In addition to clarity of purpose, Fadule says applicants must show how they have "motivated and inspired other people--people who are different from you."

Applicants should present their "whole selves," she says.

"Don't prepare by reading annual reports or financial dictionaries," Marks urges. "Prepare by thinking about what you wrote in the application, why HBS is the right school for you, and why entering that fall makes the most sense for your career. Be able to argue how HBS will help you accomplish your goals."

After the interview, the school's decision arrives within two weeks.

Gen-Ed 105, No; VES, Yes

According to the Class of 2000 Prospectus, many admitted students hail from the other Ivies, as well as MIT and Stanford.

But Harvard College is the school's largest feeder, with 5 percent of the HBS class of 2000 a member of "the fellowship of educated persons."

Going to the undergraduate institution across the river greases the wheels during the application process, in part because admissions officers are familiar with the inner-workings of the College and know how much time and effort goes into being, say, an executive at Harvard Student Agencies.

But there is a downside to applying from Harvard: The admissions office knows which classes are the guts.

"We know the wonderful student organizations, we appreciate the rigor at Harvard [College], and we have good information about some of the less-taxing courses," Fadule grins.

The HBS admissions office gives far less weight to grade point averages because, Fadule says, a 3.0 at West Point is much more impressive than a "B" at Harvard. HBS officials instead direct their attention to the rigor of courses taken.

"We have insights into [Harvard] transcripts," Fadule says, noting that a record of "four years of blood, sweat and tears" displays much more about a candidate than one number.

The B-School is not just for finance majors anymore.

In fact, only half of the current student body is made of what would be considered "traditional" students. Increasingly, MBA students come from disciplines far afield of the typical feeder concentrations of economics, accounting and business administration.

In the class of 2000, undergraduate majors include literature, art history, psychology, anthropology and film.