Ask Stacy Blackman

Dear simplyjat,

I encourage you to visit our sticky on school selection for tips on identifying schools. You want to pick schools that are the right ones for you, not just ones that have a strong name or brand. The brand can be part of the equation, but it is critical you demonstrate in your applications that you and the school are a good match. Once you have identified some schools that meet your personal criteria, then you can evaluate your profile against the schools. Generally speaking, you want to have a good mix of programs, so try not to focus on only top 10, but expand your mix to include schools throughout the top 50. If you are not sure what happened with your previous applications and feel you need some help in presenting your background, then professional consulting might be the answer. Often times having another person work with you will make a difference in how effective your applications are. You might spend some time researching the consulting options out there and seeing how feasible it will be for you--especially if you want to compete for a slot at a highly selective school like HBS.

Good luck,
Lisa