Most business schools evaluate MBA candidates holistically — assessing their academic record, professional experience and references, among other criteria.
Applicants with background blemishes may feel insecure or struggle with how to present any perceived weaknesses. But the MBA application provides opportunities to address these issues and demonstrate growth from the experience, experts say.
By being honest and direct, applicants can show maturity — something admission officers look for in future leaders.
“Don’t take yourself out of the running because you have a blemish,” says Joe Farr, MBA admissions counselor at Stratus Admissions Counseling.
Here are four ways business school hopefuls can address problem areas in their MBA application.
Acknowledge Any Issues
Many MBA programs offer an optional essay where applicants can address potential weaknesses, such as a low GPA or disciplinary issues. Business school hopefuls should use this opportunity to directly explain what happened and take responsibility.
“Be honest, be humble, state the facts, own up to your mistakes,” says Shelly Heinrich, senior assistant dean of career management and graduate admissions at the SMU Cox School of Business in Texas. “Let us know how you’re addressing those mistakes and moving on.”
[Read: Surprising Jobs for MBA Graduates]
Schools run background checks on applicants, so being up front is crucial. It’s best for admissions to hear an explanation directly from the candidate rather than finding out through a background check, experts say.
“You don’t want that to be the way they discover (something) about you,” Farr says.
While previously seen as a weakness, employment gaps due to economic downturn or career pivots have become more common since the COVID-19 pandemic. But applicants should still explain how they spent that time, if comfortable, says Scott Bartkus, director of the MBA program and assistant professor at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.
Provide Context Without Making Excuses
Applicants should be open about their mistakes without making excuses.
“You want to show how the weakness is not really who you are now and how you are going to be able to succeed in school,” Farr says. “Also, what caused the blemish, if there is an underlying mitigating circumstance? A lot of people often get concerned that it sounds like making excuses. But if you’re fact-based and you’re to the point, it’s not an excuse, it’s just an explanation.”
Common mistakes that applicants make in addressing blemishes include overexplaining or underexplaining, not addressing the issue directly or being intentionally vague, experts say.
Instead, applicants “should just be factual and demonstrate self-improvement and lessons learned,” Bartkus says.
[READ: How Extracurricular Activities Affect MBA Admissions Odds.]
What’s perceived as a blemish at one MBA program may not be at another, so it’s important to engage directly with admissions counselors, current students and alumni at schools of interest, says Joe Soto, director of graduate admissions at Elon University in North Carolina.
“The biggest mistake is they don’t actually talk to the schools,” he says. “The first engagement is usually during the application process, and they’re just guesstimating in terms of what is truly valuable to those institutions.”
Address Academic Weaknesses
A low undergraduate GPA is a common concern of business school applicants. While grades are important, they are weighed alongside other professional achievements.
Applicants may want to briefly explain the circumstances regarding any poor academic performance. Providing context can help admissions counselors understand the situation without an applicant appearing defensive, experts say.
“That shows the mitigation without making an excuse, and it puts everything in context,” Farr says. “It’s really about giving the context.”
Candidates can also demonstrate academic readiness through other admissions factors, such as strong Graduate Management Admission Test or Graduate Record Examination scores, or by taking additional courses, experts say.
[Read: GMAT vs. GRE: Key Differences Between the Tests]
Turn Setbacks Into Growth
Rather than dwelling on past mistakes, candidates should focus on using the application to demonstrate how they’ve grown, experts say.
“It’s wonderful when people say, ‘Look, these are the areas where I’m strong, but here is one of my weaknesses. Here’s how I’ve worked to overcome it and here’s action steps of what I’ve done,'” Heinrich says.
Applicants should highlight any steps they have already taken toward improvement and view setbacks as opportunities to demonstrate resilience and personal growth. Admissions officers often look for signs that candidates learned from challenges and used them as motivation, experts say.
“Don’t let your past hold you back,” Bartkus says. “Life goes fast, people are human. Don’t stop your personal growth or academic growth as a result. Use it as a tool that will keep you moving forward in life to become a better person.”
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How MBA Applicants Can Overcome Background Blemishes originally appeared on usnews.com