A few weeks ago we talked about how Stacy Blackman Consulting has former admissions officers from all of the top MBA programs on our team, and how these ex-adcom consultants help with Flight Test reviews for each of our All-In clients, contribute their insiders’ knowledge to our internal message boards, and assist with program-specific questions.

We asked these valuable team members if they had any advice for our readers who are applying in Round 2. Here’s what they had to say:

• For some schools (such as CBS), fit and knowledge of the school can be equally as important as qualifications. You still have to have the qualifications, but if you have them and don’t have the knowledge of the school, it can be a reason for rejection. Know where and why you are applying!
• Schools like to see a mention of you attending their events or speaking with their students (or both!) in your essays.
• Programs have a lot more to offer visiting prospective students on campus during the school year versus over the summer, so plan your campus visits accordingly.
• It is a good idea to have items and examples to discuss in your interview that are not on your resume.
• For some schools (such as Kellogg), interviews are truly blind; your interviewer will have only seen your resume.
• Connected alums can email admissions directly on your behalf without counting as one of your formal recommenders. (Tip: use this very sparingly!)
• In a group interview situation (such as at Wharton), highlighting the ideas of others or effectively drawing out quieter members of the group is seen as a plus.