100 Best MBA Admission Tips All in One List
Tips and Tools October 21st, 2008
By Laura Milligan
If you’re in the midst of your MBA application, you’re probably swamped by rankings, school comparisons, essay writing, letters of recommendation, and even more headaches. We’re urging you to take one step back, breathe deeply, and browse this list before diving back in. Below are 100 tips and resources to keep you organized and on top of it all.
Rankings and Research
Take school rankings with a grain of salt, but they can be useful when picking back-up schools and evaluating your chances of getting in.
1. Business School and MBA Surveys: Read reviews of business schools like University of Virginia, Purdue, Yale, UT Austin and others.
2. Choosing a Business School: This resource has tips for researching full-time programs, part-time programs, accelerated and Executive MBA programs.
3. Rankings and Admission Criteria: Review percent of applicants accepted, average GMAT score and average student age for schools like MIT, Duke, University of Chicago and more in this chart.
4. Business Schools: BusinessWeek’s rankings are well-respected. Check to see how they rank your top school.
5. Best Business Schools 2008: Get stats of top business schools from U.S. News and World Report here.
6. The Best Part-Time MBA Programs: Going to business school doesn’t mean that you have to quit your job and try to get into Harvard. Here’s a look at the top part-time programs at places like Indiana University and Rollins.
7. Business School Diversity Profiles: Find out which of the top schools offer the best diversity.
8. Best distance-learning MBAs: The Economist lists international distance-learning programs from Open University and IE Business School as its top choices.
9. How do you research programs?: The Wharton Business School has put together this tips guide for researching business schools and programs.
10. Quick Search: Business Programs: The Princeton Review publishes this very useful directory as well as its guide to the rankings.
GMAT Tips
Check out our GMAT tips below.
11. GMAT Score: Before you take the test, understand how it’s scored and what score you’ll need to get into your top school.
12. Build up your floor: Your floor is the level of questions you can consistently answer correctly. Practice easier questions first.
13. Pay attention to the first questions: Your answers to the first few questions of each section are used to determine your level of difficulty, so take your time on these.
14. Don’t fill in guesses randomly: This technique actually counts against you, so West.net recommends that you "try to eliminate at least one answer choice before you confirm your response."
15. Advice on Test Preparation: Learn how to focus on only certain areas, and don’t over prepare yourself.
16. GMAT Math: Achieve a Top Score: Learn how to get a better math score here.
17. GMAT Tips: The Numbers Game: Don’t look for trick questions on the GMAT: everything is supposed to be pretty straightforward.
18. Need-to-Know GMAT Tips and Strategies: Get tips for reading comprehension, data sufficiency questions and more here.
19. GMAT Prep Resources Hacks: Use study guides like the ones found on this list to familiarize yourself with the format of the test beforehand.
20. Take a practice test: Learn the format and prep yourself with practice questions to make yourself feel more comfortable with the GMAT.
Important Dates
Don’t miss the test! Here are links to keeping your dates straight.
21. Take the GMAT: Schedule the GMAT using these tools.
22. Clear Admit application deadlines: This blog posts upcoming application deadlines in its left sidebar.
Standing Out
For help figuring out how to stand out from the rest of the applicants, take a look at this list.
23. The Admissions Office Finds Facebook: This article explains how admissions offices "are seeking applicants through social networking sites," so clean up your profile.
24. How to get into a top MBA program: This About.com article offers advice from admissions representatives from schools like Columbia, UT and others.
25. Understand what sets you apart: Admissions reps want to know how you’re different, so take some time to figure out what it is that makes you different from everyone else, like your family background, small business story or something else.
26. How B-Schools Catch Resume Liars: If you think no one will catch the way you padded your resume, think again. It’s best to be honest.
27. Don’t be shy: The admissions process can be cutthroat, so don’t be shy about sharing your story, speaking up during an interview or acknowledging your racial or ethnic background.
28. Have a clear, specific plan for post graduation: If you want to go to a business school in order to network and learn the skills you need to start your own cosmetics line, put that in your essay and include it in your interview. The more specific, the more you stand out.
29. Letters of recommendation: These can really help your cause, so pick people who know you really well and who believe in your potential.
30. Write a winning essay: Your essay may be one of the most important factors in your entire application process, so make sure it’s error-free, well-organized, and personal.
Tools for Staying Organized
From calendars to practice tests, these tools will keep you better organized.
31. MBA Depot: Use this website to keep track of your choice schools and more.
32. HipCal: HipCal is a great little web-based calendar, address book and alert system that can help you keep track of study time, exam dates and more.
33. Check Seat Availability: Use this tool to preview testing centers before you register.
34. GMAT Practice Tests: GMATCAT.com’s free sample questions are a great help for nervous test takers.
35. Study Suggestions: MBA.com, the website for the Graduate Management Admission Council, has lots of suggestions and tips here.
36. Timing your application: Check out this guide that has tips for planning out the best time to submit your application.
Your Application
Below are tips for cleaning up your application and making sure it’s error-free.
37. Make copies: Before marking up the original, make sure you can make copies or print out several editions so that you won’t have to scratch through or white-out your mistakes.
38. Triple check each question and box: It’s absolutely important that you don’t leave anything blank.
39. Remember your name: Don’t forget your name and/or signature!
40. If you have bad handwriting, type it: Type in your answers if you have terrible, illegible handwriting.
Scholarships and Grants
Part of the admissions process is evaluating what kind of financial aid you need and where you can find it. Read our tips below for help locating scholarships and grants.
41. How to Go to Business School for Free: Don’t discount options like full tuition and hefty grants.
42. Funding and Scholarships: Read tips for evaluating your financial need here.
43. FastWeb: This site lists all kinds of scholarship information that will help you pay for business school.
44. National Association of Women MBAs: Women MBA hopefuls should consider applying for this scholarship.
45. National Black MBA Scholarship Programs: African American applicants may want to apply for assistance through the National Black MBA Association, Inc.
46. NSH MBA: The National Society of Hispanic MBAs also has scholarship programs for Hispanic students going to business school.
47. Scholarships.com: Search by school or scholarship to find the best solution for your needs on this site.
48. FAFSA: You can find federal aid for graduate school, too.
49. Paying for Your MBA: School-Based and Federal Aid: Learn about these two types of MBA tuition assistance here.
50. 4 Things to Know About Receiving Tuition Reimbursement from Your Employer: Getting your boss to pay for your MBA is very tempting, but make sure you’re aware of all the loopholes and fine print first.
Evaluating Your Skills and Experience
From preparing for interviews to asking for letters of recommendation to finding the best MBA program for you, we’ve got a lot of advice and resources to help you evaluate your skills and experience.
51. Career Planning: Learn how to identify your skills using this guide.
52. Leadership Skills Assessment Questionnaire: Rate your leadership skills to help you design your resume and application.
53. How Schools Evaluate Your Application: By understanding how admissions departments analyze your application, you’ll have a better feel for what to include and what to leave out.
54. Personal and Professional Career Assessment: The Harvard Business School has put together this resource to help students identify their strengths, goals and career goals.
55. SMU Admissions Criteria: Here you’ll find plenty of admissions tips as well as gain insight into the kinds of skills and experience candidates are expected to have when they apply to a respected MBA program.
56. Credit for Work Experience: If you’ve already put in many years in the business sector, you might be able to enroll in a program with some credits already satisfied.
57. HBS Gives Advice on Letters of Recommendation: Learn what to ask for when you request letters of recommendation.
58. Work after your undergraduate degree: Most competitive business schools, including international schools require, or at least prefer, their incoming students have a few years of experience working in a business environment.
59. Foundation Skills: Use this resource from The Career Key to better evaluate your marketable skills.
60. Are You Ready for an MBA?: Before you even start researching schools, ask yourself if you’re ready to take the next step and if you’re at the right place in your life to go back to school.
61. Work Experience: Learn "what your work experience says about you" and how others view your experience.
Essays and Interviews
Follow these links to even more tips about acing the interview and writing a winning essay.
62. Application Tips from the MBA Class of 2008: Stanford MBA students share tips in this video.
63. MBA Admissions Essays: Learn strategies for successful essay writing here.
64. Look at Your Competition: Before heading into an interview or writing your essay, anticipate how your competition is going to try to stand out.
65. MBA Admissions Interview: Tips, Sample Questions, Feedback: Access sample interview questions that will help you prepare.
66. Sample MBA Application Essays: Read examples of four types of essays: the background essay, the goals essay, the personal essay and the example of what not to write.
67. MBA Admissions Interview Tips: Before going to an interview, learn how to set your own communication objectives and speak coherently.
68. Write for Acceptance: Consider taking an essay-writing class or getting professional help designing your MBA essay.
69. Application Essay Dos and Donts: Listed in this guide are 20 different dos and donts for MBA application essay writing.
70. Essays: MBA.com’s resource features a list of things all essays should consider and important points to remember when crafting your MBA admissions essay.
71. Admissions Interview Tips: Click on a specific business school to find out what kinds of interview questions they typically ask.
Articles and Guides
This list includes tips about tweaking your resume, analyzing your GPA, and more.
72. MBA Admissions Resume: Read this guide to learn about the characteristics of a good resume.
73. GMAT Test-taker Rights and Responsibilities: You’ll need to familiarize yourself with your rights before taking the tests.
74. Recipe for Disaster: Application Mistakes You Want to Avoid: Learn what not to do when you read this guide.
75. Academic Record: Know how admissions offices will regard your academic record and GPA.
76. Letters of Recommendation: Kaplan shares more tips for making your letter of recommendation personal.
77. MBA Admissions: Low GMAT or GPA: Learn how to address a low GMAT score or GPA during the applications process by reading over this guide.
78. Managing Your Offers: Get tips on what to do when you’re rejected, admitted and deferred.
79. How Important is Your GMAT Score?: If you’re a nervous test taker, read this guide to get a more realistic idea of how much your score matters.
80. Admissions to Business School: Yahoo! Education’s guide to applying to business school lists top schools and admission statistics, and gives you insight into the competition.
81. Glossary of Terms: Look up business school terms to make your application process easier.
82. GMAT Hacks: This blog has daily tips for cracking the GMAT.
83. MBA Forums: Check out what MBA students are saying to get an impression of what you’ll really encounter in business school.
84. MBA Zone: Categories and threads here include "What are my chances?" and "Application questions."
85. BW Business Schools: BusinessWeek’s forum includes discussions about going back to school, early decision and more.
86. Beat the GMAT: Get tips for acing GMAT strategy, math and verbal sections.
87. GMATClub: Here’s another forum for cracking the GMAT.
88. Veritas Prep: The blog for the Veritas organization has tips on essay writing and more.
89. MBA Admissions Wire: MBA applicants can find plenty of advice and links here.
90. Journey to my MBA: Get tips on the TOEFL, interviews and more on this blog.
91. The MBA Insider’s Blog: UCLA Anderson School of Management offers up plenty of tips and news for its programs.
General Tips
Our last list features a round-up of tips that can help you organize your admissions process.
92. Know why you want to go to business school: This question will come up in your essay, interviews, and everywhere else in the admissions process. Expressing a clear set of goals for how business school will affect you personally is what deans and presidents want to hear.
93. Be thorough: Be thorough with your research, tracking down teachers who can write your recommendations, evaluating your skills, and reviewing your application.
94. Be honest: Admissions directors conduct background checks, so if you lie on your application, you’ll be disqualified immediately.
95. Pick a backup school: It’s the same rule as college, but even more necessary now, since MBA schools are even more competitive. Have a backup school waiting in the wings in case you don’t get in to your first choice.
96. Emphasize Your Leadership Skills: Business schools have an invested interested in how well you can demonstrate leadership skills before, during and after you earn your MBA.
97. Proactively Address Academic Gaps: Make sure all of your prerequisites and transcripts are in order.
98. Every Contact Counts: Don’t blow off an interview or make a rude phone call. Know that every contact with your business school counts.
99. Visit the campus: This shows the school how interested you are and gives you a better idea of how you think you’ll fit in.
100. Prepare adequately for the GMAT: Take practice tests, understand the format, and of course, get a good night’s sleep and eat breakfast before the exam!
