How to Write a Better MBA Admissions Resume

Applying to a Top 10 MBA program? Business school programs such as HBS, Wharton, Chicago Booth, Kellogg, MIT Sloane Duke (Fuqua), Berkeley (Hass), or Michigan (Ross) takes planning and organizational skills. Bschool applicants often spend most of their focus on making their essays perfect and getting letters of recommendation that they neglect making their resume the best that they can make it. This is a BIG mistake! Your resume is frequently the first thing an admission committee member will review. If it is done right it will pull the member to actually be interested in the rest of your application.

Here are some tips for writing a great MBA admissions resume:

• Try and keep it to 1 page unless you have more than 10 years experience or if you have some major accomplishment that requires more explanation than can be done on 1 page.
• Highlight your most significant experiences and accomplishments at the top of your resume. Make sure it is easily readable and emphasize the things you did that made you stand out from your peers.
• Talk about what you achieved versus what your job description is.
• Always talk about the positive results that you achieved for you organization. Tangible quantification resonates louder than vague accolades.
• Give more information about recent positions and list older positions with dates of employment, promotions and special achievements.
• Stress how you’ve demonstrated leadership throughout your career and how that helped drive success within your organization.
• In general, put work experience ahead of your education experience – and there should be no need to go back to high school unless there was a significant accomplishment that you achieved during those years.
• Throughout your resume remember that you want to make yourself stand out. Include the most impressive awards, publications, professional licenses and organizations, and positions in volunteer groups.

Lastly, don’t wait until the last minute to get started on your MBA admission resume. You need time to edit and proofread your resume several times. It also is a great idea to have colleagues review it as well.

Need more bespoke help?

At mbaivy.com I can help you put your best foot forward as an MBA applicant. I’m a former Harvard admissions interviewer and Harvard graduate. I started MBA IVY: a leading ‘Top Ten’ Ivy League MBA business school admission consulting firm to help both MBA & EMBA clients learn what it takes to get into the most competitive business schools in the U.S. and abroad, and have achieved excellent results. Contact me for a free, personalized consultation.

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