Standing Out From Other Applications - A High GMAT Score Isn't Enough

In the eternal quest to beat the GMAT, it's easy to get caught up in the GMAT hype and think it's the end all and be all of your application. It's not. While it's important to have a GMAT score that falls in the competitive range for your target school, scoring the elusive 800 isn't going to be what gets you accepted. However, putting together a well-rounded application that makes you stand out from the heap of other applications will.

So how can you make yourself 'stand out yet fit in'? If you don't know the answer to this question then I highly recommend that you use an admissions consultant.

While I was in the very early stages of my MBA application process, a friend of mine at Stanford GSB told me that he had used an admissions consultant and that he highly recommended that I use one as well. At first, I was skeptical to say the least. Admissions consultants are known to charge a pretty price tag - would I really get my money's worth out of this service? Nevertheless, I decided to get a basic package with Stacy Blackman Consulting and it was worth every penny.

When I first met with my admissions consultant, I felt confident about my candidacy but wasn't quite sure which experiences to highlight in my essays to really make me standout. Thankfully my admissions consultant did a phenomenal job in helping me determine which experiences to highlight in my essays for each school. With her guidance, I was able to put together a knock out application that got me into my top choice.

In summary, if you're not sure how to make yourself standout from the competition, invest in an admissions consultant. (Unless you think you'll need a lot of editing help, a 4-5 hour package will generally do.) I personally recommend Stacy Blackman, but I've also heard Maureen Phalen at the Admissions Advisory Group is excellent as well!

Best of luck!