Admissions at toptier business schools abroad are incredibly competitive
and moreover, the application process is arduous and timeconsuming.
Worse is news from a recent report that because of large applicant pools
from India and China, the acceptance rate from these countries can be
less than half-that of the published, general pool acceptance rate (eg
published acceptance rate is 10%, but Indian and Chinese is 2%). So if
you are thinking about pursuing an MBA abroad, make sure it is an
endeavour where you want to invest significant time and resources over a
three-to-six month period. If you do, then read on for some tips…
First things first: If you are applying to MBA programmes now you should
have taken your GMAT exam. The test, administered by the Graduate
Management Admissions Council, is required by most global MBA programs.
You can get more information and register for a test date at
www.mba.com. The test is administered on-demand and you get your results
immediately.
Second, you should request letters of recommendation from your supervisors and senior colleagues right away. The importance of choosing the right recommenders for business school applications cannot be overstated. MBA admissions committee put a lot of weight in these assessments so a lukewarm endorsement of your candidacy can sink you before you are even in the water. Similarly, a recommendation from someone who barely knows you is a kiss of death. So while you may be tempted to ask your Uncle’s friend who is the head of the RBI to write a letter because he is a big shot, chances are he has never worked with you on a project and cannot speak to your loyalty, leadership and analytical skills.
First things first: If you are applying to MBA programmes now you should
have taken your GMAT exam. The test, administered by the Graduate
Management Admissions Council, is required by most global MBA programs.
You can get more information and register for a test date at
www.mba.com. The test is administered on-demand and you get your results
immediately.
Second, you should request letters of recommendation from your supervisors and senior colleagues right away. The importance of choosing the right recommenders for business school applications cannot be overstated. MBA admissions committee put a lot of weight in these assessments so a lukewarm endorsement of your candidacy can sink you before you are even in the water. Similarly, a recommendation from someone who barely knows you is a kiss of death. So while you may be tempted to ask your Uncle’s friend who is the head of the RBI to write a letter because he is a big shot, chances are he has never worked with you on a project and cannot speak to your loyalty, leadership and analytical skills.
Find recommenders who have worked with you closely, understand
your goals and are willing to craft an endorsement that is consistent
with your self-presentation in essays. And if possible, seek
recommenders who are alumni of the MBA programme you want to attend.
Third, as you start learning about different MBA programmes, leverage any contacts you have with alumni or administration and attend the information sessions near you. Build a relationship with people you meet and remember to thank them! I regularly send clients to my contacts that give alumni perspectives or industry advice and I am surprised at how many lack the common courtesy to simply follow up with a ‘thank you for your time’ email. Besides good manners, if the person you met has any influence, you don’t want to be remembered as the ungrateful candidate.
Go deep in your research preparation so you can say something unique about the university, the faculty or the courses. If you conclude your essay with “I want to attend ABC University’s MBA programme because of its world-class facilities, award winning faculty research and its challenging course on business negotiation”, you could be describing any of the top-50 MBA programmes in the world.
Read published faculty research, talk to current students to find out about the most rewarding projects or sign up for campus newsfeeds or online courses to demonstrate your interest and awareness of the programme’s one-of-a-kind features in your essays.
Third, as you start learning about different MBA programmes, leverage any contacts you have with alumni or administration and attend the information sessions near you. Build a relationship with people you meet and remember to thank them! I regularly send clients to my contacts that give alumni perspectives or industry advice and I am surprised at how many lack the common courtesy to simply follow up with a ‘thank you for your time’ email. Besides good manners, if the person you met has any influence, you don’t want to be remembered as the ungrateful candidate.
Go deep in your research preparation so you can say something unique about the university, the faculty or the courses. If you conclude your essay with “I want to attend ABC University’s MBA programme because of its world-class facilities, award winning faculty research and its challenging course on business negotiation”, you could be describing any of the top-50 MBA programmes in the world.
Read published faculty research, talk to current students to find out about the most rewarding projects or sign up for campus newsfeeds or online courses to demonstrate your interest and awareness of the programme’s one-of-a-kind features in your essays.
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