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When it comes to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. In this biweekly blog series, Manhattan GMAT’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform on test day by using some common sense.

Or: the most important thing you need to master before you take the GMAT.

Last night, one of my students told me that he’s struggling to cut himself off on too-hard problems, because normally, he’s “in it to win it.” (For those who aren’t familiar with that expression, it means that if you’re playing a game, you’re always trying your hardest to win.)

I responded, “But are you playing the right game?”

He’s been playing the game he was taught to play in school—there, getting things right was more important than the length of time spent. In school, grades are almost always based on percentage correct. The best students expect to get everything right. And this is the mindset that most of my students take into the GMAT as well—at least, until they talk to me.

We’re not playing that school game anymore. This is a new game with different rules. If you play by “school rules,” you’re not going to get the best score that you’re capable of getting.

In other words, sticking to your timing, learning to make educated guesses, cutting yourself off on too-hard questions and making educated guesses instead—all of these habits ARE the habits of someone who is In It To Win It! You’re not giving up when you do those things. You’re playing the game like an expert.

Here are some additional resources to solidify this new mindset and learn to do what you need to do to win the game.

Scoring: Read the “Scoring” section of ManhattanGMAT’s free e-book The GMAT Uncovered Guide. If you have an account with us (even a free account), the guide is already sitting in the Downloads section of your Student Center. (Note: It’s in the Downloads section as of the date of publication of this article; it could move over time.)

Timing: Read this article on time management and start doing what it says.

Good luck!

Beginning an essay with a famous or eloquent quotation is a common practice and one that business school candidates can use to capture a reader’s attention. For example, an applicant might use a quotation as the very first line of his or her essay:

“The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it.”
– Theodore Roosevelt

Roosevelt’s words are as true today as when he spoke them. The essence of a manager is…

Another option is to embed the quotation within the first line of the essay, as follows:

As Peter F. Drucker said, “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.” I have found the distinction between management and leadership especially important…

There is really only one rule about using quotations: do not overdo it! One grand quotation per application (not per essay!) is plenty and is certainly not mandatory. When deciding whether to include a quotation in an essay, consider the following:

• Does the quotation fit the essay’s main theme?
• Does the quotation reflect who you are or what you believe?
• Does the quotation enhance the essay?

If the answers to these questions are all “yes,” then making the quotation a part of your narrative might be a good idea.

For more advice on how to write your essays, check out our Essay Writing Guide and Optional Essays Guide, which present clear and easy-to-understand instructions for creating time-saving (and stress-reducing) outlines and for crafting comprehensive, engaging and effective essays.

Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.

Given that you have significant time still before next year’s first-round deadlines, you have the opportunity now to take some “extra” steps to ensure you submit your strongest applications possible. One such step is doing some background work on your recommenders to make sure your choices are indeed “safe.”  After all, if you are playing by the strictest interpretation of the rules of recommendations, you will not know what a recommender will be writing about you. So, by doing a little intelligence work, you can better understand whether you are making the right choice, before you commit to a certain individual.

By doing some “intelligence,” we mean that, where possible, you should contact past colleagues in a discreet and diplomatic way to find out what their experiences were like with your potential recommender. For example, was your potential recommender a generous advocate or was he/she a disinterested third party who had a tendency to be harsh? Clearly, learning more about your target recommender’s approach in advance can help you understand whether or not you should offer him/her this important responsibility. Past colleagues can also guide you in how best to manage your recommenders, which can be just as important as choosing them. Knowing up front that your recommender is a procrastinator or performed better after being given a list of accomplishments from which to work can help ensure the best letter possible and can prevent you from inadvertently antagonizing your recommender or delaying the process.

Since 2008, we at mbaMission have been literally writing the book on the top business schools with our Insider’s Guide series. Now we’re going where no other admissions consulting firm has gone, breaking new ground with the release of our Insider’s Guide to the Indian School of Business (ISB). To bring you this insightful look into all that makes the ISB a vibrant community and an up-and-coming b-school power, we traveled to India twice and interviewed the school’s students, administrators, professors and alumni. Through our guide, you will learn about the ISB’s curriculum and pedagogy, facilities, star faculty, alumni base, social events and more. We take you through the school’s academic offerings in numerous academic and professional disciplines, including finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, consulting, real estate and health care.

The 2011–2012 ISB Insider’s Guide, along with 15 other updated guides on such schools as Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, Chicago Booth and the Kellogg School of Management, are available now for purchase in our store. We hope they will help you pinpoint the right MBA program for you.

Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.

These days, as candidates consider their strategies for the coming MBA admissions cycle, many have a logical question in mind: How many business schools should I apply to? The answer, of course, varies dramatically from applicant to applicant, but the golden rule is that you should only apply to an MBA program if you have enough time to make your application the best it can be. So, if you have time to “perfect” only three applications, then you should focus on applying to just three schools—and not consider submitting five “average” applications.

In terms of a target number—assuming that time is not a factor and you can commit yourself to all of your applications—five or six is generally optimal. With five or six applications, candidates can apply to a mix of reach, competitive and safe schools and can thereby truly cover their bases. Of course, each applicant has his/her own risk profile and timing to consider, but for most candidates, applying to too few schools can increase the risk of not being admitted, and too many can be overkill.