Getting In: The Best of Jon Fuller (The Sequel)

Door

What does it take to get into a premier business school?

To paraphrase Frasier Crane, ‘that’s a question that makes life so rich…and consultants richer.’

For aspiring MBAs, the right program could be the difference between Goldman Sachs or a Wall Street also-ran. When it comes to classmates and alumni, the Stanfords and Whartons are the proverbial “cool kids,” the ones who’ll someday open doors or fund ventures.

That’s the perception, at least. Reality is, talented people eventually meet their destiny. A good b-school just makes the road a little easier (and the trip a lot faster).

The same applies to consultants like Clear Admit’s Jon Fuller, who spent four years as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. Now, Fuller has switched sides, helping Poets&Quants, providing an inside look at how adcoms evaluate candidates.

Jon Fuller of Clear Admit

Jon Fuller of Clear Admit

How are you distinct? Is your narrative cohesive and coherent? Can you support your claims? Are you points precise and relevant? How will your experience be an asset to the group? Those are the types of questions that Fuller requires his readers to confront. And they require a rigorous self-analysis that only the truly driven can undertake. But the answers are often the key to jumping off the pile.

So how can applicants leverage their strengths and create a memorable story for adcoms? Over the past year, Fuller has tackled hundreds of reader questions, ranging from how adcoms evaluate applications to overcoming mediocre college grades. These days, competition is fiercer than ever. And the differences between accepted and rejected candidates are often microscopic. So if you’re wondering if you truly have a shot at your target school – or how adcoms will likely react to your background – you won’t find a more insightful (or empathetic) guide than Jon Fuller.

Here are some of Jon’s recent strategies for increasing your shot at being accepted into business school.

(To send Jon a question, click here. Please share your own advice for our readers in the comments below).

GPAs AND GMAT SCORES

WORK EXPERIENCE

THE MBA APPLICATION

ADMISSIONS

OVER 30 & MILITARY APPLICANTS

CAREER TRANSITIONS

UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE DEGREES

GETTING ACCEPTED

CAMPUS VISITS

RE-APPLYING

OTHER

To read the first part of our series with Jon, click on the link below.

HOW TO GET ACCEPTED BY A TOP BUSINESS SCHOOL – THE BEST OF JON FULLER

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