Top Tips to Boost Your Profile for a US MBA

For a successful MBA application to a top business school, it’s important for you to have something unique in your profile. At the same time, be mindful of pursuing activities for the sake of filling up your essay.

If you are one among the over-represented Indian, IT, male population, joining an NGO might not really help you stand out, as lots of your peers will have NGO experience on their CVs. Pick something unique that will stick in the minds of the admission committee.

Once you figure out one or more activities that you like, first, pursue that for a significant duration so that you have richer experiences to share. In addition, understand the art of storytelling. With a little practice and guidance, you can master the art of presenting your story in an authentic and unforgettable way.

We have compiled a list of 23 activities that you can explore to strengthen your application.

Review the incoming class profile of some of the schools you’re interested in. Also check out the student profiles featured on that school’s website.

Gauging where you stand against their pool of students is an important step. If incoming students average 3 years of work experience, you know you need to build more professional experience before applying. Look at their level of community engagement, post-MBA career vision, international exposure, etc.

Once you have a clear picture of the gaps between where you are now and where you need to be in order to be competitive for the school in question, you can set yourself up with an action plan, ideally over two years. Start building leadership and community impact, try to get assigned to an international role, earn a promotion or two, manage and mentor others.

Work on your public speaking skills with different audience formats: one-on-one, to a small group (2-10), and to a large group (10+). Master the art of speaking in public. Volunteer to speak in front of groups, whenever you can. Join the Toastmasters club, if you can.

The GMAT, as we all know, is a test standard that many B-schools adhere to and value. Ensuring you score high on your GMAT should be a priority as it can definitely tip the admission scales in your favor.

There are numerous ways to improve your fluency in the English language, whether it be reading many books or taking a course in the English language.

Mastering the English language is something that could help you go a long way, not only in terms of getting into your dream B-school, but also with your career.

Work on your writing skills. You’d be surprised how many of your peers have awesome ideas but cannot explain them in writing. Don’t be one of them.

Start connecting with the alumni chapters of the universities that you want to apply to. Take the time to find out about whether or not your potential university has this kind of event. Meeting alumni will give you a good sense of the school’s strengths and whether it is aligned with your interests and career goals. Asking alumni about their own admission process will give you some great insights into the attributes the school looks for in prospective students and how to go about ensuring you possess these attributes.

Read More - Comprehensive Guide to studying MBA in USA

Irrespective of where you decide to do this, try to get a gig leading a project. Bonus points if it involves managing people, budgeting, meeting goals, scheduling, and planning. MBA admission officers are always pleased with students who have sufficient project management experience under their belts.

If you can, spend time in other countries. As someone who speaks more than one language, you automatically have the attention of the business school. Develop your global viewpoint and you will be all the more ready for international business.

Get involved in your community!

Volunteer to help others. Start a group to help others. You could conduct seminars and raise the awareness of school kids on issues like drug abuse, sexual abuse, adolescent health, online privacy and safety, etc.

This is an opportunity to show that you have a viewpoint beyond your professional work. You can demonstrate your commitment towards social responsibility, your ability to take initiative and your organizational and leadership skills.

Demonstrate your ability to lead by stepping forward whenever you can. Learn how to manage people, budgets, and / or projects. One of the major reasons people pursue an MBA is to land a management position at a great company. By showcasing some experience in leadership, you’ve already got your foot in the door.

Given the limited opportunities for non-IT career opportunities as well as the difficulty in landing a leadership role, you may consider studying MIS.

MIS is the middle ground between engineering and management. MIS is also cheaper and easier. Moreover, your prior work-experience remains relevant to career opportunities after you complete your degree.

This is not the case with an MBA. If you were a software programmer before you completed your MBA and get a marketing role post-MBA, your years spent as a software engineer are of little use.

If you’ve had to give up your favorite sport to crack some entrance test or focus on your career, well, it’s time to pick up where you left off. Join people in your neighborhood or workplace, or playing something you used to enjoy!

Sports will help you work on your individual excellence as well as teamwork to achieve a common goal. Check-out Playo.co, GroundWala.in or Athletto.com. For more options, perform a Google search.

Learning a new language will help you stand out, as business schools are increasingly focusing on diversity in their classrooms. With an app like DuoLingo, you can acquire a working knowledge of a new language – Spanish, French or German – while you are traveling or waiting in a queue.

Today, launching a new venture is really easy – you can start with a free WordPress blog. This will give you invaluable experience in marketing, sales, service delivery and customer support – basically most of the things that you are going to learn in your MBA.

Joining a startup will give you immense opportunities to learn about different aspects of businesses including marketing, sales, service delivery and customer support. If you have worked for a startup, you could demonstrate your ability to take risks, work in an uncertain environment, and leadership.

Even if you are unable to join a startup full-time, figure out a way to join a startup as an intern / on a part-time basis. You will have so much more to write about in your essays or talk about during your interviews.

You can re-engage with your Alma Mater – school / college / university – in a variety of ways including guest lectures, fundraisers, by organizing local alumni chapters, mentoring current students and connecting with other alumni.

Read More - Comprehensive Guide to studying MBA in USA

By referring to newspapers or Facebook events, or by simply Googling, you can find out about conferences and events related to your job. Attend at least some of them. You will not only gain knowledge, but can network with professionals in your industry, while also learning about trends and opportunities. You will also gain a broader perspective that you can write about in your essays and talk about in your interviews.

Become a member of the Resident Welfare Association for your housing society. You can take up the role to conduct monthly meetings, organize social events for elders or cultural events for kids or run a charity campaign for those people who are socially disadvantaged from the neighborhood. There is no limit to the amount of good you could do for your community.

If you are still in college and interested in building your profile for an MBA, participating in one or more extracurricular activities can significantly enhance your profile. Whether it involves participating in Model UN or a hobby, these activities portray you as a more well-rounded candidate.

Additionally, you should also join the entrepreneurship cell at your college if it exists. Campus ambassador programs are also a great option to explore as these can definitely enhance your profile.

Participate in cross-functional and cross-organizational events at your work. You would have an opportunity to plan, coordinate and delegate work without any formal structure.

For example, participating in the recruitment process. You can help define selection criteria, participate in the selection interview and work closely with HR and other cross-functional teams.

Similarly, you can participate in training new employees and conduct training sessions in your areas of expertise. You can mentor new employees and help them with their on-boarding process.

Pursuing a range of courses, either online or by physically attending classes, to fill in knowledge gaps from your education or work experiences could be a great idea. You can also opt for courses that develop useful skills that are highly valued for MBA programs.

Enroll for an overseas volunteer program through organizations such as Global Vision International and Project Abroad.

Overseas volunteering is not very common and would definitely help you stand out.

Whether you want to create your own YouTube channel, start your own blog or join a social networking site, use these media to promote your ideas and opinions on topics, and share knowledge with respect to your area of expertise.

Find out online publications as well as newspapers and magazines that write about your areas of interest. Approach them for guest writing. Most online publications have a “write for us” section where you can submit your article. Writing about your area of interest and having it published in a credible medium could better establish you as an authority in the field.

An internship provides you with work experience that is valued by the admission committee. The more recognized the company is, the better it is for your profile. Of course, you can also intern at a smaller company that may offer you a more wholesome work experience that could boost your profile as well.

Visit the school you want to get into through freshman visits or group visit programs. You will be able to interact with students and the admission committee. You would get a better picture of what the school is looking for in a candidate. You will also learn about the school’s strengths and career prospects of an MBA from that particular school.