Trends in MBA Admissions: Perceptions of Admissions Officers at Top 30 Business Schools
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Veritas Prep Presents:
Trends in MBA Admissions:
Perceptions of Admissions Officers
at Top 30 Business Schools
A white paper analyzing the issues and perceptions among admissions officers
at the leading U.S. business schools to provide prospective students with the insight
to improve their chances for admission in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Copyright ©2009. Veritas Prep. All rights reserved.Introduction......................................................................1
Selected Results
Student Applications..............................................2
Student Evaluation Criteria...................................3
Table of Contents
What Admissions Officers Want..........................6
The Emerging Role of Parents
in the Student Application Process......................8
Conclusion...............................………………………….9
www.veritasprep.comIntroduction
Application volume continues to climb as the economy slumps.
The applicant pool is becoming more diverse. Demand for various
types of graduate business education grows as applicants look for
more flexible learning options. To spread their bets and improve
their chances of admissions success, applicants are applying to
more schools than ever before. Clearly, gaining admission to a
graduate business program is getting more and more difficult.
“Understanding the issues
Business school applicants face a myriad of challenges and con-
siderations throughout the graduate admissions process. As the and perceptions among
world’s fastest-growing GMAT preparation and MBA admissions
consulting provider, Veritas Prep is committed to helping ap- admissions officers at the
plicants leverage their academic and personal strengths to gain
admission into the top business schools in the world, via sound leading MBA programs
intelligence and thorough preparation. Understanding the issues
and perceptions among admissions officers at the leading MBA provides prospective students
programs provides prospective students with the knowledge and
insight to improve their chances for admission. with the knowledge and
This white paper highlights notable findings from the Veritas Prep insight to improve their
Survey of MBA Admissions Officers, an eight-week online survey
conducted during the 2008-09 admissions cycle among the top chances for admission.”
30 business schools in the United States, according to bi-annual
rankings compiled by BusinessWeek. Based on responses from
admissions officers at over half of the top 30 business schools
nationwide, the survey sought to glean current trends in the ap-
plication process. The result is an enlightening snapshot of where
the MBA admissions landscape is currently, and where it is likely
headed in the next five years.
www.veritasprep.com 1Student Applications
The MBA application process at top 30 U.S. business schools can
be a complex and arduous exercise. Today, business schools re-
ceive more applications than ever before for the same number of
available seats, and the applicant demographic is shifting younger
as applicants try to outmaneuver one another for an advantage in
the process. In this dynamic landscape, applicants are urged to
avoid common mistakes that irk admissions officers and jeopar-
dize their chances of admission.
• Careless errors (81%) ranked as the top faux pas com-
mitted by applicants. Inconsistency between institution-
al choice and students’ educational objectives and ambi-
tions ranked second, and the inclusion of unrequested
items and inappropriate inter view conduct tied as the
third most common application faux pas.
• Forty three percent said they would not prefer a larger
applicant pool.
• Almost half of respondents (47%) report that the num-
ber of admits straight out of college has significantly or
“As admissions moderately increased compared to five years ago.
competition continues
to grow at top U.S. business How to Use It to Your Advantage
The volume of MBA applications continues to rise and shift to-
schools, quality rather ward a younger demographic, reflected by a push at many top
business schools to attract younger applicants through initiatives
than quantity may be what like Harvard Business School’s 2+2 program. Interestingly, nearly
half of MBA admissions officers report that they would not prefer
admissions officers are most a larger applicant pool, suggesting that applicant quality is more
important than sheer quantity. As admissions competition contin-
concerned about when it comes ues to grow at top U.S. business schools, quality rather than quan-
tity may be what admissions officers are most concerned about
to attracting applicants.” when it comes to attracting applicants.
In a dynamic admissions landscape, one of the primary drivers
of admissions success is static and unchanging—an effective,
error-free application. While it may seem rudimentary, applicants
are encouraged to thoroughly proofread their applications for
careless errors and enlist trusted friends, family, colleagues or a
skilled admissions consultant to do the same to avoid the number
one most common application faux pas. Applicants also need to
resist the temptation to copy and paste material from one appli-
cation to another, or to decide that an essay is “good enough.”
Misspellings, inaccurate uses of grammar or blatant inattention
to posted directions—all of which can be perceived as signs of a
lack of enthusiasm for a program or a lack of aptitude—can easily
overshadow even the best of essays or resumes. An extra round
of proofreading may be the difference between getting admitted
to or rejected by a world-class MBA program.
2 www.veritasprep.comStudent Evaluation Criteria
Admissions officers at top MBA programs evaluate applicants on
a wide scope of characteristics from GMAT score to community
service to professional experience. In many cases, candidates will
enlist the help of an admissions consultant for guidance in creating
the very best application possible, highlighting their strengths in
key areas and positioning themselves as viable prospects.
• The importance of analytical skills (50%) ranked ahead of
leadership (19%) in student selection.
Relative Importance of
Student Selection Characteristics
25%
Interpersonal Skills
6% Maturity
50%
19% Analytical Skills “The importance of
Leadership
institutional priorities in
the admission process is a
• Professional experience (63%) is the most important fac- significant cue for applicants
tor in student selection. Community ser vice (6%), which
traditionally ranks high, is reportedly the least important that the school’s needs
selection criterion.
matter as much in the
Least Important and Most Important admissions process as do the
Student Selection Criteria applicants’ needs.”
Professional Experience
Standardized
Test Scores
Extracurricular
Activities
Community
Service
Least Important Most Important
www.veritasprep.com 3• Seventy percent of admissions officers feel that admis-
sions consultants help students identify the programs with
which they fit best and clarify their career goals.
• Ninety-two percent of admissions officers are aware that
applicants use admissions consultants more often than
they did five years ago.
• Eighty percent of respondents said that institutional pri-
orities and enrollment goals are more important than or
as important as an individual applicant’s merit.
How to Use It to Your Advantage
The importance of institutional priorities in the admission process
is a significant cue for applicants that the school’s needs matter as
much in the admissions process as do the applicants’ needs. For
example, a school that has committed itself to increasing classroom
diversity may pass on an otherwise strong applicant if the applicant
comes from a professional background that is already well repre-
sented in the entering class. Therefore, it is crucial for applicants to
clarify their career goals and identify programs with which they fit
best. This requires that applicants perform a great deal of introspec-
tion to determine what they really want from an MBA program. It
also requires a great deal of research, so that applicants know what
exactly each business school has to offer.
“Admissions officers From previous research, Veritas Prep has found that MBA admis-
sions officers consistently look for four traits that have shown to be
look for applicants who predictive of an applicant’s success in the business school classroom
and beyond. While schools differ in how much emphasis they place
display leadership in all on each dimension, demonstrating leadership, innovation, teamwork
and maturity are essential to success in the business school applica-
aspects of their lives‚
1
tion process.
not just on the job.”
Leadership
Admissions officers look for applicants who display
leadership in all aspects of their lives‚ not just on the
job. Successful candidates demonstrate leadership in
both their professional and personal lives. Stating a
tendency toward leadership is meaningless unless
supported by specific examples. A helpful exercise to
identify leadership situations involves posing a self-
directed question: “What are some positive happenings that would
not have occurred if I had not been a part of the process?” Even if
examples are seemingly mundane—such as identifying a cost-sav-
ings opportunity at work or helping a new colleague navigate his or
her assignments—admissions officers will recognize them as signs
of leadership potential.
4 www.veritasprep.com2
Innovation
“Innovation” refers to both traditional intellectual
ability and creativity. Naturally, the former is re-
flected in the hard statistics submitted in the appli-
cation, including GMAT scores and undergraduate
GPA. Applicants who wish to increase their academic
attractiveness should enroll in a reputable GMAT
prep course to attain a competitive score, and should
enroll in a quantitative course at their local college to demonstrate
the appropriate discipline and intellect to do well in such a course at
the graduate level.
MBA admissions officers also want to see evidence of creativity in an
applicant’s background. In the traditional sense, “creativity” suggests
musical talent or other artistic abilities, attributes that can certainly
set an applicant apart from the competition. However, admissions of-
ficers also look for evidence of creativity in the business sense; in
3
other words, the ability to look at old problems in new ways.
Teamwork
While some people still have the vision of sharp-
elbowed sharks in the typical business school class- “Applicants should identify
room, the reality is that a team-oriented attitude and
the ability to work well in groups are now baseline ex- themselves as unique and
pectations of every applicant. Basic social skills and
a willingness to share successes and take account- stress how their contribution
ability for failures are skills that make a candidate at-
tractive to an admissions committee, even at schools that do not rely to the business school setting
heavily on team-based projects. Highlighting teamwork abilities in
the application might manifest through referencing instances when will be distinctive, embrac-
objectives were achieved through working together with colleagues
or demonstrating understanding of group dynamics. Especially im- ing points of difference as
portant for younger candidates, referencing experiences that high-
light collaboration skills can prove tremendously effective if they opposed to burying them in
4
lack managerial experience.
admissions essays.”
Maturity
While the word “maturity” is often used interchange-
ably with “age” and “experience,” admissions of-
ficers value quality over quantity when it comes to
experience. One of the most rewarding aspects of
the business school experience is that students teach
one another based on their respective backgrounds.
Therefore, admissions committees look for mature
candidates who have something to teach their peers, but are also
willing to learn from them as well.
Another crucial facet of maturity is integrity. MBA admissions of-
ficers expect applicants to be mindful of ethical considerations and
are interested to examine how they operate in the moral grey areas.
Questions posed in essays and interviews will often be about ethical
decision-making in the face of difficult choices. Demonstrating depth
of thought and a willingness to make tough decisions is a great way
to showcase maturity.
www.veritasprep.com 5What Admissions Officers Want
Among the various challenges that plague admissions committees
at leading schools, creating classes consisting of diverse, qualified
students is an issue of primary concern. In fact, almost half of ad-
missions officers predict the application process will evolve over the
coming cycles to identify ideal candidates and yield improved admis-
sions outcomes.
• The biggest challenges institutions face are attracting more
highly-qualified students (33%) and supporting cultural
diversity (33%).
Challenges Facing Admissions Departments
at Top Business Schools
26%
Other
8% Increasing
student preparedness
33%
Attracting more
highly-qualified
students
“Admissions officers 33%
Supporting cultural
diversity
would like to see the
student application process
include more face-to-face or • Among desired changes that admissions officers would like to
see in their applicant pool, diversity ranks number one (87%).
telephone interviews in
the next five years.” • Admissions officers would like to see the student applica-
tion process include more face-to-face or telephone inter-
views in the next five years (60%). While a slight majority
of admissions officers see the application process becom-
ing less complex, almost half (47%) believe the application
process will actually become more complex in the coming
years.
How to Use It to Your Advantage
Fostering a greater diversity of viewpoints in the executive suite is a
strategic priority in business, and accordingly, cultivating diversity in
each entering class is a key priority for business schools. Students
hailing from a variety of backgrounds and circumstances create a
vibrant learning environment and reflect the makeup of today’s busi-
ness world.
The term “diversity” is a bit cliché in the 21st century, the traditional
concept of which typically alludes solely to differences in gender or
race. Today’s notion of diversity, however, transcends sex and eth-
nic origin to encompass a variety of other characteristics that yield a
variety of viewpoints and experiences and can differentiate students
in the crowded field of similar-looking MBA applicants.
6 www.veritasprep.comApplicants should identify themselves as unique and stress how
their contribution to the business school setting will be distinctive,
embracing points of difference as opposed to burying them in ad-
missions essays. After all, the very things that make them different
could be what scores them a seat in a desirable MBA program.
Additionally, applicants should prepare themselves to adapt to
changes in the dynamic MBA admissions process. While there is
generally a lack of consensus among admissions officers as to what
exactly those changes will entail, they agree on one aspect—more
interviews. As the applicant pool continues to get stronger every
year, business school admissions officers need more powerful
mechanisms to separate the great candidates from the good can-
didates, and interviews are an ideal instrument through which to
do so. The purpose of an interview is not to see how well applicants
act under pressure or to try or trick them into revealing something
unfavorable about themselves; rather, interviews present a way to
reinforce the components of the application, helping the admissions
committee put a face and personality to the application.
The beauty of the business school interview is that applicants are
the foremost experts themselves—they know why they have made
the decisions that have led them to applying to an MBA program,
what their unique strengths are and where they want to go next in
their careers. The challenge, however, is figuring out how to best
communicate this information to the interviewer and eloquently tell
stories from the past that best illustrate the applicant’s abilities de-
spite time constraints.
While every school looks for slightly different attributes in its appli-
cants, admissions officers will generally use the interview to answer
a few key questions about prospective students:
• Are they who they say they are in their
www.veritasprep.com 7The Emerging Role of Parents in
the Student Application Process
“Helicopter parent” behavior—the activities of mothers and fathers
who are overly involved in their children’s admissions applications—
has recently come to the attention of business school admissions of-
ficers. As the millennial generation (those students born in or after
1982) begins to apply to MBA programs, this trend is expected to
accelerate.
• Sixty-seven percent of admissions officers sur veyed said
that parents are more involved in their children’s applica-
tions than they were five years ago.
How to Use It to Your Advantage
While the intentions of over-involved helicopter parents are generally
benevolent, such intervention can negatively impact their student’s
chances of admission. Graduate school admissions officers are be-
coming increasingly sensitive to how well an applicant has defined
his or her career goals and reasons for wanting to attend business
school separate from those of their parents, and when parents lead
their child through the application process, this lack of introspec-
tion often emerges in the applicant’s admissions essays or evaluative
“While the intentions interview.
of over-involved helicopter However, over-involved parents do not have to jeopardize admission
for MBA applicants if they adhere to the core tenets of positioning
parents are generally oneself as serious candidates for admission at the leading U.S. busi-
ness schools:
benevolent, such intervention
• Understand the value of an MBA.
can negatively impact their Admissions officers look closely for evidence that applicants
have really thought through their career goals and why an
student’s chances MBA is the right degree for them.
of admission.” • Be clear about the importance of pursuing an MBA now.
Applicants who can articulate why now is the time to pursue an
MBA, rather than in two or three years, have a distinct advantage.
• Highlight leadership experiences.
Younger applicants may not yet have led a team or managed oth-
ers, but successful applicants need to emphasize other instances
of leadership in their past, including on the job and in school.
• Demonstrate maturity.
Any successful applicant can show that they will be a posi-
tive addition to the classroom. For younger applicants, this is
especially important in demonstrating the emotional and profes-
sional maturity needed to be a good classmate and
project teammate.
Since the majority of top 30 MBA programs have yet to implement
programs to manage parents that are highly involved in the student
application process, admissions consultants can help applicants man-
age their helicopter parents by providing guidance on helpful versus
hurtful interactions with schools and admissions departments.
8 www.veritasprep.comConclusion
Despite the increased demand for graduate business education
stemming from the current economic slowdown and other contrib-
uting factors, the savvy business school applicant is in a unique po-
sition to secure a coveted seat in a leading MBA program through
some additional due diligence. Understanding what wows and irri-
tates admissions officers at leading business schools, and tailoring
the MBA application accordingly, can propel one’s candidacy from
unlikely to competitive.
Veritas Prep is committed to providing the latest research and ad-
missions trends to help prospective MBA students navigate the of-
ten complicated application process and secure admission into their
programs of choice. To access Veritas Prep’s full catalog of MBA ap-
plicant resources, visit www.veritasprep.com/mba/MBA_Resources.
www.veritasprep.com 9For more information, contact:
Scott Shrum, Director of MBA Admissions Research
Veritas Prep
(800) 925-7737
scott@veritasprep.com
To contribute your thoughts about business school admissions or learn more ways
to improve your chances of admissions success, visit the Veritas Prep blog at
http://blog.veritasprep.com/.You can also read
