How to demonstrate your fit to your target business school?

Demonstrating your fit is nothing but selling yourself to the school you’re targeting. And to be able to sell your story, you’ll need to chart a long journey of Introspection. 

You need to understand how you would stand out in front of a slew of admissions officers tasked with sorting through a two million-strong applicant pool. This article will provide some insider tips on how you can demonstrate your fit for your target B-school and increase your chances of selection. 

What B-schools look for in an applicant.

Research about the school 

Self-evaluation and Introspection

Express your fit to your target schools.

WHAT DO B-SCHOOLS LOOK FOR IN AN APPLICANT?

No matter which B-school you apply to, there are a few things that top B-schools look for in a profile, and these elements help them understand how well you fit their program. Your profile should stand out if you apply to one of the world’s top 25 business schools. What distinguishes your profile as a good fit for a leading global business school? 

And to answer this question, you must keep these factors in mind:

RESEARCH ABOUT THE SCHOOL

How will you communicate your fit if you don’t know the school? From basic awareness to know intricate details about the school, you’ll have to be a know-it-all! We see no one loves a ‘know-it-all,’ but to our surprise (hardly!), b-schools are the biggest nerds, and they love know-it-alls!

Yes, you will need to know their career stats for the industry you are targeting, what they value the most in their community, and what they seek from a student. To demonstrate that you are the best fit for that school, try to align your application with their school, which can only be done through research.

Meeting people from the business school is the best way to learn about the school, talk to staff, soak up the atmosphere, and get a sense of how the school evaluates applicants. You can also join virtual events, network with people, and talk to experts who understand your target schools well.

SELF-EVALUATION AND INTROSPECTION-

Devote significant time to self-reflection. Take a moment to reflect on your goals, strengths, passions, and personal values. The time you spend reflecting will directly impact your ability to be discerning throughout the research process. This self-awareness step will help you shortlist the right schools and affects how you write your application, as it will be more efficient. Your story will be more compelling to the admission committee, demonstrating that you are a good fit for the school.

We use a deep introspection framework that helps our applicants present 100% unique applications and a strong fit to their target b-schools. Learn more about it.

EXPRESS YOUR FIT FOR THE SCHOOL

Demonstrate how the school can assist you in reaching your goal– It is important that you demonstrate how your targeted MBA program will assist you in achieving your post-MBA goals. Business school is not a place where you can figure out what you want to do with your life. What if you discover that you don’t need an MBA to accomplish your goal? The MBA program will have a dissatisfied applicant (and probably an unemployed one!), and you will have wasted time and money on something you do not require.

The goal is to give the target B-school a clear picture of who you are; as one longtime admissions officer puts it, the essay is “the peek behind the curtain.” Applicants frequently believe that the peek should reveal a dramatic perspective rather than a subtle landscape. Students think, ‘I need to find that exotic thing that sells.’ But that’s not the case; they want to know about you in the essay, not a fairytale.

Understand the mission, values, and criteria of your target schools.

Demonstrate your ability to complete the work required for your desired program.

Demonstrate that you share the school’s values and believe in its mission.

Demonstrate how the program can assist you in achieving your goals.

You want to achieve and get through your target school; demonstrating your right fit for the school is no easy task. However, if you sit down and spend a good time in deep introspection about yourself, researching the right schools, and determining where you best fit, you can figure out how to get through the process. Best wishes to you! 

If you require assistance in your journey to admission to your desired school, we are here to help. Schedule a Profile evaluation call with one of our professionals and ask any questions you may have about your profile/goals/application. We’ll give you a deep analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, and goals and help you build a strong roadmap to your target b-schools.

You can read what people say about our profile evaluation sessions here!