MBA Admissions Consulting: Do You Need It in ?

How hard is the MBA admissions process and do I need MBA admissions consulting?

It is no wonder that business schools globally reported a steep increase in the number of applications in the last couple of years. MBA graduates tend to have higher salaries and more upward mobility in terms of career growth. MBA programs are always in demand, so getting accepted is extremely difficult. Every year the best MBA programs in the US and the best MBA programs in Canada are flooded with tens of thousands of applications. To name an example, Harvard Business School receives around 10,000 applications each year, and only 10-11% of applicants are admitted. Stanford Business School’s acceptance rate is usually even lower, alike top-ranked business schools in the US.

MBA acceptance rates at mid-ranked business schools may be slightly higher, but the admissions process at these schools is extremely selective. Why? Because MBA programs are looking for very specific candidates with very unique skill sets and experiences. Unlike many other professional programs, MBA programs look for more than achievements in academia or workplace. Having a high GPA or GMAT score is not going to make you stand out to an MBA program; having relevant work experience is not going to be enough to get in because it's one of the most basic MBA requirements that all applicants fulfill; getting strong MBA recommendation letters is great, but you need to make sure they complement the rest of your application.

Low acceptance rates is just one of the hurdles. There is another huge challenge that MBA applicants face: each MBA program has its own requirements and application process. Unlike medical schools in the US or colleges in the US which have unified application systems, AMCAS and Common App respectively, MBA programs do not have a unified app systems, which means that you need to submit a separate and unique application to each program you pursue. This means a unique MBA statement of purpose, unique MBA admissions essays, unique MBA motivation letters, and so on. This is a huge undertaking! You need to keep up with the different MBA grad school application timelines, make sure that each application meets the school's requirements, communicate effectively with each school, and so on and so forth. That is a tall order. If you're an MBA applicant, you are most likely a very busy individual, so this immense undertaking in the form of the MBA application process can only add to your already busy schedule.

So two things are very clear: firstly, acceptance to an MBA program will require very hard work, as well as superior organization skills. Additionally, it's not going to be enough to meet the MBA requirements - you must exceed them to guarantee your acceptance. Can you do this on your own? Some people may be able to accomplish these goals on their own, but most may need some guidance. Remember that the best athletes, or the best actors, or the best artists, or the best professionals in their fields have coaches. MBA admissions are no different, so getting help from those who "have been there and done that" will give you a competitive advantage. So how can you guarantee acceptance? MBA admissions consulting experts can truly help and get you into your desired MBA program on your first try and leave you with lifelong skills that you may use in other professional and educational settings. How do they achieve this? Read on to find out.

Want more tips on MBA interviews? This video is for you:



How does MBA admissions consulting help you?

Firstly, you should know that MBA admissions consulting services do not prepare your application for you. You have to do your own work - no one else is going to write your MBA statement of purpose for you or sit the GMAT for you. It is completely up to you to get into an MBA, but an MBA admissions consultant can be your guide for how to best present yourself as a candidate and emphasize why you would be the best choice for a program. Additionally, they can really help you overcome any admissions challenges. For example, they can brainstorm with you how to explain a low GPA in an MBA application or provide tips on crafting an engaging MBA video essay. The key here is having the right strategy when you apply. Remember, lots of applicants have good GMAT scores and years of relevant work experience, there must be something else that makes you stand out! How MBA admissions consultants help you do this? Here're some steps our MBA admissions consultants can help you with:

Select the Right Schools

This is the first, and maybe the most important step in your MBA journey. Many students make the mistake of applying to the wrong programs. Instead of assessing whether the programs they apply to meet their career goals or their values, they look at prestige or acceptance rates. No wonder they do not get in! MBA admissions consultants help you choose which MBA programs are the best fit for your career aspirations and weed out any programs where you would not be a good candidate. They know what aspects of your portfolio and your work experience the programs will value most and help choose the right MBA program to apply to.

Their biggest advantage is that they know the MBA admissions process inside out. They know that ABC program really values relevant work experience, while the XYZ program tends to prefer students with support from internal faculty. Or they may know that GPA and GMAT are not at all considered in one program, while another program uses these statistics to weed out applicants in initial admissions stages. This is the true value of MBA admissions consultants! They can really reveal to you what you should focus on in each application and choose the right schools to pursue.

Create a Holistic Application

Your MBA application should tell a story. In other words, each application component should be complementary to each other, but not repeat each other. This is quite difficult to do, but MBA admissions consultants can help you achieve this. One the one hand, they will help you craft your narrative for your MBA personal statement or your MBA statement of purpose, and on the other hand, they will help you brainstorm and write your other MBA admissions essays without repeating yourself. They will help all of your admissions essays connect into a story of how you came to pursue an MBA. Furthermore, an MBA admissions consultant will advise you on whom you should approach for your recommendations, so that their narrative also complements and completes your application into one story.

Provide Personalized Guidance 

MBA advisors have capabilities such as analytical skills, practical judgement, editing skills, objectivity, and vast experience in the field of admissions. They will not only provide you with the knowledge you need to prepare your applications, but also serve as a source of encouragement and support throughout the whole process. The application and interview process can be extremely overwhelming, and many students don’t know where to start. An MBA admissions consultant prioritize you and your MBA journey. They will provide you with more than personalized advice - they will provide you with personalized support with things get tough. They care because they get to know you, your goals, your strengths, your weaknesses, and your dreams. During your interactions, brainstorming sessions, and mock MBA interviews, they get to know you better as a candidate and as a person. They will learn your story, your experiences, and weaknesses to come up with the best application strategy. By knowing you in depth, they will be able to suggest ideas for your essays, help you build your MBA resume and help you understand what you should and should not mention in an interview.

Because consultants know the admissions criteria, they are better equipped with seeing strengths in your background that you might not even consider. For example, you might think a certain experience that you have is insignificant, but you might not be aware that it’s actually very unique and will make you stand out. An MBA admissions consultant will identify those traits and help you make them shine in your application.

Personalized and tailored help is key in admissions services. You do not want to get general advice - this will not make you stand out among thousands of other applicants. So while reading blogs (including this one!) and learning about other people's experiences is a good start, it is not enough. Getting personalized feedback during the application and interview process is key.

Preparing for the MBA interview? Make sure you have strategies to answer each of these question types:

Development of New Skills 

MBA admissions consultants help you develop skills that you can use long after you get into your chosen MBA program. For example, if you are preparing for the GMAT, you will learn how to organize your time and your study materials, something you will certainly need as you become an MBA student and a professional. If you are applying to MBA programs that do not require the GMAT, the MBA consultant will help you develop you in other areas of the MBA admissions process and hone your skills, such as writing, verbal communication, organization, attention to detail, and more. Essentially, they will help you develop as a professional. Here're some of the skills you will take away from your sessions:

First-hand Knowledge of Admissions Criteria 

No matter how confident you were about your application or how hard you worked on it, sometimes business schools have to dwindle down the application pool significantly and you might not make the cut. Business schools rarely disclose the reasons why they reject a specific candidate, so you if you get rejected and want to reapply, you might never know what you did wrong, or which aspects of your application needed improvement.

Here’s when MBA admissions consulting can make a difference. Many consultants have previously served on admissions committees and possess insider knowledge of how admission committees arrive at their admission decisions. They can take a look at your application and tell you exactly why you might have been rejected. Factors like low test scores, experience, and weak recommendation letters can severely decrease your chances of getting accepted. Getting an expert to review your application and find potential reasons for getting rejected can be the key to avoiding making common mistakes and boost your chances of acceptance. 

It is not uncommon for applicants to consider resorting to the knowledge of friends, colleagues or relatives who have some degree of experience in MBA admissions, whether because they successfully completed their own MBA journeys or because they have extensive knowledge in business. While they can help you by proofreading your essays and practicing for your interview, their insights may be incorrect, or even counterproductive. Furthermore, people who are close to you tend to be too subjective and might even avoid highlighting your mistakes out of fear of hurting your feelings.

Non-professional advisors might not know the school you are applying to, and therefore ignore the kind of profile the admissions committee is looking for. Additionally, they can never be as committed to the task of getting you accepted as a professional admissions consultant who is being paid to make sure you maximize your chances of acceptance. 

Need help with your MBA resume? Take a look at these tips:

Is MBA admissions consulting worth it? 

While MBA admissions consulting is certainly not cheap, most consultancies offer a broad variety of options that adjust to your needs. Some offer packages depending on the number of schools to which you’re applying, some charge by the hour, and some charge by single service. For example, you might only be interested in interview prep, or essay editing for a single application.

Here are a few reasons why hiring an MBA admissions consulting service is worth the investment:

How to choose the best MBA admissions consulting service

Once you've decided to hire an MBA admissions consultant, the next step is finding the right one for your needs and goals. It's tricky to weed through the hundreds of available services and decide which ones is best, and it does require a bit of work. However, once you've narrowed down your list there are a few ways to choose the right MBA admissions consulting service for you.

Conclusion 

Do you need MBA admissions consulting? Every student is unique and has unique needs. Some students only need help with one aspect of the admissions process, such as an essay, or the GMAT, or the interview, and that's totally fine! If you think you can benefit from professional help with one aspect of the admissions process do not hesitate to reach out to advisors - it's better to make sure every single application component is outstanding than to regret not getting the help you needed.

There are some students who need more guidance than others, so an MBA admissions consultant can be there for them throughout the entire process. It really depends on your circumstances. Do you need MBA admissions consulting? Only you can answer this question. Many applicants get into their chosen MBA programs without professional help, but there is no doubt that every single applicant can benefit from expert advice.

FAQs

To your success,

Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

Want more free tips? Subscribe to our channels for more free and useful content!

TikTok

YouTube

Instagram

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

LinkedIn

Twitter