Applying to business school is a crucial first step to advancing your career. And every detail counts in the application process, from composing compelling essays to acing interviews.
“There are many potential vulnerabilities in an application to business school,” says Julie Raynor Gross, founder and president of Collegiate Gateway, an admissions consulting company. “It would be a shame to weaken your application and squander your chances of admission.”
Business school is competitive, so don’t make your chances worse by making application mistakes. Here are seven deadly sins that business school applicants should avoid.
[READ: What an MBA Degree Is and What You Need to Know.]
1. Fibbing the Facts
Be as factual as possible in the application and avoid embellishing your abilities or credentials, experts advise.
“You should always be honest in your application, including the information you convey in essays and interviews,” Gross says. “Own your genuine story and be proud of the journey you’ve taken.”
If you don’t feel like a strong enough applicant, “take stock of your weaknesses and take action to strengthen your candidacy by undertaking new initiatives,” she says.
Gross adds that if there are significant discrepancies between what is conveyed in your application and what your recommenders write, “you will likely be denied admission.”
2. Demonstrating Rude or Arrogant Behavior
Behaving immaturely or being overly confident in a way that borders on arrogance is not going to win you fans, experts say.
“If you are being interviewed for a spot in business school, it means you are in a small sample of people vying for an even smaller sample of spots,” says Norm O’Reilly, dean of the College of Business at the University of New England in Maine. “The interviewers are looking for ways to narrow their sample, and this type of behavior is a good way to do that.”
3. Excessively Contacting Admissions Officers
Reaching out to an admissions office with a legitimate question is OK, but sending out several emails to demonstrate strong interest can backfire.
“Be in touch and timely with the admissions people at the business school of your choice, but don’t bother them,” O’Reilly says.
While it can be very beneficial for applicants to reach out to business schools before they apply, there are appropriate ways to do so, Gross says. This includes attending in-person open houses and information sessions, contacting a few professors, speaking with a few current students or alumni, and following the school on social media.
“After you apply, you could send an update letter about one or two months later with significant updates in which you express continued interest in the school,” Gross says. But more than that “would be viewed as excessive.”
[Read: Is Graduate School Worth the Cost?]
4. Failing to Follow Directions
When putting together your applications, it’s important to take note of requirements, details and directions such as essay word limits or the appropriate number of recommendation letters.
“A good way to get your application rejected is to not follow the instructions,” O’Reilly says.
Gross says it’s important for applicants to read application directions several times to make sure they fully understand.
5. Sending Incorrect or Error-Filled Materials
Grammatical errors and misspelled words don’t look good on a business school application, so applicants should take the extra time to proof their work, experts say.
“Details matter,” Gross says. “In addition to creativity and awareness of big-picture concepts, business requires attention to detail.”
She recommends carefully proofreading all application materials such as your resume, essays and short-answer responses.
Content filled with inaccuracies shows a lack of attention to detail and “indicates that you have not prioritized the application, and most importantly, suggests that you may make careless mistakes in your business dealings,” Gross says.
[Read: How Existing Student Loan Debt Affects Graduate School Prospects]
6. Asking Basic Questions
Applying to business school requires doing your research. That means finding the answers to common questions about application deadlines or financial aid — information that can easily be found on a school’s website.
“Do your homework and read the application materials so you come across as prepared and genuinely interested,” O’Reilly says.
However, experts say students shouldn’t shy away from contacting admissions staff for in-depth questions about a program’s offering.
7. Not Addressing Every Detail
Sometimes an additional explanation is needed, such as for a semester of lower grades or employment gaps. Experts say it’s important to truthfully address potential weaknesses so it doesn’t look like you’re hiding anything.
“The most obvious are weaker grades for certain courses or during a particular period of time, or lower test scores than you’re capable of,” Gross says. “It’s best to take the opportunity to explain the circumstances.”
A related potential weakness can be a lack of quantitative skills or experience, she says. If your undergraduate program didn’t include courses like business or economics, “explain how you have gained knowledge of the analytical side of business, such as through projects you’ve been involved with at work, or outside coursework you have undertaken,” Gross adds.
She emphasizes that it’s best to follow the rule of thumb: “Explain, don’t excuse.”
Making sure you fill in all the gaps and providing an explanation for admissions officers is crucial for business school applicants.
“The application processes at universities are very process-oriented,” O’Reilly says, “so to miss a step or not address an element can mean your application never gets read.”
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7 Deadly Sins of Business School Applicants originally appeared on usnews.com
