Executive MBA: Applying to EMBA Programs

At thirty-five years old, Kara has worked professionally for thirteen years, the last eight as a marketing manager in increasingly strategic positions. She is now Director of Marketing and Strategy for her Fortune 1000 company's new product line. Her record of advancement is impressive for someone in her industry, pharmaceuticals, where people of her age are usually a few rungs lower and where some of her peers have MBAs. Her next move will be to a senior management role. Kara cannot imagine taking that step without the sophisticated management skill set that a top MBA program provides. Her company, eager to retain Kara and groom her for a senior position, will sponsor her Executive MBA studies.

Kara profiles an ideal EMBA applicant:

• She has 10 to 14 years of professional experience including 6 to 10 years of managerial experience.
• She has progressed steadily in her company.
• She is a candidate for senior management.
• Her employer desires to retain her and is willing to invest in her development for a senior role by sponsoring her EMBA.

Kara now faces the challenge of applying to EMBA programs - for although she is an ideal applicant, she also is a typical applicant, and thus must distinguish herself through her application essays. Most likely you face the same situation. Understanding two key issues will give you a clear framework from which to proceed with your application:

• The competitive benefits and drawbacks of EMBA admissions.
• Company sponsorship.

There are unique benefits and drawbacks to EMBA admissions. First, EMBA acceptance rates are significantly higher than regular admissions rates are. Compare, for example, Kellogg's 2001 EMBA acceptance rate of 55% with its 2001 MBA acceptance rate of 16%, or Duke's 2001 EMBA acceptance rate of 76% with its 2001 MBA acceptance rate of 20%. Second, there is a relative de-emphasis on the GMAT score. Even for top programs, you simply do not have to knock yourself out to score in the 700s, as these 2001 EMBA average scores show: Wharton - 691, Duke - 615, NYU/Stern - 640, Columbia - 650, UCLA/Anderson - 636 (see http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/01/emba_rank.htm for access to data on specific EMBA programs). All these schools had average MBA GMATs at or above 700.

There is one major drawback to EMBA applications: there are fewer EMBA programs to apply to, and not all of those will fit your scheduling needs. Most EMBA applicants apply to two or three programs at most. Thus, each application has more weight for the applicant. To ensure admission, you must prepare a compelling profile by distinguishing yourself from other accomplished applicants and making the admissions committee excited about your goals.

Company sponsorship.

EMBA applicants' employers usually sponsor their EMBA studies, at least to some extent. This sponsorship ranges from paying 100% of the tuition and fees to partial subsidy to merely allowing the applicant to take time off from work. According to a 2001 Business Week special report on EMBA programs (http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/01_42/b3753601.htm ), in 2001, 52% of EMBA graduates' companies paid their full tuition. (The article notes that the percentage may be dropping, not surprising given the current economic trends.) Moreover, programs vary in their requirements for sponsorship and in degree of sponsorship among students. Kellogg's applicants must be sponsored 100%, for example, while at Duke and Wharton approximately 58% are fully sponsored. Wharton states on its web site, "Employer support for the Wharton [EMBA] is a requirement for admission.... That support can take many forms, from individualized schedules that accommodate days on campus to full financial support."

Although not always required, financial sponsorship is a competitive plus for applicants, because it guarantees revenue for the program and virtually ensures your employment after graduation. If your employer is not subsidizing your EMBA, use your essays to sprint ahead of the sponsored pack, supported by your resume and recommendations.

You are now ready to tackle the nitty-gritty of your application. The main challenge - and opportunity - is in the essays, which can truly make or break your chances. Be prepared to discuss work extensively, and also your non-work involvements, as EMBA programs seek well-rounded contributors as much as regular MBA programs do. While the basic keys to good writing apply, including "showing" through stories or anecdotes rather than merely "telling," there are two concerns specific to EMBA application essays:

• The need to individualize and substantiate your senior management goals.
• The need to distinguish yourself from other accomplished, successful managers in the applicant pool.

To elicit the latter response, take a detour at each phase of your goals (short-term, intermediate, long-term) to discuss the following: the skills you will need and the EMBA learning you will apply at that stage, what you hope to accomplish at that stage for yourself and your company, how that stage builds on the previous one, and special challenges and opportunities you perceive at that stage. Be as specific as possible, giving hypothetical or real examples to illustrate points. Present a before-and-after picture of something specific you can't do now that you will be able to do with your EMBA learning. In addition, articulate a vision for your goals overall - it might be related to your values or unique talents, your perception of social or industry needs, or something else that reflects your passion. Then weave that vision through your goals discussion. The purpose is to turn the admissions reader into your cheerleader.

Distinguishing yourself from other accomplished applicants.

You have made your goals sound absolutely scintillating. Now, make sure the rest of your essays live up to your goals and vividly distinguish you from your competitors. Some factors are obvious. For example, EMBA programs generally have a lower percentage of female and international students than regular MBA programs do, making such applicants all the more appealing. Or perhaps you are from an industry that is underrepresented. These factors will work in your favor on their own.

Your professional accomplishments are another way to set yourself apart and develop an intriguing profile, and there is a long list of them. How do you choose the one(s) to detail in your essays? Use four criteria: (1) Which are most closely connected to your goals? (2) Which had the greatest impact on your organization? (3) Which produced the most learning and insight for you? (4) Which promise the greatest contribution to the EMBA program? When discussing the accomplishment, use the story approach, and then articulate and summarize the point it makes about goals, impact, learning/insight, or contribution.

As you can see, distinguishing yourself through your professional accomplishments is a matter of probing the accomplishment for the most substance and/or relevance to your application and the program. A profile that is deep and revelatory will have resonance.

Finally, distinguish yourself in your essays by discussing you non-work activities. For this discussion, follow the criteria described above, minus the "goals" criterion.

The acceptance rates show that if you are a qualified EMBA applicant, you have a good chance of getting into a program of your choosing. Don't let those high admissions numbers lull you into complacency in your application process - assure yourself a place in next year's EMBA class by producing a stellar application, worthy of you and your goals.

If you would like the guidance and support of experienced editors as you devise your strategy to apply as a younger applicant, Accepted.com is here to help. We offer a range of services that can be tailored exactly to your needs. Our singular goal is to help you gain admittance to the MBA program of your choice!

By Cindy Tokumitsu, Accepted.com Senior Editor
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