UPDATE: This article was originally posted on September 20, 2021. It has been updated with new information and tips below.
If you’re just starting to think about applying for an MBA, you may be overwhelmed with just how complex the process is. There are so many things that go into a successful application, which is why we created this series to walk you through all of the crucial steps of your MBA application process.
Today, we’re zooming in on filling out the application forms. As a major milestone in your application journey, it is imperative to make sure your online application forms are filled out correctly and in a way that maximizes the value you add to your overall profile.
If you missed our previous posts in this series, no worries! You can catch up by clicking the links below:
MBA Application Fundamentals – Part 1: Creating your Test Strategy
MBA Application Fundamentals – Part 2: Choosing your Schools
MBA Application Fundamentals – Part 3: Defining your Profile
MBA Application Fundamentals – Part 4: Securing Letters of Recommendation
MBA Application Fundamentals – Part 5: Crafting your Essays
General MBA application tips
While filling out the application form may seem like a simple task in comparison to crafting your resume, writing your essays, and preparing for interviews, we generally recommend that our clients fill out their application forms 2-3 weeks in advance.
This is not only to avoid technical issues but also to ensure you have enough time to read through the questions and find answers to anything you might need to research. If you are unsure about any aspect of the application forms, it’s a good idea to get in touch with someone who can give you advice. This may be your MBA consultant, or it may be someone at the admissions office.
Lastly, be sure that your responses in your application forms align with the information in your essays. The last thing you want is to have crafted a great personal brand and story, and then the admissions committee sees a contradiction in your application form!
Step 1: Application basics
Application forms will ask whether you have applied previously and contain questions about your personal information, such as contact information, citizenship, and family information. Some schools may ask you for more specific information, but these are the topics that almost always come up.
While these responses will be relatively straightforward, it goes without saying that you should be as honest as possible to avoid any complications. For optional information that you do not feel comfortable sharing, such as gender/sexual orientation, you will not be penalized for choosing not to answer.
Step 2: Your resume/CV
Make sure that you are attaching a well-designed resume with great content and just the right amount of detail. Before you attach the CV that you’ve used for your job applications, think again! An MBA CV is very different from a professional one.
You will want to be sure your resume is succinct but with enough quantifiable proof of your achievements to really emphasize your career’s proudest moments. For more on how to create a CV that will impress MBA adcoms, see our page on writing MBA CVs.
Step 3: Employment
If there is an employment section on the application, you will need to provide a summary of your most recent work and most relevant accomplishments.
For this section, don’t replicate entries from your CV — that is wasting your time and that of the adcom. Instead, use this as an opportunity to showcase the most important aspects of your experience so that when the readers go through the rest of the application, they know what to relate your stories to.
You will also want to craft this section in a way that shows how you stand out from other applicants. Make sure you are not only emphasizing specific accomplishments but also your leadership capacities and greatest strengths and values.
Step 4: Post-MBA information
Once again, be sure that the information you summarize here aligns perfectly with what you are stating in your goals essay or goals section of your personal statement.
When choosing what you highlight, focus on the most important aspects that you want the readers to know before they dive into your essays. This includes your role, industry, and desired actions and achievements.
Step 5: Education
This section will require you to provide information on your high school, undergraduate, and non-degree education. Some schools will ask for specific courses you have taken so they can assess your preparedness for certain classes, particularly analytical ones.
Be aware that you will most likely have to upload a transcript, so be sure you have planned out enough time to request this information in advance.
Step 6: Extracurricular activities
While not all applications ask questions about your extracurricular activities, it is an increasingly common inclusion on schools’ forms. This is because this aspect of your profile shows how well-rounded you are and highlights your commitment to your values.
If you are involved in many extracurricular activities, you will most likely have to pare down your choices to three or so. When deciding which to include, be sure you are choosing the ones that best complement your theme and ideas expressed in other areas of your application. For example, if your theme is about promoting environmental sustainability, it would be best to focus on volunteering activities that have involved environmental impact rather than teaching experience.
If you’re unsure whether your theme has been articulated robustly enough to unify your application materials, consider checking out our MBA Resource Center for successful examples and guides to elevate your writing!
Step 7: Awards & distinctions
For the awards and distinctions section, you want to highlight the ways that you have been recognized for your achievements.
Again, for this section, you will likely have to limit the items you can list, so be sure to choose the most impressive and relevant awards/distinctions to your profile, goals, and experience. When deciding what to include here, think of the awards that most accurately reflect your impact and/or values!
Step 8: Essays
After all the work you have done writing your MBA essays, you want to make sure you upload them correctly to the application form!
As you do this, make sure you have the right version and that it is in a format supported by the school’s application platform — this should be listed by the upload button.
Our team at Ellin Lolis Consulting is full of experts committed to making sure your entire application, including your essays, will lead you to success and into your dream school. Learn more about how we can support you with this here. You can also check out all of the helpful resources on essay writing that we’ve created!
Step 9: Test scores
Your GMAT or GRE score is another key aspect of almost all MBA applications. Be sure you read the instructions carefully on how to report your scores — some will only want overall scores, while others may ask for details on specific components.
Schools will also likely require non-native English speakers to upload their language test scores. Most schools accept the TOEFL, while others only accept the IELTS or PTE, so be sure you have this figured out well in advance!
Get a professional to ensure your application is perfect!
Filling out the application is the most important part of the whole MBA application process. While you may get to this stage and think you are in the clear, especially after months of hard work writing essays and preparing documents, executing your application form successfully may not be as easy as you have anticipated!
What’s more, as you will be completing your application form in the last stages of a complex process, you may easily forget some of the essentials. Luckily, our team here at Ellin Lolis Consulting has just the expertise you need to ensure that you have covered all your bases and are summarizing everything in a way that grabs the adcom’s attention and accurately points to your strengths.
If you are in need of help filling out your application, we offer hourly services that are ideal for those who just need to tie up loose ends on their application. You can buy 5 or 10-hour blocks that can be used for any of our consulting services, including application form review.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
