Labels & Groups in Admissions

It’s your job to create a group of one: You.

Nobody wants to be stripped of their individuality and clumped together with others, viewed as just another member of a group that happens to be overrepresented in a particular applicant pool, like the Indian IT males applying to business school, the Poli Sci and English majors applying to law school, or the Bio majors applying to med school. In a process that values diversity, it’s natural for these applicants to worry about their label, their blandness, their sheer numbers.

Moving Away from Labels

While many schools will “group” applicants for administrative purposes, ultimately the admissions process is about getting to know you as an individual. It’s your job to create a group of one: You. Not Indian, not American, not IT, not Indian American or American Indian, but You.

In other words, don’t get hung up on the label or group you fall into. Instead, focus on bringing out your individuality in your essays and interviews.

Yes, I know that I have frequently said Indian males in IT are a dime-a-dozen in the MBA applicant pool. Frankly, US males in IT aren’t much less common, whether they are of Indian origin or their ancestors came over on the Mayflower. The task of individuating is probably more difficult for those in a common applicant group, but it is possible. And again, I urge you to focus on you and not your group.

Don’t Stress It!

So don’t stress about how you are similar to others; think about how you differ. In your essays, show how your unique qualities and attributes – not someone else’s and not your group’s – will add to the program you are applying to and ultimately contribute to your chosen profession.

Related Resources:

• Against the Odds: MBA Admissions for Indian Applicants
• 4 Application Strategy Tip: Stand Out AND Fit In
• What to Do if You Belong to an Overrepresented Applicant Group

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