Over the course of my career as a director of admissions I have met so many professionals who would automatically rule out going for an MBA because they do not have a B.A in Business or come from a non-corporate professional background, they firmly believed they would stand no chance at getting into a Business School, let alone a top MBA program.
In reality, with the right tools and a well-crafted application non-traditional applicants may actually have a competitive edge! One of the biggest challenges B-School face nowadays is the ability to offer a diverse classroom experience. They are constantly striving to attract underrepresented candidates and that includes different cultural, ethnic, academic and professional backgrounds.
Think about it this way: group discussions; bouncing ideas and strategies off of each other or problem solving are core components of most MBA programs. Sitting in a classroom with students from a similar corporate background is not conducive for a rich exchange of ideas. Sitting in a classroom with a lawyer from Mexico-City, an engineer from Shanghai, or an green entrepreneur from California would yield to a very different class experience!
B-Schools understand that in addition to a degree, most candidates are in to build a strong professional network that will be useful for the rest of their career; this network needs to be as diverse and global as possible.
In other words, your non-traditional background may give you a competitive edge!
Unfortunately, most non-traditional potential applicants get discouraged by two things:
1. The daunting process of identifying the right program and school that fit their career goals. Navigating the many different program options might be a challenge!
2. The process of drafting an application that fits business schools’ requirements while truly featuring their strengths and help them stand out as a candidate.
Fortunately, nowadays many online tools are available online for free to help you with your application, previously admitted students share their application experience on forums and impart some wisdom that might help you with your statement of purpose or essay for example. While this information might be useful, keep in mind that from one year to the next - with the exception of top 10 Schools- the selectivity, and requirements can drastically change. It’s important to get your information from the right sources to ensure you are not building an application that sets you up for rejection!
The Admission Concierge
MBA and MS Admissions Coach
www.admissionconcierge.com