Several years ago, an admissions manager at ISB told me, we look for reasons to admit applicants, not to deny them. This was a perplexing statement given the astounding number of applicants that apply to top business schools every year and the abysmally low conversion rates. However, over the years, I have repeatedly heard this statement from other admissions managers from top business schools, and more recently from the Stanford and Wharton adcoms.

B-school adcoms realize there is no such thing as a “perfect” applicant, who is outstanding in every sphere. If that were the case, this person would probably not need an MBA at all, because he would be perfect anyways! Instead of fretting over not having that supposedly “perfect profile”, applicants should focus upon their existing strengths and build their applications on these strengths. They should highlight these through examples of real-life situations. At the same time, applicants should have self-awareness of their weaknesses and know the areas they need to improve upon at business school.

The fact that adcoms are looking for reasons to admit you does not mean that you apply only to dream programs where your candidature is a stretch anyway. At the same time, don’t underestimate your profile because of a minor weakness here or there. If the adcoms love the rest of your profile and think you will be a good fit in their program, they will take a chance on you. As pointed out earlier, showing self-awareness and a willingness to learn and improve are appreciable qualities that would get you noticed by the admissions team.

To conclude, when you are selecting business schools, take some risks along with making some safe choices. Then, put your best foot forward and submit your strongest application.