INSEAD | Mr. Dr Global
GMAT 700, GPA 3.7
Ross | Mr. Soccer Dad
GMAT Waiving, GPA 3.93
Columbia | Ms. Ambitious (Audit To Agribusiness)
GMAT 750, GPA 8.08
Stanford GSB | Mr. Software Developer
GMAT 740, GPA 3.8
MIT Sloan | Mr. Tim Cook Of Seafood
GMAT 700, GPA 3.8
NYU Stern | Ms. Professional Storyteller
GRE 326, GPA 3.4
Yale | Ms. Public Service To B-school
GRE 320, GPA 3.2
Kellogg | Mr. Team Builder
GMAT 690, GPA 4.0
Harvard | Mr. Missed The Boat?
GMAT 720, GPA 4.0
Said Business School | Mr. DRM
GRE 317, GPA 2.9
Duke Fuqua | Mr. Athletic Banker
GMAT 770, GPA 2.8
Kellogg | Ms. Grocery Lady
GMAT 740, GPA 3.65
Stanford GSB | Mr. Technocrat Investor (Deferred)
GRE 338, GPA 3.52 (Department Rank 1/60)
Georgetown McDonough | Ms. Medical Doctor Yarn Artist
GRE 309, GPA 3.23
Harvard | Ms. Sustainability-Focused Consultant
GMAT 770, GPA 3.9/4.0
Stay informed.
Sign Up!
PQ Logo
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
Search for:
Toggle navigation PQ Logo
Today's Featured Schools
Featured Schools
Rice-MBA-logo
University of Pittsburgh’s Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business
  • Search for:
  • Sign In
  • Register
  • News
    • MBA News
    • Archives By Category
  • Rankings
    • Rankings Home
    • Poets&Quants Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants International Top 50 MBA Ranking
    • Poets&Quants Best Online MBA Ranking
    • Best MBA Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools
    • MBA Programs
    • Cornell Johnson MBA Handbook
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Day In The Life
    • Spotlight On IE Tower
    • Insider’s Guides to the Top Business Schools
    • School Videos & Deep Dives
  • Admissions
    • MBA Admissions News & Advice
    • MBA Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • MBA Game Plan With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
    • Podcasts By P&Q
  • Financing
    • Financing Your MBA
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep Advice & News
    • Target Test Prep
  • Students
  • Jobs
  • EMBA
  • Online MBA
  • Masters
  • Events
  • Videos
  • Home
  • News
  • Rankings
    • Top 100 MBA Ranking
    • Top 50 International MBA Ranking
    • Top Programs For Entrepreneurship
    • Top Online MBA Ranking
    • All MBA Rankings
    • Fantasy MBA Ranking Game
  • Schools & Programs
    • MBA Programs
    • Cornell Johnson MBA Handbook
    • Executive MBA Programs
    • Online MBA Programs
    • Specialized Masters Programs
    • Kelley Direct Journal
    • IE Tower Spotlight
    • Insider’s Guides To Top Schools
  • Admissions
    • Admissions News & Advice
    • Admissions Consultant Directory
    • The Admissionado | MBA Exchange Hub
    • MBA Adventure With Fortuna Admissions
    • Handicapping Your MBA Odds
    • Calculate My MBA Odds
  • Financing
    • Financing Your MBA
  • GMAT / GRE
    • Test Prep News & Advice
    • Target Test Prep
  • Students
  • MBA Jobs
  • Executive MBA
  • Online MBA
  • Specialized Masters
  • Events
  • Videos & Podcasts
  1. Home
  2. Sponsored Blogs: Insights & Advice From MBA Admissions Consultants
  3. MBA Admissions Advice You Might Not Want To Hear

MBA Admissions Advice You Might Not Want To Hear

by: Karen Marks, President and Founder of North Star Admissions Consulting on January 04, 2023 | 1,724 Views
January 4, 2023
    • Copy Link
    • Share on Facebook
    • Share on Twitter
    • Email
    • Share on LinkedIn
    • Share on WhatsApp
    • Share on Reddit

I have worked with a lot of business school applicants since founding North Star in 2012, and during my years at Dartmouth. Sometimes the best guidance is hard for people to hear. Nevertheless, if any of this MBA admissions advice sounds familiar please consider listening.

You need to retake your GMAT.

Virtually no one likes taking the GMAT, much less retaking it. And there is a very human tendency to think that the school will understand that your score doesn’t reflect your potential – those averages apply to other people, not to you. And while it’s absolutely true that you are more than your test score, sometimes you just need a higher score (or quant percentile) to be competitive for your dream school.

Your application isn’t ready.

This usually happens when people procrastinate – you know who you are. The essays are a really big deal, your recommenders need more than a week’s notice and the applications themselves take longer than most people think to complete. Plus, there is a lot of conceptual work that ideally happens before you even start applying – what are your real goals? What are your strengths and weaknesses, and what do you want the schools to know about you as a person? If you haven’t put in the requisite work you are better off waiting until the next round and submitting a polished application.

You need to re-think your school list.

This can become necessary when projected test scores aren’t materializing, or when people get focused on one or two schools (or a tier of schools) and refuse to consider anything else. Perhaps surprisingly, I also sometimes encourage people to apply to schools that are MORE selective than the ones that they were considering. You can’t get in if you don’t apply, it’s about more than numbers, and as the process unfolds it’s important to keep an open mind, in all directions.

Your essays are done – stop revising them!

This advice may sound counterintuitive, but there really is an inflection point past which additional edits make your essays worse, not better. Also, beware of the last-minute input from well-meaning friends – there is a right time to solicit feedback, and 48 hours before you hit submit is not that time.

Getting into business school requires stamina, planning, self-awareness, and grit. Sometimes the best way to get the results you want is to take a step back and listen to MBA admissions advice, even when it’s not exactly what you want to hear.


Karen has more than 12 years of experience evaluating candidates for admission to Dartmouth College and to the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. Since founding North Star Admissions Consulting in 2012, she has helped applicants gain admission to the nation’s top schools, including Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Wharton, MIT, Tuck, Columbia, Kellogg, Booth, Haas, Duke, Johnson, Ross, NYU, UNC, UCLA, Georgetown and more. Clients have been awarded more than $47 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools.

Comments or questions about this article? Email us.

Trending

Best Investment Banks To Work For In 2023

MBA ranking

MBA Ranking: Business School Careers, Culture And Curriculum

mba salaries and bonuses

MBA Salaries & Bonuses At The Top 30 U.S. Business Schools

business schools to watch

10 Business Schools To Watch In 2023

Tagged: Admissions advice you might not want to hear, admissions consultant, Karen Marks, mba admissions consultant, MBA admissions consultants, North Star Admissions

Post navigation

Previous Article: For 2023, Some B-School Predictions AND Resolutions
Next Article: How Executives Rank The World’s Best Business Schools
  • Stay Informed. Sign Up! Login
    Logout
    Follow Us
  • Personal MBA Coach: MBA Application Success
  • Partner Blogs
    Dr. Judith Silverman Hodara Fortuna

    Tips For Finance Candidates: Turn A Layoff Into MBA Admission

    by Judith Silverman Hodara, Fortuna Admissions (2 weeks ago)
    Caroline Diarte Edwards

    5 Top Tips To Maximize Your MBA Application Process Now

    by Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Admissions (4 weeks ago)
    Cassandra Pittman Fortuna

    What You Need To Know To Get Into INSEAD & LBS

    by Cassandra Pittman, Fortuna Admissions (4 weeks ago)
    Karen Marks, president and founder of North Star Admissions Consulting

    MBA Admissions Advice You Might Not Want To Hear

    by Karen Marks, President and Founder of North Star Admissions Consulting (1 month ago)
  • Specialized Masters Program Directory MBA Admissions Consultant Directory Online MBA Hub Home Assess My MBA Odds Fantasy MBA Ranking

Our Partner Sites: Poets&Quants for Execs | Poets&Quants for Undergrads | Tipping the Scales | We See Genius

About Poets&Quants | P&Q News Archives | Privacy Policy | Advertising & Partnerships | Editorial | Contact Us | Sign In / Register

Copyright© 2023 Poets&Quants, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Website Design By: Yellowfarmstudios.com