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U.S. News & World Report has been presenting how-to guides for getting in to top b-schools. In each article, admissions officials answer questions about what you can do to distinguish yourself in your application for their program.
Last week, U.S. News published an informative interview with adcom members from Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business. The following tips emerged:
- "Be true to yourself." – Don't say or write only what you think the adcom want to hear or read, and exude confidence and pride for your accomplishments and experiences.
- "Make a case as to why you think you fit that school." – Expressing how you fit with Mendoza is important. Do thorough research so you'll be able to present how you fit with the Mendoza program personally and academically.
- "We look for essays that are crisp and concise in both design and concept." – Start with a creative lead and build your theme from there. And of course…no mistakes allowed!
- "The quality of work experience is more important than the quantity." – Adcom measure qualitative work experience by looking at good career progression, effective leadership and teamwork experiences, and quantifiable initiatives led.
- "Your recommender needs to know you well." – While choosing a big name recommender may seem like a good idea to you, it doesn't make nearly as good an impression as when you choose a recommender who can truly provide a picture of you, both personally and professionally.
- "If you're not interested, why should we be interested?" – Being prepared is key. You present yourself as a sloppy candidate if your application shows you did little or no research or if you come inappropriately dressed to an interview and without a pen, paper, and extra resumes (or if you don't come on time or even early).
FYI, These tips are valid at almost every top MBA program.
Related Accepted.com Resources:
- B-School Zone: Mendoza College of Business
- 2010 Notre Dame MBA Admissions Q&A with Brian Lohr
- Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Packages
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