Good Questions.

- how have ppl with my background in the past differentiated themselves?

>>SP: Your profile is unique, you need to be yourself instead of trying to 'differentiate'. People usually get mislead in trying to be someone else and forget that being 'genuine' is the most admirable trait. From your work experience, volunteer work, GMAT scores and your focused vision of where you see yourself - you should be just fine.

- is it strategic to talk less about deals because they are common and admissions directors understand our job inside and out

>>SP: It is not polite to assume that every admissions director or admissions commitee member understands technical terms or business jargons. This is why you are expected to spell out all abbreviations in your resume. This is why you need to learn to communicate in simple words.

- is it a must to visit schools?

If you live in the US, it is highly recommended that you visit the school. In many cases, you do not need to visit until the day of your interview. Many schools try to accomodate that you visit the school / classes in the morning and have your interview in the noon. You may want to call the schools and check. However, if you are in another country, the committee is usually very understanding. You will still have a phone interview as they are testing you on your communication skills.

- in terms of hbs vs wharton vs stanford do you have any suggestions on what i need to look out for in terms of emphasizing / de-emphasizing any themes?

Plenty of differentiating factors. Please visit the schools website for details. If you are asking regarding how to spin your essays for each school - that is a different question altogether and I usually charge for such consultation advice.

Good Luck!

questions:
- how have ppl with my background in the past differentiated themselves?

By opening up to admissions. Make sure to dig deep on why you want to get an MBA and who you as an individual.

- is it strategic to talk less about deals because they are common and admissions directors understand our job inside and out

Whenever you can talk about specifics in your essays or resume do so. Specific deals, names and numbers is much more impressive and substantial.

- is it a must to visit schools

No, but it really helps. If you can, you should visit them twice. The more often you're on campus meeting people the better your chances.
- in terms of hbs vs wharton vs stanford do you have any suggestions on what i need to look out for in terms of emphasizing / de-emphasizing any themes?

The best way to find this out is to talk to current students. Do you know anyone that goes to these schools?

The application process is extensive. Feel free to contact me directly to find out what we can do for you to get accepted and manage the application process.