If by any chance you are an aspiring MBA student trying to finish the application, imagine that you’ve accidentally met someone from your admissions committee from a business school of your dreams.
This happens to take place in an elevator going up, so you have only 30-45 seconds to impress this person so they remember you and think of you when they receive your application.
What’s the deal with this presentation?
Your "elevator pitch" means the ability to give a summary of all your achievements and qualities in a very limited time (less than 1 minute) and make it sound convincing enough to interest everyone. If the answers come to you easy and natural, then your heart holds no doubt about what business school you plan to enroll into and what you are intend to do with your degree after graduation.
It’s actually very easy: just answer three straightforward questions truthfully. The first one is "What is your real reason of entering b-school?", the second one "Why this particular university?", and the third one “Why enroll now, not several years earlier or later?” Answer them honestly, and your "elevator pitch" is done.
Of course, the situation with you meeting an admissions committee member in an elevator is entirely imaginary, but the real reason behind this mental exercise is not waiting to bump into an important person and bother them with your wish to get into a business school. The reason why you should find the right expressions to explain your choices is that the "pitch" makes the core of your application essays or – if it comes to that – your interview. If you are unable to answer them at once and honestly, then you might not yet be ready to enter the university and overturn your life completely.
Do you really need to do it?
If you give enough effort to explain yourself why you want to do business administration at this particular school this year, completing your essays and preparing for the interview will become so much easier. Of course, your actual answers will be more than giving an open answer to the questions mentioned above, but they can become your starting point.
Sincerity is the key to impressing the business school representatives. You should not speak untruthfully or present yourself better or more suitable for the school than you really are. If you try to feed them a lie, the admissions officers will undoubtedly recognize it – after all, they have interviewed hundreds and thousands of candidates just like you.
When preparing for the talk, make sure you study the website of your target school. It’s of vital importance that you show acquaintance with the university’s culture and goals. Read about their curriculum and professors, as well as about their extracurricular activities. If you mention these details in your interview, everyone will see you are serious about entering this school.
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