By Jeremy Shinewald
Founder/President of
mbaMission, Kaplan’s Recommended Admissions Consulting Partner
Applicant blogs. Student tweets. Message board chatter. Competitive peers (some with agendas that run contrary to yours!). So many people try to influence you as you apply to business school, and these people frequently offer conflicting opinions and sources of information. In addition to managing your busy professional, community, and personal lives, you are suddenly attempting to process a seemingly infinite influx of application information. Welcome to the world of the MBA applicant! You’ll need to find your way through an intensely competitive process whose rules are not clear and where questions sometimes seem unwelcome. Given that the admissions process is not completely transparent—after all, decisions are still made behind closed doors—some armchair experts try to make sense of the process by simplifying itSo, for example, a successful candidate may extrapolate from her own results and assume, “I had an alumni recommendation and I got in. So I’ll tell my friend that she needs to have an alumni rec!” Similarly, an unsuccessful applicant might examine his results and conclude, “I submitted my application in Round 2, but my friend who got in submitted in Round 1. I am going to tell my colleagues that they’d better apply early if they want to be accepted!” Can we really tell that much from the experiences of a single individual? After all, MBA candidates are not evaluated like data, their info run through a scanner that spits out a simple pass or fail determination. Rather, business school applicants are sophisticated human beings with interesting lives that cannot be measured quantitatively but can be understood subjectively. As candidates make snap judgments about the reasons behind their successful or unsuccessful applications and broadcast these simplifications to the world, and as these opinions are then retweeted and blogged about, opinions begin to propagate, and admissions myths start to develop. And once a myth develops, trying to change it—or to dissuade anxious business school applicants from believing it—is a real challenge. Yet these myths regularly cause candidates like you to inadvertently misdirect their energies and waste their time. So, here we present you with ten myths and their opposing realities to help ensure that you stay on the right path and apply your energies appropriately.
Myth #1: The Admissions Committee Wants a Specific Type
Many MBA candidates believe that admissions committees have narrowed down their criteria for selecting applicants over the years and that each school has one distinct “type” that it seeks. So,
in this world of stereotypes, Harvard Business School (HBS) is looking only for leaders, Kellogg is looking only for marketing students, Chicago Booth is looking only for finance students, and MIT Sloan is looking only for “eggheads.” Of course, these stereotypes—like most stereotypes—are not accurate. Chicago Booth wants far more than one-dimensional finance students in its classes, and it provides its MBA students with training in far more than just finance (offering, to the surprise of some, an excellent marketing program). HBS is not a school just for “generals”; among the 950 students in each of its classes, HBS has a wide variety of personalities, including some excellent “foot soldiers.” So, we strongly suggest that you eschew these stereotypes, because pandering to them can sink your applications. For example, imagine that you have worked in operations at a manufacturing company. You have profound experience managing and motivating dozens of different types of people, at different levels, in both good and bad economic times. Even though your exposure to finance has been minimal, you erroneously determine that in order to get into New York University’s Stern School of Business, you have to convince the school that you are a “finance guy.” So in your application essays, you tell your best—but nonetheless weak—finance stories. What happens is that you are now competing in the Stern applicant pool with elite finance candidates whose stories are far more impressive. What if you had instead told your unique operations/management stories and stood out from the other applicants, rather than trying to compete in the school’s most overrepresented pool? We believe that defying stereotypes and truly being yourself is the best course of action. But if you are still not convinced, consider this nugget of advice offered on Stanford’s admissions website: Because we want to discover who you are, resist the urge to “package” yourself in order to come across in a way you think Stanford wants. Such attempts simply blur our understanding of who you are and what you can accomplish. We want to hear your genuinevoice throughout the essays that you write, and this is the time to think carefully about your values, your passions, your hopes and dreams. Kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?
Myth #2: My High GMAT Score Will Get Me In
So you have taken the GMAT and exceeded even your highest expectations, scoring at the very top of the scale. Congratulations! But please, do not assume that earning a high score means you can pay less attention the other components of your application. Every year, applicants who have scored 750 or even higher are rejected from their target business schools—even when their GMAT score falls within the top 10 percent of the schools’ range. And many of these candidates were rejected because of a fatal, but ultimately avoidable, mistake: They got overconfident and assumed their GMAT score alone would get them in. “I joke sometimes that I relish nothing more than rejecting people that have a 780 on the GMAT,” Jonathan Fuller, senior associate director of admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, said in an online chat, “because they come with the 780 GMAT and think they’re golden, and they don’t have to worry about anything else on the application. Well, you do. There are all these other pieces of information that we ask for, and you have to make sure that you are strong across the board.” Similarly, candidates need not worry that a lower score will sink their candidacy entirely. We would never lie to you and tell you that being accepted with a lower GMAT score will be easy, but every year we see a few particularly accomplished individuals with scores in the 500s get into top-ten programs. It can be done! Business schools want to learn a lot more about you than your GMAT score alone can convey. MBA programs are interested in hearing about your ambitions, accomplishments, leadership skills, teamwork experience, perseverance, motivation, integrity, compassion . . . and the list goes on. Fundamentally, admissions committees need to be able to determine whether you will be a vital and contributing member of their school’s community, and your GMAT score, while important, is only one piece of that puzzle. Whether you have a 780 or a 580, heed our advice and commit yourself wholeheartedly to all the elements of your application. No single data point will result in a decision to admit or reject!
Myth #3: My Supervisor Graduated from HBS—He Knows
We know of a now 70-year-old man who graduated from a virtually unknown Canadian undergraduate school in 1963 and who, with no work experience at all, applied to HBS, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), gainingacceptances at all three (though the GSB deferred his entry for one year so he could earn a little more experience first). He ultimately studied at HBS and now runs a small grain-trading business. You could not meet a nicer man, and although he is certainly wise in many respects, one thing he knows nothing about is MBA admissions. “I attended so long ago, things must have changed since then,” he says. “I did not have any work experience at all. I had studied four years of commerce, and that was it!”
Why are we telling you this? Many candidates each year tell us that their bosses, who applied to business school during far different times, have given them “sage” advice about applying and thatthey feel they should follow it—after all, what worked for their boss in 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994, or even 2004 must still be applicable today, right? Wrong. For a long time, the MBA was actually not all that desirable a degree, so admissions were not very competitive. To give you an idea of the relative popularity, Duke University (Fuqua) did not even start its MBA program until 1970, but its law school was founded in 1868. Yale University was founded in 1701, but it did not have an MBA program until 1976. So, the MBA is a relatively new degree that has only recently (in the late 1990s) reached its current level of popularity and prestige. What does all of this mean with regard to your boss’s advice? Although your supervisor may have gotten into one of your target schools, he or she likely did so years ago and therefore may not have had to contend with the steep competition you now face. Your boss may also not know anything about what the admissions process is like today and could—however inadvertently—be leading you astray. If your supervisor starts any bit of well-intended advice with the phrase “when I applied,” you should view this guidance with tremendous caution.
Myth #4: If I Did Not Go to an Ivy, I’m Not Getting In
Have you ever heard of Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines? What about Universidad Metropolitana in Venezuela? Do you know anyone at New College of Florida or Carleton College?
Why do we ask? HBS posted profiles of 33 students in its Class of 2012, and you might be surprised to learn that not all of them got their undergraduate degrees at Harvard. In fact, only a few among this group did. You may say, “Yes, but the school selectively released information on these students.” True, but the school also offers a full list of the 500 undergraduate institutions represented in its previous three classes of 900 to 950 students each and notes that 243 different institutions are represented in the Class of 2013 alone. Meanwhile, the Stanford admissions office states that 156 schools were represented among the 397 students in its Class of 2013. And the list goes on . . . Although Harvard graduates are certainly well represented in each HBS class, most business schools attract a high number of applicants from among their undergrad alumni. Still, being an alumnus or alumna of an MBA program’s undergraduate institution is neither a prerequisite nor a hindrance. The admissions committees are more interested in your performance—academic, professional, volunteer, personal—than your pedigree. The committees are also interested in diversity. We don’t feel we are going out on a limb by stating that Wharton does not want—and indeed cannot have—a class made up of 850 UPenn undergrads; the school wants the best potential business leaders and thus must select from a much deeper pool. So, if you graduated from a school that has no international profile or even a limited national profile, you should not worry. Your performance at your academic institution is far more important than your institution’s name. Furthermore, you represent much more than your undergraduate institution. You should not be an apologist for your school but an advocate of your skills.
Myth #5: If I Have a Ga p in My History, I’m Not Getting In
The perfect MBA applicant simply does not exist. However, the perception of the perfect applicant certainly does: an individual who is on a very narrow course, scaling greater and greater academic, personal, community, and professional peaks (all of which are related to each other) unabated until he or she finally applies to business school. As a result, those who have taken some time off at anypoint in their professional lives tend to perceive themselves as being at a disadvantage in the business school application process. They worry that admissions committees will see these gaps and dismiss them outright. After all, don’t the schools have many more determined individuals in the applicant pool whom they can choose to admit instead? It’s true that time off can potentially be detrimental to your application. If you spent a year on your couch watching reality TV, you are likely going to have difficulty presenting this in a positive way to the admissions committee. However, if you have a strong professional history overall and once spent a month between jobs sitting on your couch watching reality TV, your record should still speak favorably for itself. But even if you have taken an extended leave, as long as you were productive during that time and grew personally, you should be just fine. In fact, if you had some kind of an adventure during your break, this may even add to your story and help you differentiate yourself. For example, if you spent six months or a year travelling before you started your professional career, you are certainly still eligible for a spot in a top MBA program. Similarly, if you took a personal leave to care for a family member in need, to do charity work, or even to pursue a personal passion (an art form, for example), an admissions officer should still see your merits as long as you can show purpose and reveal a broad record of competency. Admissions officers are actual human beings. They understand that applicants are not robots and that they have interests, passions, and personal lives outside the workplace. If you have generally made good use of your time, they will not condemn you. In fact, they just might envy you.
Myth #6: If I Have No Managerial Experience,
I’m Not Getting In It might seem ironic that having formal management experience is not a prerequisite for getting into a top MBA program. But keep in mind that an MBA education is meant for those who aspire to become managers—not only those who already are managers. So if you are fretting that you have not had any subordinates to date and feel that having supervised a staff is a requirement for getting into a top business school, you are actually adhering to a myth and can stop worrying. Instead, focus on the ways in which you have excelled in your positions thus far and made the most of the leadership opportunities that have presented themselves. For example, consider the many investment banking analysts who apply to MBA programs each year. While analysts are at the bottom of most banks’ organizational charts and therefore do not have staffs to manage, they still have demanding jobs and have to perform at a high level each day to succeed. Most analysts can therefore talk about thriving in an ultracompetitive environment and can reveal their professional excellence via their resumes, essays, and recommendations. And even if most analysts do not have a staff of their own, second-year analysts still have ample opportunity to train and mentor first-year analysts, and third-year analysts can mentor and train first- and secondyear analysts. So, even without direct subordinates, investment banking analysts can demonstrate strong leadership and de facto management skills. Of course, there are ways other than through conventional professional management to show evidence of your leadership traits. If you have not yet had the opportunity in your professional life to demonstrate thatyou have the interpersonal skills necessary to lead others, you can look to your community activities and even personal leadership experiences to positively illustrate your potential in this capacity. The bottom line is that business schools are not looking exclusively for managersbut for individuals who display true promise for their future careers. After all, an MBA program is designed to teach you management!
Myth #7: I Must Submit in Round 1
Many MBA admissions officers will tell candidates that if they can complete their applications in time to submit them in Round 1, then they should do so. Most programs will also tell applicants that they should try to avoid Round 3, because most of the places in the class will have been filled by then. So, what does that say about Round 2? We have noticed a strange trend lately: Candidates have taken to calling
mbaMission the day after a school’s Round 1 application deadline and asking whether submitting an application in Round 2 is worth the effort or whether the opportunity has passed at that point. Unfortunately, when one is being compared against a group of unknown competitors, being concerned about every perceived difference or deficiency is only natural. Some candidates grow concerned if they are a year older than the average at their target school, while others fret if they are a year younger. Many applicants worry if their GMAT score is ten points below a school’s average. And of course, some worry if they submit their application in Round 2. However, the overall strength of your candidacy, which is a measure of many factors, is far more important than where you fit in relation to any single statistic—which includes whether you apply in Round 1 or 2. So, we too would encourage candidates to apply early, if they are ready and able to do so, but we do not believe they should give up on their MBA dreams for a year if applying in Round 1 is just not practical. You may be surprised to discover that while admissions committees encourage early applications, they also concede that the difference in selectivity between the first and the second rounds is very small. To back up this statement, we offer a small selection of quotes from
mbaMission’s exclusive interviews with admissions officers:
People ask, generally, is it better to apply in the first round or the second round or third round? We definitely advise people to avoid the third round if possible, because space can become an issue by the time the third round rolls around. But we do view the first two rounds as roughly equivalent.
— Bruce DelMonico, admissions director, Yale School of Management
[We] get about a third of our applications in Round 1, about 55 percent in Round 2, and the remainder in Round 3. . . . We encourage people to submit their application when they feel that they offer their best possible applications. . . . So, if you can get everything lined up and completed and you feel really good about it . . . then I would encourage you to apply in Round 1. But if it takes you a bit longer, and you want to take the time to look at your application again and maybe have somebody else look at it, then Round 2 is fine, too.
— Soojin Kwon Koh, admissions director, Michigan–Ross
We look at statistics over the years—how many applications we got, how many we admitted, and how many we yielded—and we try to even it out so we’re not being too generous in one round at the expense of another round.
— DawnaClarke, admissions director, Dartmouth–TuckMyth #8: Writing My Ow n Recomm endation
Puts Me in the Driver’s Seat You get the courage to ask your boss for a recommendation and he not only agrees to do so, he goes even further and says, “Write it yourself and I will sign it.” Writing your own recommendation letter can seem like a blessing. Suddenly, you have the power to oversee an aspect of the application process that was previously beyond your control. So, your downside risk in these letters is mitigated, and your upside is infinite, right? Well, things do not quite work that way. Admissions committees are not seeking blustery rave reviews. Instead, they are seeking recommendations that are detailed and personal, intimate, and sincere. Can you really write about yourself with dispassionate sincerity? And even if you are a master of “dispassionate sincerity,” are you able to capture the subtleties that make you stand out? For example, let’s say that among the many important things you do, you also do something thoughtful that you do not even perceive to be significant—you always take new team members out to lunch. Although you may regard “closing the big deal” as significant, others may appreciate and admire this small but influential act, which helps forge team unity. Unfortunately, you may lack the objectivity necessary to ensure that this distinctive and impressive detail is included in your letter. This is only one simple example, of course, but our point is that you probably will not know what is missing from your letter if you write it yourself. So when you approach your supervisor for a recommendation, go in ready to push back a bit if he or she asks you to write the letter yourself. Some may be busy or lazy, and others may think that they are doing you a favor by giving you control. Be prepared to impress upon your recommender that you can’t help yourself but that he or she can. After all, that is why you are approaching your boss in the first place!
Myth #9: HBS Is for Everyone
As strong a program as it offers, Harvard Business School simply is not the right fit for every single MBA candidate. We are not writing this to bash HBS—in fact, you can even replace “HBS” in our
myth with the name of any other business school, because no program is truly appropriate for every candidate—but we are hoping that you will use this statement as a trigger to critically appraise your target MBA programs and determine which schools are truly best for you. Ask yourself the following questions to start:
·· Would I prefer to be in a larger program, or would I be overwhelmed by a larger program’s size?
·· Would I prefer to be in a smaller program, or would it feel claustrophobic?
·· Would I prefer to have a flexible curriculum with a consistent stream of new classmates andwhere I could make my own academic choices early on?
·· Would I prefer to have a comprehensive core curriculum set out for me so that I am, for a period of time, learning the same material as my classmates according to a predetermined course structure?
·· Am I best suited for programs that use the case method, the lecture method, or strong experiential components? (And do I really understand what each entails, such as the teamwork and public speaking that are necessary for the case method?)
·· Do my target schools match my academic objectives?·· Do my target firms recruit at my target schools?
·· Are alumni well placed in my target industry/post-MBA location? (Are alumni even important to my career?)
·· Do my target schools have facilities and an environment that appeals to me?
Again, these questions are just a start—we could certainly pose many more. Our point is that you will get far more than a brand from your MBA studies. You will get an education and an alumni network, and you will spend two years of your life and thousands of dollars on your experience. So skip the rankings, determine what is important to you in your selection process, and then do your
homework so you can pick the program that truly fits you and your needs.
Myth #10: If My Application Ha s a Typo, I’m Not Getting In
You have worked painstakingly on your application. You have checked and rechecked your work. You finally press “submit” and then discover—to your horror!—that you are missing a comma and
in one place inadvertently used “too” instead of “to.” The admissions committee is just going to throw your application out, right? Wrong. There is a fine line between an isolated typo and pervasive sloppiness. If you have typos and grammatical errors throughout your application, you will send a negative message about your sense of professionalism and your ability to represent yourself—and in turn your target school—in a positive way. However, if you have just a minor mistake or two in your text, then you have an unfortunate situation, but not a devastating one. And let us note that there is no magic number of acceptable errors; three small mistakes will not necessarily disqualify you, either. Admissions committees understand that you are only human; if you are a strong candidate, the entirety of your professional, community, personal, and academic endeavors will outweigh these blips. In short, don’t dwell on the mistakes. Don’t send new essays. Just accept your fallibility and move on. So, there you have it—ten pervasive admissions myths destroyed. Now the key is to avoid the noise that is out there and not fall prey to other such myths.