![\"\"](\"https:\/\/fortunaadmissions.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/computer-1185626_1280.jpeg\")
<\/h2>\n<\/h2>\nNo, alas, it doesn\u2019t work that way.<\/p>\n
My Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I have read many applications from aspiring MBAs who had done just that \u2013 either the essay was a clear cut-and-paste from another application, or they were not really answering the question posed. Even worse, I’ve reviewed applications of careless candidates who hadn\u2019t mastered the ‘find and replace’ feature, professing their love of Stanford GSB to the admissions committee of Chicago Booth. That\u2019s embarrassing.<\/p>\n
So what does it take to customize your application to a specific MBA program?<\/strong><\/p>\n What\u2019s essential in crafting each application is making each school believe that they\u2019re your first choice. Of course, programs know that you\u2019re applying to other programs \u2013 they expect that and it\u2019s a sensible thing to do. But to win their acceptance, show them the love. This means going the extra mile to prove you understand a school\u2019s unique culture and values, and that you\u2019ve given considered thought both to how you\u2019ll contribute to their community and what you hope to gain from it.<\/p>\n So make the effort now to tailor each application to your target programs. The last thing you want to do is undermine your incredibly hard work by submitting a generic MBA application.<\/p>\n Research each school to learn what makes them unique. Go beyond what\u2019s offered on the website and probe for the heart of their differentiators and values. This level of awareness and detail can and should come across in your application. Cite specifics that are relevant to your career vision and goals \u2013 specializations, electives, clubs, and the myriad of opportunities that will be available to you. As there are many different elements you can speak to for every school, ensure you choose ones that are genuinely connected to your future, and to what you personally hope to gain from the experience.<\/p>\n Work to build relationships within the community at each of your target programs. Explore your current network to reach out to alumni and students, or query the admissions team about being put in touch with someone with a similar background. As you do, ask intelligent questions that help you learn what the school cares about and what it\u2019s looking for in new members of its community. It really shows when someone has spoken with alumni and students, and you can even drop names in your application. Duke Fuqua<\/a>, for example, urges alumni and current students who have met with potential candidates to contribute direct feedback via online submission if they sense an applicant\u2019s a particularly strong fit for the program (if this happens, Fuqua waives your application fee).<\/p>\n During the Covid pandemic, schools scrambled to create virtual experiences that cultivate meaningful interaction with prospective candidates, and many have continued to offer robust virtual offerings. These sessions are your opportunity to really try to assess and understand the unique aspects of the school that fit with your career vision and future goals.<\/p>\n “I speak with so many candidates who have no idea that schools track event registration\/attendance on the back end, and that it\u2019s directly tied to the applicant\u2019s file in many cases (many schools use the same software platform for both the application and event management, so it is all tied together),” writes Fortuna’s Julie Ferguson in her post, Tips for Maximizing Virtual MBA Admissions Events<\/a>. “Whether you take full advantage of these opportunities or not can set you apart.”<\/p>\n In your application, take the opportunity to mention you had great conversations with \u2018X student from X year,\u2019 discussing, for example, all the excellent club opportunities, and what this led to in the context of your aspirations and interests. While every school has its own process, and each application is different, there are always savvy ways to demonstrate how much research you\u2019ve done. Not just by writing your essays with detail and depth, but literally mentioning, \u2018I\u2019ve met this member of staff,\u2019 or \u2018I\u2019ve been to that or this event.\u2019 Admissions committees will take note of the volume of effort you\u2019ve put in.<\/p>\n It\u2019s effective from the staff perspective, too; seeing your name and thinking, \u2018ah yes, I recall that person, I met her in San Francisco at an MBA event,\u2019 helps connect the dots. I always found it gratifying to learn that someone enjoyed our conversation and found it useful enough to reference in their application.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve got your MBA career vision<\/a> <\/strong>and goals figured out, and you know how this school is going to help you take the next step in your career, you\u2019re poised to start making connections that are going to support the journey. If you\u2019re an aspiring entrepreneur, for example, you\u2019ll want to reach out to leadership in the entrepreneurship club. Perhaps you discover the club\u2019s president is running an event, and help them make some contacts. Even before you\u2019ve joined the program, it\u2019s not too early to start getting involved and demonstrate that you\u2019re really passionate about an issue and that you\u2019re the sort of person who will positively contribute.<\/p>\n Having an expert MBA admissions coach who can guide and support you can be of enormous value. My colleagues at Fortuna Admissions are former business school gatekeepers who can offer insider expertise. Beyond their expertise and insight, a seasoned coach will push you to\u00a0<\/span>go deeper<\/i>, helping to illuminate the stories and reflections you may have overlooked that will distinguish you to the MBA Admissions committee (you can request a free consultation from Fortuna<\/a> to see if it’s right for you).<\/p>\n Alternatively, if you\u2019ve cultivated trusted alumni or student connections, you can ask if they\u2019d be willing to review your essays and offer you some frank feedback. Their first-hand understanding of the school\u2019s culture and what makes it unique will offer an invaluable perspective. Invite them to be candid with you, so they\u2019re emboldened to offer helpful critiques, such as, \u2018no, this essay isn\u2019t coming across as truly Berkeley,\u2019 (for example).<\/p>\n Your recommenders are a key element of your strategic positioning. Meet with your recommenders and talk to them about your vision, your goals, and how this program in particular is going to help you take the next leap in your career. This important groundwork will allow your recommenders to include specific snippets that might resonate with your school in their recommendation letter.<\/p>\n When I was manager of admissions and recruitment at London Business School, like the other top schools we had no shortage of strong GMAT scores, high GPAs, and qualified profiles with fast-track professional records. This means your ability to convey your genuine and ardent commitment to each target school is part of what will help you stand out. In reviewing your MBA application, you want the admissions committee member to think, \u2018wow, this applicant really gets us \u2013 let\u2019s invite them for interview.\u2019<\/p>\n Updated December, 2022<\/em><\/p>\n Amy Hugo<\/em><\/a> is a former manager of admissions and recruitment at London Business School.\u00a0For a candid assessment of your chances of admission\u00a0success at a top MBA program, sign up for\u00a0a free consultation<\/a>\u00a0with Fortuna Admissions.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n The post How to Customize Your MBA Application<\/a> first appeared on Fortuna<\/a>.<\/p>\n The post How to Customize Your MBA Application<\/a> appeared first on Fortuna<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s tempting to want to plug your winning story into play for each business school on your list once you\u2019ve done the hard work of reflecting on where you\u2019ve been,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,1831,775,243],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-56748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-fortuna-admissions","category-admission-consultants","category-blog","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56748","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\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56748\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}7 tips to customize your MBA application\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
1. Do your research.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. Make meaningful connections.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Make an effort to participate in MBA events.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. Reference Specific insights, conversations & events.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. Build smart connections and seek ways to contribute early.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
6. \u00a0Solicit feedback from a trusted source.\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n
7. \u00a0Brief your recommenders.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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