Although giving blood, participating in charity runs, and making financial contributions to worthy causes are noble endeavors, they are not viewed as leadership or community engagement by admissions committees at top MBA programs. Similarly, you do not have to start a nonprofit or sit on the junior boards of multiple organizations to demonstrate your leadership expertise.
We realize that you are a busy professional, but so are those you will be competing against to get a seat at Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, or another top MBA program. Your level of engagement now is viewed by the admissions committee as an indicator of how involved you will be during your MBA program.
If leadership skills and community engagement are weak spots in your MBA profile, here are a few suggestions for getting involved that are based on real Stratus clients!
Late English language learner?
An Indian client who had limited exposure to English during his primary and secondary schooling understood the struggles that others would face in the college classroom. He took the initiative to establish English language tutoring on weekends in a local school district so the next generation will be better prepared than he was.
Another client who was an immigrant to the United States recalled how difficult it had been for him when he first arrived. He worked with a local nonprofit that offered support to immigrants, through which he used his skills in both Spanish and English to help new arrivals with securing housing, applying for jobs, and supporting their children’s education.
Another client, who had watched his immigrant mother struggle, realized that language and cultural barriers were impacting access to medical care and wellness programs. He collaborated with a local immigrant center to provide culturally appropriate guidance to help English language learners understand how health insurance works and how to pursue a healthy lifestyle.
Woman in a male-dominated industry?
Many women recognize that it would have been helpful to have had a female mentor during their undergraduate years as they navigated their career choices. Think about creating a formal mentoring program that brings together women who have established themselves to provide guidance and insight to the next generation of female leaders in your industry. If your company has an employee resource group, look to take on a leadership role and introduce initiatives that support other women. Alternatively, you might get involved with an initiative that brings together women across companies in your industry. One of our male clients was recently named a Forté Fellow based on his commitment to promoting women!
Former competitive athlete?
Training for and competing in sports, either as an individual or as part of a team, offers great opportunities for leadership development. If your days as an athlete are behind you, consider finding or even starting an organization that uses your sport to uplift others.
One client who had started a squash team in college volunteered with and later joined the advisory board for a nonprofit that taught squash to children in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck and they could no longer play squash, she realized that many families supported by the nonprofit needed help with at-home schooling. Tapping other nonprofit volunteers, she was able to secure hundreds of devices that were given to the children so their learning would not be disrupted.
Future impact investor?
Think about how you can engage now with the communities you hope to influence positively post-MBA. If your interests lie in health care or education, look for opportunities to gain hands-on experience with real challenges and develop insights into the core issues that need to be addressed. One Stratus client with an interest in food security volunteered with a local nonprofit that rescues food from restaurants and delivers it to people in need. Another served as a volunteer translator in a health care setting, making an impact by helping English language learners understand instructions for taking medications.
Eagle Scout?
Reach out to your local Boy Scouts council and get certified as a merit badge counselor or troop leader. Leverage your professional credentials and personal interests when determining what merit badges you might assist with: First Aid? Railroading? Digital Technology? Sustainability? The beauty of re-engaging with Boy Scouts is that doing so will allow you to demonstrate that your habit of leadership started when you joined scouting at a much younger age. (Hint: You can volunteer even if you never were a Scout yourself!)
Passion for environmental stewardship and the outdoors?
Find the local organization that maintains hiking trails in your area and offer your skills as a crew leader to build and maintain usable trails. Perhaps you can rally colleagues or a group of young alumni from your college to participate in a workday.
One Latina client realized that many children who looked like her were not exposed to the outdoors. She identified a nonprofit and created programming specifically targeted to bringing students from predominantly Hispanic schools on field trips to explore nature. When she stagnated at her day job and opted to leave, she spent several months working full time supporting the nonprofit’s CEO with strategic initiatives as she looked for her next career opportunity.
Interested in niche industries such as fashion and healthy foods?
Find an incubator that supports entrepreneurs in this space and volunteer to help with market research or another project that leverages the skills you have developed in the workplace. Getting exposure to entrepreneurs in your target industry will allow you to develop relationships that you can tap into as you make your transition. One client with an interest in fashion volunteered with a local fashion incubator, allowing her to showcase her commitment to the industry she was targeting post-MBA.
Committed to helping individuals with learning disabilities?
A client who grew up with a learning disability and struggled with the side effects of currently available medications had a vision for developing new therapies with fewer side effects. He found a local organization that supported early teens (and their parents) who were dealing with learning differences and offered seminars to share the challenges he faced and how he worked to overcome them.
Another client who has a sibling with autism became involved with his company’s employee resource group, which supports differently abled employees and employees whose family members have disabilities. He knew how challenging it was for his parents to support his sibling, and he wanted to make sure that his work colleagues knew they were not alone and had the appropriate support from their workplace.
Leader during college?
Many aspiring MBAs work long hours and struggle to find time to commit to an outside organization. Perhaps you held a leadership role in an organization during your undergrad studies. If so, you could pull that thread through by remaining engaged as an alum or re-engaging. One client noted that managing a portfolio through the student investment club was more meaningful than any class he had taken in terms of inspiring his career interests. Through the club, he met like-minded individuals and developed his leadership skills when he was selected to lead the club as a senior. He has continued his involvement with the club by offering job search support to students managing the fund. Think about what resources you WISH had existed when you were in college and consider bringing together fellow alumni to enhance the club experience for those who follow you.
When you applied to college, you may simply have tried to rack up hundreds of community service hours. Business schools are more interested in the quality of your engagement, the contributions you have made, and the impact of your leadership. The opportunities are endless!
For more guidance on preparing your MBA applications, sign up for a free 30-minute consultation with a Stratus admissions expert today!