by Zenab Matloob, Recruitment and Admissions Manager, Executive MBA
With each intake, our admissions team deal with vastly different applications. Quite often these applications are not as straight forward as they could have been and it would seem that there are some common misconceptions which can lead to this. From experience, this can prolong the application process for the candidate or result in the candidate receiving an alternative decision to the one that they had hoped for.
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Meeting the basic requirements:
Considering the amount of time you will spend on completing the EMBA application the key question to ask yourself is do you meet the ‘key requirements’ to be considered for a programme like the Executive MBA?
Does your current profile fit that of an EMBA student? We have a class average of12 years of experience, do you have enough experience as a leader?
In order to make this decision ensure you have researched the programme well. Our recruitment team offers free CV reviews to help you make your mind up.
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Applying in the final stages of the Admissions Cycle:
The timing of your application submission is key!
Although we have 4-5 deadlines for every intake, we always tell applicants the sooner they submit their application the better. By doing so you are then able to go through all the different stages of the admissions cycle at a good pace.
If you were to wait until the final stages of the admissions cycle this can have a major impact on both your application journey and your chances of getting onto the programme. Having a ‘rolling admissions process’ means that towards the final stages of the admissions cycle the number of applications submitted and offers given out is a lot higher, therefore increasing the competition for a place as well as the pressure you may feel.
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‘Fast-track’ Vs. a complete application:
As attractive as the ‘fast-track’ option may sound it also has its cons. Submitting an application that is still pending a key requirement (line manager reference/EA or GMAT score) means adding an extra step to your admissions journey. Additionally, if you were to receive an offer for the programme, the offer would have to be conditional.
My best advice would be that if you are able to submit a complete application, aim on doing that. If not, then always ensure you have all arrangements in place to meet the remaining requirements soon after you submit your application.