The MBA Admissions Studio

Today I thought I’d share the extended journey of an MBA Studio client, as reported here and here. Not only is it a worthy and heartwarming success story in which I’m most gratified to have been able to play a part — helping this applicant with a 640 GMAT get into a top European school — but it is also instructive as to the ups and downs of elite MBA applications…

“Hard work certainly goes a long way. These days a lot of people work hard, so you have to make sure you work even harder and really dedicate yourself to what you are doing and setting out to achieve.” — Lakshmi Mittal

“The above quote by the great Mittal is really my matra and this is what i believed in when i started on this journey. There were a great deal of challenges and difficulties that i faced but what kept me going was the ultimate goal! MBA is what i wanted to do, this would take me to my destination and i wanted to give in my 100 percent to get there!

“I started this blog back in February, 2009 and at that time I had no idea what was ahead of me. I still remember my first post on 9th February 2009. That was the day when I first laid my hands on the “Official Guide for GMAT Review”. That was the day I promised myself that I’ll put in my sole(sic) into the GMAT preparation and give-in my best shot towards my business school application.

“So without further ado here is a timeline representation of some of the important events that followed that day:

August 15, 2009 – Prepared an outline for essays. First stop – INSEAD! Quite a bold move eh!

Sep 29, 2009 – Submitted my application to University of Hong Kong (I still haven’t heard back from them )

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“Like World cup is to soccer, Wimbledon is to Tennis, an acceptance is to an applicant blog. I waited 12 months for such a post and I can’t be happier. I couldn’t have done any of this without the love, support, and encouragement of my parents and my girl friend. I would like to dedicate this admission to them. Amma, Appa and Vrush – this one is for you!

“I also want to thank many people who have played an important part in my journey:

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“My apologies for making this post so long. If there is one take-away from my MBA application journey (apart from persistence) that I’d cherish life long is this acquired addiction of Blogging. So I’ll be back here soon with another post. Till then, hang in there and have fun! Muchas Gracias!”
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Tags: ESADE, GMAT, HKUST, IESE, INSEAD, NUS, Tsinghua

It’s Super Bowl time. For me this mostly means Augusta (and Spring!) is just around the corner. But the football is always watchable and, as everyone knows, it’s as much all about the half-time show and of course the ads - which I believe for Super Bowl XLIV cost more that $2.5m for a 30-second slot.

Anyway, all this reminds me to share one of the profiling tools that I use with MBA admissions clients when required. The issue is always the same: to get an applicant to identify their core message, focus it sharply, and tell it in a compelling way.

So I tell applicants: ‘craft your own Super Bowl ad.’ If you were given the opportunity to advertise yourself in a 30-second slot on TV, what would you do and say? Let’s say Adcom members from HBS or Wharton or whichever is your dream b-school are watching. How would your ad go? What would it say? Remember it is appearing in ultra-competitive company, with other ads that are funny and wicked and purposeful and memorable in various ways. So how would yours stand out?

The time limit forces a focus on what’s essential, and the advertisement format demands an ‘angle,’ a point of unique interest. You wouldn’t just go ‘my name is Sam and I was born in Reno, and blah, blah, blah.’

I ask MBA applicants to ‘storyboard’ it as if it were a real advertisement (it doesn’t take long, it’s only a 30-second slot after all.) Start with the first image, then the next. What is happening onscreen? What music is playing (why?), is there a voiceover and what is it saying, what text is on the screen? And so on, moving through the ad to its close.

You have seconds to pitch yourself. It’s costing you a fortune to be there so you can’t waste a word. You don’t need to (you could never) capture everything important about yourself. But you must capture and entice the viewers, and leave them with some unforgettable images and a message sandblasted on their brain.

Then if you can transfer the essence of your Super Bowl ad to your MBA essays and interviews (elaborating stories, and adding proof) your communication will pack the punch it needs.

Tags: b-school, HBS, profile development, profiling, Wharton

It’s common to get a ‘waitlist’ notice in a competitive admissions process for a top MBA program. What’s going on and how should you handle it? First, interpret it correctly. By waitlisting, Adcoms are giving themselves an “option” on you while they wait to see who else is coming to the party. They like you, they are just not ready to commit.

How should you manage this? Remember, you do have some status. They have looked at you and liked you enough to keep you interested. This is reason to be optimistic, not to panic, and not to get needy or whiney.

Your waitlist notice probably came with instructions and these need to be followed scrupulously. If they don’t accept additional information, that’s that. If they do, then you can consider your options. If you didn’t get any guidance to the contrary, there is no harm in asking politely if there is anything you can add, or if there is any particular issue (that may be holding you back) that you might address.

In doing this, please remember that every last scrap of your interaction with Adcom is printed out and goes in your file, so ask politely once and don’t make a nuisance of yourself. If they offer you the opportunity to add something, do so promptly and stick scrupulously to the topic. You wouldn’t believe how highly touchy most schools are about being bugged by waitlistees.

Aside from any issue the school raises, it is legitimate to add something to your file if you have retaken the GMAT (and scored higher,) or if there is a significant change (of advantage to you) in your professional life. If you have been given an award or a promotion or a clear new professional opportunity that suggests you will bring in new skills and experiences, it is fair to want to add that while you fate hangs in the balance. But do not assume they will take it. Call or email to explain what the new factor will be and ask if they will allow it to be added. Unless it contravenes policy, usually they will say ‘yes’ because their motivation is to make the right decision not just to be ogres for the fun of it.

Further, if you have an offer from another school, particularly a top school, tell them. They will recognize that you will have to make a decision about School B and put down a deposit. This is likely to light a fire under them to clarify their decision one way or the other. Also it is human nature to want people that other people want. It deeply works in your favor.

Tags: GMAT, waitlist