With an increasing number of applicants applying for highly ranked MBA abroad programme in a good Business school, the competition for getting admission to the sought after MBA abroad has been increasing in each forthcoming academic session. The competition is so tough that more Indian applicants are denied admissions at top B-schools especially in US B schools. According to John A. Byre, founder of Poets & Quants, Indians face higher rejection rates than other nationalities in top rated MBA abroad programmes.
Although B-schools abroad seek candidates from all nationalities and look for diversity in its class profile too many applications from the same pool might be the reason leading to rejection of Indian applicants in MBA abroad admission process. Another major reason is employability of the candidates. Companies look for candidates with good communication skills and someone who can adapt to the culture of the organization. This is where some Indian candidates aspiring for MBA Abroad are struggling according to the admission committee members of some well known B-schools.
GMAT score: Not the sole criterion
Most Indian applicants believe that a GMAT below 700 will hamper their application process in exploring MBA abroad admission and if they score somewhere between 730 to 760 their chances of admission in MBA abroad especially in the top rated B school are secured. This may be true to some extent that a low GMAT can kill your application. But it is not all that matters.
GMAT score is one of the criteria but is not the sole criterion to get into a top MBA abroad programme in a highly ranked B school. An MBA abroad aspirant is supposed to have good academic profile; clear understanding on why you want to do an MBA and that too from that sought after particular B school. Besides be clear on your career goals.
You will be required to write down a well worded essay and share your Career goal essay to justify your pursuit for the MBA abroad program in the desired B school.
It has been observed that Indian MBA aspirants are so involved in their GMAT exams that they end up compromising on their essays and post MBA plans. While GMAT is an important metric, demonstration of employability skill is also required.
Placement suitability
Placement is an important criterion for the reputation of a B-school and they provide all the necessary career support to the candidates. Therefore until and unless they are sure that the candidate seeking admission in MBA abroad has the ability to land up with a suitable job with their placement assistance, they may not admit the student.
Interaction issues
Even though B-schools do not disclose confidential information on admission statistics, some admission committee members did mention that due to language difficulties and difficulty to interact with candidates from different nationalities, many Indian students who got admission in MBA abroad struggled hard to find internships and jobs. This makes them less attractive to employers. Finally this makes it more difficult to obtain work visas. Increasing competition is making it even more difficult. When a B-school sees that the candidate will have difficulty in getting a job, they reject his application.
Too many applicants from same pool
It is a well known fact that the dominating applicant pool from India seeking admission in MBA Abroad programme is from the IT industry and with technical background. There are so many applicants from the same pool that it becomes incredibly difficult for a candidate to differentiate himself from the other common applicants. Moreover, techies also lack in soft-skills as they are too technology oriented. The only way a techie can differentiate oneself from similar applicants is by the career goal essay, the GMAT score, academic records and extracurricular activities, however it has been observed that while drafting the application essays they struggle to reduce usage of technical jargons and thus lack in quality essays.
How to avoid: Do’s & Don’ts
How to be a distinguished MBA abroad applicant and stand out in the common applicant pool is a big question as you will have to demonstrate fit for the MBA abroad programme while exploring admission opportunity in the top rated B school.
If you are from a common applicant pool the only way you can stand out are by clearly communicating your career goals through the career goal essay. You must show that you are different from the rest and is fit for the class. For someone working in an IT firm, it will be difficult to explain why the person wants to shift to Finance or Marketing. Take help of someone who can help you with framing sentences that are easily understood by the admissions committee.
Know your weak points and work on those areas. Improve your communication skills. To be a successful business leader, you have to communicate your ideas across and you have to showcase this skill on your application as well during the interview. Show confidence and abilities to cope up with challenges.
Don’ts: Do not fool the Admission Committee
While making your final plans to pursue MBA abroad and going to submit your essay, do not hire a professional to write the essays on your behalf even if you have to struggle hard in improving your writing skills. Two people will have different thoughts and interpretation. Always remember that the admission committee members are far too experienced and they can very well sense the difference. They will eventually find out that the person writing the essay was not you.
You can however take assistance from counselors to help bring out your thoughts on paper.
Candidates from uncommon backgrounds stand out
A candidate from an unusual background always stands out from the applicant pool. Since the nature of their work and their experiences from the professional front are unique, the admission committee understands they can contribute something different to the class.
Improve employability: Develop your interpersonal skills
In order to understand this, you must first analyze about the attributes an employer is likely to look into while hiring a candidate. Employers look into a variety of attributes such as knowledge and skills in a particular area, analytical skills, language skills, personality, communication skills and adaptability to a different culture. Networking skills and how well you interact with people from different backgrounds is also important.
While basic job requirements will vary from industry to industry, the above mentioned skills are some of the few factors any employer would look into while hiring the most suitable MBA graduate.
Even though you might have scored a high GMAT and excelled in your academics and are searching for the most suitable and the best MBA abroad programme, you may not be regarded employable enough if you do not showcase enough interpersonal skills. Similarly, with a low GMAT score but spirits held high, companies will seek you out. A proactive student is always preferred.
According to alumni of a top tier B-school, Indian candidates pursuing their MBA abroad were seen interacting only with fellow Indians due to lack of networking skills. This was taken note of by the B school and reflected in job interviews which resulted in several job rejections. Advisory, therefore is to develop your communication skills and learn a new language while still in the process of application. When in the business school, make friends and network with peers from other backgrounds.
To summarize, qualifications alone will not help you get into a top rated MBA abroad programme…..you must hone and develop your skills and showcase your experience and abilities.
If you want to know more about how to get into top rated MBA Abroad programme, post your queries on the forum at MBAUniverse.com
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