Since we first started operations in 2013, we’ve spoken to several hundreds of students. The MBA application process is demanding. Even so, there are six areas where students have the most problems. Do you see yourself facing any of the following difficulties?
Difficulty #1: You don’t understand what schools want when they ask you a particular question.
In a previous application year, UC Berkeley Haas had the following question: “If you could choose one song that expresses who you are, what is it and why?”
Most students who saw the question for the first time were flummoxed. “What was Berkeley looking for? How can a song express who I am?”
The folks who worked with us, fortunately, had no such difficulty. We had extensive discussions about what the question meant (In short – what is your life motto? What emotions/feelings/values are important to you?). One of our applicants who applied that year chose to write about the “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” song. Inspirational, right?
Difficulty #2: You believe that you don’t have achievements that are strong enough to help you differentiate yourself from the competition.
Here’s a true story. One of my favourite authors, Neil Gaiman, was once invited to a party which several prominent people also attended. Neil Gaiman thought he was out of place in this crowd of extremely high achievers.
He said so to another attendee at the same party, a gentleman whose name was also Neil. The other Neil nodded in acknowledgement and said, “I feel the same way!”
The other Neil was none other than Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon.
If Neil Armstrong could have felt like an imposter in a room full of achievers, there is no reason for us not to feel the same way. But that does not mean we don’t have achievements worth talking about.
We’ve helped several of our students identify high-impact stories from their lives, and this has helped them get into the world’s best business schools.
Difficulty #3: You don’t understand the difference between realistic goals and far-fetched goals.
Several students who’ve gotten in touch with us have talked about how they want to pursue goals that seem totally out-of-the-world. One popular goal is to become a sports team manager. A goal straight out of the Hollywood movie “Jerry Maguire” right?
But should this really be what you are looking for?
Our answer will be an emphatic no if you don’t have the background for this. If you grew up in India and don’t have an innate sense for how the college recruitment process/sports leagues work in the USA, don’t talk about pursuing this as a goal. Settle for the tried and tested post-MBA goals like Management Consulting and Product Management – especially if they tie in with your background.
Difficulty #4: You are convinced about your achievements, but don’t know how to explain yourself clearly.
Difficulty #5: You cannot write in a non-technical manner.
Difficulty #6: You are having difficulties managing your application timelines.
The difficulties labelled as 4, 5 and 6 above are also problems that several students face. These are areas where we can help with very quickly.
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Want to know how you can put together strong MBA Applications? Check out the other posts in this series:
