I think people approach bschool in a couple of different ways. For some of us, it's an after thought - we did our undergrad, got a few years of WE, started thinking about an MBA and applied. For others, it's something that's planned out, and carefully strategized for in terms of WE/ECs/etc, all the way from undergrad.
Both ways have advantages and disadvantages, and carry their own risk. If you don't plan too far ahead, you run the risk of getting to the point of being "ready to apply" and realizing that your application might not be as robust as it could've been if you'd planned ahead of time. If you plan too far ahead, you run the risk of being stuck to a particular goal/vision, and ignoring opportunities/experiences that might come your way, because they *might* distract you from your goal.
The purpose of this forum, and in particular the sections offering Peer Review and feedback from folks like Alex, is to provide insight into and additional
opinions on the application process, admissions and bschool in general. The hope is to demystify the process a bit for everyone by sharing lessons we've learned as we applied to schools. Similarly, folks like Alex share some of the wisdom they've accumulated in their time working as consultants. But at the end of the day, all we're offering is opinions, based on our own experiences and what we've seen. So take them as just that. If you think something being said, makes sense, great! If not, you at least considered and rejected another perspective that you might not have thought of!
Just my two cents