Business school applicants often think that to demonstrate leadership qualities they must cite their achievements. However, displaying leadership in your MBA application is not about titles or lists of achievements. A successful applicant must recall their past experiences carefully to identify and explain in detail the leadership challenges met and overcome.

  The business school application process is a long one and the road to acceptance is fraught with potential mishaps. The following are five things to scrupulously avoid in your application.

A successful business school application requires exemplary preparation because you will be competing against hundreds of other applicants. The importance of this cannot be overstated. Plan everything meticulously and then your uniqueness, professionalism, past achievements, potential and authenticity will stand out throughout. Getting caught unprepared somewhere along the way is the worst scenario.

Business schools receive thousands of applications every year of which only a small percentage receive an invitation to an MBA admission interview. If you receive such, it’s a sign that the business school is curious about you and would like to get to know you better. It is then up to you to turn that interest into an offer.