How I Got Full Scholarships to M7 MBA Programs

What It Takes to Get Scholarships

When I set out to apply for MBAs, I knew it would be highly competitive to receive large scholarships from the top programs. Without an elite work background nor an incredibly moving childhood story, I wasn’t sure of my chances to secure those big scholarships I was hoping for. However, I was fortunate enough to receive full-tuition merit scholarships to each of the 3 programs I was accepted to — including two M7 programs.

So how did I do it? It wasn’t because I was the most exceptional candidate. I definitely had a good foundation with my stats & background which I’ll share here in the spirit of transparency:

• GMAT: 760
• GPA: 3.9
• Work Experience: 3.5 years at a Tier 2 Consulting Firm
• Undergrad: Top 30 Public University (US)
• Extracurriculars: Pro bono consulting work with nonprofits focused on social impact

GMAT, GPA, and work experience are clearly integral components in your application, however they aren’t enough on their own to get scholarships from highly competitive programs. I knew plenty of folks who had similar scores but didn’t end up with scholarship awards.

The key is to have a clear strategy, focused storytelling, and a strong understanding of what each program values. In this post, I’ll share my top tips and overall approach to the MBA application so you can do the same and maximize your chances of receiving scholarship awards. We’ll be covering:

• Nailing the Personal Statement
• A Leadership & Outcome Focused Resume
• Knowing Your Motivations
• Showing How the Program Will Help You
• Aligning with the Program’s Culture
• Showing How You’d Contribute

Nailing the Personal Statement

Your personal statement is one of the most important parts of your application. It tells the admissions committee who you are, what you care about, and what you plan to do.

Your personal statement is normally going to be used in the first paragraph of the essay question that covers something along the lines of “What are your goals and how will an MBA from XXX help you?”

Here’s an excerpt from my personal statement. I used the same excerpt across all the programs I applied to:

“For the last three years, I’ve worked with major healthcare providers to identify and build digital capabilities that improve the patient experience. During this time, I’ve obtained insights into ongoing patient pain points such as complex plan policies and inequitable access to care. Post-MBA, I aspire to bridge gaps in healthcare by first working in an established healthcare IT start-up to understand the landscape of nascent healthcare IT solutions, and second, create my own venture that can aggressively target the gaps I see in the industry.”

What worked:

• Clear short-term & long-term goals
• Direct connection to my work experience
• A mission-driven angle that schools can support

A Leadership & Outcome-Focused Resume

Admissions officers are not just looking for job titles — they want to see impact.

Your resume should highlight:

• Projects you led
• Different teams you worked with
• Challenges you’ve overcome
• Specific activities you’ve conducted
• Quantifiable outcomes (even if estimated)

Additionally, your resume needs to be clear so anyone can understand. No industry jargon, technical details, or ambiguous acronyms.

Examples:

• 🚫 “Conducted PMO activities to support a large health care client dramatically reduce costs”
• ✅ “Led a project management team of 6 which managed resource demands, financial status, and timelines for 8 different in-flight cost reduction projects, helping a $500M healthcare client successful realize $3.2M in cost savings.”

Know Your Motivations

It’s important to clearly and concisely communicate your professional and personal motivations. Professional motivations are what you want to achieve in your career. Personal motivations are simply your own values that extend beyond work into your everyday life.

For me, these were:

• Professional motivation: To improve patient experiences in healthcare through technology
• Personal motivation: To support and build communities

Your professional and personal motivations don’t have to be related (although they surely can be). The point of these is to demonstrate to admissions who you are and what you want to achieve both in and out of your career.

The key here is to be specific (see how I have very clear motivations) and to be able to support them. For me, I was able to support my professional motivation by elaborating on my experience in healthcare IT consulting, and my personal motivation by discussing some of my volunteer experience and pro-bono consulting. See what makes sense for you based on your goals and background.

Show How the Program Specifically Helps You

Be specific about how the program is going to enable your goals. Admissions wants to understand why an MBA and their school specifically is truly going to help you reach your goals.

Don’t just say a school has a “great network.” Define how it will help and how you intend to use it:

Examples:

• 🚫 “I believe that an MBA at XXX will help me achieve my goals because of their deep and impactful network.”
• ✅ “The network at XXX can help connect me with healthcare entrepreneurs, investors, and mentors as I navigate the complexities of launching a healthcare IT solution.”

Align With the Program’s Culture

Each program has a distinct personality or key principles they embody. Make sure you understand what these principles are for each school and demonstrate how you resonate with those values. Few examples of school principles”

• Booth: The “Chicago Approach” or “Pay it Forward”
• Kellogg: Collaboration and social impact
• Haas: Leadership principles such as “Confidence Without Attitude” or “Question the Status Quo”

When your story reflects their culture, they’re more likely to see you as someone who belongs at their program. Make sure you demonstrate how you’ve embodied these principles in the past and why you think those principles are especially helpful to your goals.

Here’s an excerpt from one of my essays of how I acknowledged Booth’s “Chicago Approach”:

“I’m also excited to absorb these learnings through “The Chicago Approach” which I believe will enhance my analytical thought-process and empower me with a framework to effectively break down healthcare’s biggest challenges. “The Chicago Approach” also synergizes well with my learning style given my nature of approaching ambiguous problems with a quantitative mindset.”

Show How You’ll Contribute to the Community

MBA programs want to know what you’ll bring to the table and how you can make a positive impact to the community. You can do this by highlighting:

• Student-clubs you’re interested in joining (healthcare club, entrepreneurship club, etc.)
• Programs you’d participate in (i.e. New Venture Competitions)
• Other methods of connecting with the student body (class trips, networking events, etc.)

Applicants who clearly demonstrate their ability and intention to add value to the community will better position themselves to receive admissions and scholarships.

Final Thoughts

Put yourself in the admissions team’s shoes. Remember scholarships are used as tactics to attract top students who will succeed in the classroom, fit the culture, and contribute to the community as a leader. If you feel like your application clearly demonstrates that you’re a fit across those areas, then you’re in good shape. If not, don’t be discouraged. There are always ways to improve your application.

If you’re looking for help on your applications, we offer 1-on-1 coaching to help applicants maximize their profiles. Request a free consultation with us and let’s get to work.