by Arione McQueenie, Recruitment Manager, Leadership Programmes
The EMBA-Global programme at London Business School is a competitive and highly sought after post graduate education course. Sometimes a great applicant can be unsuccessful due to a poor application. These are some top tips from the admissions staff to help you improve your application.
Preparing for the application
Whether you are thinking of applying or are ready to write your application there are a couple of things that we recommend you should do to be best prepared.
- Research the programme. Make sure you know what the program is all about and the format of the teaching and classes. In your application it will show through if you have not done the appropriate research and understand the impact that an EMBA will have on your work/family/social life.
- Speak with your family and employers. The studying and travelling for classes will have an impact on your family so make sure they are on board and know what you are undertaking. It is important to speak to your employer to ensure they support you with time off and if possible, financial support. Showing that you have spoken with your employer is a sign of commitment to the programme and that they understand how it will impact on your work life.
- When it comes to the application, we take everything in your application into consideration when making admissions decisions. There are no cut off points if you haven’t achieved a certain level or have fewer years of experience than the average. Make sure you know all the components of the application and that you have made strides into speaking to your referees beforehand.
Top tips for the application
- In all parts of the application, make sure you are concise and to the point. Be clear in your reasons for leaving/taking on new jobs and your responsibilities throughout your employment history.
- Make sure you understand and have read the essay titles. There is nothing worse than reading an applicant’s essays that have missed the point of the question. We set a word limit not only to ensure that you are concise in your essays but so that you can show us you can build a good essay within the limit.
- We want to see your personality through your essays. It is the only time where you can express yourself across to us. Your essays can help us to see your role in the class and whether the EMBA-Global is right for you. It can help to have them proof read by a friend or family member to give an alternative view of what you are trying to put across.
- Keep your CV to fewer than two pages. Most of the information is already in the application so we do not need extended pages of your CV.
- Try to ensure that all your required documents are ready when you submit your application. It is easier for the applicant and the admissions process if there are no outstanding documents that need to be chased further down the line. We prioritise applications that are complete.
- Make sure you have submitted a GMAT test date with your application. If you don’t have a GMAT, a date shows us your commitment to taking one.
- Choose your referees wisely. They help to give us an impression of the applicant from a different viewpoint and can help to confirm our initial impressions of the candidate.
- You can work on your application over time. You can keep working on it and editing it until you are happy. Don’t rush this process. Be completely content with everything in the application before you submit it.
If you stick to these guidelines then you should end up with a completed application that is a showcase for your career and responsibilities and lets us get a sense of who you are as well as what you do. Once you submit your application to the programme, you should expect to hear within four weeks whether you have been selected for interview.