If you're in the middle of application season right now, than this post (and the next five in this series) may not be relevant to you, but if you are planning on applying to business school next year (either as a first timer or as an MBA reapplicant), then it's important that you start out on the right foot. Staying organized and on schedule is key for admissions success.
So, the big question—what should you be doing now to prepare for the upcoming application season?
First and foremost, you're going to need to assess your qualifications. This means you're going to need to do some thinking about who you are, what you have done in the past, and how those things have influenced who you'd like to be and what you'd like to do in the future. In short, you're going to need to "Know Thyself."
Those who reflect on who they are and what their priorities are will have an easier and more successful time determining their goals and generating a realistic list of schools to apply to, not to mention be better positioned for writing their application essays later on in the process.
In this six-part blog series we'll discuss the different steps you should take to assess your qualifications, determine your goals, and generate a school list.
Let's begin right now by talking about assessing the academic component of your qualifications:
You need to examine your grades and your GMAT score to establish where you stand amongst your competition academically. Yes, I know. Those numbers do not fully represent your intellectual horsepower, but they are important in the competitive admissions process.
A low GMAT score or a low GPA is not necessarily an MBA deal breaker. No adcom is going to admit or dismiss a candidate solely on one semester’s poor GPA or a low verbal GMAT score without also reflecting on other numbers as well as the rest of the non-quantitative parts of the applicant’s profile. Average numbers vary according to school, as well as numbers within your demographic group. You should examine each of these aspects and weigh the strengths and weaknesses in your application as you assess your competitiveness.
That being said, there are certain numbers that will be significant hurdles. Say, for instance, you have a GPA of 2.9 and your top choice MBA program’s GPA average is 3.5. In such a case, your chances of acceptance have just taken a major hit. If, on the other hand, that same applicant applies to a b-school with a GPA average of 3.2, then he or she may have a chance of acceptance, provided, the rest of the application is solid, or better yet, above average.
Here’s another “it depends” situation: Overrepresented demographics—engineers or investment bankers from over-represented groups—will have a harder time getting into a top MBA program than a corporate finance executive from an under-represented background with the same stats. In such a case, a GMAT score in the lower part of the school’s 80% range and a GPA of 3.3 may be just too low for one person and just high enough for another.
The point is, you need to examine the details of your scores and reflect on them in the context of a bigger picture. Ask yourself these questions:
- Is one score low, but balanced out by other higher numbers? Can you provide other evidence of academic ability?
- Did your overall GPA improve as you matured through the college experience?
- Do you have recommenders who will vouch for your abilities—especially ones that the numbers don’t reveal?
- Have you chosen schools that will view your scores as competitive?
- Have you taken additional college courses in an attempt to demonstrate your quant or verbal capabilities or to compensate for a less than stellar GPA?
You need to assess and interpret how you’ll be perceived with such scores and numbers, and then develop an MBA application strategy to address those issues.
Last but not least, it's not too late to retake the GMAT or to enroll in a college statistics course if you feel like these could help boost your profile.
Like the advice you see in this post? Download Accepted's new special report, MBA Action Plan, for more practical tips on what you can do now to increase your chances of getting in to a top business school next year. (P.S. It's free!)
Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best
