The Most Important Part of the MBA Application Is…

Every day, we receive e-mails and phone calls from potential new clients. They often go something like this: “I have a 2.9 GPA, 680 GMAT, and four years of work experience in consulting. I’ve been promoted twice; I have good extracurriculars. What are my chances?” B-school hopefuls then want to find out what is the most important part of the MBA application. Is it the GMAT score, undergraduate transcript, essays, interview, letters of recommendation, or something else entirely?

What part of the MBA application is *most* important?

Everyone wants to know what to focus on in their application and how their circumstances rate. Top business schools don’t admit you based purely on your statistics, though they count quite a bit.

While a 550 GMAT or a 2.5 GPA will raise a red flag at an MBA program like the Stanford Graduate School of Business, a 700 GMAT and a 3.6 GPA make you a strong candidate. But even someone with an 800 GMAT score and a perfect GPA can get rejected at an elite MBA program.

Ask most admissions committee members, and they will tell you that it’s the sum of many pieces—there is no one “most important” part of the MBA application.

The top schools want to know who you are, and statistics and a résumé don’t tell them that.

It’s the essays, interviews, and recommendations that ultimately reveal the person beyond the paper. Compelling essays, recommendations, and interviews can provide context for a low GMAT score or GPA. But the reverse is not true. As Stacy Blackman recently shared with Find MBA, strong numbers will never make up for weak essays or a disorganized, negative recommendation.

Time to reevaluate your shortcomings

Some say the most critical part of the application is your so-called “weakest” part. One weakness could completely change how admissions committee members perceive your application.

Indeed, many admissions officers urge applicants to be upfront about their shortcomings. Everyone has weaknesses. You’re better off acknowledging and incorporating them into your application than hoping the person reading your application will miss them.

While we doubt that many business school admissions committees would formally support this statement, we would cast our vote for essays as the most important part of your application.

Why MBA essays carry so much weight

The essays allow the admissions committee to discover the real you. It’s where you write why an MBA makes sense as the next step of your career path. Also, it’s how you differentiate yourself from everyone else who scored in the 700s on their GMAT.

The essays are your opportunity to present your strengths and explain your weaknesses. They also go a long way toward convincing the adcomm that you have a lot to offer the program and that you belong in their class.

The essays are also consistent among all applicants. In that way, they are less difficult to evaluate and compare. All candidates receive the same set of questions. The same group of admissions members reviews those answers. This creates a level playing field that can simplify the review process.

Interviews are very different in that they’re all handled by different types of individuals with unique approaches.

Recommendations vary as well. While all applicants do their best to find great recommenders, some work with MBAs who understand the process. Others work with people who have no idea what to write.

You should know that most applicants to the top schools are qualified because they would be able to handle the curriculum and benefit from the program. The essays are each individual’s opportunity to talk about their true self.

The most important part of the MBA application is…You

Finally, you need to demonstrate that you are more than merely qualified to be admitted. It’s the story you put together about your goals, passions, and prior experience—and how business school fits into the mix—that will make all the difference for you. Once you assemble that story, we can better answer the question: “What are my chances?”

***

Want to discover the best way to address weaknesses and strengths in the MBA app? Hop over to Stacy’s post in US News & World Report for pro tips.