­How Winning Candidates Convince Adcoms about Post-MBA Success

­When MBA aspirants write how the particular school will help them become successful post-MBA, most will touch upon the mundane assembly line of electives, lecture series, student clubs, and experiential learning. I have lost count of the number of essays I read where applicants list every possible elective from the school’s curriculum and relate it to their motivation for attending the school. But to be honest, no matter how many times you skim the pages of MBA programs to take notes on the curriculum, nothing even comes close to the first-hand insight from current students and alumni, a perspective that no one can provide. When the marketing façade fades, the reality of the MBA programs emerges. The positive, negative and ugly sides of the MBA process are revealed to you when you talk to an alumnus. Of course, we don’t want you to write about the bad and the ugly. But you need to seek out the subtle praises alumni have about the program, which will help you write an original story that stands out from the generic marketing material and the checklist of courses.

Here I share the strategies that successful applicants incorporate into their applications and use to convince adcoms of their success in their post-MBA careers

1. Recognising an academic skill gap 
The admissions teams have a slight bias toward the quant scores on the GMAT, unless you pitch a career that does not need a strong numbers focus, which is rare, honestly. If your quant is above the 95th percentile, but your verbal is in the 84th range, this weakness may not affect your admissions chances so much. However, for the Top 10 schools in the USA, the 90th percentile is an unsaid requirement for competitive demographics (Tech and Finance). For post-MBA finance roles, quant plays a vital role, while for consulting, a balanced score is preferred. GPA conversions are tricky. International applicants complain about the conversion table that translates marks grades to GPA, mostly when conversions fall below 3. The greater the lack of differentiation in your profile and the lower your GPA, the lower your chances of admission to the top ten MBA programs.

Compensating the academic skill gap
Most candidates wait until they are on the waitlist before taking a course to remedy their quant (or verbal) skills. If you realise your GPA or GMAT/GRE is weak, with low marks in finance, economics, or math, or an uneven score, you should address the issues head on by retaking the test. If you have the option to repeat a course at your alma mater or a reputable college, take it. Don't put all of your expectations in jumping the waitlist queue. If you are applying to multiple schools, we suggest that you apply to at least two of your preferred programs in the first round and schedule your first GMAT try three to five months before the first-round application deadline. This two- to three-month hiatus will allow you to recuperate and return with a GMAT retake schedule, if necessary. Quantitative scores are important, but a balanced score is required if you are pitching consulting goals.

2. Career Proficiency gap
You decided to get an MBA after reaching the pinnacle of your career. For the majority, this is not the case. And yet, candidates put in much too much effort to create this narrative, often inflating figures and asking the recommender to distort facts. Humans are equipped with a very powerful BS detector, and the admissions staff is even better. The admissions committee understands exactly what constitutes success in your industry. Industry experts are only a ping away from the reviewers, so don't believe that your world is inaccessible. Instead of lying, describe why you are interested in another element of the business- management, technology, marketing, or finance. The admissions team can determine if you've reached 70%, 80%, or even 99% of your industry potential, based on years of data that serves as strong proof. Proficiency in your present job role is a predictor of your future success in a career change. While reviewing your pre-MBA experience, the admissions team's limited knowledge of your professional prospects is the most potent tool you can leverage in the form of Letters Of Recommendation.

Compensating proficiency gap  
Unfortunately, you can't spin the lack of proficiency at work. It is all the more difficult, it you have been in the same role for long and missed out on promotions. For weak academic performance, you have the option to compensate with professional experience or extracurricular. But for professional mediocrity, switching to a nonprofit or an unconventional career path such as a startup, that shows as a takeoff point in your career, within a year of recognizing that your contribution is not to the best of your capability is a saving grace that can work. I cannot emphasize this enough. If you are lagging at your job, start looking for the right exit opportunities before you apply to a Top MBA program.

3. Bridging the Motivation Gap
In the adcom’s mind, how well you will do post-MBA in achieving your goals hinges on how well you are doing in your professional projects currently. 

At Top MBA programs, undergraduates from Tier 2 colleges will often emphasize their work experience as the narrative's central theme to show that they are capable. As a Tier 2 undergrad with mediocre GPA, I have done this myself. These applicants will cite the need of a tier 1 brand association as a major motivation for applying.

Those from the Stanfords and IITs of the world often prioritize brand positioning. They reckon they have already been vetted by a stringent selection process. And although the MBA admission team considers the undergrad pedigree in decision making, the evaluation of career trajectory is still important.

If an applicant's shining grace is solely attributed to the premier undergrad attended, rather than their contribution thereafter, the chances for such an applicant might be lower compared to an applicant from a Tier 2 college who is in the top 1% at work.

4. Overcoming the Personality Gap
There is no greater truth than this. Your essays are shortcuts for Adcoms to discover your personality. There is a widely accepted perception that MBA admission teams do not hire all Type A personalities—competitive, ambitious, borderline impatient, and with a sense of urgency. Do not let hearsay lead you to think Adcoms don't hire Type As. A large percentage of recruits at the world’s top programs are Type As, individuals who can spin a story with impact and visualize data to back the narrative.

Some of the best minds have tried to categorize humans into small buckets of personality traits. But the dynamic nature of us humans makes it impossible to do so. Through essays, admissions committees force you to narrate events that highlight your dominant personality traits.

In a business school, extraversion is a valued trait over introversion, also a reason why a large percentage of engineers are rejected. But extraversion from the adcom's point of view does not imply just social skills, and introversion does not mean only quiet geniuses who do not interact with the outside world. An MBA candidate must understand how her colleagues work and its impact on the outcome during experiential learning programs, internships, and post-MBA in the real world. Therefore, your MBA stories should not entirely be about your triumph that has led to the outcome you desired. If you cannot recognize all the elements of a successful event and the contribution of others to it, you would be incapable of managing the risk and leading an A-Team towards company goals.

Adcoms also don’t like all-out extroverts who don't show any signs of internal conflict. They seek 'humble individuals' who can express the inner workings of their minds. The difficulties encountered when organizing, inspiring, or leading an A-Team would definitely pique the adcom's interest. Incorporate variety into your stories. While extroversion is valued in MBA programs, the capacity to ponder and introspect- the trait of a growth mindset, which is frequently associated with introverts, adds a very valuable dimension to your experience.


Get personalized advice tailored to your specific situation. Reach out to us if you need help navigating your unique circumstances in the B School admissions process. We do not cap discussion hours.

Best wishes
Aanchal Sahni (INSEAD alum, former INSEAD admissions interviewer)
Founder, MBAGuideConsulting
LinkedIn |WEBSITE: https://mbaguideconsulting.com/ | Message: +91 9971200927| email- mbaguideconsulting@gmail.com­­­


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