注：我这里所指的非传统背景是MC, MNC, finance, entrepreneurship, engineering and IT services以外的公司和行业。
在我看来，非传统背景的申请者申请的关键有二：一是GT等硬性指标可以不强，但不能太弱，否则本来你的行业（甚至是本科学校）就让学校没有proven track record可循，top program不会冒险去录一个首先无法用硬性指标考量的申请者，风险太大，business school is just business, to say the least; 二是讲好自己的故事，让自己读MBA的理由solid，比如，跳芭蕾舞的想读MBA，最好写毕业后希望继续从事艺术相关行业才更convincing，即使你心里最想做的可能是地产行业的PE。当然，事无绝对，归根到底，还是要给学校以足够的安全感。
最后还想再给一点精神上的鼓励。人的不自信来自不确定，但既然已经上了申请MBA的贼船，就要咬着牙坚持下去，给自己一个交待，对于非传统背景的申请者来说，这种感觉很像没有参照物，在黑暗里一路前行，but please keep walking because it’s not the work that kills faith but worry。
McKinsey guy： Half an hour, at his home, very fast-faced and brief, typical questions such as why mba, why insead, why now, what to contribute
Energy company guy: One hour and half, at a cafe, very informative and friendly, covered all the questions above and loads of chitchat about how to do business in China, China’s media/sports industry and government’s role in a market economy, asked him a lot of questions in return
。但真正能放下已有的东西出去读书的人又有几个？！