Blog: Archive for the “Application Tips” Category

Several top business schools explicitly ask candidates about the steps they have taken to learn about their MBA program. Via such questions, the schools are testing you: they want to know that you have a sincere desire to gain a place in their next entering class specifically, and so they want to know that you … Read More  

Candidates often fixate on using professional and community-based stories in their application essays. As a result, many forget (or neglect) to even consider personal stories as possible differentiators. Because so many candidates have similar professional experiences, personal dimensions should be highlighted whenever possible (considering that few examined lives can truly be said to be similar). … Read More  

Virtually all MBA application essays are written in the past tense, which makes sense, considering that candidates are most often discussing past experiences. Although the past tense is quite “user friendly,” another choice is to use the present tense to heighten the immediacy of the experience being presented and to draw the reader into the … Read More  

At mbaMission, we always encourage candidates to show their experiences rather than tell the reader conclusions. For example, a candidate may mistakenly choose to tell the reader, “I performed exceptionally well in my job and was promoted.” In this case, the reader is left wondering, “What exactly did he/she do so well to earn that promotion?” The reader needs to understand … Read More  

Although many MBA programs are interested in hearing about your international experiences, they are fundamentally uninterested in your personal views on “hot” global political issues. Even when an admissions committee directly challenges you to discuss current events or global politics, you must take care to offer a point of view—not a scathing manifesto. No clear rules exist … Read More