While creativity is something many schools look for, one place where unbridled creativity is not appreciated is on your application. If you don’t believe us, just ask the people who were uninvited to be part of the fall 2003 entering MBA class at the prestigious Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.

On March 12, 2003, Business Week online reported that Haas rescinded offers of admission to five percent of the fall entering class. Why? It seems these applicants lied on their résumés, primarily to cover up the fact that they were laid off from their jobs, Haas admissions director Jett Pihakis told Business Week.

Yes, work experience is important, but in this age of corporate scandals and security concerns, being honest is even more important.

Being laid off is not a reflection on an applicant—it’s a reflection of the economy, and business schools know that as well as anyone. Thousands of people have been laid off from jobs—308,000 U.S. workers in February 2003 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The people whose offers of admission to Haas were rescinded would have been admitted if only they had not lied, Pihakis told Business Week.

No school wants to see its graduates become famous for breaking the law. Add to that a tense geopolitical situation and you have a climate of increased sensitivity at many schools, who are investing more effort in checking applications. The depth of these investigations ranges from spot checks of résumés to full background checks of applicants through the use of security contractors. This is not something schools take lightly.

If you have been laid off, remember that you are not the only one. Schools will probably be less concerned with why you were laid off than with what you’ve been doing in the time since you were laid off. Use your period of unemployment as an opportunity to take actions that will make you a stronger applicant and a better job prospect after business school. Study for the GMAT, spend more time writing your applications, take refresher mathematics courses, volunteer for organizations or causes you believe in, or take on a leadership role in a civic organization, to name a few options. (See the Take the GMAT section of this Web site and look under the heading Prepare for the Test for study tools and advice. See Proactively Address Academic Gaps for tips on strengthening your academic credentials.)

If there are issues in your background that you feel you need to explain in your application, be forthcoming about them and show how you have addressed them (see Acknowledge Your Weaknesses).

Our best advice for applicants is to make sure that every element of your application—including what you say in interviews—is accurate and true. Business schools don’t expect you to be perfect, but they do expect you to be honest.