Admissions Directors Reveal the Most Common Mistakes Applicants Make

There is tons of advice on Accepted.com and on previous episodes of Admissions Straight Talk, about what you should do when you're applying to top MBA programs. But what about common mistakes? What about the things that you shouldn't be doing? What are the errors that applicants like you all too frequently make on applications? Today you're going to hear different admissions committee directors from around the world talk about what they think are the most common mistakes in MBA applications, and you're invited to listen in.Welcome to the 538th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Before I turn to those mistakes I mentioned a second ago, I have a question for you: Are you ready to apply to your dream MBA programs? Are you competitive at your target schools? Accepted's MBA admissions quiz can give you a quick reality check. And you’ll not only gett an assessment; you’ll also get tips on how to improve your qualifications. Plus, it's all free. If you're a regular listener to Admissions Straight Talk, you know that during most episodes of AST I interview a guest. Occasionally, I do a solo show. Frequently, the guests are admissions directors. I also have many times asked my guests, “What are the most common mistakes that you see when you're reviewing applications?”Today's episode is a collection of guests’ answers to the questions, what are the most common mistakes you have seen during the MBA application process? What are the most common mistakes that you see when reviewing applications? All featured guests are admissions directors at top MBA programs sharing what you should not do when you are applying. The two most common mistakes were in broad categories, Lack of authenticity, a sense that you're not really revealing yourself. And number two, sloppiness, which can come in many forms and you can learn about those forms through the admissions directors’ comments. There are nuances and details that the admissions committee directors provide in their comments, and you want to hear from them in their words what they are - so don't go anywhere. Don't just think that the two items I listed, you're done for the day.In addition, there were some other errors that don't fit into those two categories and still are common and damaging to applicant's chances. For example, one would be to not adjust in your resume for business school, but give in the technical resume that you have used in getting jobs. That's not going to work when you're applying to an MBA program. But again, you're going to want to hear what changes you need to make and you're going to want to hear it from the admissions' director's mouth. In short, to make sure that your applications shine like gems, first, remove the impurities. Those impurities are the common errors discussed in the rest of this episode. I've arranged the episodes in alphabetical order by school name. Teresa Peiro, Associate Director of Global Admissions for Degree Programs at INSEAD [3:22]Linda Abraham: Our first speaker is INSEAD's Teresa Peiro, Associate Director of Global Admissions for Degree Programs. Now, you've been doing this for a few years, what's the most common mistake you see in the application?TP: I would say lack of motivation. We know that the application process is long and it takes time, and our recruitment team is always saying  focus on the essays, focus on what you're writing. You need to prepare. So a sloppy application is a no go.TP: Essays that aren't well-structured, essays that are not well-prepared, things that are mismatching, lack of consistency, that would be a killer.And

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