Instead of worrying about getting into grad school, take action by informing yourself about the process in every possible way. Get an understanding of how admissions officers think and what drives them to make that fateful decision to either accept or reject an applicant.

Adam Markus, a veritable “graduate admissions guru,” has a blog that is packed with advice for grad school hopefuls, in particular business or MBA programs. In one of his posts, he discusses the six basic concepts that inform graduate-level admissions officers in their decision-making process:

1. They don’t want to get sued.

This might seem obvious but it is worth knowing as an applicant that admissions officers cannot discriminate against students for things like age or race. They also must protect students’ personal information.

2. They are the gatekeepers.

To be an admissions officer is to possess a bit of power as they stand at the entry of the school and decide who gets to come in and who gets turned away. They must use critical judgment in this matter, by choosing finest students but also keeping away those who could potentially tarnish a school’s reputation with not just poor grades but bad behavior overall.

3. Detectors of the dubious.

Another important role of the admissions officer is to determine the honesty of the applicant. Some schools will be more vigilant in this process than others, especially when it comes to post-acceptance information, however, in the coming years, schools will increase their efforts to detect dishonesty, especially with post-acceptance information.

4. They value diversity.

Admissions officers know that their schools want a diverse student population, welcoming people from all walks of life. Therefore, if you come across as politically incorrect (racist, sexist, etc.) in your application, you could be considered a threat to the diverse harmony that schools seek, and therefore damage your chances for acceptance.

5. They maintain the academic standard.

All admissions officers must determine the minimum academic potential of each applicant in order to know whether that applicant can succeed in a program at that school. Measurement tools in this process include the student’s GPA or Grade Point Average, or standardized tests such as the GMAT for business schools and TOEFL (Test of English as  Foreign Language) where applicable.

6. They may be snobby.

It is no secret that the education system in the United States is a hierarchy and admissions officers are at the front lines of this battle to the top of the hierarchy. Although they may not admit it, some admissions officers might be snobs. What can you do about this in terms of getting into grad school? Take it in stride and have a flawless application.

And there you have it: the profile of the mind of a graduate school admissions officer. Like most things in life, you can only control your part in it, including getting the best grades you can, submitting a thorough and thoughtful application in accordance with deadlines, and asking for help all along the way. Having a better understanding of what you’re up against can also help lessen your fears about getting into grad school.