Nikita Srivastava applied to seven MBA programs and got admitted to three: Yale University School of Management in Connecticut, New York University’s Stern School of Business and the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business in Illinois.
“I definitely was not expecting it,” says Srivastava, who chose Booth.
She attributes her multiple acceptances to top B-schools to tying her personal and professional backgrounds to her post-MBA goals. Her background was mainly in communications, media relations and public relations, and she credits her MBA admissions consultant for showing her how to tell her story.
“Lean into what makes you unique,” Srivastava advises MBA applicants. “Think about how this unique quality will enhance the classroom for your peers and professors. Be proud of it and own it.”
Being accepted into multiple B-schools can allow an applicant to weigh program fit, potential opportunities and scholarship offers. Here are some things to consider to increase your chances of being accepted to multiple top business schools.
Apply More Broadly
Getting admitted to numerous MBA programs is a numbers game, says Sam Weeks, an executive MBA admissions consultant and founder of Sam Weeks Consulting.
“The more business schools a prospective applicant applies to, the more likely they are to be accepted into more than one school. That’s why we recommend to our clients to apply to at least six schools, if possible,” says Weeks, who has an MBA from the University of Oxford in England.
Students should not only apply to more schools to increase their chances of multiple admissions, but also more broadly in terms of school selectivity, experts say.
[Read: How to Decide if an MBA Is Worth it]
“This sounds obvious, but there are many applicants who go into this process only considering a limited set of schools with slimmer acceptance odds. They say the ROI is not there for other schools outside their ambitious targeting,” says Alex Leventhal, an MBA admissions consultant at Prep MBA Admissions Consulting.
Leventhal, who has an MBA from Harvard University Business School in Massachusetts, contends that the return on investment is compelling at more schools than most people think. He says applicants should look at the salary data of program graduates and the percentage of graduates who got jobs within three months after graduation.
“For example, the very top consulting firms recruit at a range of schools, and not just the top three,” Leventhal says.
He also suggests looking for joint degree programs to increase your odds by applying to a specialty track that a school is promoting or trying to fill.
Leventhal said he has had “some less-than-stellar clients” get accepted to the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, likely because they applied to the Lauder Institute of Management and International Studies joint program “for one of their less popular regional tracks. Or a client who got into Stanford Graduate School of Business because their professional experiences fit so nicely with a limited scholarship program focusing on the sustainable food supply chain.”
Customize Each Application
Schools like to see B-school applicants demonstrate familiarity with their programs, experts say. Leventhal says schools will “look for evidence that you have engaged with their program and talked to current students and alumni.”
Applicants should demonstrate they took the time to research a particular school “and all it has to offer, and consider both what they will learn from the program and how they will add value on campus,” says MBA consultant Scott Edinburgh, founder of Personal MBA Coach.
This means taking time to develop a strong personal story that connects past choices with future goals, says Edinburgh, who has an MBA from Wharton.
Applicants should demonstrate four key things in their tailored applications, he says: “Ability to handle the academic rigor of the target MBA program, leadership potential, how they will uniquely add value on campus and clarity of purpose.”
[How to Get an MBA in Less Time]
When applying, Weeks says, it’s important to have a well-developed goal statement that “charts out the applicant’s intended career path and the impact they expect to have in their career.” He says those goals should be ambitious but attainable and make sense for the applicant.
Knowing what makes top business schools distinct “and then showing how you fit into those unique scenarios is essential to securing admits,” says Candy Lee LaBalle, an MBA admissions expert and founder of mbaClarity, formerly LaBalle Admissions.
Highlight Extracurricular Activities
Professional accomplishments that demonstrate leadership are great but shouldn’t be the only things highlighted. Edinburgh says applicants should show a passion for driving change.
“Successful MBA applicants are interesting people with plans to leave the world better than they found it in unique ways. Demonstrating passion and a track record of success in working towards this passion goes a long way,” Edinburgh says.
LaBalle says applicants who get admitted to multiple top B-schools tend to be “genuinely curious about the world, about learning, about having their perspectives challenged, and that shows in their hobbies and interests, work and goals.” They care deeply about the world and can demonstrate it, she adds, “whether that is mentoring classmates or starting an NGO that feeds thousands, and everything in between.”
Boost Your GMAT or GRE Score
If your GMAT or GRE score is lower than you had hoped for, take some more time to study and retake the exam.
“It is easier to get admits, and thus multiple admits, if your test score is strong and balanced between quantitative and verbal,” LaBalle says.
She says a strong, above-average test score can make a difference. “While there are many ways to offset a lowish test, the hard truth is that the higher your score, the better your odds of multiple admits.”
[Read: Hot Jobs for MBA Graduates.]
Students who don’t do well in the quantitative or analytical parts of the GMAT may prefer to take the GRE. Some business schools accept either test for MBA admissions.
Tests and other application materials aside, experts say securing strong letters of recommendation by supporters invested in your career and future is important to getting accepted to top MBA programs.
Apply to Schools Offering Scholarships
Applying to more schools can mean more scholarships that come with those admissions, which can give you options. Leventhal says his clients have focused on applying to more B-schools the last few cycles because they are increasingly interested in merit scholarships.
“The schools are trying to secure talented applicants with money off the tuition. As the price tag of the MBA has gone up, the merit pull can understandably matter. And schools that are reaches for an applicant generally won’t offer much in the way of merit grants,” Leventhal says.
Srivastava says she received some scholarships with each admissions offer, helping to relieve the burden of paying back student loans after graduation and giving her “freedom to focus on finding a career that would be a good fit for me both personally and professionally.”
A major bonus to getting accepted to multiple B-schools that offer scholarships is leverage, Weeks says. “You are in a strong position to negotiate scholarships.”
That includes awards at the most elite business schools. Students with more than one acceptance can inform schools that they received another offer and ask if any additional scholarship funding is available, he says.
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How to Get Accepted to Multiple Top Business Schools originally appeared on usnews.com
