Powering Your Application

The MBA Exchange> is a Chicago-based educational-counseling firm that advises applicants to top B-schools. Launched in 1996, the organization's main goal is to help prospective students strategize in planning their education and careers. Dan Bauer (BauerDan), managing director, and Kimberly Raynor-Smith (RaynorSmith), senior admissions consultant, of The MBA Exchange recently fielded questions from audience members, BusinessWeek Online Consulting Editor Jack Dierdorff (BWJack), and reporter Francesca Di Meglio (FrancescaBW). An edited transcript follows:

captainbbls: I'm still at the earliest stages of applying. What are the most important factors one should consider when choosing a business school?
RaynorSmith: There are numerous factors. Look at your background and where you'd like to go in the long and short term, as well as what you hope to get out of business school. Once you've narrowed that down, try to figure out what school is going to help you get there. Visit the campus, and talk to alumni and current students to get a feel for the place.
BauerDan: Some of the early criteria that you should consider would be the international vs. national vs. regional focus of the school. Other factors would be the size of the program, as well as the industries that tend to recruit heavily or to ignore a particular school. As Kimberly said, this requires some sense of where you want to be post-MBA.

nlele: Can you provide some suggestions on how to tackle the "Why XYZ institution?" part of the application?
BauerDan: The main thing to keep in mind when answering this question is that all applicants have access to the same basic data on the school. So, the uniqueness of your response comes from linking your background and your goals with what that particular school has to offer. Merely cutting and pasting from the Web site is not going to do it.

Those schools that give feedback to rejected applicants typically cite a failure to convince the admissions committee of the fit between school and applicant as a reason for rejection. Be sure that you're answering this question from both the head and the heart.

FrancescaBW: I have a question from someone who was not able to join us.
Is it bad to present different aspects of a candidate's personality in one application essay?
RaynorSmith: I think that it's good to present a balanced candidacy by talking about multiple sides of your personality, which would include leadership and personal diversity.

FrancescaBW: What advice do you have for prospective students on writing the all-important application essay?
BauerDan: Obviously, the essays represent your first and best chance to make a positive impression before you're even invited to sit down with an admissions officer. Probably the first choice is to avoid using your essay as a "narrative résumé." The reader is probably tired and busy, and thus needs some motivation to drill down into your story.

Only by being revealing and comprehensive, and keeping their perspective in mind with everything you write can you capitalize on every opportunity. Again, write from the head and heart.

BWJack: Here are two similar questions.
TNaughton: I'm 32 years old. How much is age a factor when B-schools look at an applicant?
vivekkarol: I am 33 now, and will be almost 34 if I get in next year. Does that matter?
BWJack: Also, are any schools especially favorable to older candidates?
BauerDan: Actually, age can be turned into an advantage, as long as you can convey to the admissions committee how the additional experience and maturity are going to be assets to your classmates. You should have a good case. The key is to confront it.

FrancescaBW: Again, we have two guests with similar questions. Here goes:
Publius17: Can work experience offset a subpar undergraduate GPA?
MM123456: What's the best way to address a mediocre GPA in the optional essay?
BauerDan: You're right in focusing on the optional essay as the place to deal with this issue. Fortunately, a subpar GPA alone can usually be neutralized. Factors such as the academic major, the caliber of the institution, and external factors, such as part-time work and extracurricular activities, are all things that you should share with the admissions committee -- not as an apology but as an explanation.

Furthermore, duration and quality of professional experience can definitely help offset a soft GPA, especially if you have more than three or four years of full-time experience.

eliseorios: With your successful candidates, what is the range of GMAT scores? In your experience, what's the best way to prepare for the GMAT?
BauerDan: We have had successful clients whose GMAT scores have ranged from 580 to 780. As with GPA, this is just one element of a candidacy that can be transcended or neutralized by other components of the application. Again, the optional essay is the right place to discuss this.

As far as GMAT prep, the first question to ask yourself is how you learn best. By considering one-on-one tutoring, classroom, or remote preparation, that will be a huge step ahead in improving your score. For those with particular problems on the quantitative side, taking some basic extension classes would probably be a wise first step, before formal GMAT prep.

FrancescaBW: This comes from a user who couldn't join us for the chat:

How much of a factor does work experience play into the major one pursues? For instance, if I worked at an investment bank and I want to pursue a major in management, would that hurt me in the application process?
BauerDan: No. The important thing is to have some relevant exposure -- whether it's personal, professional, or academic -- to the industry you're interested in. As long as there's some connection to your proposed goal, and you convey that in your essays, then you should be fine.

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