If there’s one question nearly every school asks somewhere in the application process, it’s a version of “What are your short- and long-term career goals?”

Not only is this question essential to nail, but tackling it in the right way can provide a “north star” for your entire application—linking together who you are, what you’ve done, where you want to go, and how an MBA will help you get there.

In this replay, host Chandler Arnold sits down with MBA admissions expert Christina Fu to dive into what works and what doesn’t when thinking about short- and long-term career goals. This episode is especially helpful for those who:

1. Already have a clear idea of their post-MBA goals and want to articulate them in the most powerful way,
2. Are still deciding between two possible career paths, or
3. Have no idea what they want to do after B-school (this group is larger than you’d think, so if this is you, you’re not alone!)

This week our host sits down with Emma from the SBC team. Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. She’s also worked with BCG, Teach For American and so many other amazing groups. Emma and Chandler sit down to talk about a critical—but often overlooked—element of the application process: how to have meaningful interactions with the Admissions Committee during your application and journey.

Emma shares a number of incredible pieces of advice, including:

• Two important things to be sure to do or keep in mind when interacting with the admissions office,
• Two important things to be sure to AVOID during your interactions with the admissions team,
• A great suggestion about keeping a positive attitude during the admissions process, and
• A special behind-the-scenes advice for our listeners based on her time as an admissions officer.

You’ve all heard the expression all work and no play makes Jack (or Julia) a dull sport.

The same is true with MBA applications. Simply having an amazing set of professional accomplishments is not enough to get you into a top MBA program.

Setting aside scores and academic achievements for another podcast, this podcast will dive into five different aspects of your life you might explore applications, including a few you probably have not previously considered.

Question: Why are we talking about this? And why do business schools even ask you to write essays in the first place?

Answer: These schools are interested in much MORE than your test scores, academic transcript, and professional accomplishments. More than almost anything else these schools are interested in learning what lessons you have learned about yourself and your leadership style, and—critically—how you will harness those learnings in order to drive impact in the world.

Listening to this podcast is a must for anyone who wants to:

• Present a full and complete picture of them to the admissions office,
• Stand out from the crowd by sharing unique and attention-grabbing stories and examples, and/or
• Identify memorable and authentic ways to share what makes YOU tick, how YOU think, how YOU have grown and changed over the years, and (very importantly) what lessons you have learned about yourself along the way.

This B-Schooled episode can be found here, or take a listen on any of the major podcast platforms below.