The Master’s or MBA application process is a very exciting, yet sometimes overwhelming process. Most prospective students want to stand out with their applications, but sometimes a simple oversight or misstep can lead to an undesired outcome. In this Unimy webinar, Dr. Don Martin, founder of Grad School Road Map, will share practical and relevant information on what to do and what not to do as an MBA or Master’s applicant.

Dr. Don is a former business and graduate school dean. During his tenure at Chicago Booth, Columbia, and Northwestern, he had input and made final decisions on more than 125,000 applications. In 2008 Dr. Don founded Grad School Road Map. Since that time, he has spoken to prospective graduate students worldwide and provided one-on-one application coaching for over 500 students, 97% of whom have been admitted to one or more of their top choice business or graduate school programs.

The biggest mistakes and how to avoid them

As an applicant, you might make some mistakes, but it is entirely up to you if you wish to avoid them altogether. As Dr. Don points out, one of the biggest mistakes many prospective students make is not doing adequate research before applying. Here are his tips on avoiding this mistake:

  • Spread the net wide – start with a large number of options – he suggests around 15 or 20 programs.
  • Create a spreadsheet, list your options in alphabetical order as they are still equal at this point in the process. On the other side of the spreadsheet put a list of questions and concerns you would like to investigate and are most important to you.
  • Doing some genuine comparison shopping. Don’t consider only a few top schools or top programs, but instead consider all of your options and compare them before narrowing down that list of schools you will apply to.

Making an informed decision that will benefit your personal needs and goals is more important than aiming just for a “top school”.

The importance of being genuine

In the next part of the webinar, Dr. Don shares his seven key application tips. The first and most important one, as he highlights, is to be yourself. There is nothing more important than being genuine. Show your interests and your strong sides, so the admission officers can determine your compatibility with a program. According to Dr. Don, they can always tell if you aren’t being yourself, which can hurt your application process.

Do your research

Presenting yourself is much more than just being yourself. Another tip Dr. Don points out is to do your research properly. Knowing the program and school will help you be more specific and really shine through. Giving particular reasons for applying to a school, that are unique to you as an applicant, will help you present yourself in a way that stands out and shows your thoroughness and genuine interest in the school.

Watch the full webinar to hear more of these tips and the helpful list of do’s and don’ts that can mean the difference between admission and rejection. If you are looking to put your very best foot forward with the admissions committee, this webinar and the Q&A at the end will be well worth your time.