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. 

With interview season upon us, everyone has questions:
- How should I prepare?
- Is it better to interview on campus?
- What questions should I expect?
- What should I wear?

In this post, we address the last question on this list.  While attire may seem trivial compared to preparing your story and practicing answers to frequently asked questions, it apparently is quite important.  Not only is it important in terms of the impression that you can make, but it is also critical in terms of your comfort level, so that you feel appropriate and relaxed.

 Having lived through an evolution in business dress standards, many business minded folks are understandably confused about what constitutes appropriate attire. The popularity of “casual Fridays” and similar corporate edicts seems to indicate that success in the work place is not contingent on adherence to a formal dress code; in essence, substance matters over style. Is dress for success dead?

Probably not. In “Dressing the Part,” Eileen Boylen writes: “There’s certainly nothing casual about business. People who take business casually generally get fired.” Boylen also notes that “while clothes don’t make the man, clothes can make people focus on the person’s professional attributes rather than their physical shortcomings.”  There is something more to business attire than redirecting a client’s focus;  professional appearance may actually signal other professional qualities.

Smart dressing might also have an effect on the wearer. Just as a reflexive smile may actually improve your mood (see “What’s in A Smile?“), donning that power suit may help get you in the business character by facilitating confidence, enthusiasm, and higher energy levels. In this view, grooming has the dual benefit of conveying positive signals to both the groomer and an outside observer.

The importance of appearance in a professional setting cannot be underestimated. Jude Ndu writes, “experts say that the impact of face to face communication is only about 15% of what is said verbally, 20% of how it is said, and a whooping 65% of what your body language/dress or grooming says.” You’ve heard it before: a picture’s worth a thousand words.

For more on the topic, see Toni Bowers’ article “Can a dress code prohibit body art?” Also see “Return of the Dress Code” (Business Week).  Whether you dress in business attire or business casual, remember to pay attention to the little details as you prepare for this big moment.

MBA applicants may be familiar with the theoretical benefits of overstating one’s accomplishments. After all, the purpose of a resume is to pitch oneself by highlighting strengths and accomplishments. It may be tempting to overstate or “creatively describe” one’s accomplishments on business school applications.

Denise Palmieri recently wrote an interesting article about “puffing” your GPA on your resume.  While her article was more focused on using the resume for a job application, the issue is the same.  Most MBA applicants know that several MBA programs have taken steps to ensure that applicants are not misrepresenting themselves by fudging basic facts in their applications.  Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Kellogg, Stern, and Haas (to name a few) all conduct application verification, and reserve the right to deny admission if a material misrepresentation is discovered. Several of these schools outsource the task of credential verification.

Beyond the fact that you might get “caught”, isn’t it best to start off this type of experience through being admitted on your own merits?  At the end of the day, it really is best to be in a place where you belong and are accepted for who you truly are.

Denise Palmieri states the bottom line well: “a firing in your work history, or a puffed salary, can cost you a job offer or cause your subsequent firing. The best plan is to learn how to be comfortable in your own skin with who you are, your experience to date and what you can offer. Honesty really IS the best policy.”

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.