Have you ever used an online dating website? (Don’t worry, you didn’t accidentally stumble onto the Cosmopolitan website.)

An MBA applicant can learn a lot from online dating.

You can filter for almost anything these days.

Height, weight, hair color, job, salary, hobbies, religion.

But it’s not as if you can just plug in all of your preferences and a list of hundreds of potential soulmates pops up onto your screen.

When you’re looking for your true match, you’re looking for that je nais sai quois –

that something special that you can’t quite put your finger on, but that you’re certain you’ll know when you see it.

You can’t apply too many filters or else you might miss out on someone perfect for you. And someone who technically meets your listed criteria might turn out to be a terrible match!

MBA schools, just like users of online dating sites, are looking for that perfect match, too.

And there’s no magic formula that will automatically select the perfect MBA applicant–

that’s why the process requires so many painstaking steps and a great deal of time and effort on the part of the admissions committee.

Click here to download the 7 Reasons Why You Should Develop a Personal Brand (Before You Apply to B-School).It’s up to you to make sure that you don’t get overlooked. It’s up to you to make sure that you stand out.

What Exactly Is a “Personal Brand”?

Personal branding is a thoughtful, strategic method of presenting yourself. Not just to the MBA admissions committee… But to anyone who may be able to help you move toward your personal and professional goals. When you use personal branding, every piece of your application should send a clear, consistent, and compelling message about: who you are, what drives you, and what fresh perspective you will bring to any new endeavor. Your GMAT scores, your undergraduate studies, and your employment are just a small part of the picture of who you are. If you’re applying to one of the top B-schools, you can assume that just about every other applicant has great scores, an impressive alma mater or great GPA, and a top-notch job. So what sets you apart? How do you get noticed? That’s your personal brand. Click here to download the 7 Reasons Why You Should Develop a Personal Brand (Before You Apply to B-School).

Isn’t Personal Branding Real?

You absolutely should be yourself!

A successful personal brand lets your personality and your spirit shine through.

Admissions officers have reviewed so many applications that they can tell when an applicant is or isn’t putting forward an authentic representation of themselves.

There’s no need to exaggerate, to twist what you’ve done, or to pretend you’re someone you’re not.

The only thing you need to do is to tell your story, and to tell it well.

How Do You Develop Your Personal Brand?

Before the admissions committee can truly get to know you, you need to make sure you know yourself and what your goals are.

You should have a well-defined plan and understand how your MBA will help you achieve that plan.

You should know what sets you apart from your fellow applicants.

You should know what an adcom looking at thousands of applications will be intrigued by.

Your Turn

In this post, you learned about the importance of personal branding and why it can help you get admitted to your target b-schools.

Given the competition to get a spot in a top b-school, being able to stand out above your competition is key.

Your ability to attract the adcom to your application based on your background, experiences and future goals is a critical component in your MBA application strategy.

In our experience – as b-school admissions officers and alumni of top b-schools – applying without a strong personal brand is one of the biggest reasons why so many b-school applicants don’t get admitted to their top schools.

If you want to start your b-school application off on the right foot, your next step is to download this quick list of 7 Reasons Why You Should Develop a Personal Brand (Before You Apply to B-School.

Then get started working on your personal brand!

Click here to download the 7 Reasons Why You Should Develop a Personal Brand (Before You Apply to B-School).