Applying to B-School? What Do You Bring to an MBA Program?
As the new admissions cycle kicks off and applications open, it’s crucial to understand the qualities you should convey in your MBA application. It’s not just about why you need an MBA to progress in your career, but what you bring to an MBA program is equally important. The AdCom members reading your application should clearly understand your unique contributions. Business school is different from your college days or other graduate programs. It’s an exciting, peer-driven learning experience where much of the knowledge comes from your classmates.
Sure, MBA programs vary in how much they incorporate case discussions involving the whole class versus lectures or experiential learning. Nonetheless, a common expectation is that students will contribute insights from their personal, extracurricular, academic, and professional lives. Finding a way to convey what your classmates will learn from you and how you’ll be an asset to their program if you attend is monumentally important.
It’s also tricky. While every program will evaluate your candidacy based on how you might contribute to the class, only a few schools—such as Wharton—directly ask this question in their essay prompts. With so few spots at the top programs, you’ll have to figure out subtle ways to communicate this information throughout your application materials. But where to begin? SBC consultant Erika Olsen, a host of our popular B-Schooled podcast, shared this expert advice for showing what you bring to an MBA program.
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.
Showing What You Bring to an MBA Program
We’ve gone in-depth into how applicants can “MBA” their resume before, so we won’t recap that advice here. But after you’ve tinkered with your resume to make it showcase your MBA-relevant skills, set it aside until after you’ve drafted your essays. Then, look at it with fresh eyes through the lens of what it tells the admissions committee about how you’ll contribute to their community.
Evaluating your resume from this vantage point may make you realize that you want to prioritize one project over another if you don’t have space to include everything. For example, say you’re a consultant, and you’ve written one of your MBA essays about a project in the healthcare space. Likewise, you’ve stated that your future career goals are in the healthcare field.
By this point, your interest in and passion for the healthcare industry are well documented. In that case, your MBA resume could include other projects in different industries to show the admissions committee that your classroom contributions won’t be confined solely to discussions around the healthcare sector.
That same thinking can work for job functions, too. Suppose you’re a professional working at a major healthcare provider. In that case, you’d want to brainstorm all the different functions you’ve been involved with and any cross-team or cross-division initiatives you’ve played a role in.
You may work in data analytics but have collaborated with the legal department or the marketing team. Ensure you include that type of exposure on your resume and think outside of the day-to-day responsibilities and achievements in your given role.
Extracurricular Activities
What you bring to the table as an MBA candidate goes beyond the professional experience on your resume. You can highlight your college-era activities in and outside of class, any organizations you might volunteer with, or any hobbies and interests you have.
For example, you may participate in a book club or an ongoing informal game of neighborhood soccer. Perhaps you host elaborate, themed dinner parties for friends. Let the AdCom know about those other noteworthy things you could bond over—and teach—your future classmates.
As we stress in our resume episode of the B-Schooled podcast, MBA applicants should attempt to quantify activities and results wherever possible. It’s important to give the admissions committee a sense of how many other people you might interact with in these informal extracurriculars. So, a line on your resume might read something like “Spearhead a monthly dinner party for 15 people highlighting international cuisine,” or “Organize my neighborhood’s weekend pickup soccer game for approximately 45 people.”
Suppose you have limited formal extracurriculars but have several hobbies, most of which are solo in nature. In that case, stick with the differentiating ones that give more insight into what makes you tick. You may love running, and going for that daily jog has been a sanity saver since the pandemic. However, the reality is that this type of activity is not a differentiator.
Think about the things you like to read up on or educate yourself about. Maybe you’re a sucker for a specific type of foreign film. Or you’re a whiz at putting together 3,00-piece jigsaw puzzles. You might collect something interesting, like our founder Stacy Blackman’s collection of Pez dispensers. Fun quirks like these offer the admissions committee insights into what you might bond with your future classmates over.
Recommendations
Your recommendation letters are another way for the admissions committee to get a feel for the skills and personal qualities you would bring to the class. When you have initial conversations with recommenders or check in on their progress, remind them to highlight examples of your soft skills, too. They may mention how you’re involved socially with your colleagues, be it through heading up a volunteer fundraiser, mentoring new hires, or overseeing the holiday gift exchange. These examples can provide a more holistic view of your potential contributions to the MBA program.
But, of course, the most effective way to show what you bring to an MBA program is through your essay responses.
Impact in Your MBA Essays
Our final advice is for MBA programs that don’t specifically ask how you’ll contribute. In these cases, how you would convey what you bring to an MBA program is not apparent. Often, writing about things that don’t immediately scream “business school application material” can be advantageous.
When it comes to your essays, we encourage you to think broadly. Let your personality and motivations shine through. Remember the Golden Rule of essay writing: show, don’t tell. It’s possible to convey what you’ll contribute to business school without directly saying, “I will contribute my leadership skills and my ability to mediate between groups that can’t see eye to eye.” Express your unique qualities and contributions, and don’t be afraid to think outside the box.
Instead, you might share a story about how you were able to win more favorable terms with a notoriously stingy supplier. You can show it through your stories about how you spearheaded an initiative at work that went above and beyond your role. Or, talk about how you worked weekends to crack a challenging client problem or how you helped smooth over a relationship with an angry client. The admissions team comprises intelligent people who can spot your star qualities based on the stories you tell and anecdotes from your recommenders.
So, What do You Bring to an MBA Program?
Securing a spot in a top MBA program requires more than just showcasing your professional achievements and career goals; it demands a holistic presentation of your unique qualities and contributions. By thoughtfully curating your resume, emphasizing your diverse experiences and extracurricular activities, and crafting compelling essays and recommendation letters, you can effectively communicate the value you will bring to the program.
Remember, the admissions committee seeks candidates who will enrich the learning environment and foster a collaborative, dynamic community. By demonstrating your distinct perspectives and skills, you can position yourself as an invaluable asset to any MBA cohort.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership 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. ×
