Having worked with hundreds of clients on their MBA applications, I have noticed that there are a few interview questions that tend to come up over and over again across the various business schools. Overall, interviewers are trying to understand a candidate’s background, post-MBA goals, why he/she is interested in pursuing an MBA at their school, and his/her qualities in order to assess fit. Therefore, as you prepare for interviews, keep the following three common interview

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

As a top-tier MBA program, thousands of candidates apply to Wharton each year. Based on my experience, there are three main qualities that Wharton looks for when evaluating candidates for admission; these are impactful leadership, strong analytical skills, and the ability to collaborate. My thoughts on each of these characteristics is below. Impactful leadership Being able to demonstrate leadership should come as no surprise; this quality is extremely important to all of the

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

When putting together your list of business schools to which to apply, how do you determine which ones are the right ones for you? The first step is understanding how competitive your profile will be at the schools that you are shortlisting (such as by looking at the average/median GPA and GMAT/GRE scores); beyond that, determining the right fit is more of an art than a science. To get started, research the different MBA programs that you are interested in; as you do so, keep

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

With an acceptance rate of 6%, the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB) is one of the most competitive business schools to gain admission to. What qualities does the school value when it evaluates candidates? On its website, Stanford clearly states its evaluation criteria, which are the following: Intellectual Vitality, Demonstrated Leadership Potential, and Personal Qualities & Contributions. Let's go through each of these criteria in more detail. Intellectual

Harvard Business School (HBS) is consistently ranked at the top of U.S. News' Best Business School rankings. So what does the school seek in candidates? Before you even begin tackling the applications, it's extremely important to understand what each MBA program values. HBS clearly states three things on their website that they look for in candidates: Habit of Leadership, Analytical Aptitude, and Engaged Community Citizenship. Let's go through each one in more detail. Habit o

Are you an applicant who is applying with a finance background? If so, below are four things to watch out for as you craft your business school applications. These are common mistakes that I see from finance applicants. Using industry jargon The most common mistake I see from finance applicants is using industry jargon (e.g., terms such IRR, DCF, and ROI). This is true both in the resume as well as the other parts of the application, such as the essays and data forms. Regardl

An important element of the business school application is your resume; it provides Admissions Committees a concise snapshot of your accomplishments to date. Often, candidates will submit a similar resume that they would use for professional purposes, but the business school resume should be tailored differently. Here is how you should craft your resume when applying to MBA programs. Focus on Impact and Results There is a tendency for applicants to just list their responsibil

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

“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” There is no doubt about it; applying to business school is a journey. Admissions Committees want to understand what you did in college and how you performed academically, what you have been doing in the workplace, and how your personal experiences have shaped you. While synthesizing all of this information in a business school application can be quite daunting, it doesn’t have to be if you take the time to systematically work through it. Th