isn’t one of your strong points, try downloading iStudiez Pro. For $2.99, this app organizes all of your obligations—from work, to class, to the assignments you need to complete. And it syncs to the Cloud, so all of your devices are kept up to date.)
Academic success. Previous courses in business administration or management aren’t required for admittance into business school, but academic excellence in other areas, including communication and mathematics, are important. Of course, a strong academic history will impress the Admissions team, but it will also help you when it comes time to tap back into that academic mindset. (It may have been a few years since you’ve stepped foot in a classroom, but you’ll find that it’s not too far from your memory.)
Leadership. It’s another characteristic that Admissions offices value, but also one that will benefit you far beyond the application process. From class discussions to networking opportunities, to real-world experience in the field, being confident and embracing leadership roles can help propel you to an impactful career in the world of business. (Room for improvement in this area? Try something as simple as volunteering to demonstrate in your fitness class. Next, offer to take the lead on your team project at work.)
Whether you possess one or all of these qualities, your success in an MBA program also rests on the program itself. Read more about Boston College’s Full-Time MBA and Evening MBA programs to determine which is the best fit for you.