[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to a 2016 application trends survey by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), India is the top country of origin among international candidates for both one-year and two-year MBA programs in the world. Compared to their American or Asian counterparts, European full-time MBA programs have been gaining momentum in a relatively stagnant global MBA market: GMAC reported that 3 in 4 one-year MBA programs in Europe reported year-on-year increases in application volumes, while top European schools such as LBS, INSEAD and IESE have all been reporting higher application volumes since 2016.
Tips for Indian Candidates Applying to European MBA
If you are coming from this competitive and over-represented Indian cadidate applicant pool, how can you differentiate yourself from your peers in the eyes of MBA admissions committees from European schools? Here are some tips for you to consider as you start your MBA application journey:
1) Find what is unique in YOU
Admissions committees at top European MBA programs read hundreds of applications from Indian applicants every year. As a result, you should always emphasize achievements and experience that set you apart from your peers and avoid being categorized into a category like ‘Indian, Male & IT Engineering looking to get into consulting.’ If you have not had significant work experience outside of your home country yet, try to highlight your leadership skills such as solid career progression at an international company, steering a department through organizational difficulties or even launching your own company.
If you have already gained international experience through work or study, you need to showcase how you started your journey venturing outside of your country and what you have achieved so far as an international citizen. Sometimes the ‘international’ side of you doesn’t have to be a complete degree or a full-time job in another country. A female Indian MBA applicant that I interviewed a few years ago when I was working on the Adcom of IESE Business School, demonstrated her leadership capacity through a unique volunteer experience she had in a rural area of China where her work made a positive impact on thousands of pupils.
2) Develop a compelling story
Admissions officers perfectly understand the strong belief in the impact of how an MBA could shape one’s career among Indian candidates. But you should elaborate on the incentives that drove YOU to make the decision to apply to this particular MBA program. Be specific about how the program’s resources help you get where you are trying to go. Your application essays will come from the stories you develop. This is a good moment for you to dive deep into your personality, personal challenges you have faced and important life decisions you have made. Admissions committees want to remember you as a person who wants to become a better leader and has the potential to become one.
3) Do your research on the schools
If you are looking at top MBA programs in Europe, you need to know that most schools have substantial differences from each other and from their American counterparts. Some differences include: 1-year or flexible duration, high percentage of international students and lower costs than most American programs. You’ll need to learn about INSEAD’s strong network and career resources in fast-growing markets in Southeast Asia, IESE’s Harvard-style sections and what it means by studying a heavily cased-based curriculum with the same 70 peers in the same classroom for a year. If you’re interested in LBS, you should know about its strong emphasis on your contribution in extracurriculars on campus and how you could make use of its ‘extended classroom’ – the strong alumni network just in London.
4) Connect, connect, connect
Coming from the largest applicant pool in the world means that you probably could find someone with a similar background exactly in your shoes 1 or 2 years ago at any European MBA program. The more you can learn about a particular program from current students or alumni, the better prepared you will be when you walk into the interview room and get ready to take questions about any aspect of your future MBA experience asked by the alumni or adcom interviewer. You will appear at ease in your admissions interview when you can easily relate to an experience shared by a fellow student or alumni, and expand on how you will want to see yourself after taking that particular MBA.
5) Don’t obsess over the GMAT – seek external support if you can
Although we always say that GMAT is only one of the requirements in the admissions process, it is still recommended that you should aim for a GMAT at least matching the median score at your target schools. However, don’t be obsessed with question of how a 740 GMAT could improve your chances over a 710 GMAT – your essays and interviews will play a much more important role as your application package gets reviewed by the school. You could seek support and coaching from a trusted advisor who understands the challenges international students, especially Indian students, face in the competitive MBA admissions process at top European programs.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]