You’ve got an interview with a Master of Business Administration (MBA) admissions committee coming up. Congratulations on getting this far – and it’s time to put up your guard. If you want that MBA how not to annoy the adcom becomes key to your strategy.
At The MBA Exchange, we’ve got a bunch of former adcoms on our team, and we know what to ask adcom MBA members to avoid tanking your candidacy. Take some pointers from us on how to impress an MBA admissions committee, and watch out for the pitfalls and errors below.
How MBA adcoms can affect your admissions chances
Any time you get to talk to an adcom, be it in an interview or over the phone, you need to be on and ready. Annoying an adcom affects your application MBA success. These are the people you want to impress an MBA admissions committee, not turn off!
3 things you should never say to an MBA adcom
In order, to avoid damaging your own chances. Here’s a helpful list of things you shouldn’t ever ask adcoms in communication.
Is my GPA high enough?
Questions for MBA adcoms that ask for this kind of validation come off as insecure. If you’re trying for a top MBA program with a low GPA, you need to have a plan of attack that counterbalances that weakness with other strengths.
Do I need to retake the GMAT?
Again, that’s on you. Figure out what test scores you need for your target programs and how you’re going to make the grade. (Talk to The MBA Exchange team about these. Types of questions we can help you figure it all out!)
What do you look for when doing a background check?
Background verification is a tricky part of the application process that causes anxiety in the hearts of many. But, it’s not a good look to show that anxiety to an adcom. Check-in with an admissions consultant instead.
Things the MBA adcoms hate
Here are a few more things you should watch out for during interviews, phone calls, etc.
Not answering the question
Adcoms ask the interview and essay questions they do for a reason and are typically looking for a straight answer. Talking around awkward topics just makes them more obvious as an issue.
Asking adcom about your chances of admission
You and the adcoms you’ll interact with as you pursue MBA admission both know why you’re there. To get into a top MBA program and increase your earning potential, networking opportunities, and hard business skills.
It’s gauche to talk about these topics too directly. You could seem unpolished or needy. In the business world, you need to be able to play the game without giving your whole hand away. Don’t blow it at this point by hassling adcoms for immediate validation.
Contacting the adcom all the time
It’s good to show interest, but no one likes a nag. Only contact adcoms strategically to avoid becoming an annoyance.
Pushing for feedback
It’s tempting to press adcoms for direct feedback or assessments of your profile. Don’t. If you need feedback, working with an experienced MBA admissions consultant is much more likely to be effective for your goals. And, if you need to figure out what went wrong with a failed application and approach the MBA application deadlines soon, that’s a task for an MBA admissions consultant, as well.
The right questions for MBA adcoms
Your b-school applications and interviews need to show you off, not risk embarrassing you. You want to have the right questions for MBA adcoms figured out before you get in too deep and become a potential annoyance.
At The MBA Exchange, we specialize in helping candidates frame their credentials and questions for the maximum positive impact. Before rapidly approaching MBA application deadlines, get in touch with our team and start working out the details of your application plan, timeline and goals.
Start with a free, confidential evaluation of your candidacy from our team, and let’s go from there!
