by Kelly Wilson
Seven Ways to Make the Most of MBA Fairs and Receptions
Are you planning on applying to MBA programs in the fall? If so, then you’re probably expecting to meet with adcom members at MBA fairs and school receptions as part of that process.
Adcom members are preparing to meet you, too. Their goal is to provide you with general information about their MBA program and encourage you to further engage with the school and its broader community. Area alumni will often join admissions representatives at off-campus events (rather than students), except when the event is in the city in which the business school is located.
Here are seven tips to help you make a positive first impression on the admissions representatives and alumni you meet, while also getting the most out of the engagement for your own informational and decision-making needs.
1. Polish your resume and bring it with you.
Sometimes, you might have the opportunity to share your resume with an adcom member or a graduate of the school who is willing to discuss how your professional experience compares to that of applicants who have been admitted. However, it is unlikely that you’ll receive specific feedback on your overall competitiveness for the program; a more comprehensive view of your candidacy would be necessary for that discussion. Don’t worry if your resume is not in what you would consider final or perfect form. You will certainly revise it later as part of the application process.
2. Have your overall “goals story” on the tip of your tongue.
Most applicants will have a simple sentence prepared, such as “My goal is to become an IT manager in finance and eventually CIO,” but ideally, you’d have something more specific and substantial to share. You should add on a sentence that explains why you have these goals (your motivation) and your vision for what you want to achieve (these two elements are often interrelated).
Being confident about your goals story will smooth your path to engaging more meaningfully with adcom members and alumni. People will care more about your goals when they know why you want to achieve them!
3. Research, research, research.
Research the programs that you’re interested in learning more about at the event. Don’t simply browse the readily available material; investigate what the school can offer you based on your specific post-MBA career goals. When you’re at the event, go beyond asking basic questions whose answers can easily be found on the program’s website. You want the school reps you meet to remember you for your curiosity, not because you couldn’t be bothered to read the information that is available online.
These events often include school-specific presentations before the main portion of the MBA fair. Attend sessions for any schools that interest you. Usually, the presenters will ask questions of the audience. Sit toward the front, and engage with the speaker throughout the presentation. At the end of the event, thank the presenter for their time and the information they shared.
4. Have thoughtful questions ready about the program.
For each school you visit, prepare questions in advance that relate to your learning and career needs. Your willingness and ability to identify your specific educational needs will also reflect maturity on your part. If you attend a session and subsequently meet the presenter during the fair portion of the event, have a question ready that builds on something they shared at the school-specific session.
5. Dress and act professionally.
Dressing too casually or coming across with a casual attitude won’t be a good look for you. School representatives could assume that you’re not serious about your future business education and career. MBA programs look for sincere, thoughtful candidates. Your professional presence should be at the forefront of your mind, and your goal is to make a positive impression.
6. Get contact info for follow-ups when meeting representatives and alumni from your target schools.
If no students are at the event you attend, ask an admissions representative how you might connect with students later. That initial connection with an enrolled student is important, and often, one student will be able to connect you to a classmate who leads a club of interest or who has goals similar to yours. Pay attention to the things that resonate with you while you are networking and building relationships with members of a school’s community. You will gain unique and fresh insights that can greatly enhance your essays.
7. Learn how to create an elevator pitch, and then prepare one.
Having an effective “elevator pitch” will enable you to attend school events and MBA fairs without anxiety, show that you are socially adept, and free you to focus on listening and responding rather than thinking about what to say in those initial moments. Aim to present a thoughtful, meaningful nugget of information to make a positive first impression and facilitate conversation. You can use your pitch with adcom members, MBA alumni, students, and fellow applicants. With the latter two groups, you can also follow up with “What is your industry background?” or “What are your post-MBA goals?”
Your elevator pitch should be just one or two sentences, and its content will ideally focus on the present and future. The key is to convey core information in a way that is engaging.
Here are two examples:
- “Hi, I’m Mary Liu, a consultant in McKinsey’s supply chain practice. I hope to develop and lead the next generation of supply chain innovations in emerging markets.”
- “Hello, I’m Manish Das. I’ve been troubleshooting Bank Paribas’s risk management applications in Eastern Europe. Post-MBA, I want to focus on developing new risk management strategies to avert future global financial crises.”
If there is something important in your past you should add to offer a clearer picture, be sure to mention it. For example, a listener would probably assume that Manish Das grew up in India. But what if Manish grew up in Kenya? That’d be an interesting tidbit: “Hello, I’m Manish Das. I grew up in Kenya, but lately, I’ve been troubleshooting….”
Finally, practicing your pitch will let you get comfortable with it while also giving you a chance to refine it. By the time you’re “on,” it will flow effortlessly and naturally.
There’s an old saying: “You only have one chance to make a first impression.” It’s true. Preparing with these tips will yield rich rewards, including making a good impression on adcoms, establishing fruitful contacts with students, and developing deeper knowledge of the programs to fuel your decision-making and spark ideas for your essays.
You need to choose and apply to the MBA programs that will best support your individual goals and preferences. Not only will selecting the right schools increase your chances of acceptance, but it will also ensure that you make the most of your time spent pursuing your degree. Our expert consultants can help you strategize, choose, and then apply to the best programs for you.
As the former executive director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School and assistant dean of admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School, Kelly Wilson has 23 years’ experience overseeing admissions committees and has reviewed more than 38,000 applications for the MBA and master’s programs in management of information systems, computational finance, business analytics, and product management. Want Kelly to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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