We are back in Boston again for this Admissions Director Q&A as we sit down with Justin Aier, Assistant Dean of Graduate Recruitment & Enrollment at the Boston College Carroll School of Management
Justin has been a part of the Boston College Carroll School Graduate Admissions team for over six years, and has taken on roles from marketing and communications to recruitment and enrollment management. His favorite aspect of the admissions process is working directly with applicants to explore how the BC MBA can help them achieve their academic and professional goals.
Read on for Justin’s take on how to write your best essay, prepare for your interview, put together your best application, and more on the MBA program.
Clear Admit: What is the one aspect of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?
Justin Aier: While a lot of our applicants know about the Boston College MBA’s world-class professors, strong alumni network, small class size, and data analytics focus, I’d like to emphasize another critical component that truly sets the BC MBA apart: our graduate career development office. In my opinion, this is what makes the BC MBA special—and worth it. Every full-time MBA student is assigned a career advisor who works with them throughout the duration of their program. These advisors provide guidance on career direction, connect students with alumni, prepare them for interviews, and assist them in landing jobs. Year after year, I hear so many stories from students and alumni about the significant positive impact our career advisors have had on their experience at BC.
CA: Walk us through the life of an application in your office from an operational standpoint. What happens between the time an applicant clicks “submit” and the time the committee offers a final decision?
JA: An application goes through several review rounds by readers and admissions staff before culminating in a committee review. Applicants can find out when they are guaranteed to receive decisions by looking up notification dates on our website.
We review applications and provide decisions on a rolling basis, so it’s not uncommon for applicants to receive decisions before posted notification deadlines. We always encourage applicants to be in touch with us if they have questions about when to expect their decisions.
CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read an essay? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? What is one key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write?
JA: Essays are an important part of our review process as they provide the admissions committee with a candidate’s reasons for wanting to pursue an MBA while also giving us a sense of how much research they’ve done about our programs.
We’re looking for three main things in the essay: a candidate’s short-term goals, long-term goals, and why they’ve chosen to apply to Boston College. These are simple questions, but they’re really an opportunity for applicants to take the time and reflect on how they can realistically achieve their professional goals by pursuing an MBA at BC.
Accordingly, we always ask applicants to be authentic in their responses: don’t write to impress the committee; rather, tell us about your goals based on your prior personal and professional experiences, as well as your future potential.
CA: Could you tell us about your interview process? Approximately how many applicants do you interview? Who conducts the interview (students, admissions officers, alumni) and what is the nature of the interview (resume-based, application-based, behavioral)? Will your admissions interviews be in-person or virtual for the 2024-2025 admissions season?
JA: A select number of applicants are invited to interview, either in person or through Zoom, with the admissions committee. Interviewers on the admissions committee include second-year MBA students hired and trained to conduct these interviews, as well as admissions directors. Interviews will include both resume-based and behavioral questions. Essentially, we’re looking to determine fit in the program with these interviews—that is, we ask whether or not we can picture you at BC.
CA: What is your testing policy? Do you offer exam waivers? Why or why not?
JA: MBA applicants for Fall 2025 can request GMAT/GRE waivers by submitting a waiver request online. However, it’s important to note that the admissions committee will still consider GMAT/GRE scores as an additional evaluation metric. These scores can enhance candidates’ profiles, balance out below-average undergraduate grades, or help candidates demonstrate their preparedness for the MBA program.
CA: In the application data form, many schools ask for information about work experience, activities, hobbies, and much more. What advice would you give to applicants as they approach this component of the application process?
JA: Just as we advise applicants to be authentic and sincere in their essay responses, we encourage the same approach for questions about professional and personal experiences. While we value honesty regarding skills, capabilities, and achievements, we also love to hear about unique experiences, interests, and passions. We believe each individual has a lot to contribute to the BC community, and these personal stories help us understand what makes each applicant special.
CA: Tell us briefly about two popular courses at your institution.
JA: A popular recent course is “Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence,” taught by Prof. Pieter VanderWerf. This elective, which builds on the core Data Analytics 1 course, equips students with advanced tools for applying machine learning in a business context and includes a hands-on final project that uses real corporate data.
Another popular elective is “Business Analysis Survival Guide” taught by Prof. Peter Strepe. The course teaches students how to ensure the success of IT and software projects through effective requirements gathering, wireframing, and understanding Agile methodologies, without requiring any coding experience.
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your MBA program or Boston College Carroll admissions process?
JA: At BC, we value our collaborative community and industry-focused curriculum. By design, our class sizes are small in order to allow our students to foster relationships and connections, which eventually translate into a close-knit and accessible alumni network. The MBA core curriculum includes a series of courses on data analytics to prepare students for careers across all industries and job functions. Overall, across all stages of the application process, we’re people-centered and genuinely want our applicants and students to succeed.
