God Willing

Business Week recently likened the business school experience to Dorothy's trip to Oz.

Admissions is the tornado.

With seven essays, a rigorous evaluative interview, three recommendations and an average GMAT score of 680, the 94th percentile, the weather is rough out there.

In the essay portion of the application, applicants describe a time they failed, as well as an instance where their values were challenged.

Not surprisingly one of the most selective schools in the nation, HBS waded through 8,061 applications to decide the about 1,000 admitted students to its MBA program. 905 said yes, the highest yield among business schools.

Getting an interview is a very good sign. Extended to just 15 percent of applicants, an invitation means "we liked what we saw, and we want to learn more," says Jill H. Fadule, managing director for admissions at HBS.

The actual interview is a chance to show off.

"This is marketing," says one HBS second-year. "Sell yourself and sell yourself well."

But it can be a tough sell.

The interview "was extremely tough, almost comical," says Timothy R. Lipsky, now an HBS second-year. "[He was] grilling me to see if I would crack."

Lipsky advises to "be genuine, be honest, be sincere and distinguish yourself."

Natalie A. McCullough, a first-year MBA candidate, was a geology major at Stanford who did environmental consulting for three years and then led bike trips for a year-and-a-half before applying to Harvard.

She gained broad exposure to the business world through her consulting job. She gained intimate knowledge of one company through her bicycle adventure.

The "compelling story" she needed to pitch to the admissions committee became entrepreneurial; McCullough told the admissions committee she ultimately wants to run her own business.