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We are frequently asked what it takes to get into one of the top programs. Of course, you need a strong GPA, GMAT, work experience, essays, etc. But it also needs your best effort, meaning that you have done all that you need to create a killer MBA application.
In real terms, this means the following.
1. An Early Start.
It may be an old adage that “you can never start too early but you can finish too late” but this is never more true than with business school applications.
Every piece of the process requires time, be it writing essays that really sparkle or hunting down that final recommender. At a minimum, we recommend a 100 days. However, our most successful clients start about six months in advance of submission deadlines.
2. Your GMAT.
One of the first things an applicant usually starts with is the GMAT. While we all know the higher the better, how does this translate into what’s the best you can do? That point comes only after you have taken a prep course, possibly worked with a tutor on some particularly rough spots, and had a great test taking day.
If you are still falling short of your practice scores, the fire alarm went off during the test, or you became ill (all true stories) then you are not done, yet. I have seen scores jump by 20-30 points just because things fell into place on test day. A Stratus client who knew the stars hadn’t aligned when she got a 740 sat for her GMAT one more time: she got a 770 and is heading to Wharton. Keep on working until you have one of these days.
3. Mentors as Recommenders.
The best recommendations come from those who really know you, can point to specific examples of your strengths, and are deeply invested in your success. Do you have such a relationship? Great. If not, you may have to cultivate it. To do this means a lot of lunches or coffees with special folks who can be advisors and champions as you go through the MBA application process. Again, this takes time.
4. School Knowledge.
What can really set an application apart is school specific knowledge; not that you are just applying to business school, but you are applying to THAT one-and-only business school.
To communicate this specific knowledge, you have to really get to know the school. In real terms, this means exploring the curriculum, courses, and clubs; connecting with current students and recent alumni; and, in a perfect world, visiting the school to breathe the air.
All of this take times, so another good reason to start early is to do the school research necessary to really connect.
5. Filling Potholes.
There is no such thing as a perfect applicant, but there are applicants who are candid about their weaknesses and are working to address them.
For those with a weak GPA, it may mean an online course. Candidates who lack leadership experience may find it outside the office with a non-profit. Identify your weaknesses, and rather than trying to hide them, attack the problem.
6. Spell Check.
“Columbia” or “Colombia”? One is the name of a top-ten business school while the other is a “fast pass to the ding pile.” And by spell check, I don’t just mean, making sure your spelling and grammar are right on, but that you have had other people involved in your process that not only check syntax but pressure check that everything else makes sense. While mom and dad can help you with some of this, wouldn’t it be even nicer if someone who actually went to business school took a look?
If these are some tips to get you on the road to a successful application, here is one signal that you are probably not giving this process your best effort: the fire drill.
If it is 48-hours to go, and the essays are not quite done, your recommender is on vacation, and you are checking the GMAT schedule to see if you can give it one more try before decision time. Well, it sounds to me that this will not be a “best effort” application.
Let me be even more precise: under such circumstances you are almost certainly producing a truly lousy application that will almost certainly be rejected. Even if you feel like you did a good job over the weekend, there are always those people who did an infinitely better job over a longer period of time. And it is these people who actually get accepted.