Take Your MBA Application from Solid to Strong
Applying to an MBA program is a competitive process, where even being a solid applicant isn’t always enough to secure admission to top programs. Solid applicants meet the minimum requirements—they have respectable GPAs, adequate test scores, and decent professional experience. But in a sea of similarly qualified candidates, solid means blending in.
To truly stand out and gain admission to the most sought-after MBA programs, you must position yourself as a strong candidate. This requires going beyond ticking boxes. Instead, craft an application highlighting your unique impact, leadership potential, and alignment with your target schools. Here’s how to elevate your MBA application and increase your chances of success.
Are you curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
The Resume: Highlighting Impact, Not Just Experience
Your resume is one of the most crucial pieces of your MBA application. A solid resume lists job titles, responsibilities, and a few accomplishments. A strong resume, on the other hand, tells a compelling story about who you are and what you’ve achieved.
A powerful MBA resume details your professional impact at your company, on a client project, or with end users of a product or service. It also previews the kinds of stories that you’ll share with peers during classroom discussions.
“It’s hard for me to overstate the importance of your resume,” says Andrea McHale, Director of Admissions at Michigan Ross School of Business, in her video with tips on how to impress the Ross admissions committee. “It’s the first thing we look at in your application, and it will likely be the first impression you make on the admissions team during the review.”
Tailor Your Resume to Business Schools
A generic resume might suffice for job applications but won’t cut it for MBA programs. Rework your resume to function more as a narrative about your career and outside interests (versus a dry list of responsibilities and achievements). Customize it to highlight experiences and skills that resonate with the specific programs you’re targeting.
Focus on Accomplishments, Not Responsibilities
Solid applicants often outline their job responsibilities, which tell admissions committees what their role entails. Strong applicants go further by emphasizing key accomplishments—the tangible results they achieved.
“Adcom knows that IB’ers run financial models all day,” says SBC Principal Consultant Caryn. “Instead, a better use of the space is to call out how applicants differentiated themselves while doing a particular model (maybe found a unique error or insight that was then communicated to the client).”
Numbers also make your impact more concrete and easier to visualize. Instead of saying, “Managed a sales team,” a strong resume would state, “Led a sales team that exceeded quarterly targets by 30% over six consecutive quarters.”
Did you save your company money, increase revenue, or streamline operations? Quantify it. For instance, “Implemented a new process that reduced project delivery time by 15%, resulting in an estimated $500,000 annual savings.”
Check out B-Schooled Podcast Episode #67: Powerful Resume Writing
Craft a Narrative
Your resume should capture your professional journey. Each role should connect to the next, showing skills, leadership, and impact progression. A strong candidate’s resume will give the reader a sense of their trajectory and how it aligns with their future MBA goals.
Use this space to explain exactly what YOU did on a project, showcase specific achievements and results, and highlight your skill progression and increased responsibilities over time. “We don’t want to know what you were hired to do,” McHale clarifies. “We want to know what impact you’ve had since being hired.”
Researching MBA Programs: Going Beyond the Surface
Solid applicants often rely on websites and rankings to choose MBA programs. While this is a good starting point, strong applicants dig deeper to truly understand what makes each program unique.
Engage Directly With the Program
Strong candidates connect with current students, alumni, and admissions representatives to gain insights into the program’s culture, curriculum, and opportunities. Attending admissions events or participating in webinars shows genuine interest and provides valuable context for tailoring an application.
Asking the right questions can enhance your understanding of a business school and help you decide where to pursue your MBA. Remember to approach these conversations with an open mind and respect the time and insights students and alums share. Their experiences can provide invaluable guidance as you navigate your MBA journey.
Identify Program-Specific Strengths
Solid applicants may write generic essays about a program’s reputation. Strong applicants highlight specific resources, clubs, or faculty that align with their goals. For instance, instead of saying, “I’m impressed by your leadership curriculum,” a strong applicant might write, “I’m eager to join Harvard Business School’s Leadership Fellows Program, as its emphasis on real-world challenges aligns with my goal to lead cross-functional teams in the tech industry.”
Show Fit and Contribution
Strong applicants don’t just say why a program is right for them; they articulate what they’ll bring to the community. Take time to reflect on what makes you stand out as a candidate. How can you leverage your skills, knowledge, and experiences to contribute to the program?
Consider your personal and professional goals, values, and interests. Think about how they align with the school’s vision and culture. Whether it’s a unique professional background, leadership experience, or passion for a specific initiative, make it clear how you’ll add value.
The MBA Interview: Demonstrating Depth and Self-Awareness
Interviews are a critical part of the admissions process and offer a chance to make a lasting impression. Here’s how a solid applicant’s approach to interviews differs from a strong applicant’s.
Preparation Beyond FAQs
One of the most common mistakes is underestimating the importance of tailoring your responses to the specific school. Admissions committees want to know why their program is right for you, not just why you want an MBA in general.
Solid applicants rehearse answers to common questions like “Why an MBA?” or “What are your short- and long-term goals?” Meanwhile, strong applicants prepare for these questions and anticipate deeper, program-specific inquiries. They demonstrate that they’ve done their homework and can connect their answers to the school’s unique offerings.
Showcase Self-Reflection
Solid applicants provide polished answers about their achievements. Strong applicants, however, balance their success stories with self-awareness, acknowledging areas for growth and how the MBA will help them improve. For example, “While I’ve excelled in technical roles, I recognize the need to strengthen my strategic thinking and leadership skills, which is why I’m drawn to your program’s focus on experiential learning.”
Storytelling Is Key
Solid applicants may list facts about their careers, but strong candidates bring their experiences to life through storytelling. They structure their responses using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result), making their achievements more memorable.
The key to making a lasting impression lies in your ability to share impactful stories for MBA interviews that resonate with the admissions committee.
“What you really want to be is the applicant they’re thinking about as they drive home that night, as they’re chatting with their spouse over spaghetti that evening,” explains SBC consultant and B-Schooled co-host Chandler Arnold.
SBC offers an All-In Interview Prep Package, Group Interview Prep, and a specially tailored HBS Interview Prep. Contact us to learn how our interview coaching services will help you shine.
Engage the Interviewer
Finally, a solid applicant answers questions competently. A strong applicant treats the interview as a two-way conversation. They ask thoughtful, specific questions about the program, demonstrating curiosity and enthusiasm.
Let your passion for the program and your future career come through naturally, and don’t be afraid to show a bit of your personality. Schools are looking for candidates who bring positive energy and engagement to their classrooms and student groups, so letting your true self shine will help you stand out.
@stacyblackmanconsulting The #1 key to nailing any interview. #sbcyourfuture #mbaadmissions #interviewprep #bschooladmit ? Oh My Dayum! – Daym Drops & The Gregory Brothers
Elevating Your MBA Application
To transition from a solid to a strong MBA applicant, focus on presenting yourself holistically and authentically. Highlight your impact and growth through your resume, demonstrate a genuine interest in programs through in-depth research, and approach interviews with preparation, self-awareness, and storytelling.
The MBA application process is your opportunity to showcase what you’ve done, who you are, and what you’re capable of achieving. By implementing these tips, you’ll stand out as a candidate who is not just qualified but genuinely compelling.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership and Interview Prep to hourly help with essay editing, resume review, and much more! Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Kerry
Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Geri
Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Erin B.
Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×