By Matt Symonds<\/p>\n
I was escorted out of my first-ever MBA fair for unruly behavior. It was at a GMAC event in Paris nearly 25 years ago, where organizers didn\u2019t approve of us talking with on-site business schools about the fledgling franchise that we had started \u2013 Kaplan Test Prep. Regrouping on the sidewalk on a cold January evening, we decided that if we weren\u2019t welcome inside the room we should start our own MBA fair business. We were organizing events on four continents within five years, welcoming schools and participants to what became the World MBA Tour. Throughout my eight years as the S of QS, I only asked one person to leave a fair, and that was because he\u2019d single-handedly devoured the food we\u2019d set aside for the schools.<\/p>\n
Last weekend,\u00a0CentreCourt MBA Festival<\/a>\u00a0celebrated the last leg of its three-city series in San Francisco, which included New York (May 20) and London (June 3), featuring admissions directors, deans and representatives from 30 of the top 40 MBA programs around the world. When we opened the doors to welcome hundreds of young professionals to the inaugural event, I was reminded of the Paris sidewalk and the do\u2019s and don\u2019ts to make the most of your time at an MBA Fair. Given my track record I\u2019m either perfectly qualified or unqualified to offer advice on the topic, so I\u2019ve have turned to my\u00a0Fortuna Admissions<\/a>\u00a0colleagues who attended these events to share their experience as former admissions officers. Below are their top tips to help you to make the most of your time \u2013 and theirs.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at an MBA fair in Seoul where the doors were locked until noon, at which point this flash flood of people poured into the hall and I was mobbed for several hours,\u201d said\u00a0Emma Bond<\/a>, Director at Fortuna Admissions and LBS former Senior Manager of Admissions. \u201cAt some point, I met a Brazilian-Japanese man with a background in automotive manufacturing working in South Korea. He was engaging, professional and friendly, and had an interesting international profile that was a good fit for LBS, though he didn’t have great stats. So when he later applied I actually remembered him and the impression he\u2019d made\u00a0and was able to say, \u2018yes, he’d contribute<\/em>, this guy is great,<\/em>\u2019 and he was eventually offered a spot.\u201d<\/p>\n Of all the terrific reasons to attend an MBA fair, this kind of interaction is the hope of any prospective contender. To make a lasting impression with a b-school gatekeeper is invaluable, but separating yourself from crowds of other eager young professionals can be tricky. So, what does it take? And what memorable encounters will linger in an admissions officer\u2019s mind?<\/p>\n Must Do\u2019s<\/strong><\/p>\n Do<\/em>\u2026 Prepare some thoughtful questions for target schools.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201c<\/strong>Go with two-to-three specific questions you can\u2019t find in any article or website,\u201d says\u00a0Judith Silverman Hodara<\/a>, Wharton former Head of MBA Admissions. \u201cNot only does it show you\u2019ve done some due diligence, you may be able to use the response that you hear as you begin to shape your essays later in the season.\u201d<\/p>\n Do<\/em>\u2026 Keep an open mind.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe\u00a0huge\u00a0variety of\u00a0schools at an MBA fair presents a rare opportunity,\u201d says\u00a0Jessica Chung<\/a>, Fortuna expert coach and UCLA Anderson former Associate Director of Admissions. \u201cInvestigate schools that may not\u00a0have been on your radar initially and meet with their admissions representatives\u00a0\u2014you may find another program that’s a great fit for you.\u201d<\/p>\n