MBA

So, you are considering applying to an MBA program this year but wonder whether the time, money, energy, and everything else involved in this endeavor is worthwhile. The easy answer is yes—go for it. Chances are high that you will make more money, have a better knowledge base that can propel your career forward, and make connections that will position you for future success. But an MBA is not for everyone, and especially not for anyone who is unsure what is driving them to pursue the degree. Before you dive in, think about why you want an MBA and where you want it to lead you.   If you are thinking about an MBA, then chances are, you are weighing the degree’s return on investment. You are certainly not alone. In fact, the Bloomberg Businessweek survey that informs the publication’s business school rankings revealed that in 2022, 73.3 % of the second-year student respondents at US programs indicated that increased compensation was one of the five primary factors behind their decision to earn an MBA. Well, the news is good on that front. That same survey found that in 2022, graduates gained a median of $85,000 in their first post-MBA role, compared with what they earned before entering business school. Getting an MBA also propels your salary higher than if you had merely a bachelor’s degree. A 2021 study conducted by data analytics company PaySpace for Poets&Quants found that graduates of the leading 50 U.S. business schools are expected to earn a median total of $5.7 million in cash compensation after 35 years of post-graduate work. That amount represents a premium of $2.3 million over what individuals who have only an undergraduate degree will earn.   In addition to boosting your earnings, an MBA can fuel your career trajectory. Learning to work in teams, solve complex problems, and strategically make decisions can translate into being an effective contributor—and hopefully, leader—in the workplace. Not only do you develop technical skills over the course of your MBA studies but you also learn the soft skills in management and leadership that can help you navigate complex challenges in dealing with people and projects. The professional development you gain through your MBA experience can last well beyond your initial roles after your graduate and extend throughout your entire career.   Attending business school helps you build your network, too. You meet students in classes, of course, but also during the significant amount of time you will spend on group work, volunteering, extracurriculars, study trips, and socializing. Given how global most MBA programs are these days—many have classes that are nearly 50% international—students are able to connect with classmates who come from different parts of the world, immediately expanding their global mind-set. In addition, business schools have vast alumni networks, allowing students to call upon such connections as needed throughout their career. Long after graduation, you might be invited to interview at a company, and a quick search of your school’s alumni database will give you the names of fellow graduates who work there. Bingo—you have contacts who can help you build your knowledge!   While these factors certainly play into why someone would want an MBA, you still have more to consider. Before applying to business school, really examine your career goals. The last thing you want to do is apply to a program that will not propel you to where you want to be after graduation. MBAs can generally be found working in every field, but doing some research to determine whether you will gain as much as you want from the degree for what you aspire to do professionally in the long term is definitely worth your time. Some things to look into are whether an MBA program has courses that relate to your area of interest and whether the school has any notable level of job placement in the industries you want to target. An MBA would not be worth the investment if you were to find yourself scrambling for work at graduation.   Another important factor to weigh is your finances. Sure, that median $85,000 gain in salary we noted at the beginning of this post sounds good, but not every industry or school will set you up for that kind of big number. Be real about your risk tolerance—are you in a position to take off two years for a full-time program, or would a part-time or Executive MBA program serve you better by allowing you to keep working? On the personal front, asking yourself whether now is the right time to go back to school is crucial. This question extends beyond just the financial aspect of pursuing the degree; ask yourself whether you have the time to dedicate to it as well.   As you consider whether an MBA is worth the time and other resources that earning it requires, do not be blinded by the potential gain in compensation. Think about what else the degree could change for you in the long term. If you feel that it will advance your career in terms of greater leadership abilities and potential, then you very well might be making the right choice about applying to business school.   Below Leap Quest’s lists a number of reasons you may not want to wait. If you have taken the GMAT/GRE (or think you could do so in time), for example, or you are feeling stuck in your job, consider starting your application process today!   But right now there is an additional—and greatly compelling—reason to take this courageous step: a recession is likely looming. Elon Musk is chopping jobs at Twitter, Amazon announced a corporate hiring freeze, Lyft is cutting 13% of its workforce, and others will likely follow.   While recession forecasting is not exactly down pat, teams of economists have been predicting a serious recession for some time—more than a year, in some cases—and many say we are already well into one. Many factors are propelling the downturn,

If you want to win the ‘Iron Throne’ of the corporate world, then you must follow these 5 MBA lessons that Game of Thrones has in store for you!   While being one of the most entertaining programmes on the small screen, HBO’s Game of Thrones has also been a great learning resource for MBA students and young management graduates who are joining the corporate world. Just like the corporate world, the story of Game of Thrones revolves around power struggles and politicking which makes it an ideal case study for MBA students to prepare for the cut-throat world that they would enter.   If you want to be successful in your professional career, you must follow these 5 MBA lessons that Game of Thrones teaches us!   Do a thorough SWOT Analysis   MBA’s love SWOT analysis or atleast get into the habit of regularly doing it. If you thought that SWOT analysis is only done as part of the project and will not be useful in real life situations, you are completely wrong. In fact, we as humans are in constant habit of performing SWOT analysis on a daily basis even for the most basic of the decisions that we have to make.   This belief of importance is SWOT analysis has been a recurring theme in the Game of Thrones storyline over the 6 seasons. In fact, one can find multiple examples where people have failed to perform an honest SWOT analysis of their strengths and weaknesses and have ended up paying a hefty price for it.   GOT Example: For instance, during the Battle of Blackwater, King’s Landing was surrounded on all sides by Stannis Baratheon’s forces. The Capital of ‘Seven Kingdom’ was scarce on resources, ammunition and almost every imaginable factor was against them. But Tyrion (the Hand of the King) then realizes that their biggest strength would be ‘wild fire’ and uses it to defeat Stannis and defend the Iron Throne.   MBA Lesson: In your professional career, you would also be pressed against the wall with almost everything going against you. But in such times, instead of brooding over it, the right way ahead would be to capitalize upon your strengths and find out the right strategy to solve the problem.   Find trustworthy allies   The balance of power is kept in equilibrium by loyal stakeholders and partners. This is one of the first concepts you would learn as part of your MBA training. So, right from day 1, make sure you start identifying the people you can trust and who can back you up in times of crisis.   GOT Example: The Game of Thrones storyline has shown us several such characters which were betrayed and had their careers ruined due to disloyal allies. Be it Tyrion’s fall from being the Hand of the King to being banished to The Wall or Jon Snow’s death at the hands of his brothers from the Night’s Watch; all these examples emphasize upon the role that allies play in the all important power struggle of Westeros.   MBA Lesson: In a power struggle the ultimate advantage that you can have is to have good allies. Therefore, it is very important to find dependable partners and stakeholders who will stand by you in thick and thin to help you sail through troublesome times. Once you find such allies, do keep them close and make sure that they do not turn a foe. Or else the old adage of ‘A disloyal ally is worse than an enemy’ may turn out to be true for you.   Be Focused & Goal Oriented   Today’s corporate life is where one has to be multi-talented and multi-tasking. In fact, companies are increasingly hiring talents who are able to contribute to the organization in more than just a single way. While you might have multiple responsibilities, the end goal or focus would always be one.   GOT Example: As far as Game of Thrones is concerned, Cersie Lannister is the ideal example of  a character who has the singular goal of developing an iron-grip over Westeros. She is ready to go to any lengths, overcome any obstacles and sustain any consequences that may come in her way while achieving this goal. Be it getting rid of Tyrion or eliminating Stark Name which was their biggest nemesis or developing the faith militant and then burning it down to the ground; she has overcome all these challenges due to her singular focus and goal oriented approach. If you look at her today, she is the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms’; this truly shows the magic that singular goal focused approach can work in your life   MBA Lesson: The singular approach to developing a product, service or brand is pivotal as it would give your efforts the necessary direction. Moreover, it would also help you gauge any of the shortcomings or weaknesses and help you design strategies to overcome them.   Do not underestimate anyone   The 21st century is known to be a century of opportunities, where everyone has the chance to move ahead in life, backed by the right strategy and correct approach and a lot of hard work. A simple Google search about rags to riches story would throw up hundreds of examples of people who have become successful despite having several drawbacks. On similar lines, you can also find several stories where billionaires have fallen to ground because they could not perceive the threats that they were faced with.   GOT Example: The ideal example in this context from Game of Thrones would be Tywin Lannister. Tywin was one of the strongest men in Westeros. In fact, despite the deteriorating monetary might of the Lannisters, he literally ruled the Kingdom as the Hand of the King. But, what eventually brought his downfall was his own dwarf son Tyrion, whom he never really considered talented enough to bear the Lannister name. This would be the ideal example of

India’s entrepreneurial culture and booming tech sector make it an attractive destination for management education, but it has traditionally failed to attract international MBA students in large numbers. According to the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), which administers the GMAT exam, Indian business schools received 18,647 GMAT score reports in 2018. A GMAT score report is a sign of a candidate’s interest in a school—but just 1% of scores sent to Indian programs were from non-Indian citizens. These reports came mostly from Nepal (0.63%), the US (0.13%), Canada (0.10%), and South Korea (0.06%). India’s reputation as a study destination for internationals is still limited, but with the growth of the Indian economy, this could be set to change. Here’s five reasons why you should study an MBA in India: Top-ranked business schools The lack of international MBA students in India creates an opportunity for those applying outside of India to get into the top schools. There are a number of good schools to choose from, but four business schools consistently rank in the Financial Times top 100 Global MBA Rankings. Indian School of Business (ISB) comes in at number 24 in the 2019 ranking. The Indian Institute of Management’s schools in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Calcutta also rank in the top 50 globally. The relative lack of international students creates an opportunity for those applying outside of India to get into top schools. Return on investment The cost of MBA education at India’s business schools is a fraction of what management education costs in the US or UK. The Indian School of Business estimates the annual cost of education there, plus living expenses, to be around $55,000. That compares to an estimated $80,000 for an MBA from Wharton (excluding living expenses). There are also a number of scholarships set aside for international students, that cover up to 100% of tuition. Calculating your return on investment (ROI) can be an important factor in choosing an MBA program: do your homework about both the course costs, and the average salaries after the program. The Financial Times Global MBA ranking puts ISB’s average salary increase post MBA at 187%, in the top 3 MBA programs for salary increases globally. Graduates from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad earn an average salary of $186,170, placing the school in the top six MBA programs for average salaries globally. That’s a higher average salary than both University of Chicago, Booth, and INSEAD. Where do Indian business schools rank globally in terms of MBA salaries? School Average MBA Salary ($) Overall MBA ranking Ranking for MBA Salaries Indian Institue of Management, Ahmedabad 186,170 47 6 Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore 178,774 33 10 Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta 158,138 49 21 Indian School of Business 156,122 24 26 Jobs Like many of their counterpart MBA programs in the West, Indian programs also have a high focus on employability. Aditya Singh, director of Athena School of Management, says India’s growth is creating more job opportunities for internationals. Guru Kumara, director for external relations at ISB, agrees. “Indian economic growth is fueling a massive need for high-quality talent,” he says. ISB, Amazon, Bain, BCG, Google, McKinsey, and Uber were among the companies who reported their largest single-campus hiring from ISB in India last year. Startups India is currently one of the fastest-growing and most dynamic economies in the world, with corporate expansion, as well as family business and entrepreneurial ventures, contributing to the array of opportunities available to enterprising business students. This focus on entrepreneurship looks set to increase, as it is becoming a major trend in management education across India. Aditya credits the skyrocketing number of start-ups being founded in India, as the country becomes one of the largest startup hubs in the world, and says that international students can benefit from learning the Indian way of doing business—the ‘Frugal Innovation’ style Indian businesses have perfected. Entrepreneurship in India in 2018: Key Facts % startup growth 108 % increase in number of advanced tech startups 50 Total startup funding USD 4.2 billion Number of startups founded 1,200 Number of unicorns 8 A unique perspective All of the above contributes to the distinctive character of Indian business education. As Guru from ISB explains, “MBAs in India are not different from MBAs anywhere else in the world, and yet are very different. They are a good blend of quality academic rigor combined with an ability to get things done.” Guru elaborates that the key differentiator when it comes to graduate management education in India is that students get access to the India-centric content that they need in order to succeed in the country.  “India is a country with 29 states, each differing from the other in terms of language, culture, customs, etcetera,” he says. “The ability to manage this diversity comes naturally to someone who [has studied] here.” Which MBA Application Round should I apply in?  The answer to this question lies in understanding the advantages and disadvantages of each MBA application round. Many candidates often remain confused about applying early or waiting till the last round. However, chances of admission depend not only which MBA Application Round you apply in but also on the quality of the application that you come up with. The rule of thumb you should follow is “Plan well in advance and apply as early as possible to ensure your best foot forward.”   Factors to consider – Which MBA Application Round should I apply in? The decision of choosing the most suitable MBA Application round depends on these factors Application Readiness, If you have a polished resume, look at scholarship options for funding your MBA, work on your essays and have really good letters of recommendation, then Round 1 is your best shot. In case you feel you need additional 2-3 months to improve your application, then submit your application by Round 2. In case, you have an extraordinary profile and have a solid reason for waiting till Round 3 then, this round will

MiM, or Masters in Management, is a graduate degree in business and related specializations. It is a far more theoretical approach to business education than an MBA degree. It lays the foundation of the various concepts, takes young fresh undergraduates, or recent professionals, along a structured path towards business concepts. Though originally a European phenomenon, there has been a growing number of North American schools embracing the idea of this taste of management studies. What is MiM degree? To sum up the intention of the program, while what we mentioned before stands true, it is also a sort of formal introduction to the field of business management. Much like other MS or M.Sc degrees, it is not designed with practical education in the flavour MBA is familiar with. The courses are fundamental with the option of specializations in your interested area of business function – marketing, consulting, finance, and so on. This course, also otherwise known as Master of Science in Management in some parts of the world, is often a gateway into entry-level jobs in business management that require less experience. Nevertheless, it has high demand among recruiters, provides opportunities to study and work abroad, is a networking goldmine given the faculty and industry exposure as part of the curriculum, and is designed to train its students to build enough momentum to start a promising management career, running and far ahead. What is the Eligibility and Requirement for MiM? Unlike MBA, MiM doesn’t need its applicants to have work experience with substantial accomplishments to show for, professionally. Most MiM programs require students to have an undergraduate degree in any field. In practice, most MiM programs have students who have less than two years of work experience. Like MBA though, it does require GMAT/GRE or other standardized tests to evaluate applicants on a common baseline. TOEFL or other English proficiency tests are needed to ensure international student class participation. What is the duration of MiM Programs? Master in Management is a flexible program. While a considerable number of European business schools have the curriculum divided into two years – core, electives and specializations – there is the option to extend the time to include internships, as in HEC Paris. There is also typically an allotted time to get involved in research, working closely with professionals in the field. A few MiM programs are also designed in a condensed format to be completed within a year. The table below, showing the top school for MiM, summarizes the duration of some of the top b-schools.  What kind of courses and syllabus comprise MiM degrees? The years, or semesters, are dedicated to first laying a foundation for management sciences and other related concepts – intercultural management, management, statistical methods, analytical skills, and more. The second phase provides students with various specializations through electives – Accounting, Analytics, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Strategy, etc. MiM degrees offer incredible opportunities to customize the training based on the student’s interests. Depending on the b-school, many of these electives become part of either exchange programs or dual degrees that provide the added advantage of further global exposure. Foreign Language is also a big part of the training that goes into the global experience. The essential takeaway is that while job is a key outcome in the dreams and hopes of MiM students, at large, a significant number of them choose to continue in academia. With the heavily research oriented curriculum, students are trained towards thinking as potential researchers, adept with the skills to analyze information and use various research methodologies for independent endeavors. Having said that, schools do incorporate real-world application training in the mix, for employment. Thus, internships can become a part of the MiM training, especially if the duration of the degree allows for sufficient time to accommodate one. Students are either mandated to take up internship opportunities in a set scheduled period, during the degree, or are given a flexible option to opt for a gap year/semester, for interning in one or many organizations, and specializations, if they so choose. What are the job prospects after MiM? Here is a snippet of the hiring projections, among MiM graduates, as per GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey from 2017. The survey, which was based on nearly 1,000 employers representing about 630 companies, including 22% Fortune Global 500s, across 51 countries, shows a very positive response to these Master’s graduates. Through their years of surveys, GMAC found that the MiM hiring projections were up from 49% in 2012 to 59% in 2017. Though slightly subdued in the US, at 48%, as compared to the other continents – Asia Pacific (86%), Europe (74%) and Latin America (76%) – the trend is in the right direction. Breaking down further, as expected, larger companies (with greater than 1,000 employees) are more likely to hire (73%) MiM graduates as compared to smaller (36%). Even Start-ups are showing an increased interest in these young and vibrant business wizards. The table below sums up the industry wise hiring scenario, as per the survey.   Industry Hiring Projection Consulting 64% Finance 43% Health Care 55% Technology 59% Manufacturing 70% Product & Services 55%   As far as internships are concerned, US companies are less likely to offer internship positions to Business Master’s students, including MiM. They stood at about 24% in the USA as compared to 32% in Asia Pacific and 52% in Europe, in 2017. This is not surprising as Europe is the pioneering continent in Masters in Management, with the rest of the world now slowly realizing its value and playing a bit of catch up. As with jobs, larger companies are more likely to offer internships and also more likely to hire interns full-time. As mentioned before, the cohort of students, their age and experience, accounts for the job level grads are usually hired into. For instance, MBAs, with experience, are usually hired into mid-level positions. In comparison, the average age of MiM classes is about 22 years and they usually have none

As an MBA student, you are guaranteed to work in student teams composed of individuals from different backgrounds (professions, nationalities, cultures, orientations, etc.). For this reason, business schools want to ensure that you are equipped to collaborate effectively with people who might hold perspectives different from your own. During the past few admissions cycles, several programs have evaluated applicants’ ability to work across backgrounds by posing an essay question that asks about the candidate’s experience with diversity and inclusion, how they have created or promoted an inclusive environment, and/or how they expect to be an inclusive leader at the MBA program and after graduation.   Here are our tips on how to approach responding to an MBA diversity essay question:   First, to identify your essay topic, think about times when you have worked with a diverse group of people, whether on the job or as part of an extracurricular activity or personal pursuit. When some people hear the word “diversity,” they automatically associate it with race, gender, and ethnicity. Although those dimensions certainly are major aspects of diversity, you need to think about the definition of diversity—and about your experiences—more broadly. For example, maybe you worked on a team with members from across functions and/or with varying levels of seniority. Or perhaps you worked on recruiting new employees from a more comprehensive list of universities than you firm has considered in previous years.   Next, consider your actions as they relate to diversity. In which of your experiences did you actively cultivate diversity, such as by encouraging more people to participate in an initiative and to share their viewpoints during discussions? Simply writing about a time when you worked within a diverse group is not enough; you have to show that in that situation, you purposefully harnessed the advantages of having different perspectives by inviting the members of that group to express themselves, genuinely listening to them, and taking their views and ideas into account. If you encountered any challenges along the way, acknowledge them. Showing how you worked effectively to reconcile different points of view will lead to a more meaningful narrative.   Then, reflect on the result. Based on your actions—including fostering participation and dialogue—how did you and your team successfully accomplish the mission at hand? For example, maybe you won a sales pitch because you were able to tailor your message more closely to your audience. Or perhaps your company’s once-homogenous internship program now represents a blend of students from a range of backgrounds. In addition to explaining the outcome, address what you learned from the experience. Business school admissions committees like to see that applicants are capable of growing as the result of being exposed to different perspectives.   Finally, look to the future. If the essay question asks how you will promote diversity and inclusion on campus and in your post-graduate career, describe in specific terms how you aspire to be a leader in this space. Identify a student organization at your target MBA program that you would want to join based on your interests, and explain how exactly you would encourage the cultivation of a diverse membership and the voicing of different perspectives as a way of enhancing the club’s activities and impact. As for your post-MBA ideas, think about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts you would want to be involved in at work or as a leader in a community organization that aims to foster diversity. Keep in mind that less is more—you will come across as more genuine if you focus on one or two ways that you will be an inclusive leader rather than providing a laundry list of activities you want to be involved in.   Releasing Essay Tips for 15 Schools | 2022-2023 Application Cycle Often the hardest part of this process is simply taking the first step. What makes for a good topic? Which details can be skipped, and which should be emphasized? What are adcoms looking for? With big questions like these looming over the process, it can be intimidating to set fingers to the keyboard and start that first sentence. And to some extent, it should be! We see plenty of folks with the opposite problem: overconfident in their approach, veering off in the wrong direction from the start based on bad information and hearsay. There are smart ways to develop essay strategies before you ever commit pen to paper.   Your business school essays are about bringing your story to life and providing context to your application by connecting the dots.   You’ll want to capture an admissions reviewer’s attention with your story and authenticity, persuading them to learn more by inviting you to interview. To get there, your essays should convey a strong sense of who you are as a person and what makes you tick, up and beyond what the admissions team will glean from your academic record and work history.   If the prospect of distilling your essence into essay form makes your stomach seize (especially the quant-leaning among us), get some perspective: This isn’t an essay writing competition and you’re not trying to win the Pulitzer Prize (although admission to a top 10 program can feel that competitive). Schools care more about the substance and messages than the style.   The worst thing you can do is play it safe and write something you think admissions wants to hear (yawn). This is a medium to be courageous, although memorable cuts both ways – how well you walk the line between original (good!) and weird (lamentable) reflects your judgment.   Below are the List of 15 Schools and Essay Tips for 2022 – 2023 Application Cycle   School World Ranking Releasing Essay Tips Columbia Business School #2 Essay Tips HEC Paris #3 Essay Tips INSEAD #3 Essay Tips Chicago Booth #7 Essay Tips Kellogg Business School #5 Essay Tips London Business School #8 Essay Tips Yale #9 Essay Tips NYU Stern #10 Essay Tips Berkeley Haas #11 Essay Tips Michigan

Creating a university list, while exciting, can be tricky. In today’s university admissions landscape, competition is high, and acceptance rates are low. To maximize your chances of acceptance to a school you truly want to attend, it’s important to think strategically about which schools you want on your application list. The ideal university list should hold a balance of safety, target and reach – or sometimes even extreme reach schools! We are here to help you break down exactly what these terms mean, which universities fit into each category, and how many schools you should apply to.   Safety, Target, Reach & Extreme Reach: What is the difference?   What is a Safety School?   A safety school is a university where you have a greater than 75% chance of acceptance. These schools consistently admit students with lower test scores and GPAs than yours. While these universities may be chosen primarily because of your high chance of acceptance, safety schools should still fulfil all your criteria for your ideal school.   While a safety school may lie on the lower end of the scale in terms of academic rigor (in your own personal case), it should not lie below your range. These schools should still be able to satisfy your academic needs and challenge you intellectually. At a minimum, you should consider applying to 2 safety schools.   What is a Target School?   A target school is one in which your academic credentials and grades fall within the average range of students admitted, often between the 25th and 75th percentiles. While admission at these universities is not guaranteed, there is a good chance that you can expect to be admitted. In other words, these schools are not ‘easy wins’ or ‘out of your league’. They sit at the mid-range point of your university admissions goals. At a minimum, you should consider applying to 4 target schools.   Why is the Safety, Target, Reach and Extreme Reach Strategy Important?   So, why is it important to categorize your university list in this manner? The short answer is, that by doing so you maximize your chances of acceptance. While ideally you would probably like to fill your list with reach or extreme reach schools, you do not want to run the risk of getting rejected to every school you apply to. Including target and safety schools decreases this risk and balances your university list, so that you can ensure that you will gain admission to universities that are still a great fit for you.   What is a Reach School?   A reach school (sometimes called a “dream” school) accepts candidates with academic credentials a little higher than yours. These schools are usually the ones candidates ideally choose to go to if grades and cost are irrelevant factors.   Your chances of admission at a reach school are less than 25% on average. Some top US universities, including the Ivy League, are considered reach schools for all applicants, considering their incredibly low acceptance rates. These schools should not stretch wildly beyond your academic range but sit at the very top of this range. At a minimum, you should consider applying to 3 reach schools.   Reach Schools: Increasing Your Acceptance Odds   It’s critical to have a strategy when selecting which business schools to apply to. Typically, applicants will apply to a mix of safety, target, and reach schools to better their odds.   “Most candidates feel overwhelmed with applying to more than the average of four or five schools. Therefore, it’s crucial to think strategically about school selection and develop a competitive mix of MBA programs to target.”   But how do you go about deciding which schools are “safety” and which are “reach” on your list? Leap Quest what you need to know about reach schools, and what it takes to get into one.   What Qualifies As A Reach School?   Prospective students may lack certain accomplishments and experiences, such as impressive extracurricular activities and a track record of leadership, that are typically necessary for acceptance at these institutions.   A big misconception that applicants have about reach schools is that they don’t have what it takes to get in—when in reality, they do.   “It’s common for MBA applicants to misidentify programs as reach schools based on inaccurate assumptions about admissions criteria. Sometimes a personal feature that a candidate perceives as a disadvantage in the admissions process is not viewed as such by admissions officers, who may describe that trait as a plus.”   How To Increase Your Odds At A Reach School   If you’re applying to a reach school with below average test scores or a low GPA, your best bet is to be upfront about your weaknesses in your application.   “For instance, someone who had a personal crisis during college that made it hard to focus on school can provide context on this issue in an optional essay or application addendum. Similarly, someone who had an issue at a testing center while taking an entrance exam can explain this to admissions officers   Remember, that every school on your list, from safety to extreme reach, should be a school where you would thrive. Make sure you don’t discount schools just because they don’t sit at the top of ranking lists, and similarly, you don’t consider higher ranked schools because you may not be at the top of your class right now. Many of our students improve significantly during their time working with Leap Quest, so it’s important to be both realistic and ambitious when building your own perfect university application list!   What are your chances of getting in? This one is probably the trickiest part of doing business school research. All the earlier effort will go down the drain if the business schools you ultimately select, are all in the super-ambitious range. You risk ending up with zero admits. On the other extreme, with an over-conservative bschool selection approach, you may