EMBA admissions: information, application, interview, and decision

Preparing for EMBA - Application Process

In a technical sense, the admissions process starts when a prospective student submits an application package. In reality, the EMBA Program admissions process is more than just the application and decision-making process, because admissions staff members are there to help students from the first point of contact.

When students first contact the program, it may be to attend an information session, to talk with an admissions staff member, or to take a closer look at the program. Sometimes a current student will bring a prospective student for a class visit.

When EMBA Programs receive the application package, admissions staff members review the package and may contact candidates if any pieces are missing. The initial review also may include feedback from faculty members.

At this point, most programs invite applicants for an interview. The interview process offers both parties the opportunity to learn more about each other.

After completing the interview, an admissions committee meets to discuss applicants and make the final decision. The committee considers the experience and background of applicants, their readiness for the experience, their potential contributions to the classroom, evidence of teamwork, their motivational level, and other personal and professional factors.

From preparing the application to the final decision, the process can take anywhere from six to eight weeks to two to three months, depending on the program and testing requirements. In general, programs make their final decisions and notify applicants about two weeks after completing interviews.

Each program sets its own application deadline. Prospective students should begin preparing their application months before the program’s actual application deadline to help ensure that they will be considered in time for start of the class. Some programs only may start a class once a year; others may have additional start time options. For timing purposes, keep in mind that if the program requires test results, they must be completed before submission of the application package.

ALUMNI VOICE

JOHN SMITH
President & Co-Founder
Nebraska Executive MBA
Alumni Association

In many programs, EMBA alumni share their experiences with applicants as part of the recruiting process, and many alumni continue their involvement in the program and with students in many ways.

For example, EMBA alumnus John Smith so believed in the importance of bringing alumni together that he helped found the University of Nebraska Executive MBA Alumni Association, donated the costs to incorporate the association, and serves as its current president.

His 20-plus years of experience in the information technology industry often exposed him to colleagues with MBA degrees, and they shared their thoughts about their experiences. “It was always the same response,” says Smith, currently a consultant. There is the value of the knowledge, but also the value of the network of the alumni.

The association focuses on three important pillars: Promoting the value proposition of EMBA Programs to businesses, tapping the expertise of alumni in the classroom and in other ways, and supporting the ongoing networking of those in the EMBA student and alumni community.