5 minute read
LSBR Blog
Creative ways to write a unique MBA application
The factors that determine if your application for an online MBA is accepted goes beyond just your test scores and transcripts. It might come as a surprise to you that the persona of a student is a point of interest for admission officers, particularly for officers at top business schools.
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It is of critical importance to present yourself in a light that exceeds the data provided in your documentation and personal data while composing your application. Because, to be fair, the admission officers go beyond your personal data when deciding on whether to accept your application or not.
Below is a distinctive guide to help condition you for the unforeseen scenarios of an MBA program.
1. Organise finances for experiences
The cost of MBA programs is a priority for every aspiring MBA student. And when the cost comes to mind, a lot of aspiring MBA students only put into consideration their tuition fees. When instead, your budget should consist of plans for extracurricular activities that will complement your MBA program.
For you to get a genuinely wholesome MBA program experience, you should opt-in for conferences, leadership retreats, business competitions, trips and treks. Taking part in these activities will set you up for a fascinating and exciting MBA program.
More knowledge about these activities can be found on online MBA forums or groups. You could also consider reaching out to a present student who takes part in the cocurricular activities you might be interested in to get an idea of what the cost of participating in such events are. By so doing, you could get concurrent information of the knowledgeable idea for the total cost of a wholesome and comprehensive MBA program. These activities are usually suggested by admission officers also, which means they are options worth complementing your MBA program. Do not allow expenses to discourage you. Build a relationship with the admission officers and let them be aware of your interest in these extra activities during your MBA program. They are well aware of multiple scholarships and financial aids that could go a long way in reducing the costs. And in the process of assisting, they could also expose other options with considerably less expensive.
2. Get up-to-date with current events
The fact that being informed on the trends and current events around the world is of great importance can’t be stressed enough. And if for example, you’re in a 9-5 job cycle you might not have enough time for reading and brushing up on topics and trends affecting the whole world; the only sort of information you might be getting online are from work emails or social media.
That factor could come back to affect you when writing an MBA essay or participating in an interview - not showing knowledge of current events when writing or talking could really impede your chances of admission. A bit of advice would be to become more confident in discussing current events and try to stay on top of whatever is trending. Interviewers have a habit of starting casual conversations to catch you unaware. Going online to read business news and magazines can help you excel once you’ve already made it into an MBA program. This is because it enables you to familiarise yourself with ideas and grammars you’ll encounter in an MBA program, thereby making it easy to assimilate topics taught in the MBA program.
3. Keep a journal
Prospective students are most anxious about essays and interviews; they, therefore, enforce rigorous preparation exercises on themselves. But to give yourself an edge in the interview or essay, it will be an excellent idea to incorporate having a journal in your day-to-day life.
This is a beneficial habit if you are already a professional; a journal becomes an essential tool in keeping moments worth highlighting as outstanding character traits in the workplace. For example, when asked about ‘how much do you value teamwork?’ you’ll be able to evaluate yourself based on the fact that you keep a daily log about your experience and are experienced in handling a variety of situations. The same goes for the essays, consider the fact that a revision of your journal would help you include moments and experiences that will enhance your narrative. Essays and interviews are subtly influenced and benefit significantly from the assessment of your journals.
4. Grab a mirror
We’ve seen how performers and actors rehearse for roles or a presentation, by looking at the mirror and reciting their lines. This is particularly useful because it helps with confidence and helps prevent blunders and mistakes during a presentation or performance. The same applies to interviews – get a trusted friend or family member to act as a mirror and to assess your performance. Lift sample interview questions that are online and test yourself by answering the questions while looking into the mirror, as uncomfortable as it might be; it will be in your interest to act and respond as though you were face to face with the interviewer. Not only would this improve your responses, but it will also create a clearer idea of how to answer interview questions.
5. Update your social media
Your social media is the easiest way for people to access your brand in today’s world. With your online MBA program on track, your connections would gradually increase, and lots of professionals will start to notice your social media, and keep a constant watch of your space. This, in turn, provokes the question of what your social profiles says about you.
Creating accounts on social media platforms like LinkedIn will help advertise your skill sets to potential employers, while simultaneously giving necessary information about your current interests. Also filtering your old posts to feature relevant and current interests of yours, would do a great deal of good for you.
People can learn a lot about you online than they would in 24 hours stuck in a house with you, so make your online presence worthwhile.
6. Reframe your thinking
We live in a big world with different ideals and values, and as a person, it is quite easy to keep a narrow perspective toward issues. One advantage of an MBA is the ability for it to widen your perspective and help give you the freedom to make decisions from a broad spectrum of ideas and values, with little restrictions from gender, religion, ethnicity or race.
One thing to help yourself become more open-minded is to allow yourself to accommodate change in every possible scenario. Be eager for new experiences and learn to take risks. This mentality would really help you stick out in your MBA program.
