We posed questions to admissions officials at the Michigan State University Eli Broad College of Business regarding the application process, what they look for in applicants and what sets their school apart. These are their responses:

1. What can applicants do to set themselves apart from their peers?

The Broad Full-Time M.B.A. seeks candidates who can clearly articulate how their past experiences—combined with the degree and the chosen area of study (supply chain, marketing, finance, or human resources)—will fit their future career goals and objectives. Successful applicants design a thoughtful career path that will help them achieve their goals—and obviously, they can talk about how the Broad M.B.A. is a part of that path!

Furthermore, we seek candidates with solid, post-undergraduate work experience. Candidates should be able to demonstrate results and show increase responsibilities over time. Professional experience is important as the Broad M.B.A. requires students to draw upon their experiences both in and out of the classroom. The ability to share examples with classmates and the faculty are important. But equally important is the candidate's ability to draw on experiences to sell themselves to the corporate recruiters who seek our students.

2. What do you look for in the application essays? What do the essays tell you about a candidate?

We assess essays for thoughtful responses as well as the candidate's ability to communicate at a graduate student level. Essays also tell help us determine if the candidate is genuine and if the candidate has carefully thought through why the M.B.A. is important to her or his future.