canadiananalyst

I would recommend pulling all of this year's essay questions from the schools you want to attend and thinking about how you would answer each one. If you struggle with a particular question (say one about leadership), then you can work on addressing that issue.

I think the CFA doesn't count for much in the admissions process, but it is helpful once you're in school. You mihgt be able to get waivers from some of the core accounting and finance, and in general those finance/investing classes should be a breeze.