In this series, I will break down 10 easy-to-follow steps that I have used to help clients get into M7 schools and the mistakes many clients confessed they made while tackling the multiple work, life, and admissions priorities.

So the 3rd step is to Go the Extra Mile.

I don’t use Instagram. I tried for F1GMAT but got so distracted by the motivational quotes that I was scrolling through hundreds of them a day.

I am not going to motivate you in this step. But I want you to honestly ask yourself – are you willing to take all the corrective steps, follow all the strategies and next steps that consultants recommend, and sacrifice a lot of your social time for your M7 and T20 MBA application?

This is the only question I want you to answer for yourself. Not for me.

If the answer is “No,” and you have a genuine weakness in your profile – either your undergraduate scores are below par, GMAT/GRE are right at the border, and you have a long way to go before crafting a Winning MBA Essay, or you are from an overrepresented demographic then you must accept the risks of rejection from multiple M7 schools.

You will hear stories of the last-minute applicant and those who didn’t spend a dime on consultants cracking Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton MBA applications. But the reality is that an applicant who has support in editing, branding, and guidance is likely to follow through on corrective steps.

Most will not.

I had several experiences where the corrective step was just to write a bad draft of an essay.

The overthinking and analyzing – comparing with friends’ essays who got into M7 schools, copying some template, or using Bots to write some openers are all a waste of time.

The admissions team wants to hear your voice.

You are not the same as your friend who got into an M7 school.

Your story is unique and inspiring. But it will not be revealed in the first drafts or second drafts. It will take 5-10 iterations to craft a winning MBA Essay.

If the weakness is in your recommendation letter, you must find good supervisors, motivated to write authentic lines, and offer context about the challenges you overcame in your professional life.

If the weakness is in your test score – you must retake GRE or GMAT and spend at least 60-90 hours preparing and improving your score in a month’s time.

If the weakness is in volunteering, join organizations that are eager to accept your expertise. Understand their funding model and the beneficiaries and see how you can contribute. Then, use those stories in the essays.

There is always a corrective step.

Going the Extra Mile is always about actions and not strategizing or overthinking.

I hope you got value from my advice.

I have shared the F1GMAT premium links to the 10 Steps to Mastering M7 MBA Admissions series.

Read them and take action.

• M7 MBA Admissions Step #1 - Understand Schools
• M7 MBA Admissions Step #2 - Early Pivot from GMAT to GRE
• M7 MBA Admissions Step #3 - Go the Extra Mile