Tips on applying For a B School - Part II

Transcripts

You will be asked to submit an official transcript from every undergraduate and graduate institution you have attended, regardless of whether you received a degree from the institution. This can require a lot of legwork and time on your part, especially if you have attended several schools. Again, don't wait until the last minute. Many schools will only accept written transcript requests, so you might not be able to call your college's registrar and handle this task over the phone.

The Tests

You will probably be required to take tests - eg GMAT, TOEFL etc. Be sure to-

• Practice before - as far as possible. Note that there are organisations which offer coaching and tuition - see the Links page.
• If you are required to do psychometric tests (eg Personality tests) it will usually be at the time of the interview. You cannot prepare for them in the sense of getting the right answers (if fact you probably will not know what test will be used) - but you can try to do some tests before just to get the feel of them. University Careers officers, and careers guidance organizations normally have tests that you might be able to take - or you might get a book of personality and apptitude tests to try out.
• Remember the normal test/exam guidance - pace yourself - try to complete the full questionnaire/test.
• Schools which use tests attach a lot of importance to them - so should you. Tests (especially GMAT) are a convenient filter for them - to reduce a very large number of applicants to a smaller group for closer scrutiny.
• You may get some group tests/exercises at the time of the interview. You will be given a task and observed. The School will want to see balanced behaviour - i.e. your ability to lead, take decisions and form opinion, as well as to listen to, support and encourage others.

The Interview

If you get this far - you are shortlisted. Its is the critical stage. Think about it before. Get prepared.

• Think about some of the questions you might be asked - and consider how you would answer them - but dont try to prepare answers - they will not seem natural , and you may forget the words.
• The interviewer wants to see what you are like - they do not want an act. They will be trying to decide whether you would 'fit' the program, what you would contribute etc.
• Dress smartly.
• Aim to get there a bit earlier - you might then be able to look around - if it is at the School.
• Show that you have done your 'homework' e.g you have gathered information on the School and the program. You need to know quite a lot about the School and the program - you might get asked questions- just to see how seriously you have gone about you application. Have a file of cuttings, prospectus etc - but dont spread it out on the table!
• When at the end you are asked if you have any questions - dont pull out a long list! Have one or two (at most) good questions - e.g. information which is not in the prospectus.
• Dont behave/question/discus as if you expected to be accepted. Dont talk about 'we' when you refer to the program.
• Know about the cost/fees/funding issues. The Interview is not the time to get into details. The interviwer is not there to help you solve your financial problems. Make it clear that you understand all the cost issues - fees, residence, materials etc.
• Remember the key questions- 'Why do you want to do this MBA?. 'Why do you want to do it now?'

Funding and Scholarships

MBA programs are expensive.You will want to be sure that you can afford it , and the School to which you apply will want to be sure also.

• Make sure you know all the cost implications. The fees are just a part of what it will cost you. If you need a grant or scholarship - start looking early.
• Notice that there are sources of Scholarship info, eg refernece books, listings etc - see the Links page.
• Some Schools will have Scholarship or financial assistance schemes - get all the details before you get too far into the application process.
• If you are dependent on financial assistance - it may well influence what places you can apply to - eg schemes in your own country may only apply to certain other countries, and schemes from the Schools may be restricted to particular types of candidate. Sorting all this out can take a lot of time - so start early.