Criteria
Criteria for graduate school admission include: academic records, test scores, work experience, recommendation letters, essays and/or personal statements, application forms, and interviews. Since every applicant has strengths and weaknesses, R1 endeavors to teach applicants how to highlight strengths and downplay weaknesses, especially in résumés, recommendation letters, essays and/or personal statements, applications, and interviews.

Academic record

• Many graduate school applicants become concerned about their undergraduate grade point average (GPA) because, for many leading universities, this average is typically 3.5, or more, on a 4.0 scale.
• R1's advice is not to worry about what you cannot control. You cannot change the past (i.e. your transcripts). Therefore focus on what you can do right now to improve your attractiveness as a graduate school applicant.
• Remember that Admission Committees will examine all of your qualifications in combination, so it is possible to compensate for weaknesses in some areas by demonstrating strengths in other areas.

Test scores

• It is necessary to earn competitive test scores to ensure that one's essays and applications are actually reviewed.
• If an applicant applies to top graduate schools with poor test scores, it is possible that their essays and/or personal statements and applications will be discarded without even being reviewed.
• Test score requirements vary considerably between various graduate programs and schools. For example, some top business schools require applicants to earn a total score near 700 on the GMAT® Test.
• Some top business schools have been known to admit exceptional international applicants whose GMAT® Test scores were as low as 620. However, such cases are quite rare.
• Score requirements on TOEFL® CBT and/or TOEFL® iBT vary between top graduate schools.
• Although some top business schools may disclose minimum score requirements, international MBA applicants should be aware that most accepted students have earned scores of at least 270 on the TOEFL® CBT (~110 on the TOEFL® iBT).

Work experience

• Although some academic programs at the graduate level allow students to enroll with little or no work experience, most top business schools require accepted MBA applicants to have at least 4-5 years of work experience at the time of their matriculation.
• Some MBA applicants may be admitted with less than 4 years of work experience, but such cases are rare. In general, quality of work experience is more important than quantity for MBA applicants.
• Significant work experience is required of business school applicants because MBA candidates are expected to learn not only from their professors, but also from their classmates.
• An MBA applicant's work experience should demonstrate their ability to work in a team, solve problems, resolve conflicts, and manage both people and projects.
• Applicants accepted to top graduate schools have work experience that shows a rapid progression of responsibility, demonstrated leadership, and a significant impact on their organization.

Recommendation letters

• Recommendations letters are important for verifying and expanding upon graduate school applicants' qualifications, including both strengths and weaknesses.
• Although specific requirements differ among graduate programs and schools in various academic disciplines, most North American business schools prefer recommendations prepared by employers. However, an academic recommendation may be acceptable in the case of applicants with only a few years of work experience.
• Many European business schools require applicants to submit a recommendation prepared by one of their university professors. This is sometimes impossible for mature applicants. However, there are acceptable alternatives.
• In a Western academic environment, the most meaningful recommendation letters are those written by people who know the applicant well and can make specific comments about them.
• Recommendation letters from high-ranking executives or professors with whom applicants are not very familiar, and which make vague statements about applicants, tend to be detrimental.

Essays and/or personal statements

• Essays and/or personal statements should provide a clear picture of an applicant's future objectives and present the Admissions Committee with a good understanding of their interests, motivation, abilities, and written communication skills.
• Essays and/or personal statements enable international students to distinguish themselves from thousands of other applicants and demonstrate why they are a good match for the graduate programs to which they are applying and vice versa.
• The most important element of an essay and/or personal statement is the topic chosen to answer the question being asked. However, Admissions Committees will also evaluate organization, use of vocabulary, tone, grammar, etc. All content should be honest and accurate.
• Optional essays give applicants the opportunity to verify anything in their qualifications that may cause confusion or require further explanation, such as a low GPA.
• It is important for international applicants to write their essay and/or personal statement drafts by themselves in English first. This is the most efficient way to develop one's application materials.

Application forms

• It is extremely important to ensure that the English language used in one’s application forms is consistent in style and quality with the language used in one’s essays and/or personal statements.
• Your Counselor should review your application forms before you submit them. Once you have prepared applications for several graduate schools, this essential review can be performed quickly.
• Submitting an application form that is as carefully prepared as one’s essays and/or personal statements gives the applicant the peace of mind that they did their best to prepare a competitive application package.

Interviews

• Top graduate schools often require an interview before they will make a final decision on an international student's application. This is true of almost all top business schools.
• Many of the top business schools interview on an "invitation only" basis. Therefore, if an applicant is not invited to interview, it's very unlikely that they will be admitted.
• Earning competitive test scores and developing attractive essays and/or personal statements and applications is absolutely essential for gaining admission to top business schools that offer interviews on an "invitation only" basis.
• Depending on the business school, interviews may be carried out by Western Admissions Officers, 2nd Year MBA Candidates, and/or MBA alumni, either face-to-face or by telephone.
• Face-to-face interviews are preferred by many applicants because they are easier to conduct than telephone interviews. Some schools offer face-to-face interviews both on- and off-campus.
• Graduate school applicants with strong English fluency might consider interviewing on-campus, even though they will be compared to native English speakers. Those with weaker English skills might benefit from off-campus interviews.
• There are various types of business school interviews. Some schools utilize a traditional format, whereas others use more specialized formats, such as case study and behavioral interviews.
• As with all aspects of the graduate application process, comprehensive and targeted preparation is the key to successful interviewing.