Darden (UVA) Class of 2016: Calling all applicants!

My background is:

GMAT: 740, Q50, V41, AWA 5.0, IR 8.
GPA: 4.33 out of 5 from a small not very well known college
Work experience(WE): 3 years audit, 3 years private equity
Nationality: Eastern Europe
Age: 28
Gender: M
Extra-curriculars/community: Few higher roles in smaller activities, lets say it this way.

You see, the problem here is that it's difficult to say WHAT actually makes you successful when you are applying. I see some great examples of diversity in my future class, and there is no straightaway answer, like "have GMAT over 700" or "be a Goldman Sachs Analyst" or "Be the captain of your college football team" or "Fly the helicopter in Afghanistan".

My general approach to the whole application process was, after a long thought, as follows:
1) Determine your starting point - your childhood, family, primary education - everything until you have chosen your college
2) Determine where you are now
3) Summarize all your path until now - what have you done from (1) to (2)
4) Answer honestly - where do you want to be when you are 60 years old? Have a really good thought about it. It's not about going to management consulting after you graduate. It's not about high salary and bonus. What will make you happy?
5) How would you proceed in next 5-10 years to make (4) happen?

After all you'll have some line, which started in past and will end someday. Your current position is some point on this line. When you understand this - just tell your story. Just tell why do you think this is a good idea to go for an MBA, and why it is good right now, and how this particular school helps you?

The most important here - you always have this story to tell. ALWAYS. You dont need to invent it, because every decision you make in your life - you make it because you think something is good for you, something is bad, something leads in a right way, something doesn't. You always have some good perspective - if you cannot formulate it, you just didn't think about it too much. Think - and you'll have a perfect picture in your head soon.

Different schools can help you differently, and its perfectly fine if you see something positive in every school you are applying to. And these positive things are actually about smaller differences, nuances you'll notice. But they must be very real and you must perfectly understand them.

For example, some schools especially emphasize teamwork skills development. Why do you think it is good for you? Some general answer like "it's better to be a team player than not" doesn't work here. I am feeling just great in a private equity business, where nobody cares about your teamplay. You must be reasonably social, of course, but its not like in consulting where drinks with your colleagues are a must. So if you come to some school, you say that you want to work as a quant analyst in a hedge fund, and you apply to this particular school because of their great emphasis on social interactions and general management curriculum - well, you have problems.

So, just be honest to yourself, have a good thought on why, when and where, be open and DO SOME GOOD RESEARCH