There are several areas that need to be covered in a holistic manner for you to submit a successful application to universities in the UK. We will cover all the important aspects in great length in this blog. First, let’s begin with academics. 

Academics

Your Academics play a very important role in the overall application process. For a complete application, you will need:

• Your transcripts from your undergraduate degree, and if you have pursued any professional degree or another graduate program
• Your Test Scores, which can include your GRE Score (for Masters and MBA) or your GMAT score (for an MBA program). For a few universities, these scores are a prerequisite to applying for a masters degree.
• English proficiency test scores which can either be the IELTS or the TOEFL. UK Universities usually prefer the IELTS as it is undertaken by the British Council, a UK accredited body. 

Academics are really important so make sure you study hard! But that’s not all. Academics is just one important component of your entire application. Now, let’s talk about the other important components:

Other important Components

Other aspects that have similar weightage in the application process are:

• Work Experience & Internships: Usually for a masters program, work experience is of utmost importance and in most cases mandatory for at least 2 years of full-time work post your undergraduate degree completion.

• Extra-Curricular Activities & Volunteering Experience: Your sports, cultural and volunteering experiences are equally important and demonstrate a holistic view of your interests and passions to the Admissions Committee. 

• Essay Questions & Personal Statement: Depending on the university that you will apply to, you will have to write one or more essay questions. These questions will mostly revolve around your motivation to join the masters’ program but vary vastly from university to university. 

• Career Objectives & Course selection: Where do you see yourself post the MBA or post the Masters program? The Admissions Committee wants to see clarity on the part of the candidate and this allows them to do that. It is also a major determinant in deciding whether or not your application will get the green light. 

• Letters of Recommendation: Both the content of the recommendation and who you get a recommendation from are equally important. Here, the college will gauge your fit based on the assessment given by your referees that are closely aware of your academic and overall suitability for a masters’ program.

• Aid Requirement and scholarship forms: Some universities have a requirement for you to fill in a scholarship essay if you want to apply for financial aid, while others automatically consider you for financial aid, depending on your grades, standardized test scores and overall application.

We know this might be a lot to take in but don’t worry, here’s an example to solve all your questions.

Let’s assume that you are applying to Oxford University for an MBA program. For the Academic component, not only would you require an excellent GPA in all 4 years of your undergraduate studies, but you would also require to have a GMAT score of 680 or a GRE average score of 320. You would also need either a TOEFL score of 100 or an IELTS score of 7. 

Next, you would need a great story to tell. Your essays must reflect a genuine reason as to why you’d want to attend Oxford, along with a clearly delineated plan as to what you aspire to do post your graduation. Your work experience should dovetail with your future goals and is equally important. Furthermore, your extracurricular activities and volunteering experiences will give them a holistic view of where you stand with respect to your personal interests and passions. Lastly, your letters of recommendation will act as an attestation of how your candidacy is a perfect fit for Oxford.

These were the requirements for an application for an MBA at Oxford, however, the academic requirements differ from university to university and from one course to another, therefore you should be completely aware of the process before applying to universities in the UK.

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