The MBA Reality Check : Make the School You Want, Want You

A no-nonsense guide to getting into business school at a time when the industry requirements are evolving and competition is at a record level.

MBA programs are redefining their mission and seeking a new generation of business visionaries. No longer simply about grades or test scores, top schools now look for students with a transformative vision. The MBA Reality Check covers everything from the specifics of the application process to how applicants can position themselves among the crop of tomorrow's business innovators. Through their work with hundreds of MBA hopefuls, Forster and Thomas have shown what it takes to succeed in today's highly competitive marketplace, including:

?How applicants can find their own exceptional story to set them apart

?What to include in an MBA application-and what to leave out

?What b-schools really want to learn about candidates

?How to turn any question into an opportunity to illustrate unique leadership qualities

Evan Forster is the founder of Forster-Thomas Inc., a premier educational consulting firm serving business-school candidates across North America, as well as foreign candidates from Beijing to Brazil. He is also a regular speaker at Wall Street investment banks, private equity shops, and management consulting firms. Forster came to educational consulting through his work as a writer, beginning as an admissions essay specialist. As a journalist, he has captured personalities for New York, Jane, and Biography; written features for Details, Cosmopolitan, The Utne Reader, and POZ; and covered service pieces from every angle in magazines as diverse as Men’s Health, Mademoiselle, and American Baby. He was the college editor for Seventeen for five years. Forster also works extensively with college, law, clinical psychology, education, film, medical, and international relations candidates. He is a member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association, the National Association for College Admissions Counseling, and the Higher Education Consultants Association. Forster earned his BS in speech from Northwestern University and two MFAs from UCLA’s film school.

David Thomas’s encyclopedic collection of admissions trends and stats could fill a book in itself. He spent 12 years as a magazine editor, including senior positions at Yahoo! Internet Life, Individual Investor, and POZ (which was nominated for a 1997 National Magazine Award for General Excellence during his term as editor in chief). He spent the obligatory late-1990s-dot-com stint at Deja.com, where he produced the politics channel and buyers’ guides. He has published freelance articles in magazines including Men’s Health, Seventeen, Music Choice, and The New Physician. As a financial journalist, Thomas interviewed such well-known players as Lou Dobbs, Richard Grasso, James Grant, and Henry Blodgett. Thomas received his BA in Asian studies from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in magazine publishing from Northwestern University.