How do you make the most out of the upcoming MBA Fairs? By the way, if you haven’t registered yet, there is still time to get FREE tickets courtesy of Admit Master! Please find links to upcoming events on our home page.
Here are 3 quick tips to making the most out of the MBA Fairs. These tips will not only help you make the best decision, they will help you increase your chances of getting accepted to your dream business school, with a good scholarship!
Tip #1: Shop Around
You wouldn’t buy the first house you see, yet sooo many students we meet don’t do enough research before picking their MBA program. And guess what – if you don’t like a house, you can always sell it. As for the MBA program, you can only do it once!
Get out there, talk to business schools, see what they have to offer, see what’s unique about each business school, and begin building your wish list before you commit to any specific MBA program. You’ll be glad you did!
Tip #2: Make a Good First Impression
Let’s face it – you will not get an admission decision right at the fair! For this reason, there is no need to tell your entire life history, or even bring your resume! (unless it’s super impressive and screams leadership)
Your goal at the fair should be to make a good first impression and stand out of the crowd of hundreds other people who attend the fair. How do you do that?
1) Look professional and wear something unique, such as a colorful tie or a beautiful scarf. You will look impressive and might even get a compliment!
2) Have a short memorable story about you, that you could tell in less than 1 minute. Again, your goal here is not to blab out your whole CV, but rather to share a unique experience, ideally related to your decision to pursue an MBA degree. Share a great story, and admission representatives will remember you, and will have positive associations with your profile at the time of making admission decisions.
3) Ask intelligent questions. Since you want to shop around and talk to many schools within a short time, you probably want to save standard questions such as “how long is your program” or “how much does it cost” for later – after all, you could easily find all of this information online. You will learn much more about the school, and will make a great first impression, if you ask questions such as:
- What’s unique about your program?
- What would your dream applicant be like?, or
- Could you share an example of a career path of someone with background similar to mine, who has recently graduated from your business school?
Feel free to come up with your own questions based on what’s important for you!!!
Tip #3: Follow Up
Following up is sooo important but so many people don’t do that, or don’t do it right! Again, your goal here is to build on the good first impression! All you need to do is send a quick email, reminding them of something unique about you, telling them how much you appreciated the conversation, and (if appropriate) confirming your interest in applying to their business school.
Here is an example (Disclaimer: I’ve made this up – please feel free to write your own!):
Dear Amanda,
It was a pleasure meeting you at the QS World MBA Tour last Saturday. You may remember me – I wore a purple bowtie and we’ve chatted briefly about my experience leading a team of volunteers, who built 30 schools on the North Pole.
I sincerely appreciated your time and was glad to learn that ABC business school offers a unique team building experience for all MBA students – a week in Antarctica without food and without any communication with the outside world. I trust this experience will help every student develop outstanding leadership skills, so vital in today’s economy.
I am very excited about the MBA program at the ABC business school and am looking forward to submitting my application in Round 1 for the start date in September of 2016.
Thank you again for your time.
Sincerely,
John Burnes.
Your time is valuable, make the most out of the MBA fairs! If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for? Get out there and make the best decisions for your career.
Remember to stop by the Admit Master booth to pick up your free GMAT study resources (including awesome chocolates wink-wink) and enter to win great scholarships!
If we could be of any help with your school selection, please let us know! Schedule your free 1 on 1 consultation with a professional MBA Admission coach who will help you not only pick the best business school, but also maximize your chances of admission with an entrance scholarship!
As always, all the best in your career journey!
Admit Master.