-
Target Test Prep 20% Off Flash Sale is on! Code: FLASH20
Redeem
Specify a Learning Agenda in Your MBA Application
This post originally appeared on Stacys Strictly Business MBA blog on U.S.News.com.
"So, you want to go to business school. What exactly do you want to learn?" It sounds like a simple question, but MBA applicants often struggle with it. College interviewers might have asked about your intended major, but you could craft broad answers; in b-school everyone is a business major, so the messaging needs to be more defined.
Generic responses, such as, "I like the diverse student body" and "I want to get a general management education," leave interviewers with the impression that you're not seriously interested in their school, writes Soojin Kwon, the director of admissions at the Ross School of Business at University of MichiganAnn Arbor, in a blog post.
[Learn how to master MBA interviews.]
Offering interviewers the opposite impressionthat you are a serious candidatecomes down to clearly articulating your learning agenda in both your essays and interviews. It's insufficient to say that you want to learn more about accounting, finance, or marketing. Every MBA student learns about those; they're called required courses.
To demonstrate how serious you are about your future studies, be specific about why business school is the logical next step in your career progression, rather than painting with a broad brush. B-school staff spend literally thousands of hours developing course materials on virtually every business-related subject under the sun, so you must reflect on your ambition beyond viewing an MBA merely as a rite of passage or a brand name to add to your rsum.
If you have a particular strength in your candidacy, you may choose to develop that element further. You may have worked in marketing for the last four years, for example, but you want to further your knowledge of brand building among young people and unconventional sales channel development to help you launch a certain entrepreneurial idea you have.
Or, you may have identified gaps in your professional skillset, such as navigating business law or analyzing industrial operations, despite your experience as an investment banker and deep understanding of valuation and debt finance.
Consider the kinds of online articles you are attracted to, and draw upon those topics as you develop sections of your essays and answers to your interview questions. Addressing topics that you're passionate about will make your answers more compelling and better researched.
You may want to introduce your interests in an essay like this: "I'm fascinated by the ways brands like Apple have been rolled out in new cultures." Or, "I've seen the power of internal incentives on organizational behavior, and I want to understand them as a management tool." Or, "I'm impressed by the way top-flight organizations, such as Starbucks, are able to maintain their high levels of customer service."
Coming up with a short list of subjects that fascinate you can also help you research course offerings, initiatives, and clubs at prospective schools.
[Get tips on highlighting extracurriculars in your MBA application.]
As you think about your learning agenda, be as concrete as possible. When you're considering subject areas, don't just think marketing; instead, think brand management, channel creation, or pricing.
Technology, healthcare, and consumer product industries aren't enough; get more specific with market segments, such as security technologies, new healthcare service models, and branded luxury products. These are still mega-billion dollar industries with plenty of opportunities for innovation.
It's also important to stretch beyond your comfort zone. If you're well-versed in organizational behavior as applied to U.S. companies, maybe you want to learn about the differences in India, the Middle East, or Latin America. Or you may want to learn about investing in China or Canada. You will have plenty of classmates and case materials to help you learn about these different economies.
The more you're able to clearly articulate what you plan to do, and how an MBA will help you reach those goals, the better your chances of gaining admission at your target school.
***
If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.
Recent Articles
Archive
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009