At first glance, it would be easy to conclude that the top consulting firms get their pick of the top graduates which in turn makes them a better pick for the business schools. It's true that top firms get some of the best and the brightest, but it isn't true that all the best and the brightest go to top firms. So, all things being equal, there should be a wide variety of consultancies at top B-schools. But that's just not so. Why?
We hear a lot about networks and networking. And it's no surprise that networking can give you an upper hand in the business school application process as well. Networking is not only a way to gain access to people and opportunities, but it also is an excellent source of information. With a continual flow of newly minted MBAs, large consulting companies and their MBA applicants have much information readily available to them through an internal network that helps hone their application process.
Company connections at the schools, even informal ones, play a huge role in applicant success and the creation of a presence on admission department radar screens. If a school is familiar with your firm and has seen a few of your colleagues come through its program, it is likely that the admissions department will remember, and it will help future applicants. It can create a positive snowball effect.
Is an informal network enough? Many firms formalize a process for assisting their applicants, thereby creating a network. When I first learned about this while managing a large group of business analysts at a consulting firm, I wasn't convinced of its value. After all, I had independently applied to business school and had great success getting into both Harvard and Sloan. If I could do it, I felt anyone with a solid background and lots of drive could do it. But the more I looked at the process and began to understand it, I began to realize there were many applicants who had the advantage of information, guidance from those who'd gone before them, and connections with the schools themselves.
Many firms provide focused assistance to their MBA candidates. Some of these are known for having a "factory" approach where they create specific mentored steps to help their candidates. These firms often have access to a large number of recent graduates who have successfully gained acceptance to top schools and have returned with experience and connections to their schools. Also the firms sometimes have higher-level executives who have remained connected with their universities, creating an excellent source of potential recommenders who remain known to admissions folks at their school.
So how does a "not-so-large" firm assist its applicants and improve their success in gaining admittance to top schools? Well, it takes some thought, effort and planning. I have talked with many firms who are very supportive of their MBA applicants. Typically they have formalized the process and created memory that can be carried from year to year. There exists a process owner whose job specifically calls out this responsibility. Some firms put that process ownership at the executive level, some at the manager level, some within the HR function, and some assign it as a "special project."
All too often, however, the support is passive. The best way that I can describe passive support is to say that the firm truly wants to help its consultants but, given the demands of work, the actual support takes a backseat. So, when push comes to shove, the support is there—but only if the applicant searches it out. That isn't all that different than if he were going it alone. Tracking down graduates and then setting up meetings or conference calls to discuss experiences can become an uphill battle against mounting loads of client demands.
So what's wrong with that, especially considering many don't even get that level of support? I think it is important to think in terms of a playing field. Consultants typically have compelling stories to tell that can make a great application. But they also have a tremendous level of both client and firm demands relative to many in industry. That means that while they have great writing material, they have less time to focus and create a great application. So, in some senses they are at a disadvantage relative to those from industry.
Enter the consulting firms with an established process and internal resources and you find another facet to the lack of a level playing field. When the admissions folks are trying to create a mix of backgrounds, those consultants whose applications have been edited and honed with internal, experienced help are likely to look all that much better than those who had to "go it alone."
And that brings me to one group that sometimes ends up at a true disadvantage—firms that specialize in engineering or software consulting. These consultants often have in-depth, specific and niche-like experiences. Their stories have excellent potential for creating an exciting application package. My roots are in engineering, so I feel comfortable saying that often we are trained to speak a language that is difficult for those outside of our world to understand. Unfortunately, those who will read the application of an engineer or engineering consultant are very unlikely to have a degree or even experience in the field.
The story and dynamics of an exciting engineering project may be lost in a 500-word essay when it's told like an engineer to another engineer. Using "expert help" to create a compelling application can be crucial to application success for those deep into technology or science. I can't tell you how many essays I have read that are chock full of interesting technological tidbits but close to impossible to decipher. If it's too hard to understand, the reader is going to put it aside.
There are many cost-effective steps that a firm can take to give its applicants an edge. Simple opportunities from workshops to guidance with internal and external networking are readily available. Creating a homegrown MBA Application Team and Memory is very doable.
One important point when thinking about external help: Don't use anyone who is willing to write application materials for your candidates. Not only is it simply unethical, but the schools usually see right through this. The applicant will not be admitted, and it will taint your firm's image within the school—affecting the success of all your candidates.
So with a little guidance you can launch a program or achieve direct process support from year-to-year quite effectively. An additional advantage is that new ideas and information about business schools, application trends and opportunities will continue to flow into your company. Of course, the downside is that there is a cost to this method. But the cost will be small relative to the networking advantages created with top schools, recruiting benefits for your firm and overall goodwill and retention created by having an MBA application process in place.
As for the timeline for setting up such a process, think about being proactive in terms of when applications are due. The hot time of year for applicants to focus on their actual application is late fall through January. Most applicants find themselves deep in the application process during these months. So the best time to bring planning tools and prep work to these folks is in advance of that. I always propose that firms try to start the counseling process directly with the candidates in the summer and early fall. There is a direct correlation between early planning and applicant success.
So, if you want to level the playing field for your MBA applicants and create a firm presence with the business schools, it can be done with an internal MBA application process as well as a process memory that creates a structure and framework for your applicants as well as knowledge of your firm within the business schools. You'll be surprised to see how the focus on application quality and connection with the schools continues to grow from year to year spawning even further success—or presence—into the future.
Patricia O. Hubbell can be reached at pathubbell@openingdoorsadmissions.com. For more information, visit www.openingdoorsadmissions.com.
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