On many of the GMAT/MBA discussion boards we see requests for profile evaluations (i.e., what are my chances of getting into School “X” given my profile?).
To help students with this question, MBA Prep School has created an exercise called the “Ding Diagnostic” to help you do some self-assessment on your candidacy.
The more checkmarks (or “dings”) your profile earns on the checklist below, the more of a reach a highly selective program will be for you.
The real power of this exercise is to help you to start thinking like an admissions officer in order to identify the weak spots in your application and find ways to counterbalance those weaknesses. In that sense, the tool is prescriptive. Knowing what might stand in your way to being accepted to your dream school is an important first step.
MBA Prep School’s Ding Diagnostic
Academic Profile
- Low cumulative GPA or GPA in major
- No classes or average performance in Quantitative or Business-Oriented Courses
- GMAT score below the median
- TOEFL score below the median
- A 3-Year Bachelor’s Degree
- Degree from a school with a questionable academic reputation
Career Progress
- Limited evidence of career progress
- No visible progress made in the direction of career goals
- Employer is a complete unknown or quality of candidate’s work experience is questionable
- Weak references and/or limited evidence of recognition by superiors
- Too technical: limited evidence of managerial potential
Leadership Portfolio
- Limited evidence of leadership at work
- Limited evidence of leadership outside of work
- Lacks insight about leadership capabilities
- Lacks awareness of leadership development needs
- Leadership style appears authoritarian or self-serving
Career Goals
- Undefined career goals
- Career goals lack a sense of purpose: passion, meaning, significance
- Can’t connect the dots between prior skills/experiences and post-MBA career goals
- Unconvincing motivations for pursuing an MBA
- Weak case for pursuing an MBA from our School
- Career goals lack a Global Perspective
Other Qualities
- Little evidence of self-awareness
- Little evidence of maturity/life-experience
- Lacks dimension (e.g. Too much of a “poet” or too much of a “suit”)
- Limited international/cross-cultural experience
- Questionable fit with our school’s culture