Telling Your MBA Story: Inside the GMAT Podcast
When you think about applying to business school, what comes to mind? Probably polishing your resume to perfection, cramming for standardized tests, or obsessing over every decimal point of your GPA. But did you know there is more to your application than just numbers?
In this episode of the Inside the GMAT podcast, Zach is joined by Petia Whitmore from My MBA Path, a seasoned consultant who has seen thousands of applications cross her desk. Petia refers to those traditional application elements—your test scores, GPA, work history—as "statistics." And yes, they matter. With more than 16 years of experience in admissions and admissions consulting, she knows these quantitative aspects are crucial.
But here's the twist: Petia believes the real magic happens beyond those numbers. That there are intangible qualities that can transform a good application into an extraordinary one—the kind that stops admissions directors in their tracks and makes them take notice.
So, if you're dreaming of business school, listen to the episode below or on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch on YouTube to dive deep into the art and science of crafting an application that truly tells your unique MBA story.
Telling Your MBA Story with Petia Whitmore, My MBA Path
Here are some highlights from the conversation.
On expressing career goals:
“A strong career goal answers very specific questions. What role are you targeting, what kind of problems do you want to solve, and how does this connect to what you've already done before? So instead of, 'I want to pivot into consulting,' you might want to say something like: 'I plan to join a healthcare practice of a consulting firm where I can leverage my experience in biotech operations to help pharmaceutical companies improve their go-to-market strategies for new drugs. And then in the long term, I want to transition into a chief strategy officer.' Strong candidates will be able to inject personal motivation into their career goals."
On quality vs. quantity of work experience:
“Quality trumps quantity every single time. A candidate who has, maybe, just three years of experience but very high impact could very well end up being much more compelling than someone that did six or more years in the same role. You don't need to have manager in your title, but you need to show some growth, whether it's in scope, in leadership, or expertise."
On Round 1 vs. Round 2:
"Candidates often get very surprised when I tell them how much smaller the pool of applications in Round 1 is. They somehow think that it's equally distributed. So what ends up happening is Round 1 is a small and people that that means they have really strong odds. But what ends up being the case is it's small, but it comprises very well-qualified candidates. So there's the volume of applications, but there's also the quality of these applications. The strength of your application ends up being the thing that matters."
More episodes of Inside the GMAT
Inside the GMAT features experts that share tips on taking the exam, prep, and how to optimize your application cycle for graduate business school. This weekly show gives you insights on everything you need to know for your graduate business school journey. If you want the inside scoop on the GMAT exam, industry insights, and MBA success strategies—this podcast is for you.
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