In the highly competitive MBA application process, standing out among the crowd is less about accomplishments or professional status and more about authenticity, self-awareness and humility, experts say.
“The goal isn’t to be better than everyone else,” says Arman Davtyan, assistant dean of enrollment management at Pepperdine University’s Graziadio Business School in California. “The goal is to do a good job of presenting who you are and doing it in a thoughtful and reflective way.”
There is no “perfect MBA profile,” admissions officials say, and programs aren’t seeking applicants only from elite schools and well-known companies. Instead, they aim to create a diverse class with students who bring a variety of business and world experiences to the table, says Lindsay Loyd, executive director for MBA admissions at the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.
“I do not want a class that is only bankers,” she says. “That would be boring, not reflective of the workplace, and we wouldn’t be providing a realistic experience of what people are going to have in the workforce. I want the class to be a mosaic of different experiences.”
[Read: How to Decide if an MBA Is Worth it]
Authenticity in your application, essays and interviews is the best way to make a good impression, experts say. Here are seven other ways to help your MBA application stand out.
Tailor Your Application
Schools not only want to know why you want an MBA degree, but why you’re the right fit for their program.
It’s important to demonstrate specific knowledge of that school, such as programming, course work, internships or study abroad opportunities, experts say. Explain how you plan to use those opportunities and how an MBA from that school will help you reach your goals.
“There’s definitely a difference between those who speak more broadly about why an MBA and … those who go that extra step of really highlighting specific things they’ve learned about our institution or our MBA program,” Davtyan says. “That really helps solidify their case.”
Even if you’re very accomplished, humility and self-awareness go a long way in your MBA application, says Rebecca Mallen-Churchill, senior director of recruitment, admission and financial services for graduate programs at Arizona State University.
“Understanding what you don’t know is something I love to see,” she says. “When someone says, ‘Here is where my gap is and this is why your school and this program is the right one to be able to fill it,’ then you can tell someone did their research.”
Share Your Passion
Admissions officers seek candidates who can articulate their short-term and long-term career goals. Whether you aim to join a large consulting firm or take over your family business, schools want to hear your unique story and what motivates you.
“Don’t do something you wouldn’t normally do just to make it look better on your MBA application,” Mallen-Churchill says. “I want to see that you love something.”
The more focused you are in your application, essays and interviews, the more you will stand out, experts say.
“Getting into some of the motivations and the unique things that are individual to you is something that tells me they didn’t just read a job board or a business forum and think this sounds like a good path,” Loyd says.
Show How You Would Add Value
Top programs recruit candidates who will not only thrive in the program but also contribute to their community. They want students who will add diversity in background, experience and perspective.
[READ: 3 Factors to Help Find the MBA Program That’s Right for You.]
For example, one of Stern’s essays asks applicants to explain how they expect to change while working toward their MBA. Experts say you should use opportunities like this to explain the impact you plan to have at the school, highlighting what you’ll bring to the classroom and student organizations.
“We want people coming in that are fountains, not drains — people that are adding value,” Loyd says. “I’m a firm believer that you get out what you put into something.”
Make Connections Ahead of Time
Many MBA programs host webinars or in-person events for prospective students. These allow you to meet people in the program and helps them put a face with a name when they read your application or interview you.
It’s also a way to demonstrate interest and make yourself known, Mallen-Churchill says.
“A lot of people will tell you the biggest skill you learn out of an MBA is networking,” she says, “so if you can learn how to do it prior to enrolling, that’s going to help you when your file comes across an admissions committee.”
Secure Strong Recommendations
Letters of recommendation are critical to your MBA application. When you’re choosing a recommender, substance matters more than status, Davtyan says.
“It’s less about the importance of the position and more about someone who can speak with that level of familiarity and knowledge of who you are and why you would make a great MBA candidate,” he says.
[Avoid 4 Surprising Application Mistakes Prospective MBAs Make]
You don’t need the CEO or president of a company to recommend you, he says. It’s typically better when it’s your immediate manager or someone who is familiar with your work who can speak to your leadership potential, work ethic and character.
“That person is going to be able to speak with a level of credibility because you’ve reported to them and you’ve contributed to different projects,” he says. “Ideally there’s that professional relevancy, not just someone who knows you socially.”
Prepare for the Interview
If you’re selected for an interview, it means the admissions committee wants to get to know you better. The interview is your chance to add depth and personality to your written application.
While schools won’t disqualify you for a bad interview, a strong performance carries significant weight. Plan well in advance. Once a school notifies you of the interview, refresh your research on the program, develop a clear pitch, plan for tough questions, prepare your own questions, and review potential talking points as well as what you wrote in your application.
“The things I look for are consistency among what’s submitted in your application to who you’re showing up as,” Mallen-Churchill says. “If you talked about a target company in your essay, I’m going to ask you in your interview and you better have a good reason why that company is your target.”
Do More Than the Minimum
One easy way to stand out is to see what’s minimally required for an application and go beyond that. If you apply to a program that doesn’t require a letter of recommendation, send one anyway, Davtyan says.
“Or if you have other thoughts beyond just the main essay and you really want to explain the hardship you’ve overcome or just talk a little bit about a passion of yours through a supplemental essay, feel free to do that,” he says. “Those are the ways that show effort, thought and intentionality.”
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7 Ways to Stand Out When Applying to Business School originally appeared on usnews.com
