Hello P&Q readers, and welcome to my advice column. My name is Karen Marks, and I’m the founder and president of North Star Admissions Consulting. I’ve been helping people get into the school of their dreams since 2012. Prior to that, I served as the Associate Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business. In both roles, my goal is to give people the accurate inside information they need to succeed and make the right decisions. Please feel free to ask me anything. Any topic is fine.!
This month I would like to answer one of the most frequently asked questions I get asked in interviews:“How can I improve my chances of getting into business school with a scholarship?”
I get it. Business school is expensive. So is admissions consulting, and applicants naturally care about the ROI on both. Since 2012, I’ve helped clients secure over $70 million in scholarships, including full tuition, primarily at M7 and top 15 schools. I know how to help you get into the best schools and what you need to do to win the scholarships.
- Make sure your goals are clear and consistent.
Articulating what you want to do after graduation and why you need to go to business school to get there is a core part of any successful application, but it can be surprisingly difficult. Your goals should be ambitious yet realistic, aligned with your interests and values, and specific enough to be understandable but not so specific that you come across as rigid. There’s a lot to manage, and if your goals don’t resonate with the committee, you’re unlikely to get in.
- Apply to the right schools (for the right reasons). Bachelor’s degree.
When I interview candidates who are applying to all of the M7, I worry that they can’t really explain why they’re interested in each school. It’s not that I don’t understand why prestige and brand recognition is important, and there are good reasons why these schools are popular and have very strict selection criteria, but each school is quite different from the others, and not all 7 (or all of the top 15, etc.) are equally suitable.
Why is this important? If you can’t clearly explain what you can bring personally to each school, and demonstrate that you understand the school’s particular culture and curriculum, your application will simply not be competitive.
Moreover, for most applicants, it makes sense to widen your net. I’m not saying you should apply to schools that aren’t worth it to you. Rankings aren’t everything when it comes to the value of a degreeand personal fit/ROI are important factors for any solid school list, and if you want to maximize your chances of winning a scholarship, apply to schools where you are perceived to be strong.
- Don’t be overconfident.
We’ve all seen the numbers showing that applications to business schools are declining. This is an undeniable fact, but the vast majority of applicants, most of whom are well qualified on paper, still get rejected. Don’t assume (and don’t let anyone make you believe) that you deserve admission. Business schools, especially top schools, can fill their classes many times over with candidates who have grades, scores, and experience above the class average. Admissions committees don’t like arrogance. Be humble and put in the effort to submit a well-thought-out application.
The first-round deadlines come up early, which is generally to the applicant’s advantage, especially if you’re hoping for a scholarship, as putting together a strong application takes time. Don’t underestimate the process.
If a school doesn’t know you well, they probably won’t feel the need to accept you and they’re unlikely to offer you a scholarship. Make sure you talk about what’s really important to you and address any shortcomings head on.
Haha! But seriously, with multiple 100% tuition waiver offers, helping people get into their dream schools is incredibly rewarding. If you want to be sure you’re doing everything you can to maximize your chances of success, give me a call.
Karen She has over 15 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. North Star Admissions Consulting As of 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to some of the top schools in the country, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, North Carolina, UCLA, Georgetown, and many more. Her clients have won over $70 million in scholarships, and over 98% have been accepted to their first choice schools. MBA Application Scholarships.
