Be a Heat-Seeking Missile

1. FASTER ISN’T BETTER. If your B-School application didn’t take a lot of time, you probably didn’t give it your all.

2. PLAY THE FIELD. Apply to more than one school. Putting all your eggs in one basket only works on Easter.

3. TELL EVERYONE TO ZIP IT.  Ask a few trusted souls for advice and guidance. Everyone else can keep their opinion to themselves.

4. NODOBY’S PEFECT, NOT EVEN YOU.  B-Schools are looking for people, not Teflon.  Admit your failures and show what you’ve learned. Who doesn’t love a comeback kid?

5. DON’T WRITE YOUR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS.  Seriously, you think the Admissions Committee can’t tell? If your recommender really believes in you, he or she will take the time to draft a letter.

6. BE A HEAT-SEEKING MISSILE. Leave playing hard to get to dating.  Show your interest in a few target schools. Somewhere between aloof and stalking is the right balance for your target schools.

7. DON’T BE TRENDY, BE SAVVY.  Pick schools that are right for you, not schools that “So and So” said were good.  “So and So” is friends with “Everybody Says” and neither got in to Business School.

10. HEY, MUM’S THE WORD. Not sure what you want to do with your life? No problem. Telling the Admissions Committee? Problem.

9. WHY, NOT WHAT.  Your application is not a regurgitated resume.  Tell the Admissions Committee stuff they can’t find out from your resume. Hint: Why did you make the choices you did.

10. IF IT WERE EASY, EVERYONE WOULD DO IT.  What to expect when you’re applying? Anxiety.  Hard work. Stress. Doubt.  Brace yourself, the road to a B-school acceptance is paved with a lot of very hard work.

This is the first post in a new series: B-School Admissions Tips You Can’t Live Without

An MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BS from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Stacy Blackman founded Stacy Blackman Consulting in 2001 and has helped thousands of MBA applicants gain admission to the most selective business schools in the world. The Stacy Blackman team, comprised of MBA graduates, former admissions officers and expert writers, editors and marketers, helps clients develop and implement a winning marketing strategy.