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One of the most important decisions you\u2019ll make during the MBA application process\u2014big surprise\u2014is which schools you\u2019re going to apply to in the first place. I cannot stress enough how important it is to put significant thought into which programs you\u2019re going to dedicate dozens of hours to over the coming months.<\/p>\n
The MBA application process takes up a huge amount of time and effort, and most candidates feel overwhelmed with applying to more than the average of four or five schools.\u00a0Therefore, it\u2019s crucial to be strategic when it comes to school selection and come up with a competitive mix of MBA programs to target.<\/p>\n
Dream Schools<\/strong><\/p>\n The majority of candidates who apply to the leading business schools are bright, personable overachievers who would be an asset to any program.\u00a0However, each year we see excellent candidates who prematurely take themselves out of the running for some of the top programs. Certain programs have single-digit acceptance rates, and literally thousands of more-than-qualified applicants are turned away each year.<\/p>\n But if you don\u2019t even give yourself a chance at admission, you may always wonder, \u201cWhat if\u2026\u201d Is there anything worse? B-school is an ambitious dream, so shoot for the stars or you might regret not trying.\u00a0While the process is extremely competitive, you shouldn\u2019t count yourself out before the game even begins.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why we typically recommend that people ask themselves whether or not getting an MBA is most important to them\u2014or if getting an MBA\u00a0from a certain school is what really matters most. If you\u2019d truly be at peace with never getting an MBA if you weren\u2019t accepted to School X, then you can move forward by focusing all of your efforts solely on your dream school or schools.<\/p>\n Word of advice: If your test scores are much lower than the average at your dream school, consider giving the GMAT or GRE another shot, and start thinking about how to explain your academic weaknesses and highlight the unique strengths you would bring to the classroom setting. \u00a0In any case, come decision time, it\u2019s important to be realistic.<\/p>\n Target Schools<\/strong><\/p>\n While an acceptance to Harvard Business School or Wharton would thrill almost any applicant, you\u2019re ultimately going to have to balance what school you\u00a0want\u00a0to attend with where you can actually get in. Start with the hard data points. As a general guideline, take a look at MBA programs you like where your profile falls within the top 10 percent of admitted students.<\/p>\n Compare your undergraduate GPA, GMAT score, years of work experience and particular industry with those of accepted applicants reported by the school in their class profile page. If your industry is underrepresented, consider that an advantage for your application. Research the schools, make sure you know what\u2019s important to you, and figure out which ones fit well for you. Remember the Golden Rule of MBA admissions\u2014only apply to schools you would be thrilled to attend.<\/p>\n Word of advice: If you\u2019re in an industry that typically makes up a bigger portion of the applicant pool, such as investment banking or consulting, make sure within your application that you think beyond your obvious achievements and differentiate yourself through your essays and interviews by picking stories and experiences that are memorable and unique.<\/p>\n Safety Schools<\/strong><\/p>\n A good way to determine whether your list should include one or more so-called safety schools is by asking yourself how important it is for you to go to business school next year. Perhaps there\u2019s a compelling reason you need to exit your job and make the move to grad school ASAP. If so, including safety schools among your targets would be a smart strategy.<\/p>\n If the need is immediate, then definitely include a range of schools of varying degrees of competitiveness. The application pool fluctuates each year, and all you need is one admit, so spread some risk around.<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to be pragmatic and align your expectations with the MBA programs that match your particular profile, particularly if your GMAT score isn\u2019t through the roof or your career trajectory has stalled out.<\/p>\n Word of advice: Safety schools don\u2019t mean bad or less desirable schools\u2014they\u2019re simply a more obvious fit with your numbers and profile. Remember though, you\u2019re still not guaranteed an offer of admission. Safety merely means your chances are far greater than at a program with an acceptance rate of 15 percent or lower.<\/p>\n In the end, I can\u2019t overemphasize how important it is to really be yourself in your application and find the school that is right for you.\u00a0 Contrary to popular belief, it\u2019s not uncommon to be admitted into a more highly ranked program, and denied by a seemingly less competitive one.\u00a0 That\u2019s because the MBA admissions process is not only about numbers \u2013 it\u2019s about numbers and experiences and personalities and fit<\/em>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This post originally appeared on Stacy\u2019s\u00a0\u201cStrictly Business\u201d MBA Blog\u00a0on U.S.News.com One of the most important decisions you\u2019ll make during the MBA application process\u2014big surprise\u2014is which schools you\u2019re going to apply…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":122,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,749,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38248","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-stacy-blackman","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38248","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\/122"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38248"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38248\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38519,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38248\/revisions\/38519"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38248"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38248"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38248"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}***<\/span>
\n<\/i><\/div>\nIf you are looking for guidance on your\u00a0<\/i>MBA\u00a0<\/span>application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with\u00a0hourly<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0comprehensive<\/a>\u00a0consulting services.\u00a0Contact us<\/a>\u00a0to learn more. Visit the website for\u00a0Stacy Blackman Reviews<\/a>, and check out the company\u2019s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.<\/i><\/div>\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"