MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Final Round Is Nothing!
One of our previous admissions myths destroyed was “Round 1 is Everything.” Today we take on the widely held myth that “final round is nothing.”
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Articles from mbaMission
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Why Worry? I Served!
Some applicants mistakenly regard community service as a prerequisite for getting into a top MBA program. And, some who believe that it is a prerequisite will sign up for community activities without considering whether it is a reasonable fit for them. Although community service is generally a positive, given that it demonstrates altruism on the part of the participant and frequently indicates leadership as well—attributes that may not be revealed in the workplace—community service is not a panacea. As you contemplate your involvements, you should recognize that “hours served” are not as important as the spirit of your participation and the extent of your impact.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Well, I Had My Chance on the GMAT…
You finally took the GMAT, and though your score was not bad, it was not what you had expected or hoped—so, not your best score, but certainly not so low that you need to take the test again. With a score just below where you think you should be, should you risk it all and take the test again? Well, the truth is that there is actually no risk in taking the GMAT a second (or even a third) time in pursuit of a better outcome.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Must Interview with the AdCom!
After submitting your application, you endure weeks of nervous anticipation and then you finally get that invitation to interview. You start to prepare for the interview itself and you book your flight to campus, ready to prove yourself to the admissions committee. You take your tour, sit in on a class and head down to the admissions office only to find…. (gasp!) a second year MBA student waiting to interview you and he is wearing jeans, nonetheless! “How could they be taking me seriously? I must be in some second tier that the school really does not care about!” Take a deep breath and reconsider.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Have a Gap!
There is no perfect MBA applicant. However, there is a perception of the perfect applicant — an individual who is scaling greater and greater personal, community and professional peaks, day after day, unabated until he/she finally applies. So, those who take time off at any point perceive themselves as disadvantaged. They worry that the admissions committees will see their gaps and dismiss them outright. After all, aren’t there more determined individuals to admit?
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Will an Online Course Impress the Admissions Committee?
It has been years since you were in college, and as you contemplate pursuing your MBA, you suddenly remember a few not-so-stellar semesters when your social life was far more important to you than your grade point average. We hope you are more innocent than that and that you worked hard and did quite well, but maybe you are in another category of student—one who has a degree in English literature, for example, and never took a single quantitative class. No matter which camp you fall into, with your business school applications on the horizon, you should definitely be considering taking a quantitative course or two to establish your competencies and make sure the Admissions Committees know that you are a changed individual and/or that you can handle a rigorous curriculum. In short, you should be planning to take these courses, work hard and earn A’s. But, you are busy now—you work, have community and family commitments and are studying for the GMAT, too. It would be easiest to take an online course, but would this be enough to satisfy the Admissions Committee? Are online classes taken seriously these days?
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Have No International Experience!
In the past, we have addressed the prevailing MBA admissions myth that there is a “right” professional path to follow. Just as there is no ideal position to have pre-MBA, there is no ideal life experience either. International experience is not a prerequisite for admission to top MBA programs, so a lack of international experience does not suddenly disqualify you.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Your MBA Program is the Sole Determinant of Your Future
Human nature dictates that amid a competitive application process – exaggerated by the pervasiveness of rankings and the chatter surrounding them – some will perceive that they are ahead of others with an acceptance at a top-school and others will perceive that they are behind their peers with an acceptance from a lower ranked school. What is often lost amid all of the worrying is that you, not your business school, are the independent variable. You, not your school, will determine your success.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Must Have Gotten It Wrong!
You have a 720 and a 3.75 GPA. You have solid career progress and glowing recommendations. You have been actively volunteering in your community for years. You worked hard on your application and got your interviews, where you felt you did well. And…. You did not get in. So, you must have done something terribly wrong in your interview, right? You must have unwittingly made a mess of your essays, right? Your profile is strong so your execution is off, right? Not necessarily.
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Have No Managerial Experience!
It might seem ironic to some that formal management experience is not a prerequisite for getting into a top MBA program. It is important to keep in mind that an MBA education is for those who aspire to become managers and is not necessarily exclusive to those who already are managers. So, if you are fretting about the fact that you have not had any subordinates to date and feel that overseeing a staff is a prerequisite to getting in to a top program, you are adhering to a myth and should worry no more. Instead, think about how you have simply excelled in your position and made the most of the leadership opportunities before you.
Admissions Myths Destroyed: Yikes, a Typo; I am Done!
You have worked painstakingly on your application. You have checked and rechecked your work. You finally press submit and then you discover, to your horror, that you are missing a comma and inadvertently used “too” instead of “to.” The admissions committee is just going to throw your application out, right? Wrong.
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Lay Off Your Worries … If You Use Your Time Well
What could be more nerve-wracking than applying to business school without a job? After all, how can you reveal your strong management traits if you are struggling to manage your own career? Well, your internal voice need not be that cruel. Thousands upon thousands of people—and indeed, thousands of MBA applicants—have been negatively affected by the implosion of Wall Street firms, the decline of the automakers, the real estate bust and more. If you had been laid off and unable to find a job during the boom, that might have made a statement about your desirability to employers and thus as an MBA candidate, but this is 2010, and having been laid off now is hardly a scarlett letter. If the top MBA programs were to shun anyone who had been laid off and then gotten back on his or her feet, or anyone who has been laid off and has not yet found his or her new path, then they would certainly miss out on some tremendously talented and accomplished people.
Admissions Myths Destroyed: Title Trumps All!
A few weeks ago, we tackled the myth that you must know alumni to get into top MBA programs (See Alumni Get You In!). Without rehashing that argument, a myth that is somewhat similar — in that it pertains to who you know instead of who you are — is that your recommendation must be written by someone with a flashy title. Each year, many candidates will either persuade someone outside their workplace (a Congressman for example) or an insider who does not know their work all that well (a Managing Director or CEO) to write on their behalf.
Admissions Myths Destroyed: I Should Quit My Job for the GMAT
Because the GMAT is the sole piece of data that is truly consistent from one candidate to another, many MBA applicants get carried away, placing undue emphasis on the test as the sole determinant of their chances (when, in reality, it is only one of several important aspects of an application). In extreme cases, some applicants will consider quitting their jobs to focus on the GMAT full time. Bad idea.
Admissions Myths Destroyed: The “Right” Path
Each year we hear from a few people who think that their professional position is a liability: “I am a school teacher. Maybe if I transitioned to consulting, I would get into the school of my dreams.” While bankers and consultants are certainly well represented at top business schools and teachers are not, this is not evidence of a bias among admissions officers, but of the nature of those workplaces. Most bankers and consultants need an MBA to progress past a certain point on the corporate ladder, whereas no teacher truly needs that MBA to progress.