Have you been deliberating "If I don't have a strong company name on my resume, should I forget about applying to a top MBA program?"

For those concerned, at Fortuna (as former directors of admissions), we know that having McKinsey, Goldman, or hot brand name companies such as Google or Facebook on your resume is far from being a guarantee of securing your place at a top school. Indeed, applicants from traditional feeder firms arguably face greater competition for a place as they try to stand out from their many peers with similar backgrounds. The best MBA programs often have more than enough candidates from certain typical feeder companies, and will be working to balance this out with more diverse industry profiles.

Many top schools emphasize diversity not just in gender or nationality but mix of life experience backgrounds "’ the common denominator is to have something exceptional on your resume, and that doesn't have to be a heavy hitting company name. The incoming 406 students at Stanford this year came from 300 different organizations. Beyond the working world, many of these admits would have had exceptional academics or achievements in an extra-curricular setting that made them stand out.

As admissions directors ourselves, we were never dazzled by a particular employer. The competition is too intense; every admit has to demonstrate they bring much more than flashy credentials.

Candidates with less well-known company brand names should think about:
"¢ How can I showcase outstanding achievements, professional and personally?
"¢ How can I get the admissions committee excited about my career plans?
"¢ Do my short- and long-term plans make sense given my background?
"¢ How can I convince them that I'm going to be an alumnus they can be proud of?

During our 50 odd years in MBA admissions (collectively, not individually!) we were always conscious that putting together a class of talented, engaged, and open-minded individuals was very much about people and their potential, not employers. So as a candidate, you shouldn't worry about the brands on your resume, but focus on how you can craft a compelling application.

For the full article we wrote on this in Poets and Quants, click here.

Best,