Every spring, a small amount of prospective MBA candidates are left with nothing but rejection letters and questions, mostly that begin with the phrase “What if.”  What if I wrote a better essay?  What if I scored higher on my GMAT tests? What if my grades were better or my recommendations were stronger? What if I worked for a Fortune 500 company to bolster my acceptance chances?

I ask my clients another type of question that empowers them to think very differently at the beginning of their search. What if you applied to six to eight first choice programs where you were within the admission range and where you could imagine yourself enrolled at any one?  In other words, why would you apply to programs if you’re really not that interested or they’re beyond your admissibility?  Why invest your money, time, and hope in something like that scenario?  My advice for prospective students has always been to focus on what’s within your reach. Think about how your education and career could be transformed at an appropriate program based on your goals and outcomes.

A few weeks ago, I was asked to help a prospective MBA student who was rejected to the four schools that she applied to for fall 2010. When I looked at her transcript, resume, and test scores, I wondered why she had applied to Tier I programs with Tier II credentials.  Plus, she only applied to four schools, a further gamble in the admission process. Her options are more limited now.  This could have been avoided with a little planning and advice.

If you go beyond eight applications, focus can be lost, more money is spent, and the pressure mounts to complete all applications within deadlines. If you go below six, as mentioned above, and you reach a beyond your admissibility, you may be left with nothing but rejection letters, frustration, and most importantly, lost time.

You’re probably wondering what “first choice programs” are?  They are the six to eight programs on your list that you would be happy enrolling if you are accepted.  Simply put, first choice programs get you thinking that even if you are rejected to all but one, you will be excited to go to that one. It’s moving away from your mindset of putting programs into the three traditional categories: elation, content, and tolerance. Attitude is critical in successfully graduating from MBA programs. Use this philosophy in the admission process too.

MBA admissions can be daunting. With a little planning, though, the process can be effectively streamlined, making the admission process a worthy investment in the end.

Liam Dunfey, M.A. is the lead admissions counselor for MBA365.com.  To learn more about the MBA365.com Admissions Consulting Services please click here.   Liam can also be reached via email at ldunfey@mba365.com

There are three important steps to follow to get a strong recommendation:

Selecting the recommender: The best recommender is a supervisor  who has interacted with you closely. Recommendations from CEOs or CFOs are absolutely useless  unless you have closely worked with them on several projects. A supervisor who can talk about your strengths, weaknesses and really knows what you are made of is one of the best choices. A peer review is sometimes sought by schools. When the recommender selection is left as an open choice, a supervisor is preferred over a peer.

Coaching the recommender: This is an essential and crucial step. Make sure you coach your recommender about your goals and aspirations. Tell him/her why you are looking for an MBA. The recommender may very well be mindful of your work culture, team spirit, attitude etc. It is also important that he or she be made aware of your professional goals; it’s your duty to make an appointment and tell him or her about your goals in greater detail. The next step is to tell him/her about the timelines for your applications. Don’t hesitate to send across a gentle reminder if necessary!

The recommender’s say: In short, the recommender must back-up whatever you said in your essays. In fact, the recommender gets a chance to narrate instances and elaborate on many of your key attributes. You can make sure that your application ties together if your recommender reinforces your ideas and elucidates your qualities. Taking the extra steps will ensure that the  the recommendation letter makes the maximum impact on your application, resulting in a favorable outcome.

Selecting the right school is one of the most important steps  in the application process. I consider the following aspects crucial to the selection process.

Curriculum and Electives: Check what a school offers as a part of the curriculum. Do the electives offered meet your career goals and aspirations?

Career Placement: How good is the recruitment in your field of  interest. If you are an international student make sure you find out which companies are willing to sponsor work permits. Not all companies are inclined to recruit international students.

Teaching Style: Teaching methodology is typically a mix of case study and lectures, although some schools only practice the lecture-based method. Personally, I think case studies present a real-life experience and schools that promote this method, such as Harvard, are a better choice.

Networking: Know how strong the school’s alumni network is and the type of career events and fairs are typically held.  Networking is very important for internships as well as post-MBA jobs. One of your main professional networks will be through the school you graduate from.

Location: Location can be important to applicants because of family ties, weather preferences or other interests.

Student Body: What is the composition of the student body? What is the extent of diversity in terms of work experience, age, nationality etc? How enthusiastic and active are the students?

Outside Classroom: Student organizations and cultural clubs enable you to pursue your interests and develop your skill set via extracurricular activities. Learning about the various clubs will help you understand what you will be able to experience outside the classroom.

Hands-on Experience: Many schools encourage their students to work for companies even when they’re taking classes; doing so helps you hit the ground running.

The various sources of information about schools are be their students, staff, alumni, websites (check out the MBA365 school-specific pages), MBA fairs and class visits. Class visits are more advisable once you have figured out your top 5 choices and will help you make your final decision.

Wondering what schools expect when they talk of extra-curricular activities?  Well, be it any domain that the school is concerned about, they look for one key trait: leadership!  In fact, one need not have held any lead role designations in one’s work experience.  The initiatives you took and your leadership instances count.

The admissions committee looks for your commitment and leadership  in these activities. It is often misinterpreted that community service alone qualifies for this section. Definitely not.  Do something you are passionate about that would help you enjoy whatever you do and be sure to bring out instances where you could showcase your leadership.  Tell them how you would pursue this interest at school.  Your activity could be music, some sports club…just anything.  Anything, but you are expected to do something outside of work…some for fun and some out of passion and interest.  No one out there wants a nerdy bookworm.  Try to be the right mix!

I’d love to hear from anyone regarding some of the things they’ve done regarding extra curricular activities.  Did you join a club?  Help out at a museum?  Please leave a comment and tell me about your leadership skills!

We have been hearing “It is the best to apply when you and your application are ready”.  But, why not get ready for early rounds? Even if your stars don’t turn lucky for you, you would still have many doors open if you are an early bird. Yes, people who are not happy with the offers they get in the first round decisions always stand a chance to apply to their next set of schools’ second admission rounds. This is more appropriate for international students who are typically allowed to apply only to certain rounds of admission, most likely the first couple of them. First round generally spans from Oct to Dec. But certainly, as said, ensure you are all set when you apply. You may go through the MBA Checklist post to measure your readiness.

Here is a step-by-step approach to mission-MBA. This is designed by logically prioritizing each of the activities that make up the process. This will be of help to address each task in a timely manner.

• Identify your career goals and identify why you would want to have an MBA.  (Read “MBA? Where do I Start?”)
• Choose an MBA program that make the best fit for you in terms of career goals as well as factors like the student body, class size, teaching methodology, placements, student clubs, location etc…
• Set a minimum target GMAT score (the highest of the averages of GMAT scores of the schools you prefer to study at). Remember this is the MINIMUM you must score.
• Prepare, attack and beat the GMAT. If you are required to take TOEFL too, get it out the way.  (Be sure to check out my article “The Best GMAT Strategy“)
• Send out your score to schools.
• Make sure you post all of the supporting documents (schools don’t review an application until the file is complete).
• Start your online applications and register your recommenders.
• Make appointments with your recommenders and talk to them about your goals. Let them reinforce in the recommendations the ideas that you wish to project and showcase in your essays and interviews (it’s your duty to keep reminding your recommenders and get your recommendation letters in place before the deadline).
• Draft your essays and have them read by your family and friends.
• Submit your application and hope to get a call from all the schools you applied to.
• Schedule an interview if an applicant initiated interview is required.  Rehearse all of your interview responses aloud and read my article “Facing the Interview Beast“.

These apart, ensure you have all of your undergraduate and graduate transcripts ready before you start applying. Also, connect with schools in whatever manner, whenever and where ever possible…attend MBA events, talk to alumni, current students and staff; visit schools (if possible)…show them that you make a good fit and would add to their community.

GOSH!! I know. It’s so confusing! #@$% Chill… Read on and I’m sure you’ll feel better.

The first step for an MBA aspirant is…no, definitely not the GMAT.  The first step is introspection. Cheers to those who guessed it right!  Although it is a tedious phase, it is the most important of all. Before pursuing an MBA, there are a lot of questions to ask. Where are you heading?  Why are you looking for an MBA?  The reasons have to be more defined than recently altered career options or fat pay packets.  Identify a specific career path you wish to tread. Which industry would you like to work in? What functions and designations would you like to perform? What are your goals in the short run? What are they in the long run? Do you think going back to school will help you achieve these goals?  With a period of introspection, you will have a focused eye that will help you look in the right direction in the right way. This process will also help a great deal in writing your applications and handling your interviews.  So, get set!

You have hopefully taken some time to evaluate yourself and your long term goals.   If you have decided that the MBA is right for you I encourage to check out my article “Create an MBA Checklist” which outlines all of the steps needed to ensure that your path to an MBA is a successful one.

Good Luck!