For this Admissions Director Q&A we welcome back Mohammad Salhia, the Managing Director, Recruitment, Admissions and Business Development at the University of Toronto Rotman School of Management.
Prior to joining Rotman, Mohammad spent his career working in healthcare, predominantly focusing on education strategy and operations in the health professions. He was previously a Director of Continuing Education. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science and a Master of Education, both from the University of Toronto. Mohammad is currently a PhD student at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, also at the University of Toronto. His research interests are in the operationalization of equity and inclusion in higher education systems.
Read our Q&A with him here to find out more about Rotman’s MBA program and Mohammad’s insights into the application process and how to navigate it.
Clear Admit: What is the one aspect of your program that you wish applicants knew more about?
Mohammad Salhia: Rotman has a rich program ecosystem that supports pre- and early-experience students to those with substantial career tenure in our Executive MBA portfolio.
Regarding our Full-Time MBA, there is an incredible breadth and depth to aspects of our program which few others can match. In the second year of the program students have the choice of choosing from over 100 electives offered across ten different emphases including real estate, finance, leadership, and health sector management. We also offer a suite of global and experiential learning programs offered with dozens of partners around the world including the Rotman Onboard Fellowship Program which matches MBA candidates with non-profit boards and charities for eight-month fellowships. Additionally, Rotman’s Flexible Internship Program for the Full-Time MBA is a paid internship program that can be taken in one of three work terms, giving students flexibility to take the electives they want in their second year of study.
CA: Walk us through the life of an application in your office from an operational standpoint. What happens between the time an applicant clicks “submit” and the time the committee offers a final decision?
MS: Our engagement with potential candidates starts before they click “submit.” All candidates can engage with the recruitment team ahead of applying. Through one-on-one meetings with our staff, candidates can have their profiles reviewed, questions answered and offered tips on how to best position themselves for the Rotman MBA or another Rotman graduate program such as the Master of Management Analytics.
As an application progresses, there is dedicated support and communications from our team as candidates shore up outstanding items. There are ongoing interactive sessions covering a wide range of topics such as application tips, and advice on student housing, international immigration, and other topics. Finally, once the application is submitted our Admissions Committee reviews each applicant and discusses the merits of each candidate before a decision is made.
CA: How does your team approach the essay portion of the application specifically? What are you looking for as you read an essay? Are there common mistakes that applicants should try to avoid? What is one key thing they should keep in mind as they sit down to write?
MS: My advice is to be unique. With the use of AI, many essays look and read the same. This is something our team picks up on. So, any time an essay feels original, it is refreshing. One thing they should think about is why Rotman? While it’s nice to know what you’ve done up to this point in your career, you need to answer where do you see Rotman helping you get to? To that end, a common mistake is candidates not outlining how Rotman can facilitate their career and life goals. Too often the essays outline what people have done and where they want to go without mentioning how Rotman can facilitate that.
CA: Could you tell us about your interview process? Approximately how many applicants do you interview? Who conducts the interview and what is the nature of the interview? Will your admissions interviews be in-person or virtual for the 2025-2026 admissions season?
MS: Across our suite of MBA programmes, we interview many hundreds of applicants. Our MBA interviews are conducted by members of our Recruitment and Admissions team, and they are behavioural in nature; we look to assess the candidate’s level of maturity, adaptability, and aptitude for leadership. In other words, our interviews serve as a way for us to understand a candidate’s motives for the program and, importantly, the perspectives they’d be bringing into the classroom which their peers would benefit from. Our interviews will be virtual in the 2025-2026 admissions season.
CA: If your application features an impromptu video interview/video essay, how does it differ from the main interview? What should applicants know about this step in the process?
MS: Historically, these help us give us more insight into your interests and who you are before your formal interview, and beyond what we see in a resume or written essay. The videos give us insight into how you respond to questions in real-time and give an overall sense of your communication skill. Our process iterates every year to optimize the candidate journey, and the inclusion of the video essay is evaluated annually.
CA: Is there anything in particular international students should keep in mind during the Rotman admissions process?
MS: For international students, it is always better to apply early in our admissions cycle. Do not wait until the final deadlines to apply if you are serious about being admitted into the current year. Study permits are a critical step in joining the program and, by leaving your application submission late, you risk jeopardizing your spot by not leaving enough time to apply and receive your study permit. You can not fly to Canada without the study permit.
CA: What is your favorite spot on campus?
MS: The Rotman Pink Staircase, an iconic and highly Instagram-able place in the Rotman building.
CA: Is there anything else you’d like to highlight about your MBA program or admissions process?
MS: Leadership Development is a critical component of the Rotman MBA. Rotman not only provides you with solid business fundamentals, which you would expect from a top business school, but also weaves in courses and modules to develop the skills, resilience, and self-awareness that students will need to thrive as leaders. The courses are delivered through our Self-Development Lab, led by Maja Djikic, an award-winning professor. Interested and qualified students who wish to deepen and accelerate their development as leaders can participate in the Leadership Development Lab in the second year of the program. This is a crucial component for employers as they target Rotman talent as a pipeline for future leaders in their organizations.
