At this point in the summer, many MBA applicants are prepping for the GMAT, reflecting on potential recommendation-writers, and deciding which schools to target in the fall. Some are even getting some initial feedback on their candidacies via MBA ApplyWire. Our team of experts loves hearing about your plans and sharing their thoughts on your schools and application strategy.
We have another Wire tool that can be tremendously helpful to MBA hopefuls who are just starting their application processes – though its usefulness may be a bit less obvious. MBA DecisionWire allows users to share information about their profiles and career goals, as well as the schools they applied to, the schools they got into, and the program they ultimately chose.
While those of you targeting a Fall 2020 start are months away from submitting your own results, sorting past entries by school will enable you to mine the MBA DecisionWire database for valuable insights to inform your application plans.
Here are three ways you can use MBA DecisionWire to support your applications over the summer:
Benchmark Your Profile
Sort DecisionWire entries by posts by users who were admitted to the schools you’re considering, and take note of these admits’ GPAs and scores on the GMAT or GRE. This will give you a sense of how your undergraduate performance and test score compare to those of applicants who were successful at that school. If you haven’t taken a standardized test yet (or are thinking about retaking), DecisionWire results can help you determine what score to target.
Round Out Your School List
Sort entries from users who applied to one of the schools you’re considering. Look for users whose post-MBA career goals are similar to yours, and note the other programs that these applicants decided to target. If you’re actively researching which MBA programs will prepare you for the next step in your career, you can benefit from others’ research and potentially identify programs that would offer similar preparation and career prospects to the schools that are already on your radar.
Understand Program Similarities
Sort DecisionWire by entries from users who were admitted to one of the schools you’re considering (let’s call this the “index school”), and take a look at the schools to which they applied and were admitted. Schools that consistently appear in the “Applied” list but not the “Admitted” can be considered “reach” programs for applicants who tend to be successful at the index program. Meanwhile, schools that consistently appear on the “Admitted” list are likely “true peers” of the index school, meaning that they are similarly selective and that they look for the same kinds of things in their students.
There are years of DecisionWire data at your fingertips – simply register on clearadmit.com (or log in) to filter entries by school and by applied, admitted, and enrolled status. Happy researching!
