Success at Business School!

Create a notebook or spreadsheet to help keep you organized especially if you're applying to multiple schools/programs.  Your notes should include a check list of important dates and information.  Here are some ideas for what to include:

• Program requirements (GMAT scores, required GPA etc)
• Application dates
• Enrollment dates (Spring/Winter)
• Open houses/events
• Potential contacts at the school/program (admissions staff, current/former students, faculty)
• Interview dates
• Decision dates
• Tuition costs
• Scholarship and fellowship opportunities

You wouldn't buy a car without test driving it first. The same goes for graduate school. Many admissions departments provide potential applicants with opportunities to investigate their programs. Some include:

• Meet-ups at bars/restaurants with current students or alumni
• Observing a class
• Tours
• Open houses and information sessions

These are great ways to get a sense of the folks in the program and how you fit. These structured sessions can also be great places to find out information before the admissions interview and meet potential classmates. 

You may also try to find alumni/current students on your own. Look at your network to see who has completed programs you're interested in. A friend or colleague may be more candid about how positive (or negative) their school experience was and how it impacted their career. 

Essays and personal statements are a way of showcasing your brand and your communication style. Don't fall into some common traps.

• Make sure you answer the prompts
• Have a friend review your essays for content, grammar, and typos
• Give yourself time to write multiple drafts
• Don't get too personal but don't be generic

The topic that you write about should be:

• An experience that you learned from
• An experience where you added value to your community or workplace
• Something from your recent past (personal/professional)

Articles:



This is your opportunity to put your face with your name. It is also another opportunity to decide whether or not you are the right fit for the program. With the right preparation, the information you gather before and during the interview will help you make an informed decision should you get accepted.

Suggestions:

• Develop a list of questions to ask about the program and other aspects of the school that cannot be readily answered by your campus visits, the website, or other research you have done.
• Practice answering common questions with a friend, or career professional.
• Plan your trip.  If you are taking an unfamiliar route, you may even want to take a trip to practice the drive or to scope out public transit options.
• Find your interview outfit or suit and make sure it is clean and in good condition. Lay it out the night before.
• Find a folio or nice folder to keep extra copies of your resume and paper for notes. 
• Bring a spare pen in case your or your interviewer's pen runs out.