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Improve Your MBA Candidacy Now for Fall Applications
If you plan to apply to business school in the upcoming admissions cycle, you may think it impossible to improve your MBA candidacy in such a short amount of time. Not true! You can take action in three critical areas right now that will pay dividends in the fall.
Academic Enhancement
Did you major in liberal arts? Is your undergrad GPA 3.2 or below? In both of these scenarios, you may want to consider taking quantitative classes to enhance your academic profile. When in doubt about your test scores' strength, consult your target schools’ admitted student profile page and compare them to the median reported score.
If you took the GMAT once or twice and did not receive the score you think you are capable of, consider taking a prep course to remind you how to solve those high school math logic problems.
Retake the GMAT until you get the score you feel good about. Or, prove you have the quantitative chops by acing a college-level statistics, microeconomics, or calculus course at the local community college. For applicants who can't raise their GMAT score enough, consider taking the GRE and see how the two scores stack up..
Fortunately, most MBA admissions teams take a holistic view of an individual’s candidacy. Enthusiastic recommendation letters that also address the applicant’s quantitative skills will carry significant weight with the committee.
Extracurricular Involvement
A strong focus on work is fantastic. But it’s important to showcase other aspects of your personality, too. This helps prove that you bring a diverse set of skills to an MBA program. Community involvement demonstrates that you have a larger view of the world. Specifically, it shows you see what’s happening outside of your office and that you want to contribute.
But what if you have no time for outside interests because of your 80-hour workweek? Many applicants share this dilemma. Nevertheless, you should still try to find ways to subtly up your community engagement in the coming months. However, it's not about gaming the process with some newfound volunteering involvement.
The best way to seamlessly incorporate extracurriculars is to think about longstanding passions and interests and build upon them. Have you volunteered for a particular group before? Check in to see what else you can help them with that’s more high profile. Or ask if any open leadership roles would be a good fit.
Don’t get hung up on traditional volunteer work, though. There are many ways to show your diversity that can improve your MBA candidacy. The key is to think hard about what excites you. Get creative and discover how you can leverage those interests for the greater good.
Leadership Development
Business schools want to see applicants with proven leadership skills that their MBA program can further develop. A promotion between now and the fall would be the ideal scenario. But you don’t have to wait for your supervisor to act to enhance your overall leadership and management potential for business school applications.
Letting others know you want to develop your people skills further may uncover new opportunities to go above and beyond. Volunteer for that cross-functional team or project or offer to help your boss with a challenging long-term goal. Consider getting involved with employee groups at work—whether through volunteering in the community or promoting diversity in your company. All of these avenues can provide great material for your resume and essays.
To demonstrate leadership without clear career progression, look again at your extracurricular activities and consider taking on a leadership role. Can you find a way to lead with ideas and show success because of your influence, communication skills, or ability to motivate people? This is your chance to demonstrate that you can run a project and motivate a team.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast Episode #143: 10 Things to Consider 6 Months Before Applying
The spring and summer months can be very fruitful for your personal and professional development. More precisely, it's a great time to improve your MBA candidacy. With a little advanced planning and a commitment of just a few hours a week, applicants can do a great deal to enhance their profile before that final rush of the fall and winter.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. We offer multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership to hourly help with essay editing, interview prep, and MBA resume review. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
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