{"id":23961,"date":"2014-05-20T13:02:17","date_gmt":"2014-05-20T20:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=23961"},"modified":"2014-05-20T13:02:17","modified_gmt":"2014-05-20T20:02:17","slug":"reaches-on-pars-and-safeties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/reaches-on-pars-and-safeties\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaches, On-Pars, and Safeties"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>\u201cReaches, On-Pars, and Safeties\u201d is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/info.accepted.com\/mba\/where-you-should-apply\/\" target=\"_blank\">Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One<\/a><i>. To download the entire free special report, <\/i><a style=\"font-style: italic;\" href=\"https:\/\/info.accepted.com\/mba\/where-you-should-apply\/\" target=\"_blank\">click here<\/a><i>. <\/i><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/info.accepted.com\/mba\/where-you-should-apply\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-23962\" alt=\"WhereToApplyGPS\" src=\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/WhereToApplyGPS-150x300.jpg\" width=\"150\" height=\"300\" \/><\/a>It\u2019s now time to determine what types and levels of MBA programs you\u2019re competitive and qualified for, and what if any are out of reasonable reach. I use the following categories:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Reasonable reach<\/strong>: Acceptance is not likely but with a great application is within reach.<\/li>\n<li><strong>On-par<\/strong>: With a great app you\u2019ll have a solid chance of acceptance.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Safety<\/strong>: You will likely be admitted if you present your case credibly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There\u2019s a fourth category: out-of-reaches. Conceding the wisdom and validity of \u201cnever say never\u201d and \u201cnothing\u2019s impossible,\u201d there are still much, much better ways to spend your energy and time than applying to such schools.<\/p>\n<p>Several factors determine your qualification for various levels of programs. Keep in mind that they all work together holistically.<\/p>\n<p>First the basics: <strong>GPA and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/gmat.aspx\">GMAT<\/a><\/strong>. How do yours stack up versus the mid 75-80% of students in a given program? To be fundamentally qualified you\u2019ll want to be in the higher two-thirds of that range at least. If you\u2019re above or in the upper one-third of this range, you\u2019re competitive in this area. If you\u2019re in the middle third you\u2019re qualified, and if you\u2019re in the lower third or below, you\u2019re reaching.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Work experience<\/strong> is the next factor to consider, specifically, quality of experience. The more competitive the MBA program, the more important it is to have strong and demonstrable advancement, impact, and leadership relative to accomplished peers, regardless of your function, industry, or organization. Quality of work experience is a key factor in determining the level of program you would be competitive in; top tier programs turn down many applicants with near perfect stats who lack the requisite professional accomplishment.<\/p>\n<p>Being in an <strong>overrepresented or underrepresented industry, demographic group, or global region\/country<\/strong> will affect your competitiveness. Perhaps the largest overrepresented group is <a href=\"https:\/\/reports.accepted.com\/against_the_odds_indian_mba_applicants\">Indians<\/a> in technical fields, a group that also has relatively high average stats. Schools that might be reasonable reaches for others will be almost out of reach for many in this group. On the other hand, no matter how underrepresented you are, if the adcom doubts you can handle the program, you won\u2019t be admitted. As you can see, this factor influences what programs would be reasonable reaches, on-pars, and safeties.<\/p>\n<p>A myriad of other factors will also affect your qualification and competitiveness. Having <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/younger.aspx\">fewer than three<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/older.aspx\">more than eight years<\/a> of work experience or already holding an MBA from another program usually makes you less competitive.<\/p>\n<p>If you have an unconventional background, such as teaching or airline pilot, you face extra burdens in making your case. However if you successfully make the case for your qualifications and need for an MBA, your non-traditional background may become a plus in this competitive process.<\/p>\n<p>Qualified means you meet the basic standards of a given program. You can be fully qualified but not competitive\u2014this is exactly the problem that many excellent Indian IT applicants face. Competitive is more nuanced; it encompasses the preferences and character of the program, the commonality or distinctiveness of your background, and even sometimes political and\/or economic trends and events. When you happily conclude that you are qualified for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/Columbia.aspx\">Columbia<\/a>, don\u2019t forget to ask yourself whether you are also competitive there.<\/p>\n<p>As you research and visit MBA programs, determine how qualified <em>and<\/em> competitive you are for them.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hub.am\/1jusurz\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-23035 size-full\" alt=\"Register for our upcoming webinar to find out How Your GMAT Score Will Impact Your MBA Admissions Chances\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/GMAT_webinar_CTA.png\" width=\"551\" height=\"226\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><em><em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/aboutus\/CindyTokumitsu\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft  wp-image-8104\" title=\"Cindy Tokumitsu\" alt=\"Cindy Tokumitsu\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/12\/cindy.jpg\" width=\"70\" height=\"70\" \/><\/a> By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/aboutus\/editors.aspx?editorid=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"author\">Cindy Tokumitsu<\/a>, co-author of <\/em><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/accepted.com\/ecommerce\/ebook2.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">The Finance Professional\u2019s Guide to MBA Admissions Success<\/a><em><em>, and author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports. Cindy has advised hundreds of successful applicants in her last fifteen years with Accepted.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #1f497d;\">Accepted.com's <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/aboutus\/AboutUs.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">experienced admissions consultants<\/a> can help you create the most impressive application possible with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/Services\/MBAProgramServices.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">comprehensive packages<\/a>,<b><i> <\/i><\/b>or provide targeted assistance from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/services\/mba\/admissionsconsulting.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">picking perfect programs<\/a> to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/admissionsresume.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">designing a dazzling resume<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/essayediting.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">constructing engaging essays<\/a>, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/interviewservices.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">preparing for intense interview<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/interviewservices.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">s<\/a>\u2026and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 \u2013 we know what works and what doesn't, so <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/contactus.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">contact us<\/a> to get started now!<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; color: #1f497d;\"><em>This article originally appeared on the <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/2014\/05\/20\/reaches-on-pars-and-safeties\/\" target=\"_blank\">Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog<\/a>, the official blog of Accepted.com.<\/em> <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cReaches, On-Pars, and Safeties\u201d is excerpted from the Accepted.com special report, Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Selecting the Right One. To download the entire free special report, click here.&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,6,939,775,113,243],"tags":[1264,1262,782,1114],"class_list":["post-23961","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-current-events","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-choose-business-school","tag-choose-mba-program","tag-choosing-a-business-school","tag-choosing-an-mba-program","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23961","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23961"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23961\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23963,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23961\/revisions\/23963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23961"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23961"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23961"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}