MBA Applicants : Avoid these mistakes in an MBA Application

An MBA application requires extensive preparation. It is advisable to get over with GMAT as soon as possible and then dedicate atleast 2 months in preparing for the essays.

While putting your application together, try and avoid these mistakes that could ring the death knell to your chances to a top B-School. Here are the top 5 mistakes that applicants make, that lower their chances when pitted against a candidate of similar profile. If you are a reapplicant, analyze your previous application and make sure you do not repeat them this time.

1. Putting together a disconnected application

Generally applications are composed of essays, recommendations, resume and educational and professional details. Everything together presents a candidate profile that the admissions committee evaluates. So instead of targeting each part of the application individually , treat them as a block belonging to the whole. The biggest mistake is when an applicant writes disconnected essays. The essays should connect together to form a clear picture of what the applicant has done in the past and how that ties up to the post-mba goals. Additionally it should also be clear how the past experience will help him get the most out of his MBA. Similarly if the essays mention about some leadership qualities at work, the recommendations should corroborate that. These should be reflected in the resume as well.

2. Interviews differ from what is written in the application

Admissions committee members are great at figuring out whether your essays are simply stories that you thought would get you through or there is some truth behind them. Your interviewer might push you in doubting your goals or dig deeper in your past experiences. If you are unable to follow the same strain of thoughts as in your essays and stick to your guns, that may make your application end up in the rejection pile.

3. Post MBA goals should connect to your prior experience or education unless ...

… you want to be an entrepreneur. Even then there should be some common link either personally or professionally that is pushing you in choosing this goal. Choosing a post MBA goal that has no connection to your past experiences will reflect on a lack of clarity of vision and way to achieve it.

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