Hi

Normally its done with the deadlines in mind. If you have close deadlines, you should finish the basic essays of all colleges first. It means goals, achievement etc which are common to each other. Hide them once you have written them and read them 2-3 days later.

But before doing any of those, I strongly suggest doing a complete profile diagnostics.After this, take sheets of paper and start writing small write ups on:

1. Why do you want to go for an MBA? 10 sentences

2. What are your personal and career goals?

3. What unique skills you have?

4. What kind of college or pedagogy you are looking for?

5. Why have you chosen to get involved in the community activities you participate in?

Write answers to basic questions like this and refine them. Post this substantiate these claims through life incidences, struggles, efforts i.e. stories from your life.

Keep refining.

Thanks Alex. What questions should I be answering in the basic profile diagnostics? Also, I notice your past consulting firm experience. Is it true that the big consulting firms have a minimum GMAT score? If so, what is the cut off?

Hi

Send me a mail, I will send you the template.

Yes Mckinsey used to ask GMAT scores and it still does. Nobody knows how much they value it as a brownie score but it had a qualifying aspect. The minimum score in my knowledge was 680.