If you intend to submit business school applications in Round 1, you have about 100 days until the first deadlines. The month of June is an exciting one because most MBA programs will release their deadlines and any changes in their essays. Bookmark our Deadlines page, which will be updated as new dates and essays are released. Click on the name of each school to see specific guidance for that school’s essays. If you haven’t already done so, visit the websites of ALL the programs you are considering and sign up to receive information from them. You will also be notified when each school’s essays are released and when its application is available, and you’ll hear about webinars, chats, and other resources that provide insight about program offerings.
Now, what else should you be doing in the month of June?
1. Solidify your short- and long-term goals.
Although many people start out with a range of ideas for their post-MBA goals, NOW is the time to identify the path about which you are most passionate and the one that makes sense with regard to your experience and profile. When you are in business school, you may want to chase down multiple goals—but for the application itself, you need to narrow them down.
For your short-term goal, specify the type of role and either a sample company or an industry in which you want to work (e.g., “I want to work as a product manager in a fintech startup such as Betterment.”). Your goal should be both ambitious and achievable. With current recruiting headwinds, we are hearing from admissions teams that having two short-term options that can lead you to the same long-term goal shows flexibility and knowledge of the market.
Next, think about where you want to be in the long term; this can be at a higher level. Make sure to connect the dots and show that your short-term goal will help you achieve your long-term goal. Alternatively, you can approach the process in reverse if you know where you want to be in the long term and then work backward.
Having a defined career path can be helpful when reaching out to current students and alumni because they can direct you to others with similar paths. If you are planning a larger career change, check out “How to Use an MBA to Change Careers.”
2. Nail down your answers to “Why an MBA?” and “Why now?”
The admissions team is expecting you to know what you need from an MBA. Think of this as a gap analysis. Find a job description for your ideal post-MBA role. Look through the list of responsibilities, and then assess where you might have gaps—this can help develop your “Why an MBA?” answer. Also, consider the following questions: How have your experiences prepared you to add value in the classroom—in small groups with peers who have skills you will need in your post-MBA role? What specific skills or experiences do you need from an MBA to help you achieve your short- and long-term goals?
If you are outside of the 80% range of years of work experience for full-time programs (typically three to eight years), you will want to explain why NOW is the right time for you to pursue an MBA—and implicitly why the typical time frame didn’t make sense for you. If you have more than eight years of experience, you may want to consider a part-time program, and those with more than 15 years of experience could consider an executive program—both of which typically cater to applicants with more work experience.
3. Assess your GMAT/GRE/EA score.
Are you happy with your current standardized score? Have you completed practice GMAT, GRE, or EA tests to ensure you are taking the best test for you? Have you built a retest plan? June is a great month to take these tests for the first time (if you haven’t already). Taking the test now will give you time to reassess and retake before you get too deep into the application process for Round 1. Remember that there is a required wait time between tests, so be aware of that time frame. If you haven’t achieved the score you think you are capable of, you might want to reconsider your test prep strategy. See “GMAT, GRE, or Even EA—Which Test Should I Take?” for more insight on these tests.
4. Update your resume.
Your professional profile will not significantly change in the next few months, and the resume that you used to get your current job is likely NOT what MBA admissions committees are looking for.
Format is important—make sure your resume is organized and easy to read. Although unconventional resumes can be very effective in creative fields, submitting a resume that is difficult to read or does not highlight the impact you’ve made at work will not help a business school application. In addition, make sure you focus on the impact you have made in each role rather than just listing your responsibilities. Impact is not just measured in revenue; think about a project’s key performance indicators to show your impact outside of revenue.
Keep in mind that your resume is only one component of your MBA application, so be careful about duplicating material that a reader will find elsewhere. The one time that your resume will need to stand alone with respect to business school applications is during an interview. Make sure that anything you might want to discuss in an interview is referenced on your resume. “How to Create the Best Possible Resume for Your MBA Application” provides more helpful resume tips.
Register now for the upcoming Stratus webinar, How to Create the Best MBA Resume, Tuesday, June 18, 2024 at 1:00 PM EDT.
5. Select your recommenders.
Now is the time to choose your recommenders. Make sure your recommenders are aware of your interest in obtaining an MBA, and gauge their enthusiasm to write a recommendation for you—you want to choose people who have the appropriate insight and will be willing to say that you are the best of your peers. Use this time to informally update recommenders on your goals and why an MBA is the right path for you. Start putting together materials to share with your recommenders so they have something to reference as they write. These could include a copy of your resume, reminders of your accomplishments and impact, your short- and long-term goals, the schools to which you are applying, what those schools value, and their submission deadlines. See “Four Steps to a Five-Star MBA Recommendation” for more details on selecting the best recommenders.
6. Continue your school research.
Once you have identified your areas for development, locate resources at each program to which you are applying that will enable you to address your gaps. Dig into the curriculum: Which electives might you want to take? Does the school have a major, concentration, or pathway that aligns with your goals? What teaching methodologies are used, and do they align with your learning style? Explore clubs and extracurricular activities—is there a professional club that aligns with your target industry and/or function? Does the school host or take part in a conference or offer career treks so you can engage with industry leaders? Start by exploring online resources and school webinars, and then make personal connections with students and alumni to fill in the blanks. “Nine Tips for Learning More About MBA Programs Through Students and Alumni” and “25 Questions to Ask Students and Alumni While Researching MBA Programs” provide more information on researching schools.
7. Start your outlines!
As business school application essays become available throughout the month, take the time to create an outline before you write—because it’s much easier to move ideas around in an outline. Be sure your story is sound and that you are answering the essay questions. After you have completed your outline, put it away for a day or two, and then review it and assess the structure/flow—then you can start writing! If you are applying to multiple schools, beware of repurposing content, and think about how many different sets of essays you are comfortable working on at a time. Applicants often learn a lot while writing their first set of essays, so you may want to get through one school’s essays before you start tackling others.
8. Create a plan.
As submission deadlines are announced, develop a project plan to prioritize your work based on the application due dates. Build key professional deadlines and personal commitments into your plan to create a realistic and achievable schedule for the application season, and make sure to give yourself an occasional evening or weekend off to rejuvenate. Consider building your plan to ensure you complete all applications a couple of weeks before the deadline. The business school application process is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself! Get what you can done in June because the summer only gets busier as application dates approach.
If you have questions about the MBA application process, please reach out to us for a free consultation!