The author of this article is Madeleine Corcoran, PR and Brand Manager at Unimy, part of Advent Group.
As Ellin Lolis, the founder and the CEO here at Ellin Lolis Consulting writes, it is essential to show that you are a fit with the mission and values of your ideal B-school, and “every school has different specialties, academic offerings, and – most importantly – core values.”
But how can you find out about those core values? And, before you even start to write your admissions essay to show that you are a cultural fit with a school, how can you find the school that truly fits you?
To help you find the place where you will thrive, we explore the key ways to assess the culture of business schools and work out if they align with your own values (and what cultural fit is exactly!)
Why culture fit?
Ok, you know that business schools look for ‘fit’ in application essays, but it’s worth taking a step back and considering, “Why is that?”. It’s not just another hurdle in the long process of being admitted to a top MBA program, finding a fit is actually a valuable predictor of success for the candidate.
In 2015, organizational psychologists at a university in Hungary undertook a study into how cultural fit impacts students’ performance and satisfaction in higher education. After surveying a cohort of 348 students across multiple faculties, their conclusion was, “Cultural fit – as the students perceive it – can play a significant role in academic performance at higher education institutions”.
In short, finding a genuine cultural fit is going to empower you to reach your full potential within a program.
Cultural fit involves a whole range of things – encompassing your values, preferred ways of working and communicating, and your aspirations. It’s about finding a correspondence between organizational culture and the personal orientations of the candidate.
In fact, MBA platforms are increasingly recognizing the need to help candidates find their fit. Client orientation platform, Unimy, spearheaded its MBA Cultural Fit Index in 2019 – allowing potential MBA students to find their schools by fit.
So it’s not only for the sake of impressing admissions that you should spend some time considering cultural fit, it’s also for the sake of getting the very most out of the transformative experience of doing an MBA.
But what exactly is a good ‘cultural fit’?
Cultural fit is a concept from organizational psychology. When psychologists consider the ‘culture’ of an organization they mean the values, beliefs, and norms which influence the behavior of people as members of that organization.
Within the world of HR, many professionals are concerned with hiring by cultural fit, as well as being aware of and shaping the culture of their companies.
As business schools and universities are organizations too, the same principles of organizational culture and fit can be applied. Unimy’s research into 130 leading business schools worldwide proved the case by finding statistically meaningful comparisons between business schools along established organizational psychological dimensions.
Debates continue about exactly how to use and understand ‘fit’. What if recruiting by fit (in a workplace or a university) leads to ‘sameness’? We don’t want everyone to be the same, and it is widely known that diversity is a huge facilitator of the learning process that takes place on an MBA.
However, such concerns perhaps misunderstand fit, or represent the worse uses of it. At its best, fit allows for the individual to find a place where he/she/they can shine. And it allows organizations to use culture consciously, looking beyond differences to find people who will share a purpose. Cultural fit can become cultural ‘add’ – finding people who will bring something new to a community whilst also still connecting with it.
Finding a fit tip #1: Know thyself
It all starts with you. Knowing your own values and preferences – and assessing those honestly – is the only way to begin to find the best MBA fit.
Consider different aspects concerning your assumptions about how a business school should feel. For example…
Communication and relating to one another: How do you want to relate to your peers and professors? Would you expect to be able to chat to your professor in the campus café, for example? Or would you feel better if you could book an hour in their office instead?
Liberal or classical style: Do people in your ideal business school community dress casually or more formally and what does that say about their attitudes in your mind? Do you seek to share etiquette with your cohort, or are you more comfortable when ‘anything goes’?
Time management: Do you want things scheduled well in advance or are you invigorated by spontaneous opportunities?
Future orientation: Do you believe that one should plan ahead to succeed? Or are you more inclined towards ‘on the spot’ performance? And which one do you want to learn more about?
Group vs the individual: How much do you want to be immersed in the group identity vs standing out as an individual? Or, to put it another way, do you need to learn more about working in a team or would you rather emphasize your personal performance?
…and many more! These may seem like small things, but they add up to describe the experience of a business school at its fullest. If that all sounds complicated, Unimy’s MBA Cultural Fit uses six dimensions relating to each of these areas, and others, in order to very quickly assess your orientation and find your best MBA fits.
The MBA Cultural Fit discerns all this based on data from some 5,100 surveys completed by current students, alumni, and faculty at business schools considering the very kinds of questions asked in the examples above.
Which brings us to our next piece of advice…
Finding a fit tip #2: Talk with alumni and current students
It’s not just studies into business school culture that need to talk to students and alumni – you do too. You probably already know this, but don’t underestimate it, and knowing how to approach it is key. A few good conversations can be the tipping point in clinching your MBA choice.
Talking to alumni and students is also a way of building your own network. Approach alumni and students at networking events or using LinkedIn and ask to have a quick chat about their MBA.
Don’t forget to use the school’s own resources. Admissions departments will have ways of connecting you with alumni.
If a school has plenty of alumni who are pleased and proud to talk about their experience at a school, that’s a good sign in itself. They will give you a strong sense of the ‘type’ of person who flourishes at the school; and the likely outcomes and trajectories post-MBA. Be mindful to ask relevant questions for cultural fit, such as:
- How diverse was your cohort? Did they come from different industries and backgrounds?
- How did you interact with professors?
- How focused on group work is the program?
- How were you expected to plan and manage your time?
- What are your core values? Did they change through the MBA?
- What do you think your school’s core values are?
Also, many schools and MBA platforms host free webinars where you can hear from and connect with alumni. Yes, these are part of the school’s promotional exercises and you are unlikely to hear the ‘downside’ of a program, but most schools seek a genuine fit and will want to involve alumni who reflect and reflect upon their programs. There are usually opportunities to ask questions and make further connections, from anywhere in the world.
Finding a fit tip #3: Make a visit
Nothing can beat a campus visit in terms of really getting the ‘feel’ for a place and its people. What looked perfect for you on a website, can suddenly feel all wrong in reality. Equally, a school which didn’t rank very highly in your estimations, can quite unexpectedly feel ‘like home’.
Make your shortlist, pin down the information on open days – once again ask Admission departments to help you, and make sure to get there in person. But whilst you are there, what should you look out for?
- Opportunities to talk to students ‘ad-hoc’. Get a feel for the people there and what they think about their experience.
- Check how things are organized – is navigating this space and its systems going to feel natural to you?
- Can you sit in on a lecture or seminar? Some schools may offer this option. See how they teach and how the classroom dynamics work. If not, you can probably find a recording online.
- Can you join a student-run extracurricular event? Get a feel for how people are networking outside the classroom – and take the opportunity to talk to more relevant people.
- Explore the campus surroundings. What amenities, transport links, and areas are nearby? They can make a big impact on your day-to-day experience and how you end up interacting with others and spending your time.
What if you can’t make it to many or any campuses?
If your time, budget, or situation doesn’t stretch to multiple campus visits, you need to max out on your online options. Talking to alumni and students from afar becomes even more important. Ask them about the campus and how they feel there. Consider virtual tours and whether the school offers any ‘taster’ sessions. Can you join an online lecture or seminar? Some schools now offer an insight into part of the program in this way.
Thriving vs. Surviving on your MBA
A good business school will understand that cultural fit isn’t about being all the same, but about sharing common goals, visions, and purposes that make it easy to work together. If you feel aligned with the assumptions of a community and that your voice will be heard and respected, you can focus on your main goals: attaining your best, learning everything there is to learn, and expanding and diversifying your network. This doesn’t always mean you will find everything easy – sometimes we look for a community to challenge us and take us out of our comfort zone – but it should mean that core values are aligned and allow you to flourish. Considering cultural fit consciously will enable your MBA choice.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
