Clear personal goals

We appreciate candidates who can show a clear connection between their educational preparation, what they are doing at present, and what they want to do in the future.

Something uniquely individual

We look for candidates with singular and unique experiences and accomplishments. If you’ve planted your nation’s flag on K2, designed an app, or founded a disruptive startup with college buddies, or have worked in disaster relief programs as a volunteer, we’d like to hear your stories, and give other students the opportunity to learn from your experiences.

Sharp thinking and communication skills

We look for candidates who can think clearly and voice their opinions in a manner that their professors and classmates will understand. Clarity of thought also includes the ability to organize ideas so these can be presented in a logical manner.

These skills become invaluable assets in the caseroom where time is limited, and airtime a precious resource.

Academic resilience and a high capacity for learning

We look for candidates who possess the resilience and capacity to graduate from the Institution’s programs. Admissions test scores are one way to measure quantitative, verbal, and reasoning skills necessary for successfully completing studies at the graduate level.

But the test measures only potential — although it wouldn’t hurt to have a lot of it. We also look at how applicants fared while taking earlier courses. Academic distinctions are noted favorably, as these indicate the student’s likelihood to excel at AIM.

Proven leadership abilities

Finally, we look for candidates who have held positions of leadership in school and at work, across different industries.

If you have a leadership story that’s interesting and fairly unique, then we'd like to be the first to hear it.