You’ve Sent in Your First Round Applications… Now What?

Kat Cinkova
Forté Fellow

Today was the first day of my career as an MBA student, and I could not be more excited about what the next two years have in store. The energy within our class of 2015 is incredible, and I am looking forward to sharing bits and pieces of what is sure to be a life changing experience here with you.

Applying to business schools, especially if there are more than a few on the list, can be an extremely time consuming and somewhat daunting process. However, putting maximum thought and effort into each application is definitely worth it, and only makes the moment of clicking the final submit button that much more satisfying.

So the last application has been submitted, and you feel like you’re on top of the world. No more soul searching (for the time being), no more late night research sessions, and no more stress over looming deadlines. Perfect time for a long and well-deserved break, right? Not quite. While a break is definitely in order, this is also a great time to start proactively preparing for school, and in some cases, supplementing submitted applications with additional information to enhance candidacy.

Professional developments. An important promotion or successful completion of a major project is a great reason to send a supplement to the admissions committee. During my application process I was working on a large M&A deal to sell off a company subsidiary, but the information was not yet public. Once the deal completed, I was able to send the details of my involvement in the project along with a revised copy of my resume to the AdCom.

Addressing weaknesses. Some schools recommend that students take summer classes, especially in calculus, statistics and excel, before they come to campus in the fall. Since these can get a bit expensive, it is worth checking out a few (free!) online options. I took courses in both statistics and calculus through www.coursera.com, a great website with a multitude of free online classes taught by faculty from top schools around the country. Definitely worth it!

Interview preparation. It is never too early to start preparing for AdCom interviews, especially since they all tend to come at the same time in early spring.  Researching interview formats and preparing interview questions and answers are all constructive ways to pass the time while waiting to hear on admissions decisions, and will make life much easier down the road.

Good luck with the application process, and I look forward to meeting those of you who visit Anderson!

Kat Cinkova
Forté Fellow & MBA Candidate 2015
UCLA Anderson School of Management