SWAAANS

Is GMAT first or last step ?
Million dollar question...atleast to me... more and more I am getting into applying to B schools the more clearer this question and its answer is becoming for me...
If not last giving GMAT is definately one of the last steps....
writing applications, talking with prospective MBA dudes, present MBA dudes and alumnus I have realized that GMAT's weightage is just 5-10% of the total application process...( this is just my conception...may be wrong)....but this figure i feel shud not be taken literally...there are so many factors ...so intermingled with each other that no one can vouch ofthis number...
i feel GMAT score is just a first level filter.. esp if one's experience is less....
i have seen people with 800 score being rejected by top B schools and also people with around 650 getting into the same B schools.
so if I am correct than what is it that makes one a Wharton'ite, Harvard'ian, and the privleged few..
as i am still in the midst of the process I feel I cant hit upon the correct answer....so will talk of what all I have learned till date.
If there is one equation that makes someone a part of the privleged few that would be a very simple equation with N interdependent parameters...now dont ask me the value of N..
I think its one's personality and attitude that open the gates.. I have read essays where peopel say it was my dream to do MBA..frankly i dont think so, atleast I was not sure that I will do an MBA when I was doing my BE...may be i was shortsighted...
but i think a medley of initiative, leadership...mind you a proven leadership, obviously good acads, ability to act for a cause, charity or community service with an unselfish motive is what is required.
Inititative:I strongly believe this is one quality that can do wonders....what weight this single art carries with it is unimaginable...i have not seen a single B school that has missed asking you to express this quality explicitly... you can guage the importance of this ability by considerig this one of the most common questions or I shud say one of the favourite B school questions "Describe the initiatives you have taken over the past two years to develop professionally and personally"...
when i started working on this question, fortunaltely i had couple of instances to flaunt about. But one day I was retrospecting of what all initiaves I have taken till date...though i happy with this exercise but still came across severlainstances when I could have taken initiatives but due to some reason either didnt took the first step or though took the first stpe but didnt took the second step...
obviously you cant show ur initiative taking skills after you give GMAT...unless u r a gr8 planner and planning to apply to B schools after say 2-3 yrs of giving GMAT...

Leadership:Undubtedly the most sought after quality in a B school candidate. Mind you B schools are not there to create leaders they are there to develop leaders...so if you eyeing for top B schools develop this skill. When I first started my journey to MBA people said not having reportees is a definate negative as you cant show ur leadership skills. Slowly i have realized that B schools are not looking for managers they are looking for potential...ooomm do i mean managers dont have potential..no i am not saying that... They are not looking for people who are leaders they are looking for people who have the potential of being a leader.... so does the B school charges $ 100K for developing leaders, yes they do.

Good acads:everyone cant be Bill Gates. so be practical and dont say that what if I dont have good grades even Bill gates was a college dropout... if you are one of Bill Gates breed, obviously a very rare breed, than one need not worry but unfortunately most of us are not that rare breed. So work towards grades. get good grades. and believe me only good grades is also a negative...just good grades and no extracurriculars if a definite curse on ur profile...

Extracurricular Activites:i think another impotant thing B schools are after for. I havent seen any specific essay on this but have realized that B schools are looking for some solid selling point in this domain. Ya its al l about selling yourself, and selling yourself to a very smart buyer who have no dearth of smart sellers to choose from.
also i believe saying that I was part of the college football team wont help. You have to prove leadership in this area. show that you have a passion for this activity not doing it just for the sake of doing it...for eg saying I was the captain of my colleg Lawn tennis team carries much more weitage that saying I was part of the college lawn tennis team.

Passion:Another much sought after quality. I think one shud have the passion to do something big. I have read ample number of places that your passion shoudl be reflected in your essays...is this true dont know..can talk more if i get selected to either Wharton or Ross ( two schools I am applying this year)..

Community Service:With time passing by I have seen this particular pie in the application cake getting thinner and thinner...the more I read the more I realize that Community service is not a ace of heart to get into B schools. What I have understood is that ( unless u r planning a career in non profit) community servie does not mean serving poor, councelling people on aids or somethingits about giving back to community. May be in terms of anything...as I dont have any substantial to talk on thsi in my application I started doing somethign which I feel is community servie. Will talk more on this if i get through.,,,till then let it be a secret... nothign great but i feel this kind of community service will be unique and definately much much realistic.
furthur I personally feel that mentioning that I was a volunteer in this and this organization wotn help. From what I have learnt is that its not participation its action what adcom is looking for. I think u need to prove passion in this, just mentioning that as part of so and so organization i did that...may not sound great...but again ur writing skills can turn the table any time...

For furthur read:
1. Book by Richard Montauk 'How to get into top MBA Programms" is talked abotu a lot. I am still struggling to snatch a copy but not getting it anywhere....
2. Wharton s2s ( studnet to student board) a good place to invest sometime of ur life.
3. keep seraching.
4. Build contacts, keep an eye in your comapny on people who are going for MBA.

as usual all the best...
swaaans