How Kellogg applicants are assessed – Part 6
When Kellogg admissions officers review an application, they evaluate potential students based on six categories. Here, Melissa Rapp, director of admissions for Kellogg’s Full-Time MBA Programs, demystifies what happens once you submit your materials and helps you think about how to craft the story that will help the Admissions team learn more about you.
TODAY’S TOPIC: INTERPERSONAL SKILLS
ADDITIONAL TOPICS: Work experience, Intellectual ability, Professional goals, Leadership, Impact
Our community values collaboration, involvement and giving back, and we look for these characteristics in our applicants as well. A significant part of the admissions process is ensuring a good fit between the student and program. If you thrive in a team-based environment, Kellogg could be the right fit for you.
The ability to work in teams doesn’t mean agreeing all of the time, nor is it an easy approach. Team-based learning means you can push ideas, disagree respectfully and challenge each other, but you’re doing so in a way that’s both productive and conducive to a better outcome. Our ideal applicant likes to hear different viewpoints, respects others, can challenge opinions and isn’t afraid to speak up, but can do so in a way that’s collaborative and would help further a group or classroom conversation.
If everyone came from the exact same environment and was used to working in the exact same way, no one would learn much from each other. The diversity of perspectives and opinions in our community creates a rich arena for debate. Bringing together different perspectives enhances everyone’s experience. Learning to synthesize and negotiate those differences is a vital component of the Kellogg experience, too.
Some applicants’ backgrounds line up very well with business school, and they may have had more opportunities to demonstrate interpersonal skills. We recognize that some people may come from an environment that requires more independent work, however. If you want to grow your interpersonal skills and you crave more teamwork and collaboration, be sure to share this valuable information with our Admissions team.
For more information about Kellogg’s application components, visit our website.
Melissa Rapp is the Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA and MS in Management Studies Programs. Melissa joined the Evanston Admissions team in January 2016 and was previously the Director of Admissions for the Evening & Weekend MBA Program located on Kellogg’s Chicago campus. She has over 15 years of higher education and admissions experience.