No matter how meticulously you are in planning out your application to a business school, it still involves a huge leap to go from planning to actually executing these plans. Take your MBA personal statement for example. You may spend hours, days, weeks even, just thinking of how to write your MBA personal statement; the theme you’ll focus on, the angle of presenting information, etc. But when it comes to the actual writing of your MBA personal statement, you’ll find that it’s still no easy task no matter how much you got your concepts down pat.
This is where MBA admissions consultants come in. These are people who help out MBA applicants in the various processes of their MBA applications. Aside from editing your MBA personal statement, admissions consultants also offer other services to prepare you for your MBA application. These other services include mock interviews, resume editing, GMAT review, etc. International students often seek the help of MBA admissions consultants not only to edit their MBA personal statement, but also to get familiarized with the academic environment and processes in the US. However, the purpose for which applicants often hire MBA admissions consultants is to help them write their MBA personal statement.
The difference between hiring a regular writer or editor and an MBA admissions consultant is that the latter has years of experience in helping applicants draft their MBA personal statement. An MBA admissions consultant will give you an objective and informed criticism of your MBA personal statement, and give you insider information on which information you should include in your MBA personal statement.
A lot of admissions committee members say that what they look for in an MBA personal statement is a factoid, an interesting tidbit about the applicant that would convince them to admit the applicant into their business school. An effective way to do this is to include an interesting, unusual story in your MBA personal statement that reflects your individuality and shows your passion for the industry. Using insider knowledge, an admissions consultant can help you present this unusual story in a way that would make your MBA personal statement stand out. A lot of admissions consultants are actually former members of admissions committees from business schools, so they can tell you which storytelling methods are effective.
When choosing an MBA admissions consultant, it would help to check out MBA student forums on the internet and see what they have to say about the admissions consultants that helped them. Make sure you also check if their rates are affordable, and are within the amount you’re willing to spend for that much-needed MBA help.
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Loads of money. Prestige and honor. Entrepreneurship. These are just some of the reasons that people have for applying to business schools. Whatever your reason may be, it is something that you would have to defend and elaborate on in your MBA personal statement.
An MBA personal statement is an essential requirement that you must meet when applying to business schools. Also called statement of purpose or application essay, an MBA personal statement is used to assess whether the applicant possesses the skills needed for the program s/he applied for. Aside from providing a personal backgrounder and discussing your goals, one of the commonly tackled topics in an MBA personal statement is why you chose a specific MBA program from that school.
There are different types of MBA degrees that you can choose from depending on your time availability, financial resources, and focus of study. Assess your options well before choosing which MBA degree to take, because your choice of program will constitute a significant part of your MBA personal statement. If the reason you’re pursuing an MBA is to make gazillions of money and you fear this isn’t a good reason, don’t worry. You can still justify this reasoning in your MBA personal statement. Listed below are some tips on structuring your MBA personal statement according to the type of MBA degree you’re applying for:
One-year or Two-year Full-time MBA Degrees
Full-time MBA degrees are the most demanding in terms of time and financial resources. Applicants aiming for full-time MBA degrees should clearly state in their MBA personal statement why a full-time degree is the most suitable for them. An MBA personal statement for full-time MBA degrees should also show the applicant’s commitment and focus to getting an MBA degree.
Executive MBA Degree
The MBA personal statement of someone applying for an executive MBA degree should include professional achievements and explanation of career progress. Executive MBA degrees are designed for managers, executives, and working business professionals, which implies that the applicant should have years of work experience and a business track record. In this case, the applicant’s MBA personal statement should also explain whatever inconsistencies there may be in the applicant’s professional and business records.
Specialty MBA Degree
When aiming for a specialty MBA degree, your MBA personal statement should include detailed explanations of why you want to specialize in that field. Specialty MBA degrees involve highly targeted training programs, so your MBA personal statement should show your fiery passion for that chosen field.
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It shows in an applicant’s MBA personal statement if she/he doesn’t have the slightest idea of what to expect in MBA school. One of the most common MBA personal statement questions that business schools ask is how applicants intend to use their MBA degrees to achieve their short-term and long-term career goals. From this question alone, admissions committees can already gauge from the MBA personal statement whether applicants are serious in pursuing an MBA education from their institution.
This is why an MBA personal statement is an important MBA admission requirement. It allows admissions committees to see whether the applicant is worthy to be accepted into their institution’s academic community above all the other applicants. Providing definitive answers in your MBA personal statement regarding what you expect to gain from your MBA degree will show that you have done your research, and that you are prepared to face the difficulties you will encounter in the course of your MBA education.
One of the things you can expect to get from an MBA degree is valuable, extensive knowledge about different aspects of business. MBA schools provide this to students not just through lectures on business theories, concepts, and strategies, but also through internships and training. You will learn how to apply your knowledge and skills in a real-world business operation setting. You can mention in your MBA personal statement how you intend to use the knowledge you’ll gain from internships when you go out and venture into marketing, finance, entrepreneurship, etc.
An MBA education will also hone your leadership and management skills. MBA degrees involve tons of presentations, group projects, writing assignments and reports, and training. These will teach you how to deal with people from different backgrounds and in the context of real-life business situations. Keeping all these in mind, you should then write an MBA personal statement that includes how you look forward to facing these challenges. Your MBA personal statement should also include details on your experiences and how you dealt with similar situations.
Another commonly asked MBA personal statement question is how and what you can contribute to the school’s community and the learning experience of your fellow students. In this part, your MBA personal statement should reflect your networking and communication skills.
Most importantly, your MBA personal statement should explain why you believe an MBA degree from that specific institution is the key element in helping you bridge the gap between your goals and where you are now. Tempting as it may be to gush about the institution’s academic excellence, make sure your MBA personal statement reflects realistically what you think and feel about your pursuit of an MBA degree.
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