How to Build a Competitive Business School Application
In 2022, business was the most popular college major among students in the U.S., with nearly 376,000 degrees awarded, which was nearly double the number of degrees awarded to students in the next most popular major that year. With this in mind, we hosted our latest webinar to offer valuable insight on what business schools seek in their applicants, how competitive their programs really are, and what kinds of meaningful extracurricular activities high school students can engage in to fortify their college applications.
For “How to Plan Your Extracurriculars for Top Business Schools”, we invited Matt Clemens, Assistant Dean of Admissions at Duke University and former Director of Admissions at Harvard and Columbia Universities, to highlight the importance of soft skills and extracurricular planning when building a strong academic profile for business school applications. If you’re a student who plans to pursue an undergraduate business-related major, such as accounting, HR, statistics, economics, finance, entrepreneurship, supply chain management, business management, and more, you should take note. This webinar could be the key to a coveted acceptance letter from your dream school.
What Admissions Officers Seek in College Applicants
The acceptance rates for business programs at top colleges and universities are lower, on average, than the general acceptance rates for even the pickiest schools. So, being a competitive applicant is essential. The first step to standing out among peers is ensuring your application weaves a unique narrative that cements you as memorable in the minds of admissions officers. What’s your backstory? What is your motivation, and how does it represent your individuality and personality in a way that’s not easily replicated? “When I'm reading a file, what I'm really looking for is as much specificity and depth as is possible,” said Clemens. “The more unique an applicant's focus can be, the more descriptive they can be, backed by evidence of what they would like to do, [then] the more likely it is that someone like myself, who is reading your application, is going to remember it…and advocate to the larger admissions committee [on your behalf].”
Admissions committees are primarily looking for a handful of key character traits and qualities to determine who the top applicants are:
Demonstrated, quantifiable excellence in business-related activities
Clear and focused interests
Strong evidence of leadership
Effective written and verbal communication skills
One way for students to develop a focused interest that they can then demonstrate in their application is by taking an interdisciplinary approach to business. Clemens recalled an alumnus whose passion for business and chemistry led him to research Chanel perfume and present a set of marketing strategies to help the legacy luxury brand improve their sales. After his research program, the student leaned on his chemistry background to develop his own fragrance, which he then marketed to customers. After selling 300 bottles of his premier perfume, the student gained admission to several top schools throughout the U.S. In addition to a clear and focused interest, this student’s efforts showcased leadership, quantifiable action, and uncommon excellence.
“It's not something that everyone does,” remarked Clemens. “And for me, the impact in a story like this is not…the number of units that were actually sold, but it was taking the initiative to develop a product, bring it to market, and actually sell it.”
He continued by offering webinar attendees several examples of interdisciplinary business interests that could stand out to admissions officers. Like business and sociology, which examine how social structures influence workplace cultures, and business and political science, which explore how governmental policies impact markets and business decisions, and even business and computer science, which investigate how we can leverage data and algorithms to solve real-world problems. In addition to taking an interdisciplinary approach, Clemens walked us through a hyper-focused approach that demonstrates a highly specified interest at a high level. Both types of approaches, as opposed to an application that reflects general business acumen, are beneficial for high school students seeking to stand out among similarly qualified peers.
Clemens also emphasized to webinar attendees that it’s not enough to simply join clubs and organizations without clear objectives. “What in your application, specifically, is going to give me context for the depth of your involvement, the impact that you've had, and the leadership that you have demonstrated?” The difference between strong extracurriculars and resume fluff is the level of excellence they demonstrate on your application. Can you prove sustained involvement throughout your high school career, or tangible achievements like publishing a paper or hitting a fundraising goal? Maybe through your activities outside the classroom, you won competitions through FBLA or DECA. Do your extracurriculars demonstrate evidence of real leadership in any capacity?
Classic examples of leadership include being elected class president or team captain, but there are many ways to show admissions officers how you helped improve the world around you. Leading big projects (like the homecoming decorating committee or a school play), fostering the growth of others through tutoring or mentorship, or increasing revenue for a club or organization are all examples of strong leadership that can help you stand out. Clemens also presented several examples of communication skills that top schools look for and why they matter, stating, “Admissions committee members are picturing you on their campus, and that campus is a community…They're not admitting you to be an individual person on their campus. They are admitting you as an individual to contribute to the community that exists [there]. And so, one of the things admissions committees are interested in is seeing within the application materials that you are going to be a contributing member [on campus].”
This webinar was packed with valuable insights that high school students can utilize as they prepare for the next step in their academic journey. To hear more about how to be a competitive business school applicant, watch the webinar. And for more information about what Scholar Launch can do to help you reach your goals, contact us.
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