Getting Multiple Business School Acceptances: Increasing Your Odds

If you’re hoping to get into more than one business school, you’ll need a strategy for applying.

US News recently spoke to experts who offered insights into how to maximize your chances of getting accepted to multiple top business schools and how you can tailor each application to reflect your distinct goals and experiences.

SET SAFETY, TARGET, AND REACH SCHOOLS

Applying to business schools is a numbers game and your application list should include a number of safety, target, and reach schools.

“The more business schools a prospective applicant applies to, the more likely they are to be accepted into more than one school. That’s why we recommend to our clients to apply to at least six schools, if possible,” Sam Weeks, an MBA admissions consultant and founder of Sam Weeks Consulting, says.

Most experts agree that five or six schools is the optimal number to apply to.

“With five or six applications, you can apply to a mix of reach, competitive, and safe schools and can thereby truly cover your bases,” Erika Väätäinen, of mbaMission, says. “Of course, all applicants have their own risk profile and timing to consider, but for most candidates, applying to too few schools can increase the risk of not being admitted, while applying to too many can be overkill.”

TAILOR YOUR APPLICATIONS

Simply applying to multiple B-schools isn’t enough. You’ll need to make sure each application is unique to the MBA program that you’re applying to.

Scott Edinburgh, founder of Personal MBA Coach, says each application should include four components: “Ability to handle the academic rigor of the target MBA program, leadership potential, how they will uniquely add value on campus and clarity of purpose.”

SECURE A STRONG GMAT OR GRE SCORE

While a number of business schools went test-optional in recent years, experts say that having a strong GMAT or GRE score will only help your application. If your goal is to get into more than one B-school, make sure you perform well on the GMAT or GRE.

“It is easier to get admits, and thus multiple admits, if your test score is strong and balanced between quantitative and verbal,” Candy Lee LaBalle, an MBA admissions expert and founder of mbaClarity, formerly LaBalle Admissions, says.

Sources: US News, mbaMission

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