Dear Applicants,
One of the first steps in your MBA application journey should be to focus on analyzing your candidature rather than on identifying which schools are most viable for you. The article/video here will help you do so by explaining the errors you might make while analyzing your MBA candidature, the ideal resources to use for this analysis, the errors that you might make along the way, and how to properly interpret the figures you will come across in the process.
Frequent Errors 1. Over-optimism
An error that arises quite frequently in the process of conducting an accurate evaluation of your profile for an MBA application is acting on the tendency to be inordinately positive about your prospects. The nature of evaluating oneself is that some level of subjectivity is bound to creep in, but analyzing one's own profile for MBA worthiness requires one to be more watchful, and look at one's profile in a cold, rational light.
2. Being driven by perception rather than reality
Your analysis of your profile for an MBA can also run into trouble if decisions are made on the basis of what you perceive rather on than the ground reality. To undertake a truly accurate profile analysis, you need to sift through the half-truths to understand what it is that defines an MBA-worthy candidature.
3. Too much emphasis on rankings (rather than "fitment")
This common error often involves being overly influenced by MBA rankings without appropriately applying your judgment. If you are unable to target an MBA in the upper echelons of the rankings you come across, it is not the end of the world. An MBA is meant to provide the space for you to learn and evolve as a leader, rather than to provide a short cut to an elevated managerial role. In this light, the correct approach to profile analysis is vital.
Aspects to Account ForMake sure to analyze your MBA candidature in a holistic sense by accounting for all the possible, relevant aspects therein. Of these, the primary aspects are as follows:
1. Academic Background
Even though your record at work is of greater value in the context of the MBA, your ability to thrive intellectually will also be considered carefully by the admissions committee. Accordingly, remember to account for your GPA, any professional and scholastic honours, scholarships, and GMAT score when analyzing your candidature.
2. Work Expertise
While analyzing your candidature, be careful to accurately judge the worth of your workplace expertise. The years you have accrued as a professional, the functional field and commercial domain in which you have operated, the excellence of your output, and the different corporate climates in which you have thrived must all be carefully considered. A good way to get a sense of the excellence of your work is to see how many advancements you have secured in your career. Furthermore, the number of times you have changed jobs and the duration you have spent at each job is a good yardstick of your reliability as a member of an organization. Pay close attention to the nature and length of the leadership responsibilities you have discharged in your career as well.
3. Personality as a Whole
When assessing your MBA candidature, do your best to keep in mind the overall personality that shines through. Your candidature must adequately cover the different facets of your personality and the depth of your ability to form and maintain beneficial relationships. Pay close attention to the kind of extracurriculars, honorary roles, and community engagements you present.
4. Ability to Lead
Your ability to lead, a vital part of any potential MBA student's candidature, will be best reflected in the kind of leadership deployments you have had thus far. These deployments can be both workplace-based and extra-professional in nature. Furthermore, if your profile analysis shows a lack of emphasis on leadership experiences, the same must be addressed immediately.
GlossaryThe list that follows hereafter will inform you of the traits that MBA admission committees place great emphasis on. While analyzing your own profile, see how many of these traits are applicable to you.
Achievements at Work | Intellectual Caliber | Multidimensional Personality | Varied Formative Exposure | Ability to Lead | Transnational Outlook | Earlier than Usual Growth Milestones | A Plan or Drive to Manifest Change | Ability to Manage People and Other Relevant Resources | Ability to Communicate With Clarity | Subject Matter Mastery | Analytical and Numerical Ability | Desire to Work Hard | Ethical Character | Initiative | Ability to Overcome Crises | Delegation | Flair for Mentorship | Commitment to a Cause | Adversity Management Skills | Experience with Differing Functions | Project Management | Detail Oriented | Optimal Time Utilization and Task Allocation | Ability to Learn and Relearn | ...
Best Sources of Information While it is necessary to conduct an analysis of your own candidature, you also need to know how it will be viewed by chosen targeted school. You can get a sense of the same by perusing your targeted program’s website, and thereby finding out the details of its specializations, teaching methodology, class composition, and industry-specific placement history. In this fashion, you will also be able to understand what functional field the school's culture is most suited for, by seeing the kind of marquee events, active student collectives, and centres of excellence at the school. Make sure to look at program rankings as well, but do not treat them with too much seriousness. The ranking of a school is not the sole metric by which it should be judged, and a school with a lower ranking may well be an ideal match with your candidature's idiosyncrasies. It is difficult to compare MBA programs across different geographies, and so sticking to region-specific rankings is the best way forward. The US News rankings and Financial Times rankings are best suited to assess US-based and Europe-based MBAs respectively, and for Canada, Australia, and Asia-based programs you can refer to
Experts' Global's rankings, in the absence of any other truly reliable rankings out there.
Using Data AppropriatelyDuring your MBA candidature analysis, be careful about how you use the figures that you come across in your use of research resources. Importantly, the average figures will be applicable only to those with an average candidature; in your specific case, know that your background, in terms of culture and function, extra-curriculars, and leadership experience will affect whether or not yours is an average candidature. For those who belong to a group that is present in large numbers in the MBA, the barrier to entry is likely to be more competitive.
Remember to be mindful of the preceding points while analyzing your MBA candidature and taking the first step toward your ultimate MBA dream. To understand further parts of the MBA admissions journey, do refer to
Experts' Global's other articles.
All the best!
Experts' Global Team