By Heream Yang
MBA fairs are a great way to discover new schools and network with recruiters, alumni, and current students. But if you’ve never attended one, you might not know how to make the most of it or what the etiquette is. In our three-part series of articles, we’re explaining how prospective students can maximize their experiences before, during, and after MBA fairs.
In our second installment, the Vanderbilt Business MBA admissions team answers your FAQs on how to succeed during your first MBA fair:
Which schools should I visit?
Christie St-John
While it’s a good idea to do research beforehand and compile a list of schools you want to target, it’s also important to be open to visiting schools not on your list, particularly those from outside your area.
“You can always pop over to the schools in your neighborhood,” said Christie St-John, Director of MBA Admissions and Recruiting. “Go and see the schools that may have come from Boston, New York, or Nashville and see what they have to offer because the MBA is similar in a lot of respects, but it’s also very different. That’s what you’re going to find out by visiting with the different schools, finding out… whether you’re going to be the right fit there.”
In order to build up your confidence as you approach recruiters, Rob Schickler, Associate Director of Recruiting and Admissions, suggests warming up before approaching your top choice schools.
“I get that not everyone’s personality is going to be where they’re going to feel confident walking right up to a table and immediately shaking hands, and that’s okay,” said Schickler. “There’s a school of thought that says, don’t go up to your number one choice right away when you’re cold. Maybe take the time to warm up with a school that perhaps you’re not as interested in.”
How should I prepare for the MBA fair?
Bailey McChesney
Etiquette at MBA fairs is similar to job fairs: Come dressed professionally and equipped with an updated résumé. “The dress code for most of these MBA fairs will be business casual to business (formal),” said Bailey McChesney, Associate Director of Recruiting and Admissions. “Most people are coming after work, so you’ll want to dress accordingly… It’s sometimes helpful to carry a briefcase or a tote bag to these fairs. You will likely receive a lot of printed material, so having a place to put it without juggling everything in your hands is nice. In the same vein, you might also want to carry business cards and résumés to give to the admissions representatives.”
“Some candidates will ask a representative if they are accepting résumés, and that’s a good way for them to provide the representative with a more in depth look at your background. However, I will note that because fairs are so busy, don’t necessarily expect the representative to analyze your résumé or give you a résumé review on the spot,” she added.
How can I have successful conversations with recruiters?
In order to make the most of both the recruiter’s time and yours, it’s a good idea to prepare a brief elevator speech stating your background and goals for pursuing an MBA, along with a list of questions that will help recruiters point you in the right direction.
“(Do) not be afraid to lead the conversation,” McChesney said. “It really helps recruiters when you give them an idea about where you are in the search process, because they can help ensure that they are giving you the information that you need.”
“The other thing I would say is, don’t be afraid to share with the recruiter that you maybe don’t know much about their program,” she continued. “Don’t be afraid to tell the recruiter that you heard them on the panel and that you were interested in their school and you don’t know much about it. Have a few questions prepared that can be used for any school ahead of time.”
What kinds of questions should I ask?
Rob Schickler
Most schools will have websites and handouts with basic information about average GMAT scores, class size, and other admissions statistics. Since this information is readily available, it’s best to use your time asking more personal questions that will help you determine your fit at a specific school.
“It’s really important to try to make the most of your time to really ask questions of the recruiters, the alumni there that really get to it sort of differentiating the schools from each other,” Schickler said. “(Ask), ‘What makes your program different than others?’ If there’s alumni at the table, ask them why they chose the program. They probably went through this search process… a few years ago, and were trying to decide (on) schools, and they were attending fairs as well. So ask them why it was that they chose to attend that school and really get those first-hand stories.”
Are there any questions to avoid?
While recruiters are more than happy to answer most questions about their schools, there are some topics that fall outside of the scope of their expertise. “One of the things that is very awkward is to ask a recruiter, ‘Why should I go to your school instead of university X or Y; how do you compare to that?’” St-John said. “Don’t assume that we know everything about other schools. We know a lot, but that’s your job (to do the research), actually… If there’s something that we don’t do that another school does well, and we know about it, I would certainly refer you to that school, but don’t put the recruiter in a bad spot.”
Should I ask for a business card?
Consuela Knox
It’s important to stay in touch with recruiters throughout the admissions process, but methods of contact can vary from school to school. “There are some individuals who are representing a school who are very protective of their business cards, and there are others who might give them out very liberally,” said Consuela Knox, Director of Admissions Operations.
“(My) one tip is to ask them at the end of your conversation, ‘What’s the best way to stay in touch with your school or another way to have points of contact moving forward?’ And then that individual can offer go to our website, or they can say here’s the business card,” she continued. “To me, that’s a more general way of trying to figure out whether you should get direct contact information from the people with whom you’ve spoken.”
Should I interview at an MBA fair?
Some MBA fairs offer the opportunity to interview with recruiters on-site. For some schools, this counts as the official admissions interview, so it’s important to be prepared before taking the next step. “I think you should interview when you are the most ready,” said Schickler. “The majority of (applicants) probably want to wait until a little bit later in the process. Maybe spend July and August information gathering, doing the research, and then once applications start going live, maybe later in the cycle is the opportunity to do your formal evaluated interview. For some schools, you can raise your hand and just say, ‘Hey, I want to interview.’ For other schools, there’s a more rigorous selection process,” i.e. students must be invited to an interview.
Some schools require applicants to submit GMAT scores before interviewing, but for those that don’t, it may be a good idea to submit your scores anyway. “Certainly having a strong GMAT score will make you more attractive to recruiters, and so it will make it perhaps more likely that you get the opportunity to interview,” said Schickler. “But again, whether you have to have (a GMAT score) or not is something that will vary a little bit from school to school in terms of how selective they are in the process.”
Are there non-interview opportunities to learn more about schools?
If you don’t feel ready for an official admissions interview, coffee chats are a low-stakes way to have more personal interactions with recruiters. “Another thing that you may have the opportunity to do with schools is to perhaps not just do a formal interview, but to also do an information session, or they may call it a meet and greet or a coffee chat,” said Schickler. “That’s where you may have the opportunity, either one on one or in a small group setting to just meet with a recruiter… It doesn’t take the place of an evaluative interview, but again, it can perhaps be just as is helpful.”
