Attention applicants! Prateek Kumar of the Harvard Crimson recently published two articles discussing B-school applications by undergraduate seniors.  The opinions presented are only the opinions of ONE PERSON, and some are debatable, but this is a worthwhile read for anyone applying to business school, and much of the advice may be broadly applicable.

In Riding the College-to-Business School Express, Kumar opens with a recitation of the staggering statistic that roughly 8,500 applications were submitted to HBS this year during its three round process. What admissions criteria are used to distinguish the cream of the crop from the bottom of the barrel? At least one important factor is the sense of “organizational context” that a student can offer. Specifically, the admissions committee looks at the organizations an applicant has been a part of, and how long they have been involved.

Of course, strong academic performance is highly valued, perhaps even more than one’s GMAT score. For older applicants, exceptional experience may make up for a weak area elsewhere in the application. And, as always, admissions committees are interested in an applicant with diverse interests.

In A Shrewd Undergraduate’s Guide to HBS admissions, Kumar lists six suggestions for building a strong application:

1. high GPA

2. high GMAT

3. Be strategic about extracurriculars: try to be a leader.

4. Be a “work in progress”.  Demonstrate that HBS can help to transform you.  If you are already sculpted, why would you need to be a part of their program?

5. For the “2+2” program, which is new, it is better to pretend to be ‘out of it’ about business than someone who has been obsessed with business ever since your grandfather gave you 100 shares of General Electric for your 10th birthday.

6. In your essays, show what makes you tick; the essays are not brag sheets.  Show HOW you accomplished X, not just that you accomplished X.

For more details on these points, refer to the articles.

Of course, for many applicants, certain aspects of their application are already fixed (i.e. GPA) and cannot be changed. However, the value of Kumar’s articles is that they give us an idea of how we should be framing or presenting ourselves to the admissions folks. 

The third-round application period looms for many prospective MBA students, and there’s no better time to incorporate the advice of MBA admissions directors on ways to make—or break—your chances of getting in at the school of your dreams. But how can anyone stand out amid a sea of applicants? Admissions directors are looking beyond work experience and the GMAT to evaluate candidates. A recent piece in the Financial Times discusses some ways to manage the details of your application to ensure you follow the rules, take advantage of all opportunities and market yourself beyond your resume.

The article notes that New York University’s Stern School of Business has made a request of their potential MBA students this year: to limit the size of objects submitted with their applications. Stern appreciates creativity in potential students, and has encouraged the submission of unconventional materials that reveal something of their character and interests. Past applicants have sent in stories, poems, and paintings—one even included a mock cereal box decorated with photos and an ingredient list which included “a charismatic social individual.” But leave the personalized guitars, skis and snowboards at home, please. “We tell people we want them to think outside the box - it just needs to fit inside a box,” says Isser Gallogly, Stern’s Executive Director of MBA Admissions.

Creativity is fantastic, but admissions directors also look for integrity. “In the essays, we want people to sell themselves to us, but we also want them to be honest,” says David Simpson, acting Associate Dean of the MBA program at London Business School. “Candidates often talk about extra-curricular work even though we’re not specifically asking about this. That’s great. But if they write it down, we’re going to ask about it, so they should have a good story.”

Schools stress that applicants shouldn’t regard the interview as another opportunity to list accomplishments. It’s where the school finds out who the person really is and interviewers may have strong views on the type of person they believe will fit into their program.

A major pet peeve reported by admissions directors: overkill in all its forms. Long-winded essays and a barrage of recommendation letters, for example, will not endear applicants to admission staff who have thousands of applications to review. Several admission directors cite the tendency of applicants to send long or multiple e-mails in the hope that they will get the attention of one of the recipients. “Long e-mails are very irritating,” says Rod Garcia, director of MBA Admissions at MIT Sloan School of Management.

Applicants can certainly damage their chances by failing to display courtesy and respect to all the staff members—including administrators and customer service staff—with whom they interact during the applications process. “People don’t necessarily understand that every interaction is an opportunity to show their qualities,” says Gallogly.

Time is of the essence, and synthesizing these tips into your overall application strategy will go a long way toward ensuring you receive that all-important phone call or e-mail this spring.

As we’ve mentioned in our essay tips, you need to do your homework on schools and express in your essays how you will contribute to each school’s community. A great resource around this is the Businessweek.com Admissions Chats with admissions representatives from top schools. These are online Q&A’s the Businessweek.com posts regularly.

Topics covered with the Yale representatives include:
*Study abroad and international trips
*Health care sector coverage
*Consulting careers post-Yale
*Dual degrees
*New curriculum
*Yale culture
*New Haven
*What the admissions committee is looking for and trends in admissions
*Nuts and bolts of interviews, timelines, extra recommendations, scholarships

They also have admissions chats with Haas, HBS, Columbia, LBS. Here’s the link to all of them.

Describe in a brief essay (do not exceed 250 words per section - 750 words maximum):
a) your post-MBA short-term goals (immediately after graduation)
Your short term goals should be a transition to your long term goals.
b) your post-MBA long-term goals (3-5 years after graduation)
c) how your professional experience, when combined with an MBA degree, will enable you to achieve these goals

This is a fairly brief essay. So be concrete, specific, and concise. At the same time, leave room for the purpose and meaning behind your goals. Though you should try to stick with 250 words per section, focus on answering all three questions within the overall word limit.

The short-term goals section is usually the shortest part of the essay. You could have a few paths that would lead you to your long term goals. Just explain why these options will help you transition from your MBA to your long term goals.

For the long-term goals, expand on beyond the simple statement of what you want to do. Explain the meaning behind these goals. Think broadly about yourself as a leader - what do you hope to change; how do you hope to impact the world. This could mean sharing a bit on how you came to these goals. Schools want to understand the WHY behind your decisions (past and future), so explain why these goals result in your making the impact that you are seeking to make on the world.

Finally, in articulating how your professional experience combined with MBA will prepare you, do not just give an extended version of the resume. Instead, try to draw out the skills and characteristics you’ve built. Keep the focus on your qualities that have developed and then discuss what you still need from business school to fill in the gaps, take you to the next level of leadership, etc.

2) Complete one of the following three statements. Do not exceed 250 words.
a) “My most significant accomplishment to date is…”
This is an excellent opportunity to present your values. This does not need to be a work accomplishment. Try to think about what is truly important to you in life. Be succinct but focus less on the details of the accomplishment and more on WHY you view this as an accomplishment.

b) “People may be surprised to learn that I…”
Here you have the opportunity to round out your application by discussing a surprising aspect of your background or mitigating a red flag. This essay can be humorous or poignant, just be real. Show USC your self-awareness, resiliency, and passion for living a well-rounded life.

c) “I am considered a leader because…”
Self-awareness is a hallmark of maturity. Give a genuine assessment of yourself and how others see you in a leadership context. Certainly you should articulate your strengths but don’t shy away from reflection on areas in which you hope to develop your skills.

3) Answer two of the following questions. Do not exceed 500 words per question.
a) The Marshall MBA Prime Program prepares students for doing business in a global economy. Describe a cross-cultural experience that challenged you. How did you meet this challenge and what did you learn from this experience?
With this essay you can show your critical thinking, sensitivity, and self-awareness. You want to provide a surprising experience when you found yourself out of your element and learned something about your assumptions. Show how you changed as a person by learning from others.

b) USC has garnered national acclaim for its emphasis on community outreach and service. How have you impacted your community?
Quality of service is more important than quantity in answering this. They are not looking for a list of your activities but rather a thoughtful reflection on the impact you have made on others.

c) We all experience significant events or milestones that influence the course of our lives. Briefly describe such an event and how it affected you.
This is obviously a great chance to address an aspect of your personal background that may distinguish you. Remember to remain positive. Briefly state the event, then focus on your actions and the lessons learned.