Are you an older candidate who is thinking about applying to business school? Although most applicants are in their mid-upper 20s, if you are 30 years or older, pursuing an MBA degree can still be a very viable option for you. However, before delving into the application process, make sure that you are able to answer the following questions; based on my experience, the most successful older candidates can very clearly convey what their future career goals are, why they need t

Business school essays are an extremely important element of the application; unfortunately, however, I often see candidates not giving the essays the attention that they deserve. Remember that through your essays, Admissions Committees will begin to piece together your story: who you are, your values, your goals and aspirations, and how an MBA from their school fits into the picture. Below are five common mistakes that arise in business school essays – be sure to avoid them

Most business school applications will have either an essay or a short answer question where you can provide optional/additional information to help shed more light on your candidacy. It’s important to read the directions carefully, as most schools will make it clear that this space should only be used to clarify or explain things in your candidacy that you may not have been able to do so anywhere else in your application. Many candidates believe that they should be utilizing

Most candidates who apply to business school tend to have, on average, four to five years of full-time professional experience (i.e. the “sweet spot”), but does that mean you are at a huge disadvantage if you have fewer years of full-time work experience? The short answer is no. I have successfully worked with applicants who have had two to three years of professional experience prior to matriculating to MBA programs. However, there are a few things that should very clearly b

A common misconception of applicants is that gaining acceptance to the top MBA programs comes down to having strong statistics – in other words, a high GPA score and high GMAT/GRE score are the key factors that will drive their success in the process. Unfortunately, given this assumption, many academic achievers are disappointed when they are denied admission to the schools of their choice (and surprised when those with more average scores are admitted). So, what is the diffe

Being able to demonstrate a strong professional trajectory is important when applying to MBA programs. Business schools want to see that you are taking on additional responsibility and having impact in the workplace. However, through my conversations with applicants, there are three common professional weaknesses that tend to arise over and over again. I have elaborated on these professional weaknesses below as well as how to overcome them. Not being promoted in the workplace

A phenomenon that is becoming more common as part of the business school application process are video essays. Essentially, these are short questions that schools ask in order to get to know you better beyond the two-dimensional application; for example, both Kellogg and Yale have introduced the video essay component in recent years. These questions can range from the standard why you are interested in the MBA, why you would like to attend the school, and behavioral questions

Business school essays are an opportunity for candidates to share aspects of themselves with the MBA Admissions Committee in order to provide a more holistic picture of who they are; however, many candidates are daunted by the prospect of writing essays for business school applications. Based on my experience and that of clients whom I have worked with, by approaching the essay writing process in a systematic way, it can actually be quite enjoyable. If you are facing writer’s

Almost all of the top-tier business schools will want you to state your Post-MBA career goals (both in the short-term and in the long-term) as well as how their particular program will help you to attain them. Many times, however, I have seen candidates not putting enough thought into their Post-MBA goals and how their prior experiences have prepared them to achieve them. This results in Post-MBA goals that are unclear and/or too broad, which can hurt a candidate’s chances of

This article originally appeared on fortefoundation.org. You’ve worked hard to craft your business school applications, which is why it’s worth taking some extra time to make sure all of the pieces are in place. With deadlines for Round 1 fast approaching, here are five questions to address before hitting the submit button. Is each application portraying a holistic picture? All of the different parts of the application, when viewed together, should convey your qualities and y

With admission to top-tier business schools getting increasingly competitive, how can you stand out from a very competitive pool of applicants? Many applicants hire an MBA admissions consultant to help position themselves in the best light possible, but should you? This is a very personal decision and depends on your comfort level with the MBA application process as well as your writing skills. If you're confident with how you plan to position yourself and how well you write,

International applicants can contribute a lot to business schools given their perspective and experience in certain regions of the world; however, through my work with international applicants, I have noticed four areas in which international applicants tend to falter the most when applying to business school. These four areas are outlined below. Lack of extracurricular activities Many international applicants, having grown up in environments where academics and strong profes

After having spent many years coaching clients through the business school application process, there are common mistakes that applicants make that I have come across. Here are five mistakes to avoid when you are applying to business school so that your applications stand out from the competition: Not crafting authentic applications Many candidates are tempted to craft business school applications according to what they believe Admissions Committees want to see and/or accordi

“Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” –Oscar Wilde “How do I get into the top business schools? What can I do to stand out from the competition? Is there a ‘formula’ that will help me get accepted into the MBA programs of my choice? My friend/colleague got into [fill in the blank] by focusing on [fill in the blank] on his/her apps – should I do the same thing?” I often get asked these questions from clients and prospective clients seeking an edge in the business s