Every week, we give you the chance to ask one of our chosen admissions experts anything you want to know about getting into business school. One of these questions is selected each week for our chosen expert to answer.
This week, our question comes from an anonymous applicant.
Applicant Question Of The Week
Dear BusinessBecause,
What is the most important part of the MBA application process, and how can I make my application stand out to an admissions council?
The Answer
The truth is that there really is no single part of the application process that is more important than the others. In many cases, such as at MIT Sloan, the evaluation process includes both a written application as well as a face-to-face interview.
Throughout the process, an applicant is being evaluated on their academic ability, demonstrated impact on a group, organization or individual, and their ability to work well in a collaborative, team environment. We are assessing both capability and fit.
A few basic tips on the written application include:
Follow directions.If an essay has a word limit of 500 words, do not submit a 1,200 word essay.
Review for proper grammar and sentence structure and no typos. You may want to ask someone who knows you well to review your essays.
Tell a complete story across all of the components of the written application, including essays, cover letter, and resume. In advance, write down all of the things that are important to you to convey in the application and then map them to the various sections of the application.
Do not contradict yourself – make sure information on the resume, such as roles and dates, are consistent with information in your essays.
Use the opportunities given to you wisely–do not repeat facts unnecessarily–but support them throughout.
Choose your referees wisely. Ask them early on in the process to give them enough time to write a meaningful recommendation. Select referees who are champions of your aspiration to attend business school, who know you well, and who can speak in detail to the contribution you have made to the organization. Do not choose a referee based on their title alone. If they do not know you well enough to write a meaningful recommendation, don't ask them.
With regard to the interview, which varies quite a bit from school to school, my best advice is to be yourself.
Keep the basics in mind, too. Be on time, dress appropriately, and be respectful to everyone you meet, including the person who checks you in, other interviewees, and students.
Always be prepared, and understand the interview format in advance. Prior to the interview, review your application, and be armed with a few questions that are meaningful to you. Be careful not to ask questions that are readily answered on the school's website, or in their brochure.
If you know who your interviewer is in advance, do a little research on their background. You may find a common interest or skillset that you can talk about during the interview.
Avoid asking how you are doing, or how you did at the end, too.
Ask an Admissions Expert a Question
Next week, you'll have the chance to ask Rishabh Gupta, partner and co-founder at GyanOne Universal, an MBA admissions and career consultancy.
Rishabh has over a decade's experience helping applicants secure spots on their ideal programs, and has connections with schools including INSEAD, Yale, McCombs, Johnson Cornell, Duke, IMD, and ISB.
Prior to co-founding GyanOne, Rishabh worked at top consultancy firms including KPMG.
Cornell University The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management
Student
Verified
31/10/2023
On Campus
Outstanding facilities
Cornell University is widely renowned for its esteemed reputation. It boasts remarkable educators, well-stocked library resources, and efficient administrative services. The university offers outstanding amenities that cater to the needs of all individuals, with ample computer facilities and study areas. Moreover, students benefit from excellent educational communication and writing support, as well as guidance from highly knowledgeable education professionals.
Stacy
Verified
31/10/2023
On Campus
Gaining knowledge
Cornell is an amazing school with tons of opportunities for future careers. The campus is beautiful, and the professors are awesome. I feel like I'm getting a great education, and it's tough but rewarding. It's pushed me to grow and improve myself, and the competition here is healthy, not cutthroat. I'm learning to work with others and to help them, just like they've helped me. This is the best school I could have chosen.
Student
Verified
19/10/2023
On Campus
LLM Program at Cornell Tech
The LLM program at Cornell Tech offers a transformative educational experience, seamlessly merging law and technology. Its innovative curriculum, exceptional faculty, and proximity to New York's tech hub provide an unparalleled learning environment. Another plus I could think of is the close relationship between programs - as we did our classes in one relatively small complex, so I could easily interact with colleagues from Computer Science or Business programs. Such an experience allows me to gain fresh perspective in many matters.
However, one downside of doing the Law, Technology, and Entrepreneurship program is the insufficiency of the curriculum to allow the students to sit for the bar (not that this would matter to people with common law background). But, if taking the bar is your goal, Cornell provides you with the option of taking an additional semester in Ithaca that will fulfil the required courses for NY bar.
All in all, I love my Cornell Tech experience. Would do it all over again 100%!
Student
Verified
3/09/2023
On Campus
Evident
I'm thoroughly impressed with the courses and the people at Cornell. The variety of unique and captivating courses is exceptional, and it's evident that the majority of the staff and faculty are sincerely invested in your success. Additionally, forming friendships with fellow students has been a delightful experience, as they hail from diverse backgrounds and consistently support one another.
Maxwell
Verified
25/08/2023
On Campus
Diversity driven
It's an amazing place to be, populated by a variety of individuals from different origins, all motivated by their interests and goals. You can explore a wide array of subjects, and we're skilled at both working hard and enjoying a lively social life.
Student
Verified
22/08/2023
On Campus
Various fields of study
The university provides a great opportunity to delve into new fields of study, with its wide range of majors and options for pursuing unique career paths. Participating in extracurricular activities and building friendships can help reduce the stress and competitiveness that often come with academics, fostering a more balanced and healthier experience.
Jason
Verified
22/08/2023
On Campus
Social life
It's an incredible location to be in, filled with a diverse range of people from various backgrounds, all driven by their passions and ambitions. You have the opportunity to study virtually anything you can imagine, and we certainly know how to enjoy ourselves. Balancing hard work with an equally vibrant social life is our specialty.
Irene
Verified
20/06/2023
On Campus
Friendly environment
I liked being able to meet so many different people from all over the country and the world, and Cornell has always been welcoming to me since the day I arrived in freshman year. Cornell's community is very supportive; students are encouraged to work together to solve problems and really support one another in every situation, and professors are always willing to assist students in need.
Student
Verified
17/05/2023
On Campus
Masters in CS, practical learning program
I studied MS CS at Cornell Tech. It is an intensive 9 months program which focuses on practical learning. The highlight of the program is the studio based curriculum where students learn how to build ventures from scratch.
Student
Verified
10/06/2024
On Campus
Open to any kind of view and ideas
I spent time training abroad at Cornell University (Ivy League University), Ithaca, USA, working on a project entitled “Characteristics of Packaging films made from whey proteins”, under an ‘International Student Exchange Program’. Although I was simply enrolled in an undergraduate program, I took a keen interest in undertaking a challenging food science research project, which demonstrated my independent thinking at an early stage. I worked on the feasibility of preparing edible packaging films using whey protein isolates. I demonstrated scientific and analytical skills in carrying out the experimental work, while working in a research laboratory. In a very short time span (6 months), I was able to demonstrate my experimental, interpretation and analysis skills. As a result, my research work was accepted for presentation in the annual meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists, Dallas, Texas in the year 2000.I demonstrated intellectual/problem solving/management judgements and good communication skills. It was stated that the work was carried out with “great care, paying particular attention to detail”. Enjoyable campus landscape.
Student
Verified
3/12/2024
On Campus
Global Experience
As one of the leading universities in the world, one would expect to get lost or forgotten in the sea of highly talented students and scholars. However, that wasn’t the case in my university, where I constantly felt supported by the best faculty to achieve my goals. It was amazing to see that I was able to access learning scholarships as well as work abroad opportunities in just a period of 3 years. Be warned that the weather is unforgiving in the winter time, but nothing that a true winter coat cannot withstand.
