Chicago Booth's first round deadline this year is rapidly approaching (Oct. 14), and it has thoughtfully supplied a checklist of items to consider before you hit SUBMIT.  Although I am particularly partial to #5, all ten are right on. These helpful, last-minute tips constitute your to-do list. 

1. Make sure your application is the most accurate representation of who you are. Consider whether each piece of the application is as strong as it could be and whether the components of your application present a holistic picture of you.

2. Articulating fit is important. Be sure that you have articulated what value you will gain from the Chicago MBA experience. Ultimately, your application is your business plan for why an MBA makes sense for you at this time in your life and career.

3. Be open-minded about your slide presentation. There is no right or wrong way to show us who you are. Feel free to use pictures, graphs, text, or anything else that you choose. You can submit this presentation in any Microsoft Office format or as a (pdf) file. As long as you don't use sound or flash, we will see your presentation as you intended.

4. Make sure your recommenders know you well. Your recommenders should be able to offer specific examples of your performance and contributions to the organization. Remember that letters of recommendation must be submitted electronically via our online application system. We will accept additional materials up to a week after the deadline as long as your application and payment have been received by the official deadline.

5. Have someone read your essays. Did they feel your answers really captured the question you were asked? If not, you may want to take additional time to re-work your essay(s).

6. Make sure your GMAT scores have been sent to Booth. This helps us process your application in a timely manner and insures your application will be complete by the deadline. If you haven’t already, you can have your scores sent to us through www.mba.com.

7. Proofread, Proofread, Proofread! Sloppy mistakes are unnecessary and will leave a bad impression with the committee, so don't let them happen. Be thorough in your review before submitting your application.

8. Do not wait until the absolute last minute to submit your application online. Given the volume of applications we receive, you may experience significant delays or timeouts if you submit at the last minute. Applications should be submitted by 5:00 P.M. Central Time on the day of the deadline.

9. Problems sometimes arise. If you experience technical problems when submitting any of your application materials, just contact us for help. We will work with you to get your application submitted without penalty.

10. Utilize the Online Application System to stay connected. After the application deadline you can log into the online application system for updates or messages about the status of your application.

I received the following message from Duke Fuqua about its new MBA Application Fee Reduction Program:

A Special Offer from The Duke MBA

Clearly, the world is facing many economic challenges today. At The Duke MBA, we recognize that the MBA application process is an investment of time and money, which can both be in short supply in times like these. We feel strongly that visiting with Duke admissions officers, students, and alumni in person is incredibly helpful in understanding the Team Fuqua culture, and we also understand that traveling to our campus can be difficult. To help alleviate some of the financial stress you may be facing, we are pleased to announce the following Duke MBA Application Fee Reduction Program.

Individuals who schedule a campus visit through our online scheduling tool and come to Durham or who register for and attend a Duke MBA information session or coffee chat at one of our worldwide locations will be able to submit an application for the 2009 – 2010 application year for only $50, instead of the usual $200 fee. In this way, we are able to cover our administrative expenses while minimizing the impact on our applicants.

Please visit our Web site for a complete listing of upcoming information sessions and coffee chats, or access our online scheduling tool to craft your own campus visit (with or without interview) and plan to visit us. We will look forward to seeing you!

Important Information:

The reduced fee information for the Daytime program will not be available on the online application until October 7. If you are applying to the Daytime program in Rounds 1, 2, or 3 and want to take advantage of this offer, please do not submit your application until after October 7.

For those who are planning to apply for our Daytime Early Action deadline (October 6), the fee reduction functionality will not be available on the application by this deadline. However, please send an email to application-processing@fuqua.duke.edu at least 72 hours prior to submitting your application and we will provide you with instructions for activating the fee reduction.

For applicants interested in the Cross Continent, Global Executive, or Weekend Executive MBA programs, the fee reduction function will be available at the end of October. If you will be submitting your application prior to November 1, please contact application-processing@fuqua.duke.edu at least 72 hours prior to submitting your application and we will provide you with instructions for activating the fee reduction.

Choosing the fee reduction on the online application prior to submitting your application is the only way to receive the reduction. The Duke MBA will NOT be able to offer refunds after an application has been submitted.

There are other ways to qualify for an application fee reduction or waiver. Please click here for a complete listing.

Clearly Fuqua takes attendance at its programs and visits to its campus as such serious signs of interest that it is willing to forego its profit on an application to encourage that application.

It will be interesting to see if other top MBA programs follow Fuqua's lead.

And the envelope please... Oh that's for the Academy Awards on Sunday. I'm too early. :-/

But not too early to start helping you with next fall's applications. In any case, the questions are :

1. What are your post-MBA goals? It may seem a premature question at first glance, but think about it:  Why are you going for an MBA? To earn a higher salary doesn't usually cut it. To ride out the recession won't work either. Solid candidates know in detail what their goals are for their career in the years immediately after the MBA. They understand the MBA is a specific tool to get them there, and that different programs have different strengths.
2. What are your qualifications? Are your background and achievements, both professional and academic, similar to those of current students at your target programs? If not, what can you do to improve your profile and become similar to successful applicants?
3. What kind of curriculum are you looking for and which schools have it? Do you want a flexible or structured curriculum?  Depending on your previous experience—and post-MBA goals—this is a critical question.
4. What focus & methodology do you prefer in your MBA program?  What is the program style that will best suit your needs?  Is it a case-method program like Harvard’s, or a project-oriented one like Michigan’s? Do you know the advantages and disadvantages of each type of program?

Ideally you will know the answers to all these critical questions by the time the applications are published in the late spring and summer. However, I would like to focus on question #2 at this point for one simple reason: If you evaluate your qualifications now and find some are lacking, you can do something about it. If you evaluate them in six months, your options will have shrunk considerably.

To help you in the evaluation process, Accepted is hosting an MBA Admissions Telethon on March 4. During the telethon you can obtain a free, private, MBA admissions mini-consultation with a member of our stellar staff. See what it is like to ask your most important MBA admissions questions to someone knowledgeable, objective, and experienced. Free. Sign up for the MBA Admissions Telethon to have your consultation.

Here are a few more resources we offer to applicants planning to apply next fall or winter: 

• Start Smart MBA Admissions Consulting
• Best Practices for MBA Admissions, an ebook.
• "Low Stats"
• "The GMAT in MBA Admissions"

Oh yes, and congratulations on starting early! You will be so glad you started in the "wee hours" of the 2010 application season.

UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR NOTRE DAME MENDOZA'S 2010 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW POST.

Notre Dame Mendoza 2009 Deadlines

 *Applications completed or received after March 16 will be considered on a space-available basis.

**Applications completed or received after April 6 will be considered on a space available basis.

***The May 11 deadline is for two-year applicants only and applicants will be evaluated on a space available basis.

Notre Dame Mendoza 2009 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are below in red. Since this year's application is identical to last year's, my comments are virtually identical as well.

Your responses to the essay questions are extremely important in the selection process. Please use separate sheets of paper for each essay question and include your name on each sheet. Your essays should be typed and double-spaced.

Each essay should be no longer than 2 double-spaced pages each.

Please complete the following essay.

What are your career plans immediately after graduation? Explain how your past experiences prepare you for your desired position. What are your long-term career aspirations?

Translation: What are you short-term and long-term goals? How have your past experiences prepared you for your short-term goal?

Note: This question does not ask "Why Notre Dame?" You do not need to explicitly answer that question, but the excellent response to this question will reflect Notre Dame's four dimensions of leadership: An integrated mind, broad perspective, heart (a guiding set of core values), and tenacity (the role of communication, motivation and mobilization). In addition, the long-term objective will be much more plausible if it grows organically from the short-term one.

_______________________________________________________________________

Additionally, please complete any two of the following five essay questions.

Choose the two that will allow you to best present yourself as a multi-dimensional human being who shares Notre Dame's focus on ethical general management.

1. Each MBA student at the University of Notre Dame is given the opportunity to contribute to the MBA community. What will you bring to Notre Dame and the MBA family?

Do your homework on Notre Dame. Where will you participate? Where will you contribute? Will it be student government? Professional clubs? Extra-curricular activities? Family activities? Your intended areas of activity should relate both to what you have done in the past and what you intend to do in the future.

2. What inspires you outside of your work environment?

What do you like to do when you are not at work? Do you participate in your church? Do you run? Belong to a band? Are you active in politics?

3. How do you define leadership? Please give an example of someone you feel is a great leader and explain why.

"Leadership" claims many definitions and sub-categories. Connect your definition to a great leader either current or past. Again, keep in mind Notre Dame's focus on integrated leadership and broad perspective guided by a strong sense of right and wrong when you are choosing your example and explaining why you believe he or she is a great leader.

If you can also volunteer a brief example of when you have provided leadership as you define it and as your "great leader" practiced it -- perhaps in your case on a more modest scale -- you wil be using this essay fully to advance the idea that you are a thoughtful leader who belongs at Mendoza.

4. Of which accomplishments are you most proud and why?

If your accomplishment shows the kind of leadership that Notre Dame is interested in, so much the better. If you demonstrate measurable impact, again, your essay and application will be that much stronger.

5. Describe a failure or disappointing experience in your life. How did you react and what did you learn?

Don't fudge on this question. Write about a real failure or disappointment. You can use this essay to bring out another side of you, perhaps a teamwork experience or something that happened a few years ago. Frankly, your response to the situation is probably the most important part of the question. Please see:

• Flaws Make Your Real
  

• Admissions Tip from Dr. Pausch's Last Lecture (Part2)

If you would like help with your Notre Dame MBA application, please consider Accepted.com's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or one of our Notre Dame Medoza Comprehensive Packages.

(Don't forget to vote!)