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According to Financial Times, a quarter of the top 100 EMBA programs worldwide take place entirely in the United States. The top five EMBA programs in the United States are:

– Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania)

– Fuqua School of Business (Duke University)

– Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University)

– Columbia Business School (Columbia University)

– Stern School of Business (New York University)

Of course, rankings are somewhat subjective, and which school is your best match depends on the specifics of your situation in the end. But it’s clear that these are five prominent EMBA programs that can take your career to the next level. Here’s what you should know about them.

How to Get In Step by Step

Applying to EMBA programs is a process with several phases. Before you get start, you’ll want to have a clear picture of what to expect so you can plan ahead. Some of the steps on your path to acceptance are:

1. Research the school

To get into a top EMBA program, you need to know as much about the program as possible.

Being familiar with the program will help you figure out whether the school’s a good fit for you. Importantly, it’ll also make it easier for you to articulate in your application why you’re a good match to the school.

The go-to place for information on a given school is the school’s website. The websites for the five top EMBA programs in the United States are:

– Wharton MBA for Executives

– Fuqua Global Executive MBA

– Kellogg Executive MBA

– Columbia Executive MBA

– Stern Executive MBA

2. Attend an info session

Online research is good for getting the gist of what a program’s about, but the way to get a more detailed picture is by signing up for an info session so you can go hear from people at the school in person.

Scheduled info sessions will be listed on the school’s website. You can also find them by Googling “[school name] EMBA info session.”

The top five EMBA programs in the United States usually hold events in multiple locations across the country. Fuqua also does a handful of international info sessions, and Kellogg holds both international and online events.

3. Connect with an adcom

When you’ve researched the school and, if possible, gone to an info session, one way to continue with your preparation is by talking to an adcom one-on-one.

Getting in touch with an adcom will let you find out more about the program and get answers on any questions you still might have. Plus, it can’t hurt to start developing a relationship with the admissions committee.

Maybe the easiest place to connect with adcom members is at info sessions. You can also find contact details for EMBA admissions on the school’s website.

Some schools provide additional ways of connecting:

– At Kellogg you can schedule a resume review session, which will give you a chance to receive feedback on how you fit with the program and to learn more about the admissions process.

– Fuqua gives you access to an admissions counselor.

4. Revise your resume 

Your resume is crucial to communicating your qualifications and experience. It should give a strong picture of what makes you prepared to take on the EMBA program you’re applying to.

Many schools have unique requirements in terms of what information they want included in your resume and what kind of background you need to have to apply. Update your resume on a school-by-school basis taking these into account (and ask for a resume review if you’re applying to Kellogg).

Some school-specific guidelines:

– Wharton requires 8+ years work experience and 5+ years managerial experience

– Fuqua asks for a business resume listing “employment and relevant volunteer work.” They want to know locations, titles, dates and responsibilities beginning with your most recent position, as well as dates of attendance and degree information in the education section.

– Stern requires 6+ years work experience and an undergraduate degree.

Overall, anything that sheds light on your experience and leadership potential can add to your resume – work and academic background, community service, etc.

5. Prepare for school assessment test

If you’re required to take assessment tests for any of the schools you’re applying to, be sure to leave yourself plenty of time for preparation. The assessment tests used by the top EMBA programs in the United States are:

– Wharton requires the GMAT but lets people with master’s degrees substitute the GRE.

– Fuqua does not require any standardized tests but occasionally asks people to take a school-administered assessment.

– Columbia requires the GMAT, Executive Assessment or GRE.

– Kellogg and Stern usually don’t require the GMAT (more on that in a second).

6. Interview

EMBA programs will usually interview you to get a better sense of you as a person and fill in any questions they might have after reading your application.

EMBA interviews can go for up to an hour. The top EMBA programs in the United States have slightly different protocols for how interviews are scheduled:

– Wharton asks you to schedule your interview with them as early as possible.

– Fuqua lets you schedule an interview before or after submitting your application.

– Kellogg asks that you schedule an interview after submitting your application.

– Columbia’s interviews are invitation-only.

– Stern will contact you to schedule an interview once you’ve submitted your pre-application.

These interviews can cover lots of different ground, so you should go in ready to talk about everything from your experience to your goals to your interest in the program to any questions you have.

7. GMAT Requirement 

Most of the top EMBA programs in the United States only require GMAT scores if your transcript, work experience, etc. don’t give sufficient evidence of quantitative abilities. The specific school-by-school rules are:

– Wharton is the only one that requires the GMAT. If you already have a master’s degree and have valid (i.e., less than five years old) GRE scores from when you applied, you can submit your GRE scores instead.

– Fuqua doesn’t require the GMAT. If they want to know more about your quantitative skills, they may ask you to participate in a “math discussion and assessment with a Fuqua professor.”

– Kellogg requires the GMAT only if you don’t have an undergraduate degree. Occasionally, if your application gives them reason to believe you don’t have the quantitative skills to be successful in the program, they might also ask you to take the GMAT after receiving your application.

– Columbia gives you the option of substituting the Executive Assessment or GRE for the GMAT, but you must take one of the three.

– Stern doesn’t require you to take the GMAT, but they do want you to demonstrate quantative skills in your application (e.g., through your transcripts). They suggest that “if you do not feel you can provide adequate proof of your quantitative abilities, you may wish to consider submitting GMAT or GRE scores or enrolling in a quantitatively focused non-degree course.”

Interesting Trends/Unique Opportunities

Each of the top EMBA programs in the United States comes with a unique set of opportunities. As you do you research, take notes on what makes each school special.

Some things to keep in mind:

– You can choose to attend Wharton’s EMBA program on one of two campuses, either in Philadelphia or San Francisco.

– As the name suggests, Fuqua’s Global Executive MBA has an international bent, including several residencies in different cities around the world.

– Kellogg’s EMBA is based in either Evanston, IL or Miami, FL, but you can take electives at any of several Kellogg Global Network campuses.

– Columbia’s EMBA offers a variety of scheduling options based on whether you’re located in New York or elsewhere in the Americas and whether you’re available on Fridays and Saturdays or just Saturdays.

– Stern lets you choose up to three specializations in areas like Finance, Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Global Business and Marketing.

There are other differences between the programs in terms of schedule, curriculum, education model, etc. All of these programs can open up entirely new doors in your career, but they’ll do so in slightly different ways.

If all this seems a little overwhelming, don’t worry – you’ve come to the right place! EXPARTUS is here so you can select the right school and submit an application that powerfully conveys your personal brand. Just contact us if you want a free assessment of your top EMBA options or if you have any questions about applying for an EMBA!

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