When you are thinking about applying for an MBA program, the first thing to consider is whether or not you are ready to apply. The admissions committees like to see at least a few years of work experience before you file your application, so if you are fresh out of college you should consider putting off your application for a couple of years until you have some experience under your belt. The next thing to consider is what type of schools you should be applying to. You can figure out which schools are appropriate by assessing yourself according to the different factors by which the admissions committee will be judging you.
Business school admissions committees consider your GMAT scores, undergraduate performance, career experience, recommendations, essays, and interviews - but not necessarily in that order. A quick look at who is accepted reveals that without a threshold GMAT score, usually in the low to mid-600's, you will probably not be eligible for admission to top schools. Once you pass that threshold, though, the rest of your application becomes far more important than the difference between a 680 and a 740. If you are not sure how well you will score, you should consider taking a few practice tests now to gauge your performance. Take a look at our description of what is involved in the GMAT, and if you want more help and information than that, you should think about taking our comprehensive test-prep course. Even if your scores on practice tests have been fairly high, our teachers will be able to give you plenty of tips to help improve your speed and confidence so you won't have to worry about test-day jitters sabotaging your excellent practice record. While the GMAT is certainly not the only important aspect of your application, it does provide one of the few available quantitative measures of your preparedness, so it is important that it supports or even surpasses the other parts of your application in how highly it recommends you to the admissions committees.

Of the different components of your application, the essays are probably your greatest opportunity to make yourself stand out among those truly being considered for top business schools (candidates with sufficiently high GMAT scores). You should be sure not to short-change yourself on this segment of the application. Think long and hard about how you want the admissions boards to see you, and then think about how to get that image across. If you suspect that your writing skills may be somewhat lacking, or if you would simply like some advice and fine-tuning on your essays, let us help you. Take this opportunity to look at our services and let our professional, Ivy League editors help you make your essay its best. Even if you consider yourself a strong writer, and do not think you need the help of a personal application editor, take a look at our tutorial. It's free!

Another factor which is considered important by admissions committees is job experience, which is why you should not apply after only a year or two of working, and why you should use your essays carefully to portray your job experience in a unique, exciting light. A very small percentage of top business school classes are comprised of students with two years or less experience. A surprisingly high percentage of top business school classes are made up of those coming from unconventional backgrounds. Take this as a tip-off, even if you do come from a consulting or finance background (if you haven't guessed, those are the conventional ones), and play up the aspects of your job experience that are unique - if you have done the type of work that not every consultant or investment banker does in their first five years of work, let them know.

Your GPA plays a surprisingly small role in your admission to business school. Sure, if you graduated magna cum laude from Harvard, that will help you, but most people didn't, and even if you partied your way through college, earning a modest 2.7, you are not out of the race. Use your essays to show why you deserve another chance, and be sure you get your GMAT scores to where they need to be, by preparing with texts and with a preparation course if possible.

Finally, the admissions committees look at recommendations and interviews. These provide the same sort of opportunity that the essay does, to provide a subjective picture of who you are, but they are not weighted as heavily. Tips and recommendations for how to deal with these parts of the application are provided in the tutorial section of this website.