How to Approach Business School Information Sessions

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Oct 25, 2010

If you have the opportunity, business school information sessions can be an excellent way to learn more about an MBA program and to interact with representatives from the program. These sessions are often held at business headquarters or hotels across the country. If you sign up to receive emails from a specific MBA program, you will be notified about information sessions throughout the year. These events occur most frequently in the late summer and early fall. I believe these events are worth attending for the following reasons:

Reasons to attend:

1. It is critical that you identify your target market. What this means is that you should do research on the MBA program by not only reading books and visiting university websites, but also by actually meeting representatives from the universities.
2. Furthermore, from these events you can gather some great information for your future application essays and interviews.
3. You may make a valuable contact by meeting someone from the admissions committee or a current student at the MBA program. As you draft your essays you can contact this person to find information that could add insight into your essays.
4. Attending these events will help to immerse you in the MBA applications process. There are only a few things that can motivate you to focus on your application more than attending an information session.

When attending, be sure to dress up in business attire, bring a number of business cards, and visit the information sessions. Remember that every person you meet is important. Here is some information on the DONTs that you should keep in mind at these events:

"Don'ts"

1. Dont ask questions only to be noticed. If you have an important question, make sure to ask. However, you should not start asking questions just to be seen.
2. Dont be overly insistent with admissions representatives and try to crowd out other individuals. From my encounters from having served as a representative for Kellogg at admissions events, I have never enjoyed watching an aggressive person work hard to make a strong impression. Most MBA programs are looking for good team players.
3. Dont be careless in your attire. You dont necessarily have to wear your best outfit, but professional attire will help you fit in with peers.
4. Do not attend the event with a negative attitude. Try to keep an open mind. If you learn that you do not want to apply to the MBA program, then that is fine. However, you may be surprised and decide to apply to an MBA program that you had not previously considered.

For more robust guidance on your MBA application essays, check out the Stacy Blackman Consulting Essay Guide Series school specific guides with essay tips, sample essays, information on what your target schools value and more.

Visit http://www.stacyblackman.com/essay-guides/ to learn more.