Everyone is well aware that MBA applications are comprised of several components. But which of these components is the most important? This is a question that weighs on the mind of practically every MBA applicant. Does a high GMAT score guarantee you admission to the top business schools? What about a high undergraduate GPA? How about stellar work experience at a Fortune 500 company? The answer is not really a straightforward one.
The reason is simple. Business schools have their own parameters to evaluate applications. Hence, while one school may emphasize on international experience, another may give more importance to your undergraduate GPA. However, even with these preferences, admissions committees generally adopt a holistic approach when it comes to selecting candidates. The only exception to this rule would be if the candidate has extraordinary achievements.
In general, business schools consider the overall strength of an application rather than allocating a high weightage to any one component. This means that a candidate with a GMAT score of 770 may not automatically qualify for admission. Conversely, an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 won’t necessarily rule out a candidate either. So there is a lot of subjectivity attached to the decision. That’s why MBA aspirants should focus on the application as a whole.
While we’re on this subject, it’s also important to talk about weaknesses. A glaring weakness can be detrimental to your application. Hence, it’s important that you develop strategies to mitigate the risk. So what do you do if your GMAT score is on the lower side? A well written essay may still help you sail through. After all, your score is only a data point whereas a well articulated essay provides a rich account of what you can offer your cohort.
As you can see, essays are a great way of putting forth your case. In fact, we can also argue about their importance as the opposite isn’t true. That is, a poorly written essay will not fly in the face of great scores. At the same time, essays cannot be treated as a panacea for every problem. For instance, a great essay may still not be enough to cover the lack of leadership in your career or compensate for the complete absence of extracurricular activities.
What then matters the most? While every component plays its role and every business school has its preferences, it is you, or more specifically, the overall narrative that you build, that matters the most. And that means allowing your authenticity to shine through. This may come through objective scores or subjective experiences, but ultimately, it has to make you stand out and convince the admissions committee about your value to the MBA program.
LemonEd can help you with all elements of your MBA application.
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