The Ultimate Guide to MBA Admissions (+ Free Exercises & Interview Questions)
The Ultimate Guide to MBA Admissions (+ Free Exercises & Interview Questions)
Developing A Winning MBA Application Strategy
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If you’re reading this, you’ve probably decided that you’re ready to apply to business school. (If you’re not sure whether an MBA is right for you, I highly recommend reading this article first.) You probably also know that the competition is intense: acceptance rates to elite business schools vary between 5-15% and applications are at an all-time high.
Don’t throw in the towel just yet! The process might seem like a black box, but with decent grades, a good professional track record, and a clearly articulated value proposition, you — yes, you! — can earn a seat in an elite business school’s next class.
Today, we’ll discuss (1) what makes MBA admissions unique, (2) what admissions committees are looking for, and (3) how to strategically tackle each step of the application process, including:
Crafting your “Candidate Persona”
Doing your research
Taking the GMAT / GRE
Refining your resume
Securing your recommendation letters
Writing (and rewriting) your essays
Preparing for interviews
🏫 What Makes MBA Admissions Unique?
There is no “ideal candidate profile” that will guarantee your acceptance to business school. Time and time again, business schools have rejected stellar candidates with 760+ GMATs, flawless transcripts and successful track records at top firms. So what makes MBA admissions so unique?
The MBA is not an “academic” degree. Although academic excellence is important, you’ll often hear that the most intelligent people don’t always make the best managers or business leaders. When it comes to MBA admissions, good grades are the bare minimum for signaling your ability to handle the academic courseload. What have you accomplished in the real world? What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome them?
MBA admissions is a two-way street. You are not just applying for a seat in a classroom; you are applying to join a lifelong community of diverse, dynamic and ambitious leaders who make a difference in the world. Having a strong resume isn’t enough — what value will you add to the business school community and beyond?
Unlike med school or law school, business school is not required to pursue a career in business. While this seems obvious, many applicants fail to convey why the degree makes sense in the context of their broader career goals. Depending on yours, an MBA may be irrelevant or even detrimental to achieving your long-term aspirations. If you’re jumping on the bandwagon because your friends are applying or you’re hoping to add another line to your resume, you might want to rethink your plans.
🔍 What Admissions Committees are Looking For
Your application to business school is a marketing campaign. You have to sell yourself (the product) to the admissions committee (the customer) and convince them that you meet their needs and are better than the other applicants (the competition) — all while staying authentic to you.
The admissions committee will evaluate you holistically, meaning that they will review your entire application when assessing your candidacy. If one aspect of your application is a bit weaker — for example, a slightly lower-than-average GMAT score — you can offset that with a higher-than-average GPA or other stellar attribute. However, the process is still highly competitive, and you need to stand out to have a chance at getting accepted.
Not only will the admissions committee evaluate you, they’ll also assess how you add to the diversity of the overall student body. How do your profile, contributions and aspirations match the educational offerings, professional opportunities and mission of their business school? What unique value will you bring to the student body, faculty, alumni network, recruiters and school overall? What makes you more deserving and memorable than other applicants who have similar personal and professional backgrounds?
Successful applications demonstrate not just the “who,” “what,” and “how,” but also the “why” — and how that came to be. Clarifying your “why” is a process of deep, honest and sometimes painful self-examination. I like to joke that if you don’t have an existential crisis while going through the application process, you’re probably doing it wrong. If you don’t know your own purpose, how can you expect them to?
A final analogy: applying to business school is like running for office. You are a politician, the other candidates are your competitors, and the admissions committee members are the voters. What do you stand for? What do you bring to the table? What will you do if you are elected? What have you done in the past that proves your intent?
🧐 Step 1: Crafting Your “Candidate Persona”
“People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe.”
― Simon Sinek, Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
Before you hit Start on your application, set aside some time to craft your "Candidate Persona.” This critical first step will help you tell the most compelling story of yourself possible by (1) clarifying your “why” and (2) providing an outline and database of examples that you can reference for your essays and interviews.
It is important to complete this step before you read any essay prompts, lest it bias or influence your introspective process. Not every story that comes out of these exercises will make it into your final application, but at least you’ll have it all in front of you — so be honest, dig deep and don’t hold back.
⭐ Exercise #1: The Constellations Exercise
Make a list of formative experiences (both personal & professional) in your life, highlighting any major accomplishments, challenges you have faced and how you overcame them.
What attributes do these experience prove? (See below for some common attributes that committees look for.)
How did each experience impact you? In particular, how did it shape your values, leadership style, or long-term career goals?
Now that you’ve collected the dots, you’ll need to connect them. Add to this map any major transition points in your life, such as life or job changes.
What was the rationale behind each transition? Why does this make sense in the broader storyline of your life?
Finally, zoom out and analyze if there are any common themes, motivators, or passions that tie your list together. Putting it all together, how do you want to make a difference in the world? Why?
Your answer to question #6 can be thought of as the “constellation” that connects the various dots (stars) in your life. This will be useful for approaching your B-School Vision, essays and interviews.
🔭 Exercise #2: Your B-School Vision
Next, create a new document answering these key questions:
How do you want to make a difference in the world? It’s not enough to say “I want to be a product manager” or “I want to be an entrepreneur or a VC investor.” Generic aspirations make generic candidates. Instead of saying “I want to be X,” try “I want to solve problem X for population Y by doing Z.” Although you don’t need to have a detailed 20-year plan, the more specific you can be, the better. After all, if you’re not 100% committed to a clear mission, the admissions committee will have a difficult time backing your case.
How did your background and experiences shape these long-term goals? Reflect on your answers to the Constellations Exercise to fill in the details. Remember that every life or career transition you’ve made needs to make “sense,” just like a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
Why do you need an MBA, and why now? This question is especially tricky since MBAs are not required for most business roles. Think critically about your motivations for getting the degree and why it makes sense at this particular point in your career.
Why this school in particular? This should come as a no-brainer, but make sure your answer is tailored to the specific school you’re applying for.
Still stuck? Some helpful questions you can ask yourself include:
“What world do you want to live in and what are the barriers between that world and today’s world? Which of those barriers do you want to help break down?”
“What are you pretty sure you will still care about in 50 years?”
🔬 Step 2: Doing Your Research
Now that you know your goals and rationale for getting an MBA, it’s time to find programs that will help you achieve them. Ideally, you’ll want to research potential schools and devise an application timeline at least 8-12 months before the deadline. Once those are set, work backwards to create a schedule that enables you to tick off all required items in a timely fashion.
Selecting Your Schools
Although there are numerous ranked lists of business schools online, you’ll want to create your own shortlist based on what matters most to you. Some factors to consider are the school’s brand, cost of attendance and how the school helps you achieve your B-School Vision.
To learn more about each program, I recommend:
Following the school’s blog & social media accounts
Networking with students, alumni, and admissions officers
Conducting an in-person campus and class visit
No website or marketing brochure can replace the insights you’ll gain from talking to someone who has been through the program before, or the immersive experience of being on campus, where you’ll be spending 24/7 of your time if you enroll.
Deciding When to Apply
Most business schools take applications on either a rolling basis or in distinct application rounds (e.g. Round 1 due in September, Round 2 due in January).
In general, the earlier you apply the better — especially if you come from a group that is overrepresented in the applicant pool, such as applicants from India and China or traditional sectors like finance and consulting. This is because business schools aim to create a student body that is balanced across a variety of professional, geographic and academic backgrounds. The earlier you apply, the more available seats there are and the lower the chance the school has already admitted someone “similar” to you.
However, it’s better to wait than to apply early with a rushed or sloppy application. If you need extra time to improve your GMAT score, refine your essay or secure high-quality recommendation letters, consider applying in a later round instead.
💯 Step 3: Taking the GMAT or GRE
Even if you’re not 100% sure you want to go to business school, it’s still a good idea to take the GMAT or GRE — ideally while you’re still in college and in “exam mode.” Most schools require you to submit a score from one of these two tests, and scores from both tests are valid for 5 years after the date of your exam, providing flexibility later down the line if you end up deciding to apply.
GMAT vs. GRE: which one should I take?
Although the GMAT is the exam of choice for most business schools, a growing number are also starting to accept the GRE. Both exams are ~3.5 hours long, contain quantitative and qualitative sections (including essay-writing, reading comprehension, and high-school math), and computer-adaptive — how you perform on initial questions will dictate the difficulty of subsequent questions. However, while the GRE is accepted for a variety of graduate degree programs and many business schools, the GMAT is accepted at all business schools and has historically taken precedence over the GRE.
Since most schools that accept both do not prefer one test over the other, you should pick whatever test works for you. If you have strong quantitative and analytical skills, the GMAT may be a better choice. Strong editors may prefer the GMAT’s verbal section, while test-takers with strong vocabularies may prefer the GRE. The best way to decide is to take a free practice GMAT and practice GRE and see you how you feel.
How to Study
The GMAT and GRE both contain unique sections (such as Data Sufficiency on the GMAT) that can be challenging. In addition, the computer-adaptive format takes some getting used to, especially when all you’ve done are paper-and-pencil tests.
First, book a test date ASAP. With applications on the rise, exam slots are filling up months in advance. Booking in advance not only ensures you won’t be rushing to get your scores in before the deadline, but it also forces you not to procrastinate. I advise setting aside 3-6 solid months to study.
The best way to study is to take as many practice exams as you can while drilling concepts you are weaker on in between. I highly recommend Kaplan’s GMAT Prep Plus book, which contains 6 practice exams and hundreds of questions.
📝 Step 4: Refining Your Resume
Resumes often fall short in one of 5 ways:
Including too much information instead of sticking to the highlights
Focusing on responsibilities instead of achievements
Making vague claims without evidence of measurable impact
Not tailoring your resume to the role you’re applying for (in this case, a future business leader)
Poor or distracting formatting / lack of attention to detail
Check out this article for detailed tips (and a free template) that you can use to revamp your resume.
📨 Step 5: Securing Your Recommendation Letters
Who you should ask
There is a widespread misconception that having a well-known, senior industry exec write your recommendation letters will boost your chances of your admission. Be careful: this is only true if this person is intimately familiar with your work and can speak authentically to your potential as a future business leader. If it comes off as overly generic, it may even hurt your chances of getting in.
In most cases, the seniority of the recommender matters far less than the content of the recommendation. Pick someone who knows you well professionally (ideally, your direct manager) and avoid academic or personal references.
To give you some context into what will be asked of your recommenders, consider these questions from Harvard Business School’s application in 2016:
“How do the applicant's performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.”
“Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response.”
How to engage them
Writing someone’s business school recommendations is a huge ask, so be thoughtful about how you approach them. Similar to what I’ve written previously on networking, using flattery, asking for advice, making their life easy and including an “Exit Clause” go a long way.
Here’s an example email you might send:
Hi [Name],
Hope you’re having a great week!
I’m reaching out because I’m applying to [Business school name] (due on [due date]) and am pulling together a few letters of recommendation to support my candidacy.
I really enjoyed our time working together at [Company]. Throughout my time here, you’ve helped me [why is this person is a great mentor?], and I particularly enjoyed when we were able to collaborate on [Project]. With that in mind, I thought you’d be a great person to vouch for my [skills and attributes you’d like highlighted] and my ability to achieve [impressive result].
Would you be comfortable writing a letter of this nature for me? If so, I’d love to schedule some time to get your feedback on my long-term career goals and business school application strategy. In addition, I’m happy to pass along some talking points and information to make writing this letter a little easier. My resume is attached for your reference.
I understand how busy you are, so please don’t hesitate to decline if you don’t have time or feel comfortable. Regardless, I wish you the very best!
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
If they accept, send your B-School Vision document to your recommender so they can provide feedback, align with your goals, and help convey your message. This will ensure that the written aspects of your application (essay + recommendations) support each other without being redundant.
📓 Step 6: Writing Your Essays
There is no “secret formula” for writing the perfect business school application essay. However, it is the only component of the application that is indeed all about you. The committee already has your test scores, GPA, transcript and recommendation letters. The essay is a way for you to provide context around the “who” and “why” behind your application and demonstrate your written communication skills.
The Five Question Archetypes
Most essay prompts fall into 5 categories (credits to Avi Gordon, the author of MBA Admissions Strategy, for distilling these so clearly):
Past: what experiences have led you to this point and this ambition?
Present: why an MBA now, at this point in your career?
Future: what do you want to do with your degree, in the short and long term?
Why an MBA at all (vs. a Master’s degree or a PhD)?
Why an MBA from this school particularly?
Great news: you’ve already answered these questions through your Constellations Exercise and B-School Vision. All of your essays combined need to address all five of these questions so that the committee can get a complete picture of you.
Like all persuasive papers, you’ll want to create an outline before you begin. As you write, keep these best practices in mind:
Tell a story. Narratives spark reader interest and bring facts and attributes to life. Although your essay should be self-reflective, it should not be a philosophical, directionless ramble. Instead, showcase meaty stories that demonstrate formative experiences or turning points in the development of your character (see: Constellations Exercise). Even mundane events can make for great anecdotes, provided they are told in an engaging and substantive manner.
Show, don’t tell. Your essay is as much an exercise in storytelling as it is in persuasion. For example, if you want to communicate that you’re community-oriented, compassionate and a great team player, you’ll need to back each of those assertions up with concrete examples.
Show them the constellation as well as the stars. Every story you include needs to make “sense” in the context of your B-School Vision. Don’t lose sight of your key message by diluting your essay with too many details and facts. Cover those elsewhere in your application so you can focus on showing them who you are and who you aspire to become.
Stay on topic. Resist the urge to cross-pollinate essays for multiple schools. Answer the question asked and mention specific reasons why the program you’re applying to is relevant to your goals and future (see: B-School Vision).
Cover the past, present and future. Sometimes, candidates spend too much time regurgitating the past and not enough time elucidating their future goals. On the flip side, candidates spend too much time talking about their goals without evidence from their past that proves their intent. Although you don’t have to present all events in chronological order (or proportionally to how long each event took in real life), you do need to link your past, present and future in a way that makes sense to a complete stranger.
Every word counts. Readers’ attention spans are limited. After each sentence, ask yourself: “So what?” Does the sentence meaningfully contribute to your Candidate Persona? Does it strengthen your case for being admitted (and isn’t already covered elsewhere in your application)? If not, delete it.
Be authentic. Admissions committees can smell BS from miles away. Don’t be overly generic, arrogant, a suck-up or someone you’re not. Honesty, integrity and vulnerability go a long way in building rapport and credibility with the reader.
Finally, seek feedback from your trusted advisors, including recommenders, family, friends, and acquaintances. If they’re not able to answer “the five questions” after reading your application, you’ve got more work to do.
💼 Step 7: Preparing to Interview
If the admissions committee approves of your written application, you will receive an invitation to interview with them in person. The HBS interview lasts 30 minutes and takes place with both an interviewer and a scribe (an observer who records your answers).
The interview is a test of personality. Who is the person behind the numbers and words? What is it like to interact with you one-on-one? They’ll be assessing your verbal communication skills as well as how you carry yourself (do you have “executive presence?”) In addition, it is a final opportunity for the admissions committee to learn about your background, motivations and aspirations — straight from the source.
How to Prepare
You can expect the interview to cover the five question archetypes outlined above in some way, shape or form. Make sure you’re crisp on your B-School Vision, well-informed about the school’s specific offerings, and that you have relevant examples for each of the common behavioral questions (teamwork, successes, failures, challenges and more). As mentioned previously, they’ll be especially interested in the “why” behind each of your decisions — not just the “what” or “how.”
Example Interview Questions
Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to go to business school?
Why do you want to go to [Harvard Business School]?
Tell me about your experience at X. What did you do and what did you learn?
What was your most significant challenge? How did you overcome it? Why did you leave?Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
Why do you want to go into X industry?
What trends do you observe in the industry and how do you want to be part of it?
Why did you decide to go to [your undergraduate institution]?
Why did you decide to major in X?
What is your personal view of leadership? How do you lead?
What do you think you can add to the class?
Tell a story about when you failed at something.
Tell a story about when you were responsible for starting something new.
Describe a time when you acted as a leader.
Describe a time when you acted as a team player.
Tell me about a time you had to influence someone who didn’t agree with you.
Tell me about a crisis you faced and how you worked through it.
Tell me about an analytical accomplishment you’re proud of.
What is your ideal learning style?
What do you do for fun?
How would a friend describe you?
What is your biggest strength?
What is your biggest weakness?
What will you do if you don’t get into business school?
What’s something surprising about you?
How have the challenges you faced helped you grow and made you who you are today?
Tell me about a piece of constructive feedback you have received from someone, and how you implemented it.
What’s one thing you should start doing? Do more of? Do less of?
What’s one thing you’ll never be as good at as others?
What’s one question you wish you were asked if we had more time?
What questions do you have for me?
The Day of the Interview
Although the interview may appear open-ended and informal, it’s not. Treat it like a job interview: arrive early, dressed to the nines (business formal) and fully prepared. Take cues from your interviewer and when in doubt, err on the side of formal. First impressions matter!
The interviewer will already have read your entire application. Resist the urge to prepare talking points or even worse, bring notecards (yikes!) Although you should be prepared, what’s most important is that the conversation flows naturally and cordially. This means breaking the ice, exhibiting positive body language (eye contact, firm handshakes, smiling and sitting up straight) and speaking at a normal pace.
Towards the end of the interview, the interviewer will typically ask if you have any questions for them. Resist the urge to squeeze in one more point (“There’s one more thing I want to tell you about…”) Instead, use the opportunity to ask a meaningful question (nothing that can be answered on the school’s website or in a Google search).
🍀 Closing Thoughts
The business school application process is long, but it doesn’t need to be stressful. There is no “one-size-fits-all” way to apply — just as there is no “ideal candidate.” You have a beautiful story to tell, and this is your opportunity to share it with others. Be fearless and don’t second-guess yourself. I wish you the best of luck!
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