Acing MBA Admissions: The Changing Landscape And Challenges

Pivoting to career growth has changed dimensions post COVID. While traditionally pursuing an MBA in India was synonymous to the two year MBA programs, 2024 has seen the rise of new MBA options for executives - The one year MBA and the Executive MBA programs. The MBA landscape has changed drastically over the last few years. While till a few years ago, the awareness of the one year MBA and the Executive MBA was quite less, however now these are the go to destinations for mid-career to senior professionals looking at upskilling and revamping their careers, especially in India. With this shift comes the challenges, the road to an MBA is much more complicated for executives with prior experience than just getting high test scores like the GMAT or the GRE exam. 

Experts shared that due to the changing landscape, students are facing multiple challenges. "The road to an MBA is fraught with challenges for aspirants from the initial stages itself, ie. the choice of the programs according to career goals. MBA applications, especially for top business schools, tend to be highly competitive and complex. This can be a barrier for applicants, especially in a diverse market like India. Many applicants struggle with crafting compelling essays, preparing for interviews, and navigating the complex admissions process," Shruti Parashar, Founder and CEO of GOALisB.

While there are MBA admissions consultants who help with the essays and interview preparation, the applicants face challenges in deciding their career path going forward because everyone comes from a different background and career trajectory. The skill requirement of different career paths is also very unique. In addition to this, there are new industry trends which validate that recruiters require skills in technology, AI and strategic thinking even at managerial levels. 

"Pursuing an MBA is no longer limited to choosing the top ranked schools, the aspirants must choose on the basis of their personal checklist which may include criteria like network, class size, cohort experience, international exposure among others.  The formats of the programs are also very different - while the traditional MBAs have been two year full time programs in India, the new formats are the one year full time MBA programs for executives and the part time or the hybrid executive MBA programs," said Parashar.

Another challenge in the application process is navigating multiple applications together, working on covering the skill gaps identified writing the test, setting the narrative for their stories and experience all at the same time. 

Submitting the application is not the end of this story. The next challenge is working on interview narratives. "Conducting multiple mock interviews simulating the rigor and pressure of the actual interview helps the aspirants. This makes the actual interview feel like just another day and prepares them to ace it," said the GOALisB CEO.

FInally, since the applicants are applying to multiple programs and receive multiple admits, they must take assistance to get insights into which program will finally help them achieve their career goals.