Dear havok,

Figuring out how to differentiate your application from the thousands of others is the challenging, yet crucial part of the application process. For some applicants, it is their extracurricular/community activities; for others, it is personal experiences like living or traveling abroad. Then there are some applicants who have worked in industries or professions that are not as common in the applicant pool. I encourage you to really assess your background from all angles, think about the stories you could tell in your essays, and what you are bringing to an MBA program. Perhaps you will find some aspect of your professional experience makes a compelling and memorable essay topic? or your work on the Board of the American Cancer Society? or your future goals and need for an MBA are unique? You have the profile to be competitive for many business schools, so now it is a matter of determining how you will stand out from the crowd. Often, applicants find working with someone is helpful in finding these differentiators. Perhaps you have a trusted friend that has been through the MBA application process or it might be worth working with an admissions consultant?

Good luck,
Lisa