How to Answer "What other schools are you applying to?" in your MBA application and interview
When you’re filling out your MBA application form, you are likely to come across the question “What other schools have you applied to/ are you applying to?” You might even be asked this question in your MBA interview.
That seems like a loaded question. Why does the school want this information? Will your answer affect your admissions chances? What are they really getting at here?
Let’s rephrase the question: Tell us we’re your first choice school without telling us we’re your first choice school”. Even though they know that you’re applying to more than one school, they want to see how serious you are about your program choice and if your narrative is consistent with what you say.
Why MBA programs ask “What other schools are you applying to?”
Market research: Schools want to know how they’re doing in comparison to their competition. This question can help them get insight into where their top candidates are looking and why.
Yield: MBA programs want to know that you are likely to attend their program if offered admission. A higher “yield” of candidates boosts their rankings.
Commitment: The school wants to know if you’re serious about their program. If all the other schools on your list are ranked much higher, it may seem like you’re treating them like a safe back-up option, which is not the message you want to send!
Intent: Schools want to see how intentional you are about your MBA applications. Are the other schools on your list also well-positioned to help you achieve your goals? What opportunities/themes/values are important to you in an MBA program, and does your list of target schools reflect that?
Scholarships: In case they decide to make you an offer, the school wants to get a feel for how aggressive they will need to be with scholarships. If you have scholarships from other similarly ranked schools, it will positively impact your candidacy.
How to answer “What other schools/MBA programs are you applying to”?
If you are asked this question in your MBA application form or interview, here’s what you should do:
Be truthful
There’s no point in skirting the question or saying that they’re your only pick. Here’s why:
Schools know MBA applications are competitive. Therefore, saying that you’ve just applied to this one school would show poor judgement. It would show that you are poorly organized and unthoughtful about your MBA plans.
Other scholarships: Hopefully you’ll secure multiple admits, and you’ll be in a position to negotiate scholarships. In that case, it’s helpful to have already told the school you’re applying to other schools, rather than leaving it until after. Here's how to negotiate a life-changing scholarship.
But don’t list too many schools
Schools understand that you’re applying to multiple schools. But that doesn’t mean you give them a laundry list of ALL the programs that you’ve been sending in applications to. Be strategic and mention 3-4 schools apart from the one you’re writing about/interviewing for.
Important note: Don’t mention schools you actually haven’t applied to, or are only thinking of applying to. And obviously, under no circumstances should you tell the AdCom that you’re actually holding out for a different school because it is your priority!
Contrary to a lot of the advice out there, our advice is to answer the question directly: list the other schools, then shut up! There’s no need to wax poetic about why you want to be admitted to one school over the others.
Be consistent
The AdCom will try to identify a theme in the schools you’ve applied to. So, choose schools that have something in common with them, like a similar DNA, industry focus, geography. For example, if you’ve mentioned that you want to apply to schools with smaller class sizes so you can forge stronger and more personal connections with your peers, you do not want to contradict that by saying you also applied to HBS (which has 800+ MBA students per year).
Similarly, if you’re a finance applicant interviewing at an US East Coast school like NYU Stern, mentioning an MBA program that is known for having a strong sustainability focus, like Berkeley Haas, will make the AdCom think you’re not clear about your goals.
Spread out by rank
If you’re applying to only M7s, your motivation is obvious. You might be missing an opportunity to stand out as an applicant, because you’re just as interchangeable as most of the other applicants who want fat paychecks after an MBA. That’s why we encourage applicants to apply strategically and include a range of schools that share a common theme. This will also show that you’re serious about your post-MBA goals, which strengthens your overall application.
Want to know more about answering tough questions in your MBA application and interview? Get in touch for a free chat.
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