Tips from MIT Admissions Director

In an Aringo consultants' conversation with the MIT Sloan Director of Admissions, Rod Garcia, Mr. Garcia provided a few interesting tips for the application process:

* The school looks for diversity. “Engineers, non-profits, entertainment, banking, finance. I'll caution you on focusing only on ‘fitting in.’ We get a lot of people who look the same. The challenge is to distinguish yourself.” Specific attributes they look for include the ability to build long-term business relationships, drive and ambition, and the ability to set goals and achieve them.

* In addition, Sloan is open to career-changers and encourages applicants to maintain an open mind about their futures and use their business school experience to explore new options.

* Mr. Garcia advises applicants to visit the campus if possible. The applicants can then show how they feel about the place, and perhaps relate to some aspects of the school personally.

* Regarding the unique element of the MIT application - the cover letter, Mr. Garcia explained that this requirement is intended to check the quality of the applicant’s business-style writing. This can be especially important for applicants who are engineers - to demonstrate their familiarity and experience with the business world.

* Mr. Garcia advises applicants not to come to the interview over-prepared. Maintain some spontaneity to show the interviewer who you really are.