So you want to go to the School of Management? You might want to check out an interview published Monday in U.S. News & World Report, in which SOM admissions officials pull back the curtain on the admissions process.

Though the so-called “How to Get In” guide mostly just lists a number of admissions truisms like “be yourself” and “applications are considered holistically,” the Q & A includes some interesting points. The admissions officers said previous workplace experience can be a predictor for future workplace success, adding that they consider the quality of candidates’ previous work experience, which averages at three to five years. It described the inner workings of the admissions process, however briefly, and it provides some mistakes many MBA applicants make.

“Most applicants understandably shy away from identifying growth areas (or, more concretely, weaknesses) in their application for fear of looking less attractive to us,” the admissions officers wrote. “In many ways, the opposite can be true. Although it certainly isn’t a mistake not to mention weaknesses, it can also make your application much stronger if you show that you have a realistic and balanced sense of yourself and compelling reasons for wanting to get an M.B.A.”

The third round application deadline for prospective SOM MBA students is April 12.