{"id":16036,"date":"2026-02-13T10:39:30","date_gmt":"2026-02-13T15:39:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?p=16036"},"modified":"2026-03-30T09:39:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-30T13:39:04","slug":"four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Tips for Couples Applying Jointly to MBA Programs\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Applying to an MBA program can feel like an&nbsp;<em>American Ninja Warrior&nbsp;<\/em>competition. There are obstacles at every turn, such as conducting school research, introspecting your goals, preparing your essays, and interviewing. However, when you apply along with your partner, the degree of difficulty increases! You must prepare for two obstacle courses instead of one and consider the needs of two different people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Can anyone navigate this process successfully? The answer is yes! I have worked with many pairs\u2014from roommates to twins to engaged couples and even spouses. Here are five tips that couples applying jointly to MBA programs should keep in mind during the application process:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 ez-toc-wrap-left counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#1_communicate\" >1. Communicate.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#2_compromise\" >2. Compromise.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#3_compartmentalize\" >3. Compartmentalize.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#4_consider_consecutive_timing\" >4. Consider consecutive timing.<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#5_celebrate_together\" >5. Celebrate together.<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_communicate\"><\/span>1. Communicate.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Communicate with your partner about what is most important to you. Have difficult conversations about what each person values at the start. Are you willing to enroll in different programs if that becomes the best option for both of you? Do you have a clear understanding of what is most important to each of you? Having this conversation early will help you avoid misunderstandings and resentment later in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally, inform the MBA programs to which you are applying that your partner is also applying. Many programs ask this question in the short-answer section of the application, or you can note this in an optional essay. Be consistent in your approach. Both applicants can damage their credibility by sharing inconsistent information in their application\u2014for example, one person says that they will attend a program only if their partner is also admitted, while the other person says they want to be considered individually. I worked with a married couple who did a great job here; they made it clear to the programs they applied to that although they preferred to attend the same program, they did not want to diminish the other\u2019s chances and wanted each person to have full consideration based on their unique profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_compromise\"><\/span>2. Compromise.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every relationship requires some give and take. Any big decision a couple makes\u2014such as whether or when to have children or which house to buy\u2014requires compromise. The same principle applies to the MBA admissions process. Each person must decide which scenarios are deal breakers and which ones are tolerable. Some couples might decide that they must attend the same program, while other couples might be okay with attending programs in different cities. There is no right or wrong here, but you want to present a unified front in your applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If one partner has a more competitive profile, some creativity and compromise can be beneficial. For example, if one partner is interested in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hbs.edu\/\"><strong>Harvard Business School<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mitsloan.mit.edu\/\"><strong>MIT Sloan<\/strong><\/a> and the other partner is not, there are several other programs in the Boston area to consider, including&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.babson.edu\/graduate\/academics\/full-time-business-programs\/mba\/\"><strong>Babson College<\/strong><\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/questrom\/\"><strong>BU Questrom<\/strong><\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hult.edu\/mba\/\"><strong>Hult<\/strong><\/a>. In Los Angeles, there are options at&nbsp;,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.marshall.usc.edu\/\"><strong>USC Marshall<\/strong><\/a>, and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/bschool.pepperdine.edu\/\"><strong>Pepperdine Graziadio<\/strong><\/a>. Looking at MBA programs in major cities will often give a couple more options, though being in the same city does not always guarantee an easy commute. It can take just 20 minutes to navigate between some programs in the same geographic area, such as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenan-flagler.unc.edu\/programs\/mba\/?utm_content=x448513630.1733858856\"><strong>UNC Kenan-Flagler<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fuqua.duke.edu\/\"><strong>Duke Fuqua<\/strong><\/a>, which are only 11 miles apart. Meanwhile, the travel time between&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kellogg.northwestern.edu\/\"><strong>Northwestern Kellogg<\/strong><\/a> and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chicagobooth.edu\/\"><strong>Chicago Booth<\/strong><\/a> can be anywhere from 40 to 90 minutes, depending on traffic and the mode of transportation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_compartmentalize\"><\/span>3. Compartmentalize.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although you can support your partner during the admissions process, you want to present yourself as an individual. After all, the experience of attending an MBA program still must work for each of you as individuals. When I served as the coach to a married couple during the MBA admissions process, we set some ground rules up front. I encouraged them to brainstorm on their own and avoid discussing too many details about their essays with each other so that they could each develop their own voice. Talking with your partner during the early part of the essay-writing process could result in essays that are too similar, which will not be helpful to either applicant. Couples that I have worked with enjoyed having a neutral coach with whom to discuss the unique elements of their own applications so that each could focus on their own story without feeling responsible for their partner\u2019s MBA candidacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_consider_consecutive_timing\"><\/span>4. Consider consecutive timing.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Although both partners often apply to programs in the same year and graduate together, consider having one partner apply in one year and the other apply the following year. One advantage of this approach is that the couple will only have one year with no income. Another benefit is that the second partner will have access to their partner\u2019s insider knowledge and contacts in the program, which could help them submit a stronger application.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"5_celebrate_together\"><\/span>5. Celebrate together.<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Couples might not realize the appeal they have when they apply to a program as a pair. One power couple can provide an MBA program with two strong candidates. MBA power couples are also more likely to attend social and extracurricular events and to bring other classmates together. I have seen my coupled clients receive generous scholarships and grow closer through the MBA application process. After all, your partner knows exactly how difficult and stressful applying to an MBA program can be, and they will be able to share your excitement more than a partner who is not familiar with the process. Celebrate and support each other along the way\u2014because that is the foundation for a healthy long-term partnership!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/mba\/team\/\"><strong>Stratus team<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;has experience helping couples achieve their MBA goals together, and all members of our team have MBAs from top programs. We are available to start the conversation about your profile through a free consultation that you can schedule&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/free-consultation\/\"><strong>here<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Applying to an MBA program can feel like an&nbsp;American Ninja Warrior&nbsp;competition. There are obstacles at every turn, such as conducting school research, introspecting your goals, preparing your essays, and interviewing. However, when you apply along with your partner, the degree of difficulty increases! You must prepare for two obstacle courses instead of one and consider&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":17711,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[378,393],"tags":[994,455],"class_list":["post-16036","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mba","category-mba-profile-specific","tag-applying-as-a-couple","tag-harvard-business-school"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp;amp%3bamp%3bamp%3bref=bookmarks\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"600\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Donna Bauman\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@StratusMBA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@StratusMBA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Donna Bauman\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Donna Bauman\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/744d747e65cb692c512118855bad2931\"},\"headline\":\"Five Tips for Couples Applying Jointly to MBA Programs\u00a0\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":976,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"keywords\":[\"applying as a couple\",\"Harvard Business School\"],\"articleSection\":[\"MBA\",\"Profile Specific\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/\",\"name\":\"Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00\",\"description\":\"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2022\\\/12\\\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1\",\"width\":800,\"height\":600},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"MBA\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/mba\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Five Tips for Couples Applying Jointly to MBA Programs\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog\",\"description\":\"Your MBA Dream Team\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/i0.wp.com\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/03\\\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1\",\"width\":512,\"height\":512,\"caption\":\"Stratus Admissions Counseling\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/business.facebook.com\\\/stratusadmissionscounseling\\\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp;amp;amp;ref=bookmarks\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/StratusMBA\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.instagram.com\\\/stratusmba\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/organization\\\/1022842\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/channel\\\/UCvQwmo9OA-cg_5B1C7z_ExQ\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/744d747e65cb692c512118855bad2931\",\"name\":\"Donna Bauman\",\"description\":\"Senior MBA Admissions Counselor Donna Bauman holds an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg and spent 15 years on the admissions team at UNC Kenan-Flagler. She also brings advertising experience from her work on national campaigns for major brands. Donna specializes in helping applicants craft compelling narratives and has coached clients to acceptances at all of the M7 business schools, facilitating over $6M in scholarships while earning perfect client-satisfaction ratings from Poets&amp;Quants.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/about\\\/mba-admissions-counselors\\\/donna-bauman\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/donnabauman\\\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/donna-bauman\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together","description":"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together","og_description":"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/","og_site_name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog","article_publisher":"https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp%3bamp%3bamp%3bref=bookmarks","article_published_time":"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":600,"url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Donna Bauman","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@StratusMBA","twitter_site":"@StratusMBA","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Donna Bauman","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/"},"author":{"name":"Donna Bauman","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/744d747e65cb692c512118855bad2931"},"headline":"Five Tips for Couples Applying Jointly to MBA Programs\u00a0","datePublished":"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/"},"wordCount":976,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","keywords":["applying as a couple","Harvard Business School"],"articleSection":["MBA","Profile Specific"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/","name":"Five Tips for Couples Applying to MBA Programs Together","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","datePublished":"2026-02-13T15:39:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-03-30T13:39:04+00:00","description":"Applying to MBA programs with your partner? Learn five essential tips to navigate joint applications successfully and strengthen both candidacies.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","width":800,"height":600},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/four-tips-for-couples-applying-jointly-to-mba-programs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"MBA","item":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/mba\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Five Tips for Couples Applying Jointly to MBA Programs\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/","name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling Blog | Admissions Blog","description":"Your MBA Dream Team","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"Stratus Admissions Counseling","url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/stratus-favicon.png?fit=512%2C512&ssl=1","width":512,"height":512,"caption":"Stratus Admissions Counseling"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/business.facebook.com\/stratusadmissionscounseling\/?business_id=1549495231831060&amp;amp;amp;ref=bookmarks","https:\/\/x.com\/StratusMBA","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/stratusmba\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/organization\/1022842\/","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCvQwmo9OA-cg_5B1C7z_ExQ"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/744d747e65cb692c512118855bad2931","name":"Donna Bauman","description":"Senior MBA Admissions Counselor Donna Bauman holds an MBA from Northwestern Kellogg and spent 15 years on the admissions team at UNC Kenan-Flagler. She also brings advertising experience from her work on national campaigns for major brands. Donna specializes in helping applicants craft compelling narratives and has coached clients to acceptances at all of the M7 business schools, facilitating over $6M in scholarships while earning perfect client-satisfaction ratings from Poets&amp;Quants.","sameAs":["https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/about\/mba-admissions-counselors\/donna-bauman\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/donnabauman\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/author\/donna-bauman\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/Five-Tips-for-Couples-Applying-Jointly-to-MBA-Programs-.png?fit=800%2C600&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16036","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16036"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16036\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19668,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16036\/revisions\/19668"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16036"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16036"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.stratusadmissionscounseling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16036"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}