Applying to business school - how to make your application stand out.

Publish date	2008-01-24
Available Articles	Full articles without membership

If you want to get into your first choice business school, it’s crucial that you know what not to do when you’re applying. But it’s equally important that you are aware of what makes a really good application: how to make the most of references, how to write a punchy, relevant statement, how to show your experience in the best light possible – even how to present the whole package. Aside from having the right qualifications to get into the school, how can you enhance your application?

Perhaps the most important part of the application is the personal statement, where you have the opportunity to reveal qualities of self-reflection and explain why you want to go to the school you’re applying to.

“Keep your statement reasonably short,” says Alison Yemm at University of Bath Management School. “People very often use quotes – ‘I remember hearing this when I was a boy of five’ and so on, but they’re usually terrible clichés.

“I’m much more interested in a really well thought through, non-flamboyant demonstration of what they really want to do: ‘This is what I chose to do as an undergrad, for this reason; this is where I see my future therefore doing this programme would give me the skills I need and make me attractive to employers.’ It’s very obvious when people have put proper serious thought and effort into it.”

Try to avoid being trite. For example, trotting out other clichés along the lines of ‘If I didn’t have to work I’d spend all my time volunteering,’ without showing any evidence of a history of volunteering will do you no favours.

Dawn Wolff, director of admissions at Walden University in the US, says a strong goal statement will describe the applicant's past, present and future academic and professional life.

“In most scenarios, online universities do not have the luxury to perform face-to-face interviews,” she says. “We rely on application packets to tell the stories. The main piece that holds the puzzle together is the goal statement.”

Before you start writing, take time to analyse what it is you want out of your studies. What do you enjoy and excel at in your career? How will studying for an MBA develop the skills you have? What can you bring to the school? Examine what you have achieved in life outside your career.

Again, look at what you enjoy and what you’re good at. Include any non-professional ambitions that flag up attractive facets of your personality.

Don’t just regurgitate the school’s brochure. Applicants who try to second-guess the admissions committee by writing what they think they want to hear lose their own voice in the process. If you’re at all worried about your command of English, get it read by someone with a better grasp of the language and a keen eye for a typo.

Your resumé is crucial. It’s important here to think of applying to schools in the same way as applying for a job. This means that you must be utterly honest about your experience and qualifications to date.

If there are any shortcomings in your CV, such as low test scores or gaps in experience, tackle them head on in the ‘anything to add’ section at the end. Explain the reasons for any past failures and if possible show how you resolved or improved a situation. Take responsibility. Stick to the facts and don’t offer excuses.

While some applicants might think that drawing extra attention to a problem could be a bad approach, admissions officers disagree. “Don't leave a gap in your application that leaves us scratching our heads. Tackle it and move on,” says Wolff.

Avoid using CV gimmicks such as coloured paper and unusual fonts. “Quirky applications tend to stand out for the wrong reasons,” says Sue Newell at Warwick Business School.

When it comes to references, most schools require that you provide a recommendation letter from your current supervisor. If you are not applying to business school from university, your reference must come from someone who knows you well in a business context. Getting a letter from your local MP or congressman (believe it or not, it does happen), is useless and will harm your chances.

If you are self-employed, you can ask a customer, supplier or professional adviser to act as your referee. If you provide references with your application form they must be sealed in an envelope with the referee's signature over the seal. If you don’t want to let your current employer know you are applying to do an MBA, it’s usually acceptable to give references from a previous employer.

Finally, presentation and tone. Before you seal your application, read it through. If possible, get someone you trust to read it. Think about how you come across – you need to sound confident without being arrogant; serious without being dull; clear about what you want to do, why you want to do it at this school, and where you see yourself going. If you’re worried about your CV, there are numerous websites that offer resumé reading services for a fee.

Only once you feel you have satisfied these criteria should you post off your application. Re-reading everything one more time might make the difference between getting an interview and being rejected.

Keywords: Business School, Walden University, University Admissions, MBA, Curriculum Vitae.

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