Advice Column: Insider Tips From Current MBA Students (Part 2)

Hello P&Q readers, and welcome to my advice column! My name is Karen Marks, and I am the Founder and President of North Star Admissions Consulting. I have been helping people get into their dream schools since 2012, and prior to that I was the Associate Director of Admissions at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. In both roles, my goal is to give people the accurate, insider information that they need to succeed and make good decisions.

Towards that end, I am thrilled to be joined by three of my recent clients, who are attending Harvard, Columbia and Simon. This week, the second in a two-part series, we will share advice about how they approached their essays, why they chose their schools, and how you can learn from their success. I really appreciate their insight into the process, and know that you will, too! (PS – do you have questions about the MBA process? Ask away, no topic is off limits!)

Thank you all so much for sharing your experience navigating the application process. Let’s start with one of the most common questions that I get:

“How did you figure out what to write about in your essays? Should I focus more on myself as a person, or on my work experience?

Columbia 2026: I think definitely both! It’s important to have the right balance of demonstrating the skills you picked up during your professional career (without just regurgitating your resume), as well as things that make you YOU from your upbringing, personal experiences, background, etc. Depending on the prompt, I tried to blend the two in my essays.

Harvard 2025: Before I wrote any essay, Karen worked with me to build a list of things I wanted to highlight in my application. I was surprised that most of these were about me as an individual – personal and professional values, ambitions, and experiences. The work experience mainly gave credibility to the personal things I wanted to showcase, especially because I was looking to use graduate school to make a career pivot.

Simon 2026: I contacted Karen because I was unsure where to begin. I wanted to share my story in a genuine way without feeling the need to write what I thought the schools were looking for. Although my initial goal was to tailor my story to fit what I believed schools wanted to hear, Karen encouraged me to understand that everything I had done in my past was not only deserving of admission, but also that staying true to myself would align me with the right schools to help me achieve my post-MBA goals. The best advice she gave me was to take pride in my accomplishments before business school and to tell my story in a way that combined personal and professional success.

Karen: I really appreciate my clients’ willingness to share what actually matters to them, and to open up about failures and challenges, as well as their many successes. Schools want multi-dimensional students with humility, personality and the ability to learn from their mistakes. They won’t know that you bring any of these fantastic qualities unless you tell them, with concrete illustrations!

“What advice do you have for current applicants?”

Columbia 2026: Have faith in the process and definitely keep yourself on a timeline during the application process. Things start to pile on quickly between taking the GMAT/GRE, getting letters of rec, and writing your essays, so it was super helpful for me to give myself calendar deadlines of when I wanted each component finished, so that I could make sure I had plenty of time ahead of the real application deadlines to get everything submitted. Also, do a lot of self-reflection! I kept a note on my phone and anytime I would randomly think about a work anecdote or random personal memory that might be good in my essays, I would write it down and that really helped me during the brainstorming process.

Harvard 2025: Do research on the programs you’re applying for! Look at core classes, electives, faculty, research opportunities, etc. It’s easy to follow the big names, but some of the programs might just not be a fit for you and your long-term goals.

Simon 2026: My advice for current applicants is to not be afraid to work with a consultant. Work with someone who has a successful, proven track record of helping applicants get into top business schools. Another piece of advice I have is to take full advantage of your consultant’s resources. For example, Karen had multiple relationships with tutors and individuals who could help me address my weaknesses before applying. Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Karen: In addition, this time of year, many applicants and potential applicants start to second guess their candidacies, causing them to miss round 1 or even to skip applying completely. My advice is to remember that you don’t have to be perfect in order to succeed. I have helped people get into the most selective schools in the world with application “flaws” – focus on your strengths, and proactively address any areas of concern.

“What’s something you did that worked well, and something that you would do differently?”

Harvard 2025:

Thinking of my application as a complete package worked well for me as I strategized about how to write my essays and highlight my experiences. Karen emphasizes that starting early is crucial for a strong application, and I agree that the extra time to consider what I wanted to convey was critical.

I was in the very fortunate position of having full tuition and full tuition with stipend offers at several schools. I had to decide about some of these offers before hearing back from Harvard about scholarships. If I could re-do the process, I would have taken the time to rank order my school choices before taking finances into account. I landed in the right place for me, but the financial considerations nearly pushed me in a direction that would not have ultimately served me as well.

Simon 2026: I found tremendous value in crafting my essays as they provided me with an opportunity to articulate my unique story beyond the confines of my application. Through collaborative efforts with Karen leading up to the application deadlines, I gained the confidence that I had left no stone unturned. In reflecting on the process, I realize that involving a consultant earlier would have been beneficial. Additionally, tackling standardized tests early in the application cycle is crucial as it frees up time to foster meaningful connections with peers, engage with admission committees, and refine one’s essays without the looming pressure of pending tests.

Karen: Don’t underestimate the value in networking, primarily as a tool to get to know the schools. They all have very different cultures, and getting to know students and alums through events and unofficial conversations is incredibly important. If you can’t explain why you’re a good fit for a given program they are much less likely to admit you – and you might wind up in the wrong place.

“How did you decide which school to attend?”

Columbia 2026: For me, I made the decision based on the location of the school and where most alumni live post grad, community of the students, and recruiting opportunities. The decision is extremely personal and you have to stay true to yourself – don’t choose the school that may “seem” like the right choice if you can’t envision yourself enjoying your time there and connecting with other students!

Harvard 2025: I would very much recommend going to coffee chats, receptions and visit days. I ultimately chose Harvard after attending the visit day- something I didn’t do for undergrad. What really moved the needle for me was the group of people, the other prospective students, I met throughout the day. The event also helped me realize that I would have been happy at a number of schools, which took some pressure off of my decision.

Simon 2026: I chose my school based on the strong relationship I had with the institution. I shared my aspirations and goals for after business school, and they assured me of their support. They also connected me with students and alumni who had similar backgrounds. Additionally, I was awarded a significant merit-based scholarship.

Karen: I was so excited to see these clients choose schools that value what they, individually, bring to the community. This is two years of your life, so in addition to finding a program that will serve you well professionally, I feel strongly in identifying a great personal fit.

Thank you all for sharing your experience – I look forward to helping more people get into their dream schools.

Karen has more than 15 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 $70 million dollars in scholarships, and more than 98% have gotten into one of their top choice schools. Inquire about an MBA application scholarship.

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