How to Prepare for an MBA Event

Updated October 13, 2017 Updated October 13, 2017

If you can't make a campus visit, MBA events allow you to meet admissions officers without leaving your home turf. Most of the admissions officers at MBA Events are decision makers, and if you make a good impression they may contact you after receiving your application. Meeting an admissions officer at an event may sound nerve-wracking, but it will be much easier if you've done your homework ahead of time.

Research the business schools you'll be meeting with. This will help you ask more informed questions and allow the admissions officers to make the most of your time. Find out the key facts about the school before you come to the event such as the amount of work experience they require, the average student GMAT score, program types, and campus locations. Our school profiles section is a good source for this information, and you should also check out the websites for each business school as well.

Come up with questions ahead of time, write them down, and bring them with you to the event. This will allow you to make sure that you get to learn about the aspects of the school that matter most to you. Asking questions isn't a substitute for doing research, especially since you only have a limited amount of time to meet with representatives from each school. If you see something during your research that you want to learn more about, however, be sure to ask about it at the meeting.

Dress appropriately. Sometimes event organizers will tell you how to dress. Connect 1-2-1 attendees, for example, are advised to come to the event in formal dress. Even if you aren't told how to dress, you should always wear professinal attire and never come in wearing jeans and a t-shirt.

Bring business cards, copies of your resume, a notebook and a pen. Not everyone remembers to print out resumes. Make sure your resume is printed on nice paper. A notebook and pen will allow you to take notes so you can have a record of what happened at the meeting.