When applying for an MBA program, every candidate must meet the same basic requirements: a bachelor’s degree, letters of recommendation, essay responses and the like. Some schools appreciate a good GMAT score, and/or a stellar academic record, but that’s about it; these are the mere basics of an MBA application.
However, that’s not all that they are looking for. The topmost business schools all across the globe pay attention to your profile, that’s true, but they are also looking for well-rounded individuals with certain special traits that set them apart from others, and prove that they are a correct fit for the management curriculum. Here’s a list of some of the top qualities of qualified MBA students:
Passion
When you hear passion, you may think of being energetic and enthusiastic about something. Contrary to popular belief, passion does not only involve energy and enthusiasm; it involves sacrifice, suffering and staying firm on your chosen path by force of sheer will and choosing to do it every single day for the rest of your life.
The admission committee is looking for individuals who are able to commit to a cause, personal and/or professional, and then keep at it, without stopping at anything.
Leadership
A management graduate must exhibit good leadership qualities, everyone is well aware of that. However, you need to convince the admission committee that you possess the skills required of a leader, while also letting them know that you are a team player; being a leader means nothing if you don’t have followers, right?
Give concrete examples from your past experiences to put your point across. If you fail to find any such examples from your past, try and come up with situations where you made an impact, left your mark.
Clarity of vision
Business schools are interested in candidates who are clear about their future goals, as well as how exactly they are going to get there. If you are confused about your goals, chances are, you are confused about your reasons for doing MBA, and no school would offer up a seat to someone without clarity in lieu of someone who does.
Problem solving skills
Despite of how good or bad you are at mathematics (and with an impressive GMAT score, you are pretty good at it), business schools are looking for those who have the innate ability to problem solve. If you can use your past experience to provide examples of your ability to solve problems as they come, you’re good.
Creativity
Ideas are the need of the hour in any and every industry, and the management industry is no different. Schools are looking for individuals who are capable of thinking out of the box, and can produce ideas that can revolutionise already existing practices, or birth new ones altogether. You can refer to your past experiences to identify instances where you demonstrated creativity, or produced an idea that provided a non-conventional solution to a problem.
So there you go, these are some of the qualities that business schools are looking for, apart from all the scores and essays.
