Leadership & other differentiators

Hi,

I am a little confused since if one has a genuine interest in the graduate study of business and that person is otherwise qualified, it does not seem logical to refrain from applying based on a perceived lack of good "leadership stories." Some applicants seem needlessly discouraged by the fact that their applications packages are not perfect in every regard. However, there are many successful applicants who do not have a high standing on every admissions variable. Some low GMAT students are accepted to ultraelite schools. Likewise, some students with low GPA, or low leadership experiences (e.g. background in retail sales), or low conventional business experience (e.g. military), or low extracurricular involvement will be accepted.

Hjort

Hi Hjort,

That's an interesting perspective-very encouraging.

However, you make the pursuit of business degree sound almost religious. I think it's a means to an end.

Anyways, I am still looking for what people put down as demonstrated leadership skills. This will help me weigh out options. Perfectionism isn't the goal - only trying to figure things out.

Specifics make you stand out. So yes your climbing is distinctive, and if you organize climbing outings for novices, you could be demonstrating leadership. Then the question becomes how many people, where, when, what were the challenges you overcame, etc. Are you getting the idea?

Here are some other sources on distinguishing yourself:

"The Devil is in the Details"
"Standing Out"
[url=Admissions: Checklist or Mosaic?]"Mosaic or Checklist"[/url]

Ebook: The Finance Professional's Guide to MBA Admissions Success. The ebook contains a lot of advice and an example of how one hypothetical "French Vanilla" applicant distinguished himself.

Good luck!