A Look into the Admissions Process from the MIT Sloan Admissions Director

Dawna Levenson, director of the MBA & MFin admissions office at the MIT Sloan School of Management, answers four key questions on the getting into the prestigious US business school.

Who is the ideal candidate for the MIT Sloan MBA Program?

Ideal candidates for the MBA program demonstrate strong academic achievement, professional success, intellectual curiosity, team skills, and leadership attributes along with a passion for MIT Sloan. We admit candidates with many different backgrounds, so there are no particular requirements in terms of academic work and/or professional experience. We look for students who have been successful at whatever they've chosen to do thus far, and can demonstrate it.

How has the profile of your MBA applicant pool changed in recent years?

In the past six years our MBA applicant pool for the MBA program has doubled. The candidates applying to MIT Sloan are stronger than ever. Our MBA applicant pool is more diverse than ever, with even distribution among STEM, humanities and business majors. Average test scores continue to climb.

What is unique about the admissions process at your institution?

We use a behavioral model that looks at past performance as an indicator of future success. Applications are scored using a competency model, where initial reading, then interviews are collecting data to support scores in any given competency. The entire evaluation process is conducted by professional admissions committee members; no faculty, no students. Every MBA applicant admitted is interviewed by a member of the admissions committee.

Do you have any advice for a prospective candidate?

Take the time to research why MIT Sloan is a good fit for you. Come visit us on campus, join us at an event on the road, and connect with current students and alums by following blogs and features on the web. This is a competitive process, and sometimes is more of an art than science, we can easily fill the class with high test scores & GPAs, we really want people who want to be at MIT Sloan. Also don't underestimate the importance of the interview. The interview is a critical part of the evaluation process, take the time to prepare for the interview, familiarize yourself with what a behavioral interview is, and come prepared to talk about examples different from what you included in your written application. Finally, make use of the optional question. We've added this because we find that in interviews, when we ask candidates if there's anything else you'd like us to know, it often has a positive influence on our decision. Now we're giving everyone the opportunity to share something like this – use it!