In todays competitive career landscape, acquiring a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree from a top business school in the world can accelerate your career. Academic achievements and standardised test scores like GMAT/GRE serves as initial benchmarks for evaluating candidates. While these elements are important, they do not fully define your candidature. Thus, standing out from the crowd requires a comprehensive strategy. Business schools admission process too recognises the importance of diverse perspectives and unique experiences of students that can enrich their programs.
That is where NOVA, a new wave of admissions strategy, comes in. NOVA goes beyond the traditional metrics to emphasise your individuality and unique journey. It lets you present a more holistic and nuanced view of your capabilities, experiences, and potential. NOVA encourages applicants to weave their narrative, showcase their originality, highlight their unique value proposition, and articulate their aspirations, thus playing a pivotal role in accentuating your traits and individuality in the broader application process.
What is NOVA?
NOVA is an innovative approach to MBA admissions that deviates from conventional wisdom. It presents a fresh perspective on how prospective students can approach the intricate and challenging landscape of abroad MBA admissions. This dynamic strategy emphasises individuality, creativity, and strategic personal branding, prioritising the person behind the application rather than their grades or scores.
NOVA revolves around four crucial pillars: Narrative, Originality, Value, and Aspiration (NOVA).
1. NARRATIVE
As political theorist Hannah Arendt once said, “Storytelling reveals meaning without committing the error of defining it.” This aspect emphasises the importance of story-telling in your application. Every individual has a unique journey and life experiences that have shaped their worldview and professional aspirations. NOVA encourages applicants to weave their personal and professional stories into a compelling narrative demonstrating their personality, resilience, growth, and the unique perspective they can bring to an MBA classroom. Ominous question now is, how to build a strong and authentic narrative?. It may seem difficult but all it needs is to answer simple questions like:
- What have been the most transformative experiences in my life and why?
- How have these experiences influenced my decisions, values, and perspectives?
- How can I craft a compelling story authentically representing my journey and growth?
2. ORIGINALITY
“Originality” in NOVA celebrates uniqueness. As a renowned philosopher and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson eloquently said, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” Underlying the essence of the Originality pillar, encouraging applicants to think outside the box and present an appealing application through unconventional work experiences, unique extracurricular activities, or a creative approach to the application itself. This approach helps distinguish applicants in a highly competitive pool, showing the admissions committee that they’re not just another face in the crowd.
Find your original self by asking questions like:
- What qualities, experiences, or interests set me apart from other MBA applicants?
- How have these unique aspects influenced my personal and professional life?
- How can I authentically showcase these aspects in my application?
3. Value
In the context of NOVA, this pertains to the unique value proposition that you, as an applicant, bring to the table. Author and speaker Susan Cain’s insightful quote, “Everyone shines, given the right lighting,” aptly resonates with NOVA’s ‘Value’ aspect. It’s about clearly defining what sets you apart from other applicants, whether your skills, experiences, ideas, or visions. This feature helps you demonstrate how an MBA would benefit you and how you would contribute to the class, the institution, and, ultimately, the global business landscape. Identify your values through questions like:
- What unique skills, knowledge, or experiences do you bring?
- How do these aspects of your profile add value to an MBA program and your future classmates?
- How can you best articulate this value in your application?
4. Aspiration
Aspiration is about showcasing your ambitions, goals, and vision for your future. It’s about painting a picture of how you plan to leverage the MBA to achieve these aspirations. MBA programs abroad are interested in more than what you’ve done in the past but also your plans for the future. As the former First Lady of the United States, Eleanor Roosevelt, famously said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” You can demonstrate your potential for impact and commitment to personal and professional growth by effectively showcasing your aspirations through insights like:
- What are my long-term career and personal goals?
- How will an MBA, specifically the program I’m applying to, help me achieve these goals?
- How can I demonstrate a clear and logical connection between my aspirations, the value I bring, and the narrative I’ve shared in my application?
IMPLEMENTING THE NOVA STRATEGY
Applying the NOVA strategy, applicants should first introspect and clearly define their narrative, originality, value, and aspirations. The next step is to articulate these elements effectively in their application, ensuring seamless integration into their essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews.
It’s crucial to remember that authenticity is the key. The goal is not to fit a mould but to celebrate your individuality and the unique journey that has led you to this point.
Here are few simple thought provoking steps to find your NOVA:
- Weave your unique personal and professional experiences into a compelling story.
- Reflect on your life experiences, both personal and professional.
- Identify key events or experiences that shaped your perspectives or values.
- Craft a coherent and engaging story that ties these experiences together and shows your growth.
- Showcase your unique qualities, achievements, and unconventional paths that make you stand out.
- Identify aspects of your background, experiences, or interests that are distinctive.
- Consider how you can present these aspects creatively in your application.
- Ensure that your originality is authentic and relevant to your overall application narrative.
- Highlight your unique value proposition – what do you bring to the table that is distinctive and valuable?
- Reflect on your skills, experiences, knowledge, and personal qualities.
- Determine how these aspects of your profile can add value to the MBA program and your future classmates.
- Articulate this value proposition clearly in your application.
- Clearly articulate your future goals and how the MBA will help you achieve them.
- Think about your long-term career and personal goals.
- Understand how an MBA, specifically the MBA program you are applying to, will help you achieve these goals.
- Establish a seamless connection between your aspirations, the value preposition, and the narrative.
Take This Strategic Route To Study MBA Abroad With "Ternien Edu"
To stand out amidst a sea of MBA abroad applicants can be a formidable challenge. However, with expert assistance from the best MBA abroad admission consultants in India, like Ternien Edu, candidates can navigate this process more confidently with the NOVA strategy. Students can find their Narrative, Originality, Value, and Aspiration to build a powerful, authentic, and memorable application, improving their chances of securing a spot in their desired MBA program.
As the business education world evolves, so must our strategies for getting through. And with the new NOVA admissions strategy, potential MBA candidates are more equipped than ever to make a lasting impression. So, don’t just apply—stand out, make your mark, and ride the wave to global MBA success.
