For 17 years I’ve worked on every side of MBA admissions: as Dean of Admissions at Babson, Managing Director of GMAC Tours, and advising schools at EAB. In short, MBA admissions is what I know best (and love most). Today I work with a handful of serious MBA candidates each round, meeting with them every week, because distinctive applications get built through human conversation, not over email or basic line edits. More at mymbapath.com.
Three hard truths about MBA admissions
Hard Truth #1: The MBA AdCom can love you and still say "no" to you.In MBA admissions, knowledge is power. The learning curve can be steep, and reapplying is no fun. As a former Dean of MBA Admissions, I’ve closely tracked trends in the MBA admissions space for over a decade. I’ve observed the ebb and flow of application volumes and the evolving profiles and motivations of applicants to top MBA programs. When I launched My MBA Path, I quickly joined AIGAC, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants. AIGAC works with leading MBA programs to provide transparency in the admissions process and uphold ethical standards. Last week, I attended the AIGAC annual conference, hosted at the beautiful campuses of IESE, HEC, and INSEAD. The event featured admissions directors from top MBA programs like HBS, Stanford, MIT Sloan, Columbia, Booth, Kellogg, LBS, Duke, Tuck, INSEAD, and more. In formal panels and workshops and many informal chats, I had the opportunity to discuss the latest trends, challenges, and strategies for MBA candidates. In one of the panel discussions, we dug deep into what exactly do MBA AdComs mean when they say "admission is holistic". "Don't forget that it's never solely about your candidate", a veteran of MBA Admissions had to remind some of the MBA Admissions Consultants. It's something I know well from my life as a Dean of MBA Admissions. It's not all about you. MBA admission happens in the context of an entire pool of candidates and is exercised through the lens of institutional priorities. The MBA Admissions process is not reduced simply to evaluation - assessing your candidacy and making a decision on your application. It also includes selection - from within a pool of highly qualified candidates, the MBA AdCom will make intentional, carefully considered choices. Hard Truth #2: Don't pander to the AdComIn our free MBA consultations, candidates frequently ask what MBA Admissions Committees are truly seeking. What do they want in that essay? You might argue the existence of the entire MBA admissions consulting industry stems from this question. The truth is simple yet powerful: MBA AdComs are looking for one thing—you. The real magic begins when you stop guessing what they want and start revealing your true self. But as Adam Grant, the Wharton professor of organization psychology once quipped, "Authentic doesn't mean un-curated". This is how one successful HBS and Wharton admit (if you must know, he's attending HBS) put it in his review, he himself titled "A coach with an unwavering commitment to authenticity": "I know that consultants have to toe a fine line between managing candidates’ expectations and helping them put their best foot forward – but Petia made it look easier than many other consultants I spoke with, worked with, or observed my friends working with. Her experiences enabled her to provide clear and grounded advice without creating unnecessary anxiety about my ability to get in. At no point in our relationship did Petia even imply that her help was essential for me to get into a good school – and this positive approach set the foundation for a very open and trusting relationship between us. I am thankful to Petia for her guidance and support during my MBA application journey – her unequivocal support for submitting authentic applications without worrying too much about what the admissions committee wants to hear was an invaluable resource for me.” Hard Truth #3: Conviction and connectionContrary to what you may have heard, it's often the strongest candidates who choose to work with an MBA admissions consultant. Those with strong test scores, GPA, and work experience are the ones who leverage the most comprehensive set of resources in order to maximize their odds of standing out in the MBA admissions race. I work with a very small group of candidates each cycle (rarely more than 15 comprehensive service candidates per round, which is the lowest you'll find for someone who does MBA Admissions Consulting full-time). Because of that, my candidates receive unparalleled high touch support and submit MBA applications they are proud of. They show up confidently in their application materials. Confidence isn't arrogance. It's not about being boastful or plastering the words "leadership" and "impact" all over your application. In your MBA Application, the strongest source of confidence you can tap into is genuine self-reflection. This week, many of my candidates are working through the 7 Essential Questions. We discuss these questions in depth before they tackle them, and even more after they’ve taken a stab at it. This process requires both courage and humility, but when done right, it brings clarity to your application. It leads to conviction - in your track record, your vision, your purpose - that creates a strong connection with the MBA AdCom reader. Are you engaging in this deep work? Are you asking yourself the tough questions that will bring your story to life? Remember MBA AdComs are looking for one thing only—you. Onwards and upwards, Petia P.S. If you are applying in the next 3-12 months, you cannot afford to miss this free live discussion of the most important new trends and predictions for the 2024-2025 MBA Admissions Cycle.
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My MBA Path
For 17 years I’ve worked on every side of MBA admissions: as Dean of Admissions at Babson, Managing Director of GMAC Tours, and advising schools at EAB. In short, MBA admissions is what I know best (and love most). Today I work with a handful of serious MBA candidates each round, meeting with them every week, because distinctive applications get built through human conversation, not over email or basic line edits. More at mymbapath.com.
It’s no secret that not all MBA admissions consultants are created equal. But a new dividing line is emerging and I’m making a bet it'll be a really important one. Before, the delineation was around expertise I’m not going to sugarcoat this one. Those of us who have actually worked in admissions do have a vantage point that is different than those who have simply been helping MBA candidates and trying to reach insights about how MBA admissions works empirically, based on reverse engineering....
With the exception of Booth and MIT Sloan, my R1 candidates are done submitting. We won't get much of a break. MBA interview invites will start popping up quite soon. And one thing has become really clear this admissions cycle. This feels different As I was wrapping up the R1 work this week, I kept thinking about just how much the MBA application game has changed. Four years after ChatGPT "burst onto the scene," to use the obligatory cliché, we've reached a point where what used to be a...
How the "why MBA" question got twisted I saw a version of this maddening mistake three times on r/mba this week alone. Sometimes I chime in but it's, of course, a futile battle. The myth persists, kept alive by MBA candidates (or admits) and MBA admissions consultants alike. As a rule, these are people who never sat on the other side of the table as admissions directors. But somewhere along the way, they decided that "why MBA" means you, MBA hopeful, have to prove well beyond reasonable doubt...