How do you summarize your goals and work experience to create a successful MBA application? We asked students to give advice to applicants, and here's what they had to say.

Allow yourself plenty of time for rewrites and take your GMATs early

All but the most self-aware among us will need to spend a considerable amount of time sorting out exactly why we want/need/deserve to pursue an MBA. It's important to show that you've thought through your decision and understand what's involved. In this respect, it helps to start the essays early. Putting pen to paper forces you to collect your thoughts and begin to organize them. Expect to rethink — and rewrite — your application many times on your way to completion.

If you haven't done the GMAT, get it out of the way early! (After all, your score is good for five years.) In my view, the best preparation for the GMAT is to drill practice tests on the computer to refine your test-taking strategy. For most of us, the last standardized test we took involved filling out lots of tiny dots on a scorecard. The computer test will be completely unfamiliar for most people, so it's worth doing the practice exams. Taking a practice exam can also let you know whether you need to take a review course.

W. Trevor Uhl, WG'06
Vice President
Reliance Management
New York, NY and Geneva, Switzerland
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Learn about the program first hand

As you are applying, get engaged in the school. Start reading the Wharton Journal. Come to class if you can. Get in touch with Wharton students, get their take on it, and make sure it's the right fit for you. Our class is nothing without everyone wanting to be a part of it.

Erin Nelson, WG'07
Assistant VP, Business Development
GE Consumer Finance
Philadelphia, PA
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Prepare for the GMAT early

I didn't necessarily have an application strategy, but I knew that a competitive GMAT score and solid recommendations from senior level executives would increase my chances of acceptance. I studied for the GMAT on business trips and took the exam before delving into the other parts of the application. Then I approached the three most senior level executives with whom I had sufficient work experience to secure their recommendations. Next I spent a few hours completing the basic facts of the application before spending the bulk of my time on the essays.

Dwayne Benefield, WG'05
VP, Strategy and Business Development
Walt Disney International
Los Angeles, CA
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Focus on your goals

I only decided to apply to Wharton two months before the deadline so it was a very focused process. The key to putting together the application quickly was being clear to myself about why I wanted to do the program and expressing that in the application, without being overly concerned about whether this was the rationale that Wharton wanted to hear.

Beatrice Sibblies, WG'05
Founder
BOS Development
New York, NY
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Be yourself

There is no need to try especially hard to set yourself apart from other applicants — I think that approach always seems contrived. Do your best and be yourself.

Derrick Goh, WG'06
Vice President, Finance, International Consumer Card
American Express
New York, NY
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