Have you put in long hours at work to meet client deadlines and keep the boss happy? Aced your job interviews and landed yourself a position at a blue-chip bank, consulting firm or tech giant? Wrestled with data sufficiency and critical reasoning on the GMAT to make sure you achieved that +700 score?
Congratulations.
Your dedication and achievements are commendable.
Sadly, though, they may not be enough to secure your place in one of the world’s top MBA programs.
Why not?
Because while you were working hard to be your best, so was everyone else.
And while excellence is a prerequisite for all top business schools, admissions committees are also charged with building a diverse class.
Last year, the average GMAT score at INSEAD was 706. This year, about 70% of LBS applications worked in consulting, financial services, or IT industries. That’s thousands of applicants from the three most overrepresented professional profiles in the pool of applicants. HEC Paris acceptance rate is as low as 17%.
Which means that among the hundreds of talented applicants from Goldman, BCG or Google, the school was selecting the best of the best of the best, in very small numbers.
And what about that competitive GMAT score of yours? The average GMAT score at the top 10 European business schools is 685, with a range from 708 for LBS to 665 for SDA Bocconi.
Applying to the top schools with a 700 is no guarantee of securing your place, but score much lower and there are plenty of other young professionals with comparable experience for the schools to choose from.
Thousands of the applicant pool at HEC Paris, LBS, Cambridge, INSEAD and other top schools are fully qualified to attend. But only a very small percentage get the chance. So how do you stand out in the MBA applicant pool?
Think of it this way: your excellence is your ticket to play. Once you’re in the game, you win by showing your difference.
That’s why today, I want to share 7 ways to make your MBA application stand out.
Grab a mirror
From written essays to the admissions interview, the MBA application process is riddled with formidable questions designed to solicit significant introspection and surface profound self-awareness.
And it can be uncomfortable and difficult to reflect about yourself, especially if you’re not a particularly reflective person.
The risk?
Only think of yourselves as a consultant, or a banker, or someone who’s been doing IT.
Instead, think about are the little pieces of their past or things they might want to do in the future that are very different from other individuals.
Or reflect about the underlying motives that led you what you are today.
That’s why:
We advise you to open your perspective and sit down with someone who knows you well and go through what’s brought you to the present point in your life and career.
It’s often surprising what this introspection exercise can do and how it’s necessary to building what makes your story unique.
Make alumni connections
One of the main elements that schools are looking for among hundreds, if not thousands, of impressive applications is knowledge about the institution and the program.
Identikit applications may save you time, but they’re a surefire route to the bottom of the pile.
Instead, try to learn as much as you can about each institution you apply for.
Ask yourself why you want to study there, what the school offers you that others don’t, and what you yourself can bring to the student body.
A good way to show you’ve considered these things is to connect with the school’s alumni.
This will give you valuable insights about the program, so you can think about how you’ll fit in.
If you give this real thought, it will come across in your application and your interview, giving you an edge.
Plan ahead
If you know that an MBA is in your cards, you’ll want to start early in shaping your work experience to stand out from your peers.
If you’re currently working at a firm like McKinsey, Google or HSBC, you may be applying within the first two years, so you have limited time to tailor your experience.
Seek out projects that are out of the ordinary for your career-type.
Take advantage of any opportunities for international exposure (trips, conferences, projects or work abroad).
Volunteer to lead projects outside of your normal scope.
If you can connect these projects and experiences to any future goals, all the better, but the important point here is that anything out of the ordinary on your list of experiences will help admissions directors to remember your name at decision time.
Do meaningful things outside of work
An “MBA type” often has a slew of co-curriculars in their undergrad years, from volunteer experience to varsity sports.
But as a heavy professional workload takes over, many of those activities fall by the wayside.
Staying connected with at least one or two of these shows both commitment and passion — values highly regarded by admissions committees.
Schools aren’t looking for five extra-curriculars that you just started three months ago, clearly for purposes of an application.
They would rather see just one or two interests that you have long-term authentic commitment to.
So, think about your extra-curriculars that come with opportunities to take on a leadership role or do something different from your peers.
Describe an exciting future
A bold and coherent plan for your future can be exciting for an admissions team to review, as it’s their job to fill the seats with a diverse group of individuals who will represent the school well in future years.
We are not suggesting you share far-fetched plans for greatness, but you should communicate your realistic, achievable plans that show a path and a vision.
Think early on about what you plan to do after your MBA, and what you’ll be doing to get there.
You must be able to clearly demonstrate the impact that that will have on your future peers and community.
Think about how you can get the business school excited about bringing you in versus another candidate.
It could be something that you’re particularly passionate about such as starting your own business, reaching a certain level, or perhaps having an impact in some way.
Link it to your past so that it’s not simply something pulled out of the air for application purposes.
Make it something genuine, really coming from the heart.
This may enable you to stand out versus another candidate who wasn’t able to convey such passion or sense of purpose.
Coach your recommenders
The first two elements of the application that admissions look at are the resume and the recommendations.
We can assume that your work resume may have a similar look to your rival applicants, so how can you make that recommendation catch the attention of admissions?
You’ll need to find the best recommender possible, and you’ll need to work with them in advance to ensure they can clearly identify you as an outstanding performer and communicate this well.
Build a relationship early on with a recommender as senior as possible, who of course also knows you very well.
Be proactive in discussing with them your achievements and examples of your strengths.
Don’t be afraid to make suggestions to them, and remind them of concrete examples of your skills, as this will only help them with their task.
The goal is to not have a formulaic, template recommendation, but a personalized description of your top qualities.
Be yourself
This one may sound cliché.
But this is true:
Be genuine and true to yourself. Business schools do not expect you to be superhuman, speaking eight different languages and with experience in 40 different countries.
Be reflective.
Tell stories that are important to you.
You want to convey what deeply matters to you, who you are as an individual.
Strip away all the other things you think you have to be.
Being who you really are is going to make a tremendous difference in your application.
Conclusion
Standing out in the crowd is the key to gaining the attention of any admissions director, but forward-planning is the key to getting that message of uniqueness across.
Think about your goals early on, take the path less traveled when the opportunity arises, and cultivate true passions outside of work.
Chances are, you are one of thousands of excellent, qualified applicants competing for a few prized spots.
Your challenge is to let much of your academic and professional excellence speak through your test results and resume, and to infuse the rest of your application with a personal narrative that is unique, compelling and leaves the admissions committee eager to learn more about you.