{"id":39159,"date":"2017-09-17T17:29:54","date_gmt":"2017-09-18T00:29:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=39159"},"modified":"2017-09-17T17:29:54","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T00:29:54","slug":"the-key-to-a-successful-business-school-application","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/the-key-to-a-successful-business-school-application\/","title":{"rendered":"The Key to a Successful Business School Application"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cBe yourself; everyone else is already taken.\u201d \u2013Oscar Wilde<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I get into the top business schools?\u00a0 What can I do to stand out from the competition?\u00a0 Is there a \u2018formula\u2019 that will help me get accepted into the MBA programs of my choice?\u00a0 My friend\/colleague got into [fill in the blank] by focusing on [fill in the blank] on his\/her apps \u2013 should I do the same thing?\u201d<\/p>\n

I often get asked these questions from clients and prospective clients seeking an edge in the business school application process, and of course, I understand what is prompting these questions.\u00a0 The MBA admission landscape has never been more competitive; for example, Harvard Business School\u2019s acceptance rate for the Class of 2018 was 11% and Stanford\u2019s was 7%.\u00a0 Given such tough odds, how does <\/em>a candidate shine in a pool of very qualified applicants?<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the answer: by being authentic.<\/p>\n

So what does it mean to be authentic?\u00a0 Simply, as Oscar Wilde so aptly stated, by being yourself.\u00a0 Here are three ways in which to come across as authentic in a business school application.<\/p>\n

Draw upon your unique experiences and perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n

What you have experienced throughout your life \u2013 in school, personally, at the workplace \u2013 is what makes you YOU.\u00a0 There is no other single person in this world who has walked in your shoes, had your exact experiences, and seen the world from your eyes.\u00a0 As a result, what may have helped a friend\/colleague gain admission to a business school will most likely not work for you.\u00a0 Think about the experiences that have shaped you<\/em> into the person you are today and jot them down.\u00a0 Talk to those closest to you to get their thoughts and make sure you are capturing the full picture.\u00a0 Are there common themes that emerge from those stories?\u00a0 Remember, Admissions Committees want to understand the living person beyond the two-dimensional application.<\/p>\n

Talk about the why<\/strong><\/p>\n

Business school applications are really more about the why than the what.\u00a0 Anyone can talk about his\/her experiences and accomplishments, but what really sets an application apart is providing color on why something has been instrumental in shaping you or why something means so much to you.\u00a0 This interpretation \u2013 for example, the impact that you have had, the obstacles that you have overcome, the lessons that you have learned \u2013 is what makes you authentic.\u00a0 Your diverse insights will help you be a meaningful contributor to your class; therefore, it is imperative that the why comes through in your applications.<\/p>\n

Convey your voice<\/strong><\/p>\n

While business school essays are formal pieces of work, they should be written in your voice.\u00a0 If you have a certain style of writing, don\u2019t be afraid to let that shine through!\u00a0 Although you may get feedback from family members, friends, (and yes, MBA admissions consultants!), it is extremely important that you make the ultimate call when it comes to your essays since they represent you, your accomplishments, your perspective, and your values.<\/p>\n

All the pieces to create a compelling application are within you; by drawing upon your unique experiences and perspective, talking about the why, and conveying your voice, you will be well on your way to crafting an authentic application.<\/p>\n

Contact us<\/a> to see how we can help you craft authentic applications.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cBe yourself; everyone else is already taken.\u201d \u2013Oscar Wilde \u201cHow do I get into the top business schools?\u00a0 What can I do to stand out from the competition?\u00a0 Is there…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,2121,113,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-ivy-groupe","category-applications","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39159","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\/179"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39159"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39190,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39159\/revisions\/39190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}