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MBA profile evaluation & improvement | Beyond B-School Acceptance Calculators

MBA Mock Application Process

Going beyond MBA school acceptance calculators

 
MBA MAPYou’d never take your final GMAT test without a few mock-tests first. Shouldn’t that rationale apply to the main application too?

The MBA MAP helps you build a solid foundation for your real MBA application.

 
Your GMAT score constitutes (roughly) 25% of the total weight within an MBA application. That means around 75% of the importance is given to the rest of the application – your overall story-line, writing skills (essays, resume/CV), interviewing skills and recommendations.

Yet, most candidates prefer experimenting directly with their dream-schools, by jumping into MBA essays without first getting their overall approach and strategy validated.

Read on to see how you can gain confidence (and an edge over your competition) to tackle this bigger component of your MBA application.

MBA Crystal Ball has conceptualized the innovative MBA Mock Application Process (MBA MAP™) to help you gain clarity before you begin working on your actual application. It can save you a lot of time, cost, effort and heartburn later on.

The growing popularity of our MBA MAP™ can be judged from the fact that it is offered by a few of our international MBA consulting partners for their own clientele in their respective countries (including American and Russian candidates).
 

 
The MBA MAP™ Concept

Check out this video to get an idea of the rationale and concept behind the MBA MAP.
 

 

The MBA MAP™ methodology

MBA MAP™ = Mock Interview + Mini MBA essays + Resume review + MBA profile evaluation + Business school selection + Application storyline + Recommender choice + Post-MBA career validation

 

MBA Mock Application Process | Profile evaluation, business school selection | India

 
We simulate a Mini-application Process in order to create a personalised report for you based on a proprietary MBA profile evaluation methodology. The report forms the basis for business school selection / shortlisting and application strategy.
 
Phase I – Mini Application
Using a questionnaire, we ask you to provide details covering personal, educational and professional data (there’s also a section on soft-skills).

– Resume: A 1-page summary of your accomplishments.

– Mini-essays: Includes the most common essay topics listed by the top schools. Demonstrate your writing skills, clarity of thought and well-defined career goals here.

– Interview: We want to hear you speak. Just to cross-verify the data and/or to probe you further in areas that aren’t entirely clear.
 
Phase II – Profile Evaluation & Analysis
We analyze the data and create a report that includes the following:

– A rating for your profile (Below Average, Closer to Average, Good, Strong etc)

– A big (correction, HUGE) list of close to 100 top schools with your indicative chances at each (Ambitious, Stretch, Practical, Safe, Backup)

– Financial implications (Average Tuition Fees, Expected Post-MBA salary)

– A SWOT analysis covering your strengths and weaknesses

The final output is in the form of a personalized report which will be emailed to you in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format. Depending on the volume of requests we get, we aim for a turnaround time of 1-2 working days.
 
Phase III – Personalised Action Plan
We wrap up the process with a final 1-hour consultation over the phone, covering questions you may have on the report, the analysis, the recommendations and the way forward. This is where you can also validate the basic storyline that you plan to use in your MBA essays.
 

 

Get inside the mind of the Admissions Officer

In the MBA application process, several questions will be posed to you directly (via essays and interview). But Admissions Committees (Adcoms) also have several questions & concerns that they can’t put in front of you, for various reasons. Though these points will not be very apparent, it is imperative that you cover these in your application. We’ll share these with you during the process.

The biggest takeaway from the MBA MAP exercise is that you will get insights about how Admissions Officer’s think. You will have an understanding of the overall evaluation framework used by the top business schools. This will allow you to tweak your application strategy and improve your chances of getting selected.

 

How the MBA MAP timeline works

1. We’ll send out the standard sign-up note with the bank details for the online transfer.

2. Once you make the payment, we’ll send across the MBA MAP Questionnaire.

3. You spend a couple of hours to complete the questionnaire and the essays.

4. After you send across the completed files, we fix up a mutually convenient day/time for the mock-interview.

5. You take a few days to follow up on the suggestions from the first call.

6. We finally have a 1-hour wrap-up call.
 
During the MAP exercise, we’ll essentially play the role of a facilitator and share perspectives of the Adcoms, so you become aware of all the key aspects they are looking for. We’ll expect you to do a lot of background work, so you can take the final call. So no quick solutions from us. But the end result would be logical, practical – and you’d be able to defend it in your essays and interview.

The MBA MAP goes way beyond the free online MBA school chances calculators and predictors available on the net which spit out automated results based on a simple software program. Our process is far more rigorous. Which means you’ll need to plan for it. Generally, it takes 1 -2 weeks (part-time involvement) to finish the entire process. Some finish it earlier (2-4 days), others who want more time to do the research work take longer.

You don’t need to be in the same city or in fact even the same country. The entire process happens over email/phone. Our client-base is spread across the globe.
 

 

What folks are saying about the MBA MAP™

Real people | 100% Authentic & Verifiable Reviews

 
MBA MAP feedback | Shipra's reviewShipra Baranwal – Entrepreneur (India) – HEC (Paris) with scholarship

The MBA MAP assessed me on unambiguous parameters and gave me a clear understanding of where I stand in the MBA run and what is the stamina I need to build up to finish the marathon. Not only has the process given me answers to a lot of questions but also the approach to find answers and cleared away clouds of confusion. It is designed to allow each one of us to look deeper within ourselves. The process has taught me to connect the dots. The MAP has taught me the difference between making choices versus taking chances. I have devised a logical and a rational approach to making choices.
 
Lucas Mohr – Military (US Army) – Columbia Business School

MBA MAP feedback | Luke's reviewI really enjoyed the process. It forced me to articulate many of the key themes and points I wanted to make, and helped me tie my individual experiences and essays into a complete package. Even just the act of going through a mock interview is enough to provide some familiarity with the process, and will be a huge advantage when I start doing the real interviews. You were of course very knowledgeable and responsive. Overall, it was a terrific value for the money, and a beneficial experience. I would suggest that anyone serious about b-school do some initial school research, complete a few draft essays, and then do a MAP to focus their strategy before the applications open.
 

Click here to read more -> MBA MAP Reviews.

 

How to order the MBA MAP™

The personalized MBA MAP™ is available for INR 46,000.

We offer discounts when you sign up for the MBA MAP with our essay editing packages.

Drop us a mail at info [at] mbacrystalball [dot] com and we’ll take it from there.


Not ready for a formal, grueling process yet? No problem, here’s a simpler and free way to find out if you have what it takes. Share your details here for a free profile evaluation.