Tips to Turn in an MBA Finance Application That Will Get You Selected
- Communicate With Your References Before You List Them
- Dedicate Time to Study for the GRE/GMAT
- Highlight Professional Accomplishments
- Focus on Your Statement of Purpose/Intent
- Set the Tone With Your Resume
You can’t earn an MBA in Finance without first being accepted into a program. While studying for your business degree can take anywhere from 18 months to 4 years, the application process can be a bit longer as well. There are many different pieces that make an application complete. So it’s important to start prepping well in advance.
Related Resource: Top 50 Most Affordable Online MBA in Finance Degree Programs
You have to juggle a lot:
- writing essays
- getting personal statements
- registering
- completing graduate-level admissions exams
Because there is so much involved and so much at stake, the Consortium states that applications are ready in August and due in October. Only about 20 percent of students meet the first-round due date. The rest won’t submit their applications until 5 months later, in January. Here are 5 tips to ensure your application is ready to be submitted:
Communicate With Your References Before You List Them
It’s a must to cultivate relationships with:
- mentors
- senior employees
- old professors
This is the only way that you can get legitimate letters of recommendations that don’t look generic. If you’re filling out your references or asking for letters, make sure to keep these professionals in-the-know.
Coach them as much as you can to demonstrate that you’re an exceptional student and professional. You would come off as cocky and biased to say that you are a better choice over your peers. However, your references can do this because they can fairly say that they’ve witnessed and compared. Make sure your referees are always using specific examples in their letters whether it be information from a performance review or from a school project.
Dedicate Time to Study for the GRE/GMAT
An MBA in Finance application isn’t complete without scores for your graduate admissions test. The first thing you have to do is decide which type of exam you’re going to take. There’s the GMAT, which is standard for most top-ranked business schools, and the GRE, which is required at the B-rated schools. Many students take the GRE when they struggle with the GMAT but have great grades.
Whichever you decide to take, be sure that you take time to study after registering for the test. This screening tool has a huge impact on admissions decisions and it’s one of the few things that you have control over. You should practice day in and day out to increase your GMAT score on practice tests to achieve success.
Highlight Professional Accomplishments
One thing that makes MBA programs unique is that your professional experience can work to your benefit. How you’ve performed in school is important. the recruiters also want applicants who have performed well in the profession. If you’re not yet a lead, you can highlight small accomplishments that are outside the norm and demonstrate how good of a leader you will be in the future.
Focus on Your Statement of Purpose/Intent
Your personal essay should be written in a tone that’s true to yourself. You don’t want to fit in some generic mold. Instead, let your authentic self show through all of your writing. Every school is looking for diversity. When discussing your goals for the future and what strengths you’ll use to overpower your weaknesses, try and brand yourself. It will give you leverage.
Set the Tone With Your Resume
Writing a resume is perhaps one of the most frustrating things you can do. Unless you’re an expert resume writer, you never know if you’ve written too much or too little in your objective. You have to provide a resume to go along with your application. Make sure you are specific and always highlight the skills that will be relevant to your role. You don’t need to muddle your resume with technical language as long you are demonstrating why you are the best choice.
Conclusion
Don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to finish every part of your application at once. Put enough attention on one aspect of your application at a time. One week should be focused on speaking to mentors. The next week focus on resume writing. By spacing out the application process, you will get done what you need to enter an MBA in Finance program.
Related Resources:
