We were in admissions committee, discussing an MBA candidate – great on paper – from Latin America. The MBA interviewer was talking about how he was too quiet in the admissions interview. It had been hard to get a sense of his personality. Or maybe he was just a bit dull. Until she asked him, “What lights you up?” He thought for a second and beamed! He started telling her about his travels and how he challenged himself to spend time in a completely new culture. It was like the interviewer suddenly gave him permission to talk about his life outside of work and show his fun side. But what if she hadn’t?
Before joining my Graduate Admissions team at Babson, the Associate Director who interviewed this candidate had worked at Kellogg. I learned a lot from her about bringing the best out of a candidate. You see, it’s not all about gate keeping, sometimes it’s about gate opening. But not always. When the MBA adcom knows that there are many equally qualified candidates for just one spot in their MBA class, they may not be as generous in looking for reasons to admit.
So how do YOU bring that spark to life without waiting for a lifeline? That story that lights you up and gets the MBA adcom excited about YOUR candidacy? Here's how to find what lights you up...