This post originally appeared on Stacy’s “Strictly Business” MBA blog on U.S.News.com

Almost every day, I receive E-mails and phone calls from new clients that go something like this: “I have a 2.9 GPA, 680 GMAT, and four years of work experience in consulting. I’ve been promoted twice; I have good extracurriculars. What are my chances?”

MBA hopefuls then want to find out what is the most important part of the business school application. Is it the GMAT score, undergraduate transcript, essays, interview, letters of recommendations, or something else entirely?

Everyone wants to know what to focus on in their application, and how their personal circumstances rate. Top business schools don’t admit you based purely on your statistics, though.

It’s true that solid numbers can help your application be considered. While a 550 GMAT or a 2.5 GPA will raise a red flag at an MBA program like the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, a 700 GMAT and a 3.6 GPA make you a solid candidate. But even an 800 GMAT score and a perfect GPA can be rejected at an elite MBA program.

Ask most admissions committee members and they will tell you that it’s the sum of many pieces—there is no one “most important” part. The top schools want to know who you are, and statistics and a résumé don’t tell them that. It’s the essays, interviews, and recommendations that ultimately reveal the person beyond the paper.

Compelling essays, recommendations, and interviews can provide context for a low GMAT score or GPA—but the reverse is not true. Strong numbers will never make up for weak essays or a disorganized, negative recommendation.

Some say the most important part of the application is your so-called “weakest” part—one weakness could completely change how admissions committee members perceive your application. In fact, in a recent blog post, Yale School of Management‘s Assistant Dean and Director of Admissions Bruce DelMonico urged applicants to be up front about their weaknesses.

“Everyone has weaknesses,” he stressed. “We’ll see them, so you’re better off acknowledging them and incorporating them into your application than hoping we’ll miss them.”

While I doubt that any business school admissions committee would formally support this statement, I would have to cast my vote for essays as the most important part of your application. The essays allow the admissions committee to truly discover who you are. It’s where you write why an MBA makes sense as the next step of your career path, and how you differentiate yourself from all of the other individuals who also scored in the 700s on their GMAT.

The essays are your opportunity to present your strengths, explain your weaknesses, and generally convince the admissions committee members that you have a lot to offer the program and that you belong in their class.

The essays are also consistent among all applicants, so in that way they are less difficult to evaluate and compare. All candidates are given the same set of questions, and are reviewed by the same group of admissions members, creating a level playing field that can simplify the review process.

[Learn to strike the perfect tone in MBA essays.]

Interviews are very different; some are conducted over the phone, some at the business school, and all are handled by different types of individuals with different approaches.

Recommendations vary as well. While all applicants do their best to find great recommenders, some individuals work with MBAs who understand the process. Others work with people who have no idea what to write.

The essays are each individual’s opportunity to talk about their true self. You should know that most applicants to the top schools are qualified, in the sense that they would be able to handle the curriculum and benefit from the program.

However, to be admitted, you need to demonstrate that you are more than merely qualified. It’s the story that you put together about your goals, passions, and prior experience—and how business school fits into the mix—that will make the difference for you. Once that story is assembled, I can better answer the question: “What are my chances?”

For most people, the weeks before and after the new year are a time of merriment and a full calendar of socializing with family and friends. However, for Round 2 MBA applicants, this is likely “crunch time” as deadlines in early January loom.

Bruce DelMonico, assistant dean and director of admissions at the Yale School of Management, offers these tips for candidates hoping to put their best foot forward. His general advice addresses the importance of presenting yourself in a genuine way, rather than trying to package yourself as whatever mold you might imagine the admissions department is looking for. “Many applicants get tripped up trying to get inside our heads,” he says. “Don’t out-think yourself. Tell us about what you care about, not what you think we want to hear.”

Earlier this month on the Chicago Booth School of Business‘s MBA blog, associate dean Kurt Ahlm echoed a similar sentiment when he criticized some applicants’ tendency to focus on being remembered rather than authentic. By crafting an application that accurately reflects your past, aspirations and personality, you’ll naturally stand out. At the same time though, Ahlm reminds aspirants to not hold back when it comes to sharing details that will help the school understand your path and how you’ll contribute to the Booth community.

Meanwhile, Yale’s DelMonico urges applicants to be up front about their weaknesses.  “Everyone has weaknesses,” he stresses. “We’ll see them, so you’re better off acknowledging them and incorporating them into your application than hoping we’ll miss them.”  Make sure though that you don’t make the rookie mistake of trying to pass off  being a perfectionist, or a workaholic, as your principal fault!

For Booth applicants still struggling with their essays, Ahlm advises spending a few weeks in self-reflection and doing some deeper thinking before sitting down to hammer out those answers. While acknowledging the fact that great essays can come in many forms, he says all have at least three elements in common:

Spark – what gets you up in the morning? What do you love? How do you want to change? What motivates you in your career?

Clear goals – try not to speak in generic statements and maybes. Make sure your goals make sense and are achievable. Do you understand the industry you are striving to work in? Have done your research?

Fit – you have to know where Booth can fill in the gaps for you and what you can’t get anywhere else. 

Yale SOM applicants who have already completed a first or second draft of their essays should take these next few weeks to proofread and polish to ensure that they are hitting all crucial points, advises DelMonico, who suggests asking a trusted friend or family member for feedback from a fresh pair of eyes.

Finally, both DelMonico and Ahlm recommend MBA hopefuls attend one of the informal social events over the holidays to further forge a connection with the b-school community you’re targeting. The various Yale Winter Break Socials and Chicago Booth Student-Hosted Winter Events  around the globe are a great way to hear first-hand about the MBA experience and can only help you cement your decision of why your school of choice is the right fit for you.

Have you already applied to Yale School of Management or thinking of doing so in an upcoming round? Admissions director Bruce DelMonico recently posted insight into the Yale SOM MBA admissions process that we’d like to share with current and future applicants.

Step # 1

Two different members of the Admissions Committee review the submitted applications. Like most top-ranked schools, Yale SOM takes a holistic approach to its review and DelMonico says no one element of the application is determinative. The school is looking for candidates with strong academic backgrounds and leadership potential, with certain qualities that make Yale SOM students distinctive.

According to the admissions director, successful applicants will possess “broadmindedness and intellectual curiosity,” as well as “the ability to think rigorously and act purposefully, and the constancy to navigate uncertain situations.” With a class size of just 250 students, it’s imperative that each member of the community brings an element of diversity through his or her background, experiences, interests and professional aspirations.

Step # 2

For those who applied in Round One, know that Yale SOM has extended approximately a third of the total interview invitations it plans to offer for the round. While an interview is certainly a positive sign, DelMonico cautions against assuming that an invite is a strong indicator of AdCom’s final decision.

“We typically interview roughly 30% of our applicants, and a little more than half of those interviewed are ultimately offered a place in the class,” he explains.

The purpose of the interview is to get a better sense of how you think and act, DelMonico says. Preparation is vital, and you should come in ready to discuss your leadership experience and career trajectory as well as elements from your resume and essays.

Step # 3

If you applied in Round One, you will receive a decisions by December 13, 2012. For those applying on the January 8th Round Two deadline, expect to hear back by March 28, 2013. If you are  still working on your application and interested in learning more about the school, DelMonico notes that Yale SOM has posted additional events to its schedule, including online chats, which are a great way to get a feel for the campus and community.

***

For more on applying to Yale School of Management, read Stacy Blackman’s previous posts with Round Two advice, application tips, interview pointers, and more.

In the latest admissions newsletter from Yale School of Management, Director of Admissions Bruce DelMonico offers advice for those planning on spending the holidays polishing their applications in advance of the January 5, 2012 Round 2 deadline.

Here are DelMonico’s three general tips:

Be yourself. This sounds obvious, but many applicants get tripped up trying to get inside our heads. Don’t outthink yourself. Tell us about what you care about, not what you think we want to hear.

Don’t ignore your weaknesses. There’s no such thing as a perfect applicant. Everyone has weaknesses. We’ll see them, so you’re better off acknowledging them and incorporating them into your application than hoping we’ll miss them. If you don’t do so, we’ll wonder how introspective and self-aware you are.

Don’t stress about (insert application element here). Grades matter. Test scores matter. Essays matter. Everything in the application is important, but nothing more so than anything else. Do a good job and take everything seriously, but don’t let it overwhelm you—no element by itself will make or break your application.

For the next two weeks, DelMonico suggests you reread your essays and recruit a trusted friend or family member to give it a thorough review to ensure that you’re addressing all of the cogent points. Be sure to proofread the entire application to ensure there aren’t any spelling mistakes or missing/incorrect information. Also, wrangle those recommenders to confirm that they’re on target to submit their letters by January 5th.

Applicants will last-minute questions will be relieved to know that the admissions office still has a handful of 10-minute telephone Office Hours spaces available–but you’ll have to jump on those asap.

Need more Yale SOM advice? Read this post with interview insight for applicants, and check out these seven tips to ace the admissions interview.

The Yale School of Management provided a brief MBA admissions update yesterday for those hoping for further insight into the next steps in the admissions process. The admissions committee has begun to review applications and already issued the first wave of interview invites earlier this week.

Adcom reminds any nail-biting applicants that some invitations may go out later in the round, which is merely a consequence of when the application is reviewed and has no bearing on your status in the process or the final outcome of your application.  The waiting game has begun!

One thing you can do, suggests the admissions committee, is double-check your online status page to make sure Yale SOM isn’t still waiting for any of your supplemental materials. The ball doesn’t get rolling until your application file is complete, so confirm that they have everything they need to move the process forward.

As a reminder, interviews have a 30-minute time frame and are usually conducted by trained second-year students. A half an hour goes by in a flash, so prepare well and maintain your focus on your resume, essays, leadership experiences and career direction. Tell your unique and personal story, not what you think the interviewer wants to hear, Yale SOM recommends.

Lastly, for those of you who have yet to submit applications, the campus visit program has begun for 2011. Campus visits are a valuable opportunity for you to get a first-hand view of Yale SOM, sit in on a class, take a tour of campus, lunch with current students, and participate in an information session conducted by one of the admission committee members.

Still need more information about Yale School of Management? Check out Stacy Blackman’s section on Yale SOM Advice for application tips, updates and further insight.

Early to mid-January will see a spike in activity at B-schools across the country and around the globe as Round 2 deadlines approach. With that in mind, the admissions office at Yale School of Management offered some recommendations Thursday for applicants looking for the best way to make use of the remaining time before hitting the submit button.

While this advice is geared toward Yale SOM applicants, it holds true no matter where you are applying.

Work on your essays. Here is your chance to share your personal/professional narrative, so make sure your essays not only answer the questions and tell a coherent and concise story, but that you are also putting your most competitive foot forward.

Ask a mentor or colleague to read over your essays and provide honest feedback on how well you achieve these goals.

Polish your resume. The resume is a snapshot of your educational and professional life to-date. Make sure it is clean, clear, and concise; that it highlights your achievements, not just your responsibilities; and that it is typo-free.

Pin down your recommendations. You want to give your recommenders as much time as possible to complete their recommendations. If you have not finalized your choice of recommenders yet and sent them the recommendation form, now is the time to do so.

Take (or re-take) a standardized test. If you haven’t taken the GMAT or GRE yet, you’ll need to do that asap. If you’re not satisfied with the results and feel that you can do materially better, there’s still time to take it again.

Doing so depends on a number of factors — whether you think you can improve your score enough to make re-taking it worthwhile; whether you have the time to study for the exam, etc.

You’re entering crunch time now, so make sure you have all other elements of the application under control if you’re considering retaking the test.

* * *

Applicants can connect with current students during Yale SOM’s Winter Break Socials; please check the admissions events page, where cities  and dates across the globe will be posted.

For more Yale SOM advice from Stacy Blackman Consulting, follow this link!