Rating: 
Summary: Very Helpful - The best of all the books I purchased
Review: During the business school application process I read countless books on the topic. Of all the books that I read, this was by far the most helpful. I especially found the example essays from other students helpful in giving me ideas and structure for my own essays. If you are considering applying to one of the schools profiled in this book you will be pleased to see a very detailed overview of the program by a student who has attended the program. I had already taken the GMAT by the time I read this book so I didn't focus on that part of the book, but it seemed to be fairly complete. My only complaint - and this complain is universal to all business school books that I've found - is that it emphasizes applying to the "top" business schools. There are a number of books that profile the "top" 10-15 business schools and do a good job of it, but very few that provide any detailed information on the other 200+ MBA programs. I was focused on applying to MBA programs that are considered by most ranking systems to be ranked 20-50.. There is very little information available beyond what the school provides on these programs. The vast majority of people will be attending schools that aren't considered "top 10".
Rating:
Summary: a good find...
Review: Everyone but me seemed to have a copy of this book at my prep center, so I thought I'd buy it. I couldn't find it though at the first few bookstores I went to. I finally found it [...] and I have to say I was a bit reluctant, at first, due to the price. But, it was definitely worth it...particularly seeing that I have two important interviews coming up.
Rating:
Summary: Far-reaching and comprehensive
Review: Getting the Edge is a very comprehensive book (there's almost too much information over 600+ pages). I have bought several MBA books, and I have to admit that Getting the Edge has been the best one in helping me to understand all the subtle differences between schools that sometimes look very similar at first sight. Understanding these differences is essential in order to help you to position your application dossier differently for each school you apply to. To my mind, this is what makes the difference between a successful candidate and someone who has good credentials but gets rejected. Getting the Edge has been written by a bunch of students who were admitted to top-tier MBAs... there are a few mistakes and typos (it's easy to tell that this book is not written by a professional publishing house) but this is the only book I've come across where the writers are in a position to share a lot of insider views and information about a whole range of schools.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for admissions
Review: Getting the MBA Admissions Edge has been a godsend for the entire admissions process. It's very clear, has lots of great advice, and the school profiles are the most complete I have seen anywhere.
The author is also really nice - I actually met him when he was giving an MBA workshop at an MBA Fair in London - he gives a great seminar, and gets you to really think not just about b-school, but about YOUR b-school. Thanks!
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book (Bought the Tshirt) Got the MBA
Review: Good points: All the up-to-date essays. Genuine examples. Self-Marketing ideas from a guy from P&G - best bit GMAT mini-diagnostic - good advice Harvard chapter - V comprehensive Bad points: No Wharton!?! They have all these sponsors, but there are no editorials probably worth getting for the essays + positioning bits alone
Rating:
Summary: Tons of useful information
Review: Great general information on the MBA admissions process. Very detailed school reviews and tips. Just make sure that the schools you are interested in are actually in the book before you buy it. Written from the international student perspective. Gets a little annoying but doesn't slow the fast read pace of this useful reference.
Rating:
Summary: Applying now
Review: I agree wholeheartedly with every other review I read prior to purchasing this book. The first 100 pages are filled with very detailed advice as well as practical examples of how to approach the essays. The next 500 pages are excellent school profiles. That being said, this book only profiles 10 schools (Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD, Columbia, LBS, Berkeley, Kellogg, MIT, Chicago and NYU). I saw Duke, Tuck, Darden and Wharton mentioned on the cover and assumed they would be detailed also. Not that case, as I was particularly dissapointed Wharton was not included while NYU was. Beware prior to spending the [money].
Rating:
Summary: This is what I want!
Review: I buy also "88 Great MBA application tips and strategies" and online book from top10mba.com. If let me choose now, I will give this to be the no.1 must. It cover everything you need and a lot of materials that are hard to find in one place. It will make your journal to MBA more interesting and encourging!
Rating:
Summary: An indispensable guide for top performers with top ambitions
Review: I feel like I need to stand up in front of a room full of people and say "I survived the MBA admissions process". Having just gotten thru the whole application nightmare I have to say that this book was an invaluable tool. I went to a great school for undergrad and now have the privilege of working for a large US investment bank (for argument's sake, let's call it Golden Sacks) so, theoretically, I've got the qualities that most top schools are looking for, but nobody can afford to be too complacent about the MBA application so I sat writing my essays with my Webster's on one side of me and my copy of Getting The Edge on the other. I would strongly recommend this book to ANYONE thinking about applying to a Top 10 school on account of the general, as well as school-specific, insider tips on applying. In particular, I liked the example essays, which were qualitatively different for each school, illustrating the need to not just rattle off the same old why-I'm-desperate-to-come-to-your-school type of essay. Well done, Messrs Symonds and Mendonca - your alma maters would be proud of you.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic
Review: I found this book fantastic in that it consolidated information that could be obtained from various sources into one spot. The analysis the book does on various issues faced by prospective MBA students is also very relevant and useful eg Europe v US, how to analyse rankings etc. In addition, the in depth focus and analysis on 10 great schools was excellent. My only complaint about this book is that it didn't cover Wharton. Being from Australia, I haven't had the opportunity to review some of the other books available on this topic matter (book shops here don't stock them !) so I can't comment on them or rank/compare this book against them. However, based on the contents of this book, I highly recommend it as a one stop shop for any overseas applicant especially if you're interested in going to the schools they cover in detail.
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