Behind The Curtain: How The Admissions Committee Reads The Round 1 Pile

My colleagues and I have sat on and led admissions committees at leading business schools around the world, and if there’s one part of the process schools rarely explain, it’s what actually happens to your application after you hit submit. Candidates pour months of effort into their application packages and then hand the file over to a process almost no one describes to them. Some picture their application sitting in a queue until it gets stamped with a big “yes” or “no.” In reality, almost every application gets read by more than one person, each dissecting it and comparing it against other files.

Now, Round 1 is underway, and if you’ve submitted or you’re about to, it’s worth understanding what happens to your application once it leaves your hands. And If you’d like our read on how your application will stack up against the competition, you can schedule a free consultation with a Fortuna coach.

YOU’LL BE READ ALONGSIDE PEOPLE LIKE YOU

At most schools, your file does not stay in isolation for long. The admissions team will start grouping applicants who share something in common with each other, such as the same industry, the same country or region, so they can weigh comparable profiles against each other. How they categorize varies by school and applicant pool. But the odds are you’ll be read alongside people who have something in common with you.

This matters because it sharpens the question the committee is really asking: not just “is this a strong candidate?” but “what does this person bring that others in the same pool don’t?” If you’re a consultant from London or a software engineer from the Bay Area, you’re being measured against others who look similar on paper. What sets you apart is the specific, concrete details of your story.

READERS MOVE FAST, SO CLARITY WINS

An admissions officer may read dozens of files in a single sitting to keep up with the volume. It’s heavy going. And it means that a well-organized application that clearly communicates key points will be remembered and appreciated. 

It also means that readers value openness, for example, when you proactively address any potential concern. A gap in your resume. An academic wobble. None of these tend to be disqualifying on their own. What hurts a candidate is the sense that you were hoping nobody would notice.

“You’d be surprised how often candidates fear proactive disclosures because they think it may shine a light or draw attention to something negative,” says Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna co-founder and former Director of Admissions at INSEAD. “But it’s important to always keep in mind that an application is an in-depth assessment. Hoping the file reader won’t notice usually backfires. Sometimes a school will send a follow-up question, which is time-consuming for everyone involved. More often, the open question weighs against a candidate, and this could have bearing on the final decision.”

As a reader, you do not want to hesitate or pause, so anything the applicant can do to make the reading as smooth as possible is considered a win. This is also exactly what the optional essay is for. Used well, it closes a question or concern before the reader has to start scratching their head.

CONCISION WINS TOO

Admissions readers really appreciate it when you are concise and avoid sharing unnecessary information. So, for example, don’t use all the word count available to you just for the sake of it. Carefully curating what you submit and showing good judgment about what you include and don’t include says a lot about your professionalism. Sometimes, that means showing restraint. So, for example, don’t write an optional essay unless you have something important to say. There are a lot of judgment calls when it comes to figuring out what to include and what not to include, and this is also when a seasoned admissions professional can really help.

THEY READ FOR FIT, NOT JUST FIREPOWER

Strong stats get you taken seriously, but they don’t get you in. In our admissions office days, my colleagues and I have all rejected candidates with perfect GMAT scores. Impressive academics and career progression help you clear the bar; then the reader asks, “Do we want this person in the classroom, in the study group, in the alumni network?” That question is answered by your essays, your recommenders, and the specifics of how you’ve shown up in your career and extracurriculars.

YOUR FILE GETS MORE THAN ONE READER

At most top schools, at least two people read your application before it reaches a committee discussion. The first reader is often an admissions officer assigned to your region or pool; the second may be a file reading contractor or a second-year student. Each reader scores or summarizes your file independently, which means your application has to make sense to someone reading it cold, with no prior context about your industry or background.

“The whole point of a second read is to catch what the first reader might have missed, or push back on it,” says Judith Silverman Hodara, Fortuna co-founder and former Head of MBA Admissions at Wharton. “If your file only makes sense to someone who already works in your industry, you have written it for the wrong audience.”

ROUND 1 IS READ AGAINST AN EMPTY CLASS

When your Round 1 file is read, the class is still taking shape. The committee has not yet seen the full applicant pool, so in some ways you are being read on your own merits, before the full field of comparison exists.

But that doesn’t always translate into the advantage that some assume. “I have waitlisted Round 1 candidates I liked a great deal, not because anything in the file was particularly wrong, only because we had not yet seen the rest of the pool,” says Judith Silverman Hodara. “Once the rest of the pool was presented, relative strength was easier to see.”

Schools are aware that the strength of Round 2 is still unknown, and they will sometimes hold back on admitting or waitlisting a strong Round 1 candidate precisely so they can weigh them against similar profiles who apply later. Applying early does have some advantages, but a guaranteed edge over other candidates isn’t one of them.

NOBODY IS WAITING TO CATCH YOU OUT

Many candidates imagine the committee as a panel of skeptics, searching for the one line, one ‘gotcha’ that gives them an excuse to say no. In reality, file readers are human beings too, who see it as a privilege to learn about your story. They want you to succeed. A reader who reaches the end of your file hoping to admit you is the norm, not the exception.

LET’S GET YOU IN

Understanding what happens on the other side of the desk helps you understand your audience. Be authentic. Say what is specific to you. And trust that the reader on the other end is working through this file, and the one before it, and the one after it, looking for a standout reason to remember yours.

Fortuna’s team includes former admissions directors and decision-makers from LBS, Wharton, INSEAD, HBS, Chicago Booth, and other leading programs, and can help you get ready for what comes next, from interview prep to Round 2 strategy. Schedule a free consultation with a Fortuna coach to discuss your next steps on your path to business school.

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Emma Bond is a Director at Fortuna Admissions, the dream team of former admissions directors from the world’s top business schools. A former senior member of the London Business School admissions committee, she has been named the #1 admissions coach by Poets&Quants, and has achieved a perfect 10.0 client satisfaction score in client reviews posted on Poets&Quants for five years running. For a candid assessment of your MBA profile and personalized feedback on your next steps, schedule a free consultation.

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