First-Year Student Tips for Applicants
What a difference a year makes! Last December, many of our first-year students were putting the finishing touches on their application to SOM. Now, they’re wrapping up fall semester courses and celebrating with their classmates, as they embark on the next phase of their MBA experience. Applying to business school can be a time consuming and stressful process, and no one understands the desire to submit a winning application more than first-year MBA students. In that vein, a few of our students want to share some strategies on how to spend the next few weeks before submitting your application.
Mark Butterworth '11
Have those who know you well read through your application essays. The essays are there in order for the admissions team to get to know more about you: they are your chance to differentiate yourself, share your goals and passions and, perhaps most importantly, to allow yourself and the school to determine your 'fit' with that school. As such, they need to be representative of who you are. There are hundreds of business schools out there and it’s important that you make the right choice for you. Your essays are a key part of this process.
Jamila Amarshi '11
As you’re putting the finishing touches on your application, I think one of the most important things to do is to think about the overall picture that you’re presenting. If you’ve made sure to include the major highlights of your skills and work experience, take a step back and think about how everything fits together to demonstrate your passion and your commitment to pursuing an MBA at SOM.
Michael Barjum '11
In the final weeks before the application deadline, you should be thinking about how every piece of the application fits together with your story. Remember that you are trying to give the admissions committee a holistic view of who you are — spend the remaining time refining this picture, and don’t be afraid to "think big" and make bold statements about your long-term goals and aspirations. When you’ve reached the point where an additional hour will not provide any additional benefit to your story, it’s time to hit "submit"!
Atith Pagdi '11
Speaking to current students about club activities during and after my applications gave me a great sense what one could pursue outside of coursework while at SOM. Also, following the community blog and admissions related forums during and after the application process are great ways to stay updated with what’s happening in admissions and at the school.
Kimberly Bartlett '11
The weeks before submitting applications were a bit stressful, for sure. What I found most helpful in managing my stress level at that time was having friends and colleagues that knew me well and that I trusted to give me honest feedback read over my essays. I had people that I knew I could ask for help in editing for grammar and use of language and other people that were most useful in reviewing the content of my answers. I was initially reluctant to ask my busy friends for help, but I found that they were all eager to help because they knew that getting accepted into Yale SOM was so important to me.
On behalf of the Yale SOM community, we’d like to wish all of our readers happy holidays and best wishes for the new year. Please note that the University will close for winter break on the afternoon of December 23, 2009 and will reopen on January 4, 2010. However, Yale SOM students will be hosting Winter Break Socials around the world.
| 
