Your GMAT score gets the MBA admit!
Grossly wrong! We wish that it was completely true! Your GMAT is nothing more than a filter criterion. So if you have a bad GMAT score you cannot even pass the filtering criteria for many business schools.

Does that mean having a stellar GMAT score is of no use?
If you have a stellar GMAT score your application will surely receive its due attention. It shows that you are intelligent, analytical and very serious about getting into a top business school.
But a stellar score with a mediocre application will simply result in a rejection. On the other hand, a mediocre score with a stellar application can definitely get you into a top B-school.

So in short, aim for a good score, and irrespective of your score make sure that have awesome and professionally written stories for the essays.

Ok, now I am confused. What is an admission committee looking at?
Think about this strategically. To succeed you need various factors working in your favor.

• GMAT
• Essays
• Grades in your undergrad
• Resume and corporate experience
• Co-curricular activities
• Some outstanding achievement, such as starting a new (profit/non-profit) company or qualifying for a national Olympiad

You simply need all of the above to sail through. Can you change your Grades, GMAT or Past? Like it or not we cannot ride a time machine and fix things which went wrong earlier.

So does that mean the battle is lost even before it started?
Finally, some monsoon showers on a parched summer day! Your admission decision is really influenced by your essays, and on how you project your grades / work experience in your resume. A thoughtful and well conveyed story can get you through the doors of the most prestigious MBA institutions. Moreover, this is the only aspect of your 'application' which you can really change; so why not put your best foot forward. It may define your future and career, so it might be the most important 'writing' which you might be doing in your life!