Blog: Archive for the “Admissions Myths Destroyed” Category

The perfect MBA applicant does not actually exist. However, the perception of the perfect applicant absolutely does—such an individual scales greater and greater personal, community, and professional peaks undeterred until finally applying to business school. Because of this idealized image of an applicant, candidates who have taken any time off from their professional pursuits believe they … Read More  

Although admissions officers want to know that you are interested in their school, they do not want to read your repeated professions of love for it. Some candidates mistakenly believe that in their essays, they must constantly repeat enthusiastic statements about how they will improve their skills at their target school, regardless of whether the … Read More  

Harvard Business School (HBS) offers an excellent MBA program. This is largely a given, and we are not questioning that. However, what we will call into question is whether HBS (or any other school, for that matter) is right for you. Every year, we get a few calls from confused MBA aspirants who say, “I visited HBS, … Read More  

MBA admissions committees often say they understand if an applicant does not have a recommendation from a supervisor, but do they really mean it? Even if they insist this is true, if every other applicant has a recommendation from a supervisor, not having one would put you at a disadvantage, right? Not necessarily!

Formal managerial experience is not a prerequisite for admission to a top MBA program—a truth some applicants might find ironic. Keep in mind that an MBA education is for individuals who aspire to become managers and is not exclusive to those who already are managers.