Applying to business school can feel overwhelming. Between your essays, resumes, recommendations, interviews, test scores and campus visits, there’s a lot to think about. In reality, though, putting your best foot forward comes down to a few core principles. At Rice Business, we want you to succeed, so we asked our admissions team to share their best tips for applicants this year. 

Tip 1: Reach out to a Rice MBA recruiter

Taking the first step toward an MBA can be daunting, but you don’t have to do it alone.

“Our Rice recruiting and admissions team is here to guide you, whether you’re at the very beginning of your MBA search or scrambling on deadline day,” says Steve Summers, manager of MBA recruiting, working professional programs. “No part of your MBA journey should be done alone — including the application.”

Don’t hesitate to reach out with questions.

Tip 2: Attend Rice Business events.

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Info sessions, classroom previews and networking opportunities are great opportunities to gather information. They also show us you’re serious.

Schools notice when applicants are invested in learning about the program. And when you step foot on campus, you’ll not only connect with Rice MBA students and alumni — you’ll get a real sense of the energy and culture that can’t be captured on a website or in a brochure.

Tip 3: Be yourself!

The strongest MBA application is the one that reflects your authentic self.

“The best Rice MBA applicant is you,” says Sofia Cormack, assistant director of recruiting and admissions. “That means letting your personality, experiences and background shine through in your essays, interviews and interactions. Don’t try to guess what we ‘want’ to see — authenticity always wins.” 

Tip 4: Make your first impression count.

First impressions matter. Wondering how to prepare for your MBA interview?

“Show up to your interview dressed professionally,” Summers says. “Beyond attire, that impression extends to your tone and preparation. Do your research, bring thoughtful questions and make sure you demonstrate interest in the program.”

Tip 5: Avoid mixed messages.

Think of your application as building a brand. You want to be consistent, clear and memorable.

An MBA application isn’t just a collection of parts — it’s one story. Your resume, essays, recommendation letter and interview should all reinforce the same themes and strengths. Avoid contradictions or mixed messages.

Tip 6: Engage with the Rice Business community.

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The best way to know if Rice Business is the right fit is to talk to people who live the experience.

Follow us on social media. Connect with students, alumni, faculty and staff. Ask people about their journeys and what makes the Rice MBA unique. These conversations will not only inform your decision but also give you richer insights to bring into your essays and interviews.

Tip 7: Talk with your recommender.

A strong letter of recommendation doesn’t come from sending a quick email request.

“Schedule time with your recommender to explain why you’re applying, what you’ve accomplished, and why you’d make a great candidate,” Cormack says. “This not only helps them write a better letter, but it also strengthens your professional relationship.”

Tip 8: Double-check your app.

From the resume to the recommendations, there are lots of components you’ll need to submit.

Before submitting your application, make sure you have all materials covered for your preferred program. In our MBA Admission Guide, you can download a detailed checklist to make sure every item makes its ways to our recruiting and admissions team. Plus, if you apply early, you’ll be able to take advantage of more availability in your desired program and early opportunities for exploring, networking and preparing for the journey ahead.

Final Tips

The resumes, essays and documents you submit are important, of course. But a successful MBA application process is about more than that — it’s about telling your story, showing your drive and finding the right fit for your future. If you approach the process with authenticity, consistency and curiosity, you’ll stand out for all the right reasons.

Ready to begin your MBA journey? Applications for our Full-Time, Professional, Hybrid and Executive MBA programs are now open — start your application today.

Apply Now Application Guide

From Bangalore, India, to Houston, Texas, Kunal Chopra has powered a successful career in oil and gas. Now, he’s beginning a new chapter at Rice Business as a student in the PMBA Class of 2027. Continue reading Kunal’s profile to learn more about his journey to Rice and how Launch Week has made him feel at home. 

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Tell us a little about your career and background.

Education: Mechanical engineering, Delhi Technological University, India

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: ExxonMobil, Guyana Venture Project Controls Lead

Career Highlights and Industry Experience: I’ve worked with ExxonMobil for seven years and have experience as a project data engineer, market analyst, commercial and technical modeler, and project controls engineer in the oil and gas industry.

I began my career in Bangalore, India, before moving to the U.S. to support the LaBarge Carbon Capture Project as a Project Controls Engineer. Earlier this year, I got the opportunity to step into a leadership role as a supervisor and relocated to Houston to work on the Guyana Venture – Deepwater Projects.

What is a fun fact about you?

 I enjoy reading comic books! I’ve been a Marvel fan since my childhood and follow the movies as well.

Why did you choose Rice Business?

I knew about the Rice University prestige and reputation, and the school is right in the center of the energy capital. The Rice MBA offers a diverse cohort of people from multiple organizations and industries, which invites various perspectives to classroom discussions. I’m looking forward to the on-campus, in-person classes, as well as the many opportunities to network.

Why did you choose our Professional MBA program?

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The idea of going back to school to pursue an MBA had always been on my mind, but taking a break from work wasn’t an option. But the Professional MBA program gives me the flexibility to pursue my education alongside my work, and there are multiple electives offered in the program that translate very well to my industry and can enhance my work.

How are you feeling about starting your MBA? What are you most looking forward to?

I am super excited to start the MBA journey! I’m looking forward to gaining new knowledge from this program and leveraging that to both accelerate my career and develop as a reliable leader. I am a firm believer in luck, for “Luck is when an opportunity meets your preparation.” In short, I am preparing myself for the next big opportunity that shows up at my doorstep! 

How was your experience during launch week? What were your first impressions of the program and your classmates?

Launch Week was a sneak peek into what to expect over the course of the MBA program. Switching back into “student mode” is not easy, so Launch Week served as a boot camp and helped jumpstart the process for me. During the Competitive Strategy class, our group was required to evaluate a case study and present our findings. To make the presentation interesting, the five of us ended up creating a Shark Tank skit. It was a lot of fun!

One word for my classmates: Awesome! Everyone has a story to tell, and it’s interesting to hear about how they got to where they are. All of us started from different places, jobs and education backgrounds — and now chose to open this chapter at Rice together.

Kunal Chopra is a Professional MBA student in the Class of 2027.

MBA recruiting looks a little different every year, but the fundamentals never change: Employers want to hire motivated candidates who show curiosity, professionalism and a clear sense of direction.

At Rice Business, the Career Development Office (CDO), a key professional resource for MBAs looking to connect with employers and alumni, recently hosted an event called “Recruiter Real Talk” to share insider tips on today’s MBA job market. Recruiter panelists Dana Vasquez ’24, Katie Sanborn ’19, Madeleine Tunnard ’23 and Kuanysh Samigollayev ’23 offered candid advice on how students can navigate the recruiting journey with confidence.

1. Start Early

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Recruiting timelines vary by industry. If you’re considering a role in a specific industry, like investment banking, begin preparing as soon as possible — even before the first day of your MBA program. Don’t wait until the first semester’s over in order to figure out if a field is for you. Begin attending information sessions, networking events and coffee chats immediately.

Why? Because timelines in some industries are accelerated, and opportunities can pass quickly. As one recruiter put it: “You can always step back later, but you can’t rewind the clock.”

In fact, the earlier you apply for the Rice MBA, the sooner you’ll unlock the opportunities, insights and connections with students and alumni to help you hit the ground running. And once you’re here, make sure to connect with second years — they’re your best advocates and most reliable guides across industries.

2. Treat Every Interaction Like an Interview

From the first handshake at a networking event to a quick exchange in McNair Hall, recruiters notice how you show up in every conversation, not just the formal recruiting events. That means:

• Dress appropriately, even for coffee chats.
• Be professional in your tone, whether by email or in person.
• Assume that everything you say will make its way back to the hiring team.

Katie Sanborn ’19 put it best: “Every interaction you have, consider it an interview.”

2. Referrals and Relationships Matter

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Recruiting isn’t a numbers game, so submitting 50 applications without meaningful connections won’t get you very far. But internal referrals, built on authentic conversations, can make all the difference. The strongest candidates:

• Build genuine relationships before asking for a referral.
• Come to coffee chats with specific questions.
• Follow up quickly and thoughtfully, showing you’ve learned something new.

Recruiters remember the students who make them feel like the conversation mattered. 

4. Show Curiosity (And Attention To Detail)

No matter what industry you’re seeking your next role in, recruiters are looking for MBA students who are curious, adaptable and genuinely eager to learn. 

Recruiters are also paying attention to the little things: Does your cover letter seem to be AI-automated or vague? Did you spell the company name correctly in your email? Did you address the recruiter properly? Typos, copy-paste errors, small mistakes and overgeneralizations can cost you an opportunity.

Pro tip: Set a short delay on your emails to give yourself time to catch errors before they send.

5. Demonstrate Fit Over Time

In early coffee chats, recruiters don’t expect you to know everything about their company or the role. But as you progress, they do expect you to get more specific. Try to reference what you’ve learned about a company’s culture, values, team structures or projects over the course of recruitment.

That progression shows you’re learning, retaining information and building intentional relationships, which will help you stand out in today’s recruiting landscape.

6. Know Your Goals

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When weighing industries, roles or timelines, reflect on your priorities and non-negotiables by asking yourself questions like:

• What kind of lifestyle do I want?
• Where do I want to live?
• How much am I willing to travel or work each week?

If you’re pivoting or still deciding what field is for you, your time in the Rice MBA program is a unique opportunity to “test drive” different fields. One rule of thumb is to pay attention to what energizes you and what drains you. 

7. Don’t Forget the Bigger Picture

Recruiting is important — but it’s not the only reason you’re here. Your two years at Rice Business are also about finding community, networking, and growing through clubs, conferences, labs and so much more. 

The panelists reminded students to lift each other up during the recruitment process. It’s much easier to go through with support by your side, and there are plenty of opportunities to go around. But how you treat your classmates and peers will shape your reputation long after graduation.

Final Tip: Use Your Resources

The best news? You don’t have to figure this out alone. The CDO team is in constant conversation with employers and recruiters, so their guidance reflects what companies are actually looking for in candidates right now.

Just like the two-year MBA journey, recruitment will work best for you when you dedicate the time and efforts to it. Make the most of your time at Rice Business, foster strong relationships, use your resources — and you’ll be ready not just to land a job, but to launch a meaningful career.
 

Explore Our Rice MBA Programs

Meet Ali Mroue, PMBA Class of 2027! In this profile, Ali shares why he chose Rice, what drew him to the Professional MBA program and how Launch Week set the stage for his MBA journey.

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Tell us a little about your career and background.

Education: Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD), Lebanese American University

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Marketing Manager at Eagle Analytical

Career Highlights and Industry Experience: Experienced in the world of pharmaceuticals and personalized medicine.

What is a fun fact about you?

I played college and semipro soccer growing up.

Why did you choose Rice Business?

The tight-knit community, diversity among the cohort and prestige that comes with it. 

Why did you choose our Professional MBA program?

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I chose the Professional MBA program because I wanted an in-class MBA experience that would allow me to actively engage with my peers, build meaningful connections and collaborate with professionals at a similar stage in their careers. I was also drawn to Rice’s vibrant campus and looked forward to spending more time immersed in its community throughout the program.

How are you feeling about starting your MBA? What are you most looking forward to?

Excited and ready for the journey ahead! I’m looking forward to gaining insights from both the classroom and my peers and using those experiences to shape the next chapter of my career.

How was your experience during launch week? What were your first impressions of the program and your classmates?

Launch Week was intense but incredibly rewarding — I truly hit the ground running. I’m confident I chose the program that’s the perfect fit for me, and I already feel a strong sense of belonging. My classmates are exceptional, each bringing unique experiences and perspectives. Rice has done an outstanding job creating a diverse and well-balanced cohort, and I’m excited for the opportunity to exchange knowledge, ideas and culture with one another throughout the program.

Ali Mroue is a Professional MBA student in the Class of 2027.

The takeaway? Leaders should be mindful to not impose love of work as a standard, and employees should remember that all motives — from money to meaning — are legitimate.

RBW: Can you tell us about the main focus of your research?

Mijeong Kwon: Yes — so, my research focuses on a question we often get in our interviews and work conversations: “Why are you interested in this job?” or “Why do you do this work?” It’s a question of motivation. And we often have a hunch that there is a right answer for that question, but there’s surprisingly little research on this — how people perceive others’ work motivation.

Coming from an international background, especially, I thought that there’s really something interesting about “intrinsic motivation” in this country, about the social pressure to enjoy and love your work. We tend to admire people who love what they do, and we treat that love as a sign of character, not just preference. 

So, my research is about what I call the moralization of intrinsic motivation. I study the cultural weight we place on passion and its consequences for careers, organizations and society. 

RBW: That line of inquiry seems especially relevant to students and early-career professionals.

Kwon: Absolutely. I saw it firsthand early in my teaching at Michigan. Students would come to me worried about their internship interviews. Some would say, “I’m interested in fields outside of consulting or finance, but I feel pressure to choose those paths because of money or prestige.” 

They worried that saying “I want financial stability” wasn’t acceptable in an interview context, even if it was honest. I also noticed colleagues reading student applications and dismissing them as “not passionate enough.” That raised a question for me: What counts as passion? Who gets to define it?

Coming from another culture where passion wasn’t emphasized in the same way, I realized this wasn’t a universal problem. In the U.S., loving your work has become a moral expectation. But that can make it difficult for people from different cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds to express their real motives in ways that are accepted. 

RBW: How do you approach this research in terms of methodology?

Kwon: I do a lot of experimental research. In one of the studies I ran, for example, I asked people to imagine two coworkers, one emphasizing love for work and the other not. When I subsequently asked whether they wanted to help either or both of these coworkers, I found that people were more likely to help out the person who emphasized intrinsic motivation because such a coworker was considered “moral” — closer to an ideal worker prototype. Surprisingly, I found those who love their work themselves were more likely to exhibit this tendency to consider love for work as a moral virtue.

RBW: And what do you see as the practical implications of your research? What can employees and managers do differently?

Kwon: For business leaders, I want them to recognize that while intrinsic motivation (i.e., “love for work”) has real benefits — better performance, persistence, creativity — it shouldn’t be imposed as a moral standard. If leaders overemphasize it, they risk alienating employees who don’t express it in the same way, or who are motivated by family obligations or financial security. These employees may feel excluded or even overlooked for opportunities, even if they’re highly capable and committed. 

For students and young professionals, I think it’s equally important to know that this is a social expectation, not an absolute truth. If they feel stressed because they don’t “love” their work, I want them to understand they don’t need to be tortured by that. At 20 years old, you don’t have to have found your lifelong passion. You can experiment, build skills and change direction later. 

In the U.S., loving your work has become a moral expectation. But that can make it difficult for people from different cultural or socioeconomic backgrounds to express their real motives in ways that are accepted. 

RBW: What projects are you working on now?

Kwon: One current project looks at whether there are positive aspects of extrinsic motivations like money or recognition. These often carry stigma, but they can also reflect admirable goals — supporting your family, building stability, etc. 

I’m also developing a broader concept I call “motivational ambidexterity.” Most of us don’t work for a single reason. We juggle passion, meaning, money, identity, security, pride, family. Rather than seeing these as competing motivations, I want to study how people can integrate them in healthier ways. 

RBW: One final question, given the topic we’re covering here — How do you personally feel about your own work?

Kwon: It’s a little ironic, but studying this downside of intrinsic motivation has been a labor of love for me. I find the topic fascinating because it reshaped my career path. I started my Ph.D. focused on macro-level sociology, but this became my dissertation and shifted me into organizational behavior. So yes — I do love the work. But I also recognize it is just one piece of the story. 

Kwon and Sonday, “The Moralization of Intrinsic Motivation: Opportunities and Perils.” Forthcoming in Academy of Management Review (2025). https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2021.0467