Rotman School of management - Application Tips
Rotman School of Management needs no introduction. Its repute in Canada & across North America is well known. But, this leads to tons of applications to the school especially from Asian people looking to migrate to Canada. This lowers their chances of getting an admit into Rotman & hence here are some tips especially for people of Asian origin mainly Indians & Chinese to draft Stellar application to Rotman School of Business.
1. Highlight People skills: If you are an Indian and applying to Rotman, you need to highlight your people skills wherever you can in your application. Of course, the interview will be the litmus test but even before then you will need to highlight this part somewhere in your application.
2. Focus on what makes you unique amongst other people from your country. Highlight that part, this will increase your chances of getting an admit. Diversity at Rotman is highly recognized & will increase your chances of getting an admit for the MBA program.
3. Be specific with your hobbies. For Eg. Let's say that your hobby is you love reading. Well, don’t just write that, be specific. So, this hobby can be better described as something like “I love to read & study about the post-colonial history of India”
4. For Essays, think in terms of what an admission officer would want, think in terms of his/her perspective. They would want to know how Rotman can help you achieve your goals. Be clear in terms of what aspects of Rotman would prove useful to you. This is important. Mention clubs, SIG’s, case studies whatever you feel would prove useful to you.
5. For Resume, follow a particular structure. By structure, I mean in terms of how you frame the content. Rotman follows a particular template. It would be best if you create the resume in the same template.
6. Clarity of Goals Is important. You cannot be iffy what you want to be, especially in your interview. Connect the dots for where you were, where you want to be in the future & how Rotman can connect those dots for you.
7. GMAT Score – As an Asian & especially an Indian, GMAT score will be a big parameter for them to judge. They will expect you to score good but do not expect them to give you an interview shortlist based on just the GMAT score. Good GMAT score is necessary but not sufficient.
8. Strong Letter of recommendation. Please, please, please do not take this section lightly as most of us are want to do. You need to choose your recommenders carefully. So for Eg. If your work ex is weak, you need to have a strong recommender from the professional domain. A Non-Indian citizen recommender can work wonders.
9. Video Essay – We know that Rotman uses Kira application to conduct its video Essay. Here is a tip for you. Research about the questions that were previously asked & prepare for their answers. The more you research, the more you will find questions that have been asked & the more it will help you.
10. Rotman offers a 16-month course. Hence, there is a 4 month period of Internship. Show the Admissions officer how you plan to utilize the internship to further your career goals. An internship is an opportunity that you cannot let go to waste.
11. Rotman is located in Downtown Toronto, this means tons of networking opportunities available close to the university location. Mention how you can utilize this to help your career goals.
12. Video Essay – Have you ever been to Rotman? Or have any T-shirts/Memento to show that you have. Please keep that next to yourself in the video or show it somehow in the video. Admission officers want to know that you are hungry enough to get an admit at Rotman & this is not just a second choice for you.
13. Rotman like other B-schools is looking for a leader. But unlike other B-schools do not hesitate to highlight your technical skills along with your leadership skills. They are looking for technical experts as well. Hence, that should add as a plus to your application.
14. Rotman interviews are generally calm & not stress interviews like some schools. Be sure to research everything about the school which will help you connect your personality to the school’s culture.
15. Do you know someone who is an alumnus of Rotman? Well, if you do, now is the time to ask for a favour. Rotman alumnus or current students can refer a candidate at Rotman. This would not help you a lot if your application & GMAT scores are weak. But, would give you some advantage.
Hope this helps!