How MBA Applicants Can Successfully Apply to Business School

From attending recruitment fairs to writing the best personal statement, the application process can be particularly daunting for aspiring MBA students.

We caught up with Stevens VanDuzer, Director of Graduate Recruiting at Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business, to find out how applicants can maximize their chances of getting accepted into their dream MBA program.

Asking the right questions

VanDuzer advises applicants to refrain from asking generic questions at recruitment fairs, as all the basic information they could need is usually on the school’s website or in the viewbooks distributed at these events.

Instead, he suggests students talk about themselves with a school representative and find out how a certain program might be a good fit for their skills and aspirations.

“I think that’s a better use for your time so that you both learn a bit more about each other,” he says.

Writing the best application

Another key factor to consider when pursuing an MBA program is the written application.

According to VanDuzer, applicants should make sure their resumés and personal statements are tailored to their preferred course, from the experiences they’ve already acquired in relevant study areas to the skills they’ll develop in classrooms, and not simply a summary of their curriculum.

He adds, “It’s a huge missed opportunity if an applicant doesn’t include something that might help us understand that they’ll be successful here at our school.”