How much does nationality matter in MBA application?

Question

Hi,

How much does nationality matters in MBA application?

I am an Asian, have lived in (Australia) for 6 years when I small. And then I went back to HK when I was 6 ( lived there for 11 years) before I left to US for college and have lived in US since then (10 years). I hold citizenship for both HK and Australia.

I have recently spoken to a couple consultants. I have a decent GMAT score, work profile. But when I told them I am from HK, they told me that some dreams schools will be a huge stretch. Admission will be super competitive because HK will be in the China pool. (They expect you to have higher GMAT score, more achievements and a higher GPA. It will require extra effort to differentiate myself from the others. ).

I was recently checking the HBS website. Recent stat shows the number of admitted students from Pacific countries is about ~20 people .

So the question will be: Provided the same profile, will I stand a higher chance if I apply as Australian instead of HK for the top schools (HBS, GSB, Wharton, MIT) ? Is nationality something that they will look at?

Thanks!

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

The short answer is yes, they do look at nationality. The longer answer is that admissions committees will see everything about you, including where you are from and where you live now, so they will take everything into account. If you consider yourself to be Australian and apply as such, it will help you a little. Keep in mind the number of applicants who get in from each market though, so while the pool is generally less competitive from Australia, the numbers are also smaller. Send me a note if you want to discuss further. I just had a call with someone who is planning for next year but in the same exact situation. I'm happy to talk about the best strategy for you. scott@personalmbacoach.com Best, Scott

FortunaAdmissionsMJ · Answer

Hi dreamyguy,

Yes the Australian competition pool with be less than HK (yes you will be grouped with China). So if you identify as an Australian then I would definitely put that down as your main nationality. It will also help to have dual nationality so list both. Plus working in the US also shows you have lots of int'l experience which is a plus for schools. (perhaps you have more too!) Of course some schools will be a dream stretch (they are for a lot of people) but that doesn't mean you shouldn't go for them and lose hope just because of what 1 or 2 consultants said. I'm sure they are just implying that you should have some 'back up' schools as well should you not make it into your dream schools. Anything is achievable if you put your mind to it (and use the right consultant! lol).

Good luck with everything.

Best,

VeritasPrepDozie · Answer

Great advice above. I just want to hammer home the fact schools really look at this holistically like many other aspects of the application. An Australian designation will certainly a help a bit but your diverse international experiences and your ability to expound on these during your application will be what is most important.

How much does nationality matter in MBA application?

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