Why you should ABSOLUTELY attend B-school events! (a guide to do it..

Why you should ABSOLUTELY attend B-school events! (a guide to do it the right way)

Do you know the sure shot way to differentiate yourself from your competition?
By conducting in-depth research on your target schools.

Would you ever buy a house or a car without researching it? You might even take the car for a test drive! Right? But when it comes to applying to business schools, not enough students tend to research the programs. MBA is perhaps one of the most expensive investment you will ever make in yourself. But it is quite unbelievable that many students apply without spending adequate time and effort learning about the MBA programs. And, unfortunately, it is clearly reflected in their essays (which are often copy pasted across applications) and interviews.

Some schools such as Columbia CBS and NYU Stern (and Tepper in past) ask(ed) about the steps that you have taken to learn about their programs. Many other business schools will ask you in the online application if you have attended any events, your points of contact at the school, what led you to decide for their MBA program.

And if it does not seem apparent initially, let us tell you that it is important to be on the radar of business school's admissions team early one. So that when they read your submitted application, they already kind of know that you have been serious and committed to joining their program. You don't come across as a stranger they have never heard of and believe us this can be a definite plus.

Do yourself a favor and try to find as much as you can about the schools that you're interested in applying. It will place you in a much better position versus your competition who will tend to be lazy and ignorant and write genetic and vague answers in their essay questions.

Okay, so now that you are convinced (hopefully!) that you should make efforts to know about the MBA programs, let's look at some of the ways in which you can accomplish that.

A campus visit is a significant and the best possible way (if you can do it) to know about an MBA program. During the visit, you can meet current MBA students, possibly take a sample class, interact with faculty, learn about the facilities and social life and get the overall 'feel' of the business school. You can also make some good contacts that you can, later on leverage in your application.

Here is a guide on how to make the best use of the events

Before the event (preparation)

1. Find out as much as you can about the program from online resources- website, blogs and social media. Discover the class profile, their average GMAT score, recruiting companies, and details of the curriculum. You should not be asking for this information (which is easily available online) at the event from an Adcom member. It just leaves a bad impression.

2. Prepare an elevator pitch about yourself. What that means is - try to summarize your experience and your intent for an MBA in about 90 seconds or so. For example "Hi, my name is Rahul Sharma I am an electrical engineer from IIT, Delhi*. I have 4 years of work experience in this company* doing XXX. I have a GMAT of XX. After my MBA I want to do XXX and very interested in learning about your program."

3. If you can know in advance who will be hosting the event, try to find information about them. Find out about their background (industry, function, internship, post-MBA roles etc). This will help you ask relevant and insightful questions.

4. Print a few copies of your resume and take them with you. Sometimes schools might offer you an on-the-spot profile evaluation. Be careful ONLY a few schools do that, so politely ask but don't push for you.
(* mention the names of college and company only if it is a well-recognized one)

At the event (approach and etiquettes)

1. Stay away from detailed profile evaluation questions. You can briefly ask if given you profile, would the school encourage you to apply? Sometimes you can get candid feedback on your GMAT score, work experience that will help you make informed application decisions.

2. Please also avoid asking- 'how is your program different from 10 other top programs?". Instead, make it personalized and you could ask something like "I want to do XXX after my MBA, what resources/ opportunities do you think your MBA program can offer to help me get there?"

3. Be courteous of the host's time add other students (if any) in the queue at a booth. Try to ask no more than 1-3 questions an limit the discussion to about 5 minutes. If you would think that the other person. is enjoying the conversation and there are no other people in line, then go ahead and have a long chat

4. You don't need to leave your business cards but definitely, pick the business cards of as many people as you can. Even if you are not able to connect with someone, just pick their card and connect with them online later. If they don't have business card write down their information. Email is good enough.

5. Try to also connect with other MBA applicants. You will learn a lot from other people's experiences and might also find support and companionship in this journey.

6. Dress formally. Business casuals are good. But a good suit never hurts!

[A quick insider tip: Most MBA events have generous food option. But if possible try not go hungry to the event. That way you can skip the time at the food table and instead use it to make more personalized contacts with the school teams. (We learned this at B-school networking events during MBA!)]

After the event: (follow-up)

1. Within 24-48 hours, send thank you emails to your contacts. That's why business cards are important! You can use this opportunity to briefly (verry briefly) reiterate your strengths and a strong interest in the respective program. You could also ask for an introduction to a student/ alum in the same industry and function as you to learn more about their experiences and guidance for you.

2. Stay connected and if appropriate (be judicious about it!) you can send 1-3 updates about your application/ interest during the admission process.

What if you're not able to make it to the campus are any of the in-person events?

Well, in that case, you can attend online webinars and online chat hosted both by most business schools as well as active MBA communities like GMATClub. These are good ways to learn about the program, get application tips from the admissions team and also get questions to your questions. After the online event, you can send a personalized email to the presenter thanking them and briefly describing your interest in the program.

We have collected a list of upcoming events hosted by the top schools for 2016-2017

Harvard Business School MBA Events
Wharton Penn MBA Events
Stanford MBA Events
Kellogg MBA Events
Chicago Booth MBA Events
Columbia Business School MBA Events
MIT Sloan MBA Events
Tuck Dartmouth MBA Events
Yale SOM MBA Events
Berkeley Haas MBA Events
Ross Michigan MBA Events
Duke Fuqua MBA Events
NYU Stern MBA Events
Darden Virginia MBA Events
UCLA Anderson MBA Events

In addition, you can attend the following Fairs and Tours

The MBA Tour
QS World MBA Tour
Forte Forums


You might also like to read:

Applying this year? Do these five things NOW
What B-schools look for and how they evaluate your profile

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