We were in admissions committee, discussing an MBA candidate – great on paper – from Latin America. The MBA interviewer was talking about how he was too quiet in the admissions interview. It had been hard to get a sense of his personality. Or maybe he was just a bit dull. Until she asked him, “What lights you up?” He thought for a second and beamed! He started telling her about his travels and how he challenged himself to spend time in a completely new culture. It was like the interviewer suddenly gave him permission to talk about his life outside of work and show his fun side. But what if she hadn’t?

Before joining my Graduate Admissions team at Babson, the Associate Director who interviewed this candidate had worked at Kellogg. I learned a lot from her about bringing the best out of a candidate. You see, it’s not all about gate keeping, sometimes it’s about gate opening. But not always. When the MBA adcom knows that there are many equally qualified candidates for just one spot in their MBA class, they may not be as generous in looking for reasons to admit. 

So how do YOU bring that spark to life without waiting for a lifeline? That story that lights you up and gets the MBA adcom excited about YOUR candidacy? 

It always, always starts with reflection. A genuine hard look at who you are. In this post, I have compiled a list of questions to walk you down the path of essential discovery. Keep in mind that you can and should use these to guide you not simply before your admissions interview, but ideally much earlier – at the onset of your MBA application journey. That MBA branding all of us admissions experts talk about is not some cheap marketing gimmick. MBA branding=your personal spark. It’s your essence, your value, and your passions. 

 So here is your starter kit. Ask these questions, change them, rephrase them, create new ones. They are intended to help you identify your most important qualities and experiences. Start writing down the answers. At first, think of the answers as something for your eyes only. Don’t edit yourself. That will come later. For now, just dig deep and be truthful. And have fun. Please. 

7 Questions to Ask Yourself as you build your MBA Brand

When in life have you been the saddest and the most joyful?

One HBS MBA admit famously wrote an easy about the four times she cried at work. It was a humble, very human story about woes and joy. There’s a lesson for you in her success story. 

Who shaped you?

Way too often as candidates start thinking about their brand, they mostly think about themselves. But the people who made you who you are or influenced you may be a critical part of your MBA application story. 

How does the story end?

A mentor who happened to be a former Bain partner and twice a CEO once shockingly asked me to write my own obituary as an exercise. Starting with the ending is a legit question that brings out your mission in life. 

What has been the most generous thing you’ve ever done?

The key here is to be brutally honest. What was it? Keep it real. Don’t answer what you think the ad com might love. 

What books have you read more than once?

There is a lot to learn about yourself from the readings that inspired or entertained you. 

What is your biggest regret?

This is pretty straightforward. It may never need to make its way into your MBA application. It’s just good to know. 

What is your biggest hope?

Whatever it might be, it probably has a link in some way to why you want to get an MBA. But don’t answer through the link lens yet. 

So get going. Keep digging. Don’t let your true spark never be seen. Oh, and this works best as an iterative exercise spread over a decent amount of days, twenty or thirty minutes at a time, an hour if inspiration and lack of distraction happen to be your friend some days. 

 Onwards and upwards,

 Petia