The MBA admission processes are nothing short of a nightmare. Right from preparing for the exams like CAT & GMAT and writing those imposing essays (some of which even require a video response) to clearing the grinding interviews of top B-Schools. Needless, to say the entire process can feel quite daunting, especially when you consider some of the leading schools’ acceptance rates. It’s important that you differentiate yourself from other applicants along with having everything in place before the deadline.

Top business schools place great emphasis on finding the candidates who will enrich their MBA program, through their skills and past experiences. Therefore, you’ll need a clear and honest vision of what you have to offer to get into your dream business school. Here are a few pointers highlighted by the admissions team of Great Lakes Institute of Management that will help you along the way.

Make your MBA Essay Stand Out

You need to stand out in your application’s MBA essay but that doesn’t mean that mean you dig up your entire history and search for something to write about that no one else has ever done.

You don’t need to have out of the box legendary accomplishments that are completely unusual or different from your peers. Just concentrate on your efforts on telling us who you are and differentiation will occur naturally.

With this in mind, ensure your essay efficiently captures who you really are – from the morals and values you hold and the experiences defining your professional trajectory till date to why you think an MBA at this point in your career will push you on the right track for the future.

The key is to aim for consistency and ensure what you say at the interview matches what you have written in your essay.

Research the Specific MBA Program

If you don’t conduct a thorough research on the specific MBA program to which you’re applying to, it’s almost certain that you’ll make a grave mistake sooner or later. One particularly dangerous mistake applicants make is not doing enough research to ensure that the program will fit with their career goals.

This is not as much about impressing the admissions team as it is about finding out whether a particular program and school matches what you’re looking for in terms of career goals, learning environment and campus culture.

Don’t take Recommendation Letters lightly

The recommendation letters are a lot more than just a check list exercise. It is an opportunity for you to select recommenders who can corroborate what you are saying about yourself and speak extensively about your accomplishments and strengths. For this reason, choose someone who knows you well instead of someone with an impressively senior job title who spoke two sentences to you during your career.

In addition to this, have an informal chat with your recommenders and share with them why you are seeking an MBA. If they are on the same page as you, they can provide better supporting anecdotes in their write up.