"In my experience and over the years, the BBSA has successfully maximized walking the line that allows them to remain distinctive while simultaneously being an integral part of the overall fabric of the Ross community. I can't imagine Ross without BBSA." – Al Cotrone, Director of Career Development and Student Affairs
"My involvement with the BBSA "family" was a phenomenal experience. It taught me a great deal about leadership and I gained some very valuable friendships. It was also awesome that we were considered one of the most highly regarded organizations on campus, and many other groups reached out to leverage from our experience." -Erica Roberson,
RSB MBA '06
"BBSA has been an integral part of Michigan's success as it relates to diversity. The organization, and the people behind it, also help keep our community connected, from prospective students through to alumni. It is a special part of the Ross School." - Kris Nebel,
Former Director of Strategic Planning and Outreach (RSB), currently Corporate Recruiter for General Mills
The interest that BBSA members show in mentoring others and helping prospective students prepare to apply is amazing. We provide a variety of opportunities for interaction between current and prospective students throughout the school year, including UpClose Weekend and the BBSA Conference. We work hard to ensure that entering MBA1s feel like they're part of the Ross community and the BBSA before they even arrive on campus in the fall. -Erica Butler,
Vice President BBSA
The Admissions Office at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business considers many different factors when evaluating an application, including work experience, past academic performance, GMAT score(s), essays, and recommendations. Listed below are some suggestions that we’ve gathered from current students regarding each of these specific topics:
Work Experience
"If you have less than 4 or 5 years of experience, make sure you highlight the roles and responsibilities you had at your job. Significant accountability at work can sometimes compensate for a less-than-average amount of work experience."
"You don’t need to exaggerate what you did at work – that approach usually comes off badly…"
"Try to highlight those things you did at your job that tie directly to what the Michigan experience is all about – teamwork, cross-functionality, creativity, impact, and innovation. If you switched jobs (especially if the industries are unrelated), you should have a logical kind of story that pieces your career path together."
Academic Performance
"You don’t have to have a 4.0 GPA to get into Michigan. However, if your college grades aren’t a strong point in your application, you need to make sure that you can show that you have the analytical and quantitative skills necessary to support your admission into the program. If you’re coming from a liberal arts background, maybe it makes sense to take a college-level math course (Stats, Calc, etc.) to exhibit your ability to do significant analytical problems."
"There’s not much you can do about your college grades today – if they aren’t great, it’s just important to show how you’ve grown from that point in your life up until now."
"Request your transcripts early. Colleges have a habit of dragging their feet."
GMAT Score(s)
"Start early! Do NOT take the test for the first time 3 weeks before the application is due!"
"Look at various studying options. Some people used Kaplan or Princeton Review for a more personalized study program while others just checked some books out of the library."
"Don’t forget that this is an adaptive test – spend some time on those first few questions… it’ll pay off later on in the test."
"Take the test again if you don’t feel like you scored as well as you could’ve. Just make sure you score higher the second time (or third time) around..."
Essays
"Don’t rush an application – it really does show. Put in some serious time thinking about your essays."
"This may seem basic, but you can’t have any typos or grammatical errors... Seriously. No typos."
"Have your essays proofread by at least two people that you trust. You wouldn’t believe the kind of stuff that you’ll miss that others will be able to catch."
"Don’t cut and paste essays from other applications into your Michigan application. Besides the obvious fatal mistake of having another school’s name in your essay, the Admissions people can easily tell when you’ve done it."
Recommendations
"If you can provide your recommender(s) with a quick summary of you, your resume, your roles and responsibilities they’d be able to talk about, and why you want to go to Michigan – you’ll be able to manage the recommendation phase of the process that much better."
"Ask more than two people to write recommendations so that you’ll have more than you need if something goes wrong."
"Try to switch up your recommenders. Don’t have them all be from your job or from one extra-curricular activity. Different people will be able to talk about different parts of your personality."
Overall Application Advice
"Make sure you can answer the questions: 'Why an MBA?', 'Why Ross?', and 'Why now?' These are absolutely critical, fundamental issues that need to be addressed both in your essays and in your interview."
"Understand that the Admissions Office is looking for people that are not only qualified to be here, but also are passionate to be here. Your application should convey that passion." "If you can visit the school – you should. You’ll be able to tell a much more compelling story if you can include personal experiences about what appeals to you about Ross."
" Michigan wants well-rounded students in the school. Your application should be strong across all of the various buckets – not just one or two…"
