Thoughts as Fall Admissions Come to a Close

The admission deadline for Fall 2012 is today! All applications must be complete and submitted, along with a $60 application fee, tonight by 11:59 PM central time. Any supplemental documents can be submitted up to two weeks after the deadline (this includes official GMAT scores, transcript, and letters of recommendation). So for all of you that have already submitted your applications, or are ready and planning to do so by tonight, congratulations! If you have not started your application at all, now might not be the best time to decide to apply for the fall semester. Hastily throwing together an application after work tonight will not be the best representation of yourself. Luckily, we have admissions cycles in fall and spring for the MBA, MIS, MSA, and MRE programs and summer admission for the MBA program.

If you are too late to apply for this fall, here are some tips to get ready for the next admissions deadline to start the program in January of 2013:

• Think about who you want to write your letters of recommendation. These letters can come from either your academic or professional backgrounds. Make sure that your recommender is someone who knows you well and will be able to write a very personal letter. Some people think that getting a recommendation from someone with a really impressive title is the best options, even if they don’t know the applicant this well. This typically shows through in the recommendation letter and looks like ill-conceived name dropping.
• Prepare for the GMAT! Whether you prepare by yourself with “test prep” books or with a GMAT class, it is very important to go into that test with some knowledge of how it operates. While the GMAT is certainly not the only aspect of an application that is taken into account, it is a very important part.
• Fine tune your resume and cover letter. These documents give the admissions committee a look into who you are, and not just the “numbers” you produce. This is your time to display your accomplishments and let your personality show. Use it to your advantage.

With this information you can start building a solid business school application and feel confident in your chances for acceptance.