Standing out in an MBA application involves a strategic approach to showcasing your unique qualities and experiences.
With thousands of management consultants applying to top MBA programs each year, consulting is one of the most overrepresented candidate pools, alongside finance.
Entering class statistics at US M7 schools (2025)
| US M7 school | Total class size (2025) | % of consultants pre-MBA | Is consulting the top pre-MBA industry? | Link |
| Columbia Business School | 900 | 21% | No – Finance | Link |
| Harvard Business School | 938 | 17% | Yes | Link |
| MIT Sloan School of Management | 409 | 26% | Yes | Link |
| Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management | 529 | 26% | Yes | Link |
| Stanford Graduate School of Business | 431 | 17% | No – Finance | Link |
| University of Chicago Booth School of Business | 637 | 18% | No – Finance | Link |
| University of Pennsylvania Wharton School | 874 | 27% | Yes | Link |
Standing out in an MBA application is crucial, especially given the competitive nature of the applicant pool from consulting backgrounds.
While coming from a consulting firm already suggests intelligence, business acumen, and drive, distinguishing yourself from peers with similar attributes requires a strategic approach.
Here are six (6) ways to set yourself apart and enhance your MBA application:
1. Highlight Unique Achievements
Emphasize projects where you played a pivotal role, particularly those with significant outcomes. Use concrete metrics to demonstrate your contributions, such as cost savings, revenue growth, or operational improvements.
Showcase instances where you introduced innovative solutions or approaches. For example, some of my peers at my MBB firm took on internal rotations as Chiefs of Staff for senior leadership, gaining unique insights into global consulting operations.
2. Focus on Impactful Contributions
Highlight how you’ve added value beyond just delivering solutions.
Discuss your role in building and maintaining client relationships. Or, illustrate how you’ve influenced strategic decisions or driven organizational change.
In my case, there were several instances where I managed client relationships and delivered value worth millions of dollars.
3. Demonstrate Leadership Beyond Consulting
Highlight experiences where you led teams across different functions or geographies. This demonstrates your ability to handle complexity and collaborate across boundaries.
Additionally, highlight leadership roles in organizations, community service, or side projects. These experiences show your capability to lead and contribute outside of the traditional consulting environment, potentially including former employers or secondments.
4. Showcase a Unique Personal Story
Use your background to make your application memorable. This could include international experiences, overcoming unique challenges, or pursuing diverse interests. For instance, I know a former Olympian who also worked as a consultant and successfully gained admission to an M7 school.
5. Articulate Clear, Ambitious Goals
Clearly define your post-MBA goals and how they build on your consulting experience. Explain how the MBA will help you achieve these goals and connect your background with the specific strengths and resources of the M7 schools you’re applying to.
6. Secure Strong Recommendations
Ensure your recommenders provide detailed insights into your achievements and character, highlighting specific examples that set you apart from other consultants. Consider finding a recommender outside consulting, such as from former employers or volunteer initiatives, who can offer additional perspectives on your strengths.
By employing these strategies, you can effectively differentiate yourself in the highly competitive consulting applicant pool for top MBA programs.
What if your experience is only in consulting?
Taking time to explore career options outside consulting can be highly beneficial. If you’ve been working in consulting straight out of undergrad for a couple of years, consider broadening your horizons.
For instance, MBB firms often offer secondment opportunities that allow you to join a client or a company you’re passionate about for a year. This experience can help you try new things and build your skill set in different ways.
During my time in Big 4 consulting, I observed that some of my peers chose to transition to startups or corporate strategy roles at Fortune 500 companies (I left consulting to join a startup). Venturing beyond consulting not only diversifies your professional experiences but also places you in a less competitive applicant pool when applying for an MBA.
In addition to professional experiences, engaging in activities you’re passionate about can further enhance your application. Whether through volunteering or working with a nonprofit, these experiences offer unique perspectives.
For instance, I co-founded a nonprofit organization that aligned with my personal journey and aimed to address a societal challenge. This kind of involvement can significantly enrich your MBA application by showcasing your commitment to meaningful causes.
The bottom line
When applying for an MBA, many consultants will naturally share core qualities such as strong analytical skills, client exposure, and effective team collaboration.
Given this, it’s essential to focus on distinguishing yourself through other dimensions so that you can stand out from the competition.
With the bar set high and competition fierce, it’s crucial to highlight unique aspects of your background and experiences that set you apart from others with similar profiles.
Jeff Zhang currently serves as a Consultant at McKinsey, specializing in private equity, transportation, technology, and sustainability sectors. Before this role, he spearheaded the creation of an innovative final-mile logistics product at a startup, later acquired by Shopify. His background includes significant experience in consulting, logistics and successful applications to global MBA programs.
Image: DALL-E
🔴 Interested in consulting?