Welcome to David's Corner!

This is a spot where I'll be sharing my thoughts and observations on business school and business school admissions. I hope (putting false modesty aside, I expect) that what I have to say will be helpful to those of you who are trying to gain admittance to the top business schools.

I've been involved in business school admissions for over a decade, as an admissions consultant, as founder and president of an admissions consulting firm – and, by no means least, as a (successful) business school applicant. (I'm a University of Chicago MBA, and I had the privilege of making accept/reject/waitlist recommendations for the GSB's admissions committee.) I've seen the admissions process from the side of the applicant and from the side of school. It's given me an exceptional opportunity to understand what schools are looking for, what prospective students are (or should be) looking for, and where those sets of expectations can be encouraged to meet.

Moreover, as head of AdmissionsConsultants, I've overseen the 'admissions quest' of thousands of aspiring MBAs. I'm able to assess overall admissions trends, using our proprietary database of admissions experiences. At the same, time, our consultant and client feedback gives me a good idea about what schools and applicants are thinking and doing in the admissions process, and about what works and what doesn't in admissions strategies.

This corner is where I'll share my insights. I hope they'll be helpful. I plan to post a few hundred words each month on a topic that I think deserves more attention that it's getting – something like 'answers to questions that haven't been asked.' That said, I welcome suggestions on topics to write about, and feedback on what I've previously written. You can call me at +1 703.242.5885 or email me your suggestions and comments.

Best regards,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants

Last month: The Opportunity Costs of an Early Career MBA.