How to Show Fit with Your Top-Choice Schools

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on August 26, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

When applying for business school, you will probably spend the most time carefully refining your application essays. 

Although you might be writing many essays – and your stories and content may sometimes overlap between applications – it is absolutely essential to remember that every b-school is unique!

That means that every school has unique specialties, academic offerings, and—most importantly—core values. Admissions committees are on the lookout for candidates who align with these values and are eager to make the most of program features that aren’t available elsewhere. By the time you begin writing your essays, it is crucial to be familiar with these differences to craft a strong application.

To help you make sure you are expressing how you belong at your top MBA program, we have compiled our top tips for handling fit below!

 

Tip #1: Do your research

While it almost goes without saying, there is one thing you must do before drafting your MBA essays: research your target program.

Each business school offers a unique community whose individual characteristics often vary greatly. For example, Wharton’s culture is known for valuing analytical, precise personalities that are driven to become business leaders. On the other hand, Darden’s community prides itself on its grit and ability to take on immense challenges.

For that reason, it’s important to consider what kind of environment is best for you. Do you thrive under pressure, making Darden an excellent option for you? Or is a collaborative, friendly community more your style? If so, Kellogg’s culture of social impact and changing the status quo might be your dream MBA program.

Additionally, though all MBAs offer you the chance to improve your business administration skills, if you’re particularly focused on one particular area, you may find some schools are more able to meet your needs than others. 

For example, if you want to break into fintech, you might think all schools with strong finance programs would allow you to build the specialized skills you seek. However, this isn’t the case. Instead, you may want to look at the small handful of MBAs who have developed programs or tracks specifically focused on fintech, such as NYU Stern or Cornell Johnson. 

As such, devote some time to exploring the different majors and elective courses your potential target schools offer by browsing their website and course offerings. Not only will this help you select which business schools are right for you, but it will help you strengthen your application.

One thing’s for sure – you must intimately get to know the ins and outs of every MBA program you plan to apply for.

 

Tip #2: Find common values

Connecting with your target school in your MBA essays goes beyond knowing specific classes, clubs, and faculty. It’s about resonating with the school’s core values. After all, our values are the principles that guide our decisions and define what we prioritize in life. Elite business schools, much like individuals, have their own set of core values that set them apart.

For example, MIT Sloan’s core values include an emphasis on analytical thinking and diversity. In contrast, Stanford GSB is really focused on building a community of people who are self-aware, innovative, and driven to change the status quo. 

Of course, many business schools share some common values, too, such as leadership, inclusion, and community. You can often identify what a school’s core values are by checking out its website and mission statements.

But wait – now comes the tricky part!

It is not enough to simply identify the core values of your target MBA program. You must then put that knowledge to use and connect to them in your application essays.

 

Tip #3: Get some advice

Despite thorough research, understanding the key points behind a business school’s brand and identifying what they are looking for in candidates might not always feel so straightforward. Moreover, it might feel like a big challenge to translate that brand into values in the first place.

Similarly, it might feel difficult to recognize how you can connect a school’s core values to your profile and personal brand. In fact, you may be struggling to identify your values in the first place.

However, it is imperative that you understand both how to recognize your target school’s values and your own before you begin writing your admissions essays. Both elements are fundamental parts of your MBA application.

Of course, hiring an MBA admissions consultant is a surefire way to know that you are on the right track in terms of understanding what your target school is looking for and values. Moreover, at Ellin Lolis Consulting, we have years of experience helping clients identify their core values and how their past experiences relate to them.

Of course, seeing how other candidates have expressed those values can be invaluable as well. 

If you are looking for help, don’t hesitate to check out our MBA Resource Center! There, you can find dozens of past successful essays and detailed brainstorming worksheets to help you recognize your values and plan out a winning essay. 

Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join!

 

Tip #4: Be Explicit

Once you have understood the core aspects of your target program – including their program offerings and core values – you can begin finding commonalities between your profile and your top bschool.

For example, if you are applying to Berkeley Haas – which highly values candidates focused on sustainability, community commitment, continual learning, diversity, and human-centered leadership, among many other values! – your experiences helping lead a community garden in your neighborhood could be right up their alley. On top of that, if your goals are focused on sustainable energy, you are sure to find many classes in their curriculum that will tickle your fancy.

Once you have identified commonalities between you and your target MBA program, you can express them explicitly in your application essays. 

There are a few ways to do so. First and foremost, we highly recommend including specific clubs, classes, professors, and excursions that speak to those values. In particular, we suggest including these mentions in your goals essay as you discuss how your target program will benefit you and facilitate essential preparation for achieving your post-MBA goals.

Moreover, you can connect to core values by explicitly focusing on these within your essays. 

For example, if you are applying to Kellogg, where community service is a core value, it would be advised for you to focus on values like “giving back.” If you are also applying to INSEAD, where diversity and globalism are key, it might make more sense to switch your focus a bit towards “inclusivity.” 

To make this explicitly clear, you could think about making that value the theme – or central topic of focus – of your essay. In this sense, you could consider writing about various times in your life that you have lived that value or how that value will be your guiding force as a future professional.

 

Tip #5: Be Implicit (Actions, Not Words)

Let’s take it one step further, though. You do not have to explicitly connect to a school’s core values to show them that you share those values. 

In fact, showing the admissions committee that you share these values via carefully-selected and detailed examples – what we at Ellin Lolis Consulting call stories – can be a much more powerful tool to implicitly demonstrate fit.

Imagine somebody said to you, “Hey, I think it is really important to support minorities.” You might think, “Okay, I guess they think inclusion is important.” 

However, now picture that person coming back and saying, “Hey, I think it is really important to support minorities – I’ve seen the negative effects of those struggling against bias through both colleagues and close friends, which made me really angry. I was so angry that I began a support group at work to make sure everyone had a safe space to talk about bias and even came up with a digital tool that allowed anyone in the company, no matter their position, to anonymously report acts of discrimination and bias so our DEI committee could intervene. I think helping minorities should be a priority in every workplace!” After all of that, you might think, “Wow, if anybody is going to spearhead workplace inclusion, it is them!” Clearly, the second take is much more convincing.

Why? Because it features not just the speaker’s conviction but the actions that stand behind it.

Similarly, by detailing your actions, you not only articulate values like inclusion, but you also provide the admissions committee with evidence of your commitment through examples of situations where you demonstrated these values. Showing your values through your actions—not just words—can help convince the admissions committee that you share common values.

Furthermore, by including stories to underline your theme of one value – let’s stick with the inclusion example above – you can implicitly connect to other core values, too.

For example, although the speaker is focused on inclusion, the audience will not fail to notice that by creating a support group, the speaker helped reinforce and build community within their workplace. Similarly, by building the digital tool, the speaker clearly values approaching problems analytically.

Think of your essay like hitting many birds with one stone: although you might be explicitly talking about one value, you can implicitly talk about many, many others.

 

Tip #6: Go Deep, Not Wide

As you can see, including stories that feature your past experiences and how those have helped you live core values that you share with the school is an excellent way to demonstrate that you belong in their community of like-minded professionals.

However, it can be difficult to tell how much detail you need to include to make your stories persuasive and convince the admissions committee that you are genuinely passionate about your values. Considering the limited word counts that most MBA admissions essays require candidates to adhere to, is it better to include as many examples as possible of how you have lived your core values, even if they are brief?

The answer is short and simple: no.

At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we strongly recommend limiting your examples to ensure you can delve deeply into each one you choose to include. Ideally, each story should be thoroughly explored and structured using the STAR framework

This means including any relevant context, clearly stating the challenge you faced in the experience, detailing all action steps you took to overcome that challenge, and discussing any relevant lessons you learned from the experience. You can also include how you felt in the process and any quantifiable results and then explicitly connect your example to your theme.

Choosing your two or three most relevant examples that highlight your chosen core value will help you create a more compelling argument than merely including as many examples as possible.

Hence, consider including only your best examples in your MBA admissions essay!

 

Tip #7: Show Commitment

To really show the adcom that you mean business (yes, pun intended), it is great to demonstrate fit with the community by showing how you have already taken steps to connect with the community. This demonstrates a deep commitment to your future MBA program since you have clearly dedicated your time and energy to understanding how you can fit in.

One excellent way to do so in your MBA essays is to talk about any campus visits you may have undertaken. Visiting campus is a step we encourage all candidates to take at some point during their MBA application process, as often what looks one way on paper is totally different on campus. 

Visiting the schools is one of the best ways to get a sense of a school’s culture and ultimately determine if it’s somewhere you fit in. If, due to COVID-19 or large international distances, you are unable to travel to the schools, make sure to participate in the numerous online info sessions taking place. Though it’s not quite the same thing as an in-person visit, it’s a great way to learn more about the schools’ programs and culture. 

In addition to mentioning any campus visits or online info sessions in your MBA essays, discussing your connections to current students and alumni can also reinforce your commitment to your school community. Besides, talking to a large group of students and alumni will give you more insights into the school, its pros, and its cons – essential information as you consider your application.

 

Struggling to Make Your MBA Application Stand Out?

The MBA application process can be overwhelming. Between deciding your profile strategy, writing multiple essays, tailoring your resume, and preparing for interviews, it’s easy to feel like your application isn’t capturing the true strength of your profile. The reality is that many applications fail to stand out, and the competition is fiercer than ever. Without the right guidance, you could miss out on your dream school.

But you don’t have to do this alone. With a 98.9% success rate, our expert MBA consultants know exactly how to make your application shine. From crafting compelling stories that showcase your unique experiences to helping you fine-tune every detail, we provide personalized, 1:1 support at every step of the process that ensures you get into your top choice schools. 

That’s the approach we took with Elisa, who was admitted to Columbia Business School. In their words:

“Ellin Lolis MBA Consulting helped me clarify my goals for the future and communicate those ideas effectively in my various essays. I’m confident that their editing suggestions helped me present myself as the best candidate I could be, which led to acceptances at every school to which I applied.

I would highly recommend Ellin Lolis as they were fantastic at helping me flesh out ideas I had in my head in a way that would make the most impact with an admissions committee. I also appreciated the personalized approach.”

If you’re ready to turn your MBA dreams into reality, learn more about working with us here. Let’s work together to craft an application that gets you noticed and accepted into your dream schools!