The "What Other Programs Are You Applying To?" Question

1. The "What Other Programs Are You
Applying To?" Question
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2. The "What Other Programs Are You App
Pay paticular attention to the question that
every b-school application asks:
What Other Programs Are You Applying To?
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3. What Other Programs Are You Applying To
The reason is this:
•B-schools are keen to know who they are competing
against. They want to know how applicants view the
correlation between programs but also if you are using
the school as a backup or safe school.
•For instance, on the UCLA Anderson application, if you
list that you are applying to Stanford and Haas, in
addition to Anderson, the admissions committee
will pretty much know you are using them as a backup.
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4. What Other Programs Are You Applying To
Why is this an issue?
•If you do not make compelling reasons for "Why
Anderson?", then the effect is magnified. It becomes
even more apparent that you are using UCLA Anderson
as a backup.
•A good test is this; if you can unplug the UCLA
Anderson name from the essays and plug back in any
other business school, the adcom knows and can
see right through it.
•Programs with "pull through" issues or low acceptance
rates of extended offers know that they are going
to get dinged in the rankings. They are keen to see that
you are serious.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

5. What Other Programs Are You Applying To
What should you do?
•You have to have clear reasons why you need an MBA,
your short and longer term goals and why you
need to get that MBA now as opposed to a year
from now.
•If you do not have clear reasons, the adcom will see
through it. They review thousands of applications, they
have a BS detector. You will sound as if you have
not clearly thought through your future career. It's
certain death to your application.
MBA Admissions Consultant | http://www.amerasiaconsulting.com

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