Tips on Applying to U.S. MBA Programs:

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A Guide for International Students

Nancy Roth Remington, Executive Director of International Programs, has written an engaging and informative chapter on MBA study in the U.S. for international students, which appears in the 1999-2000 edition of the International Student Guide to the United States of America. This article is re-printed here with permission.

MBA Study in the United States
by Nancy Roth Remington

Re-printed from the 2000-2001 edition of the "International Student Guide to the United States of America" with permission.

There should be no doubt in the mind of any international applicant that U.S. business schools are keenly interested in diversifying their student bodies and in accepting international students. With business increasingly occurring on a global level, the perspectives and insights offered by international students are integral to the learning environment U.S. business schools want to foster.

Many U.S. business schools actively recruit international participants; and in many schools international students represent from 20 to over 50% of the MBA student body. Success in convincing your top-choice schools to admit you rests on your ability to match your qualifications and goals with the admissions criteria and specific programs of your target schools.

Where to Apply

Before you can write an effective and persuasive application you must first determine what is important to you:

Size of student body and class size
Accessibility of professors
Location of school: urban or rural, warm or cold climate
Specific programs and school's areas of strength
Existence of an international student office and/or support structure
Rank and prestige of the school.

After determining your priorities, begin your research on business schools - there are about 800 in the U.S. so you will have many choices. Sources include:

World Wide Web
Recruiting Fairs
School brochures, visiting a school
Books and magazines
Advice of friends, colleagues, and your university.

Admissions Criteria

Admissions committees will review all parts of your application. While some schools have "cutoffs" (for example, they will not review a candidate if some portion of the application falls below a specific level), other schools will leave themselves the possibility to make an exception to their generally accepted criteria. If you find that your statistical profile is significantly below the profile for the previous year's accepted class in a particular school, you are not likely to be a competitive applicant for admission at that school.

Committees review university grades and standardized test scores (GMAT and TOEFL) to determine if you can manage the academic work. Then they look at essays, recommendations, correspondence, and notes from interviews to determine how well you will "fit" into their student community. Letters and essays are most effective when concrete details are provided. Schools want to know why students choose to apply and what they plan to do with the degree after graduation.

Work experience is very important to most business schools. While a few will consider students without post-university full-time work experience, most look for applicants to have a minimum of one or two years of work. Many schools also take into account an applicant's level of job responsibility.

Learning Environment

Participation in classes and teams is central to the teaching in U.S. MBA programs. MBA faculty members believe that learning is enhanced and accelerated when students are actively engaged in sharing and defending their ideas. Everyone realizes that it may be very difficult for some international students to state and defend their opinions in a second language. To help students perform at the desired level schools may offer a variety of services: ESL classes, a Writing Center, advising, or other special programs.

While some professors are willing to give additional help to international students, others will make no special allowance for international students. Regardless of the particular circumstances, the responsibility for performance in courses ultimately rests on the shoulders of each student. Working in teams is also an integral part of the MBA learning environment. For students unused to asserting their opinions in a group, teamwork may be another challenging aspect of MBA life; however, over time you will gain confidence and new skills.

Importance of English

In many MBA courses professors assign a portion of the grade to class participation. Therefore, skill in conversational English is critical to a student's ablity to succeed and contribute. Some schools judge conversational ability as more important than a high TOEFL score; for some, the listening portion of the TOEFL exam is more predictive of a student's ability to participate in classes and teams than the overall score.

Schools may recommend or require that accepted students attend an intensive English program in the U.S. prior to enrollment. Some schools admit students "conditionally" and then require that the student perform at a particular level in a U.S.-based language program or improve the TOEFL scores; most very selective MBA programs do not give a "conditional" admission which could potentially be withdrawn.

Entering A Program

Attending school in another country provides a magnificent opportunity to stretch yourself to the limits of your ability. Regardless of the program, you will be a changed person after graduatation because the experience of living and working in another country will give you a fresh perspective on yourself, your own country, and your career. Throughout an MBA program in the United States, you will find solutions to challenges, adjust expectations, and acquire a set of invaluable new skills. In addition, you will establish an international network of friends and business colleagues while giving yourself a tremendous competitive edge in managing your life and future career.

Expectations & Participation


Active involvement is expected at our school for management education revolves around active participation by all students. This is especially true at Goizueta Business School. As noted in the chapter on "Tips on Applying", interaction is key to your success and your gaining the greatest benefit from a Goizueta education.

Central to the U.S. approach to management education is the firm belief that students learn more if they are willing to express their opinions openly. Defending ideas, listening to the analyses of others, and perhaps incorporating suggestions of peers and professors lies at the heart of not only good management education, but also good management. Therefore, having good conversational English is also an important pre-requisite to any student's acceptance into the BBA or MBA program.