As a presenter on the Admissions Panel at the Toronto MBA Fair this weekend, I was asked what my one piece of advice would be for candidates approaching the MBA admissions process. Rather than provide an operational tip about essays or résumé formatting, I highlighted something that is near and dear to my personal leadership philosophy. Many candidates said my advice resonated with them, which is why I want to share these thoughts with you!
Don’t Lose Sight of Who You Are
My tip? When approaching the admissions process be confident in the unique value you will bring to the Program and be sure to convey your authentic self throughout the process.
There are many, many reasons why this overarching comment is relevant for candidates. I absolutely appreciate that you will employ every possible strategy to increase your chances of being admitted to your top choice School. However, that same desire/pressure also causes many candidates to develop a belief that there is somehow a perfect “candidate persona” that the School wants to see, and this false belief then drives the way they approach the admissions process. Unfortunately, many candidates try to present the image they think the School wants and, in doing so, lose sight of the authentic and unique value they actually bring to the table. It’s one thing to put up this “show” to get admitted, but it would be nearly impossible to maintain this act for two years as a student in the Program – it would be exhausting!
Why It Pays to Be Your Authentic Self
I hope that you will be confident in your unique value and own that position both in the admissions process and throughout the MBA experience. We have NO marking guides to screen for ‘perfect’ candidates, so there is NO penalty for truly being yourself – but there is tremendous upside.
One of the things I love most about Rotman’s culture is how seamlessly everyone at the School embraces diversity, or in MBA-language, “non-traditional candidate profiles.” So, my advice for aspiring Rotman candidates is to embrace the things that make you distinctive and highlight them throughout the process.
The Rotman community takes great pride in celebrating individuality. Now that you know how much this is valued – not only be the Admissions Committee, but by everyone you will encounter at Rotman – we sincerely hope you will be your authentic self while applying to the Full-Time MBA program.
Hi, Niki,
Thank you for the tips. I\’m planning to apply for Rotman\’s MBA program of intake in 2014. I got my bachelor\’s and master\’s degree from one of the Top20 university in mainland China, with GPA higher than 3.5. My overall IELTS score was 7.0, and I\’m preparing for GMAT now.
I had worked for two and half years in a local company as a marketing staff. Recently, I quitted my job to get enough time to preparing for GMAT and make some trip all over the country, since the workload of my recent job was heavy while both preparing for the test and having a trip are time consuming.
However, I\’m wondering if the status of unemployment for several months will undermine my competitiveness in applying for Rotman\’s MBA program. I really worry about it. Should I find a new job as soon as possible before my application? I\’ll appreciate it if you would kindly give me some advice.
Yours truly,
Richard Hu
Hi, Niki,
I’m thinking about applying for Rotman’s MBA program of intake in 2014. I got my bachelor’s and master’s degree from one of the Top20 university in mainland China, with GPA over 3.4/4.0. My overall IELTS score was 7.0, and I’m preparing for GMAT now. I worked for two and half years in a local company as a marketing staff.
Recently, I quitted my job to get enough time to preparing for GMAT and make some trip all over the country, since the workload of my recent job was heavy while both preparing for the test and having a trip are time consuming.
However, I’m wondering if the status of unemployment for several months will undermine my competitiveness in applying for Rotman’s MBA program. I really worry about it. Should I find a new job as soon as possible before applying? I’ll appreciate it if you would kindly give me some advice.
Yours truly,
Richard
Sorry, Niki. I couldn’t see the reply I posted on April 27, so that I posted it again several minutes ago. After submitting, I saw both of my replies. There must be some bugs in the computer system. Sorry for that.
Richard
No problem Richard. Thank you for your question! At the core, applying to business school while being unemployed isn\’t necessarily a \”dealbreaker\” or major issue. This can be out of your control, and in many cases is a character-building experience 🙂
In your case, think about how you position this gap as you will likely encounter questions in the admissions process about the intensity/rigour of the Program experience so demonstrating an ability to handle stress, manage your time, etc is an important part of the process. I hope this feedback helps!
Hi, Niki,
Your feedback is very helpful. Thanks a lot.