MBA Admissions Consultant
Joined: 18 Apr 2013
Posts: 2226
Location: Chicago, IL
Re: Filling out applications
[#permalink]
17 Jul 2014, 14:44
You're not thinking too much into it at all! The application is something that is really important and a lot of people skim through it in a rush near the end. However, it's an important part of the overarching strategy and filling it out appropriately can make a world of difference.
If the school wants a no-BS answer they'll ask for answers in characters, not words. If they say 250 words max, that's a short essay. So take the gloves off and bring everything to bear in a way that makes sense. Sometimes, however, they say "tell us XYZ in 50 characters or less". Well that's straight to the point.
As for questions that don't apply to you, N/A is better than blank. If necessary, throw in a few word reason for why it is N/A but blank makes an adcom wonder if you just missed the question.
Hope that helps!
Bhavik