This post is part of an ongoing series, MBA Admissions A-Z, that offers applicants insightful tips on every aspect of the business school admissions process. Join us as we explore the ABCs of the MBA!
…and what could a funnel possibly have to do with MBA admissions, you ask? Well, at Accepted.com, one of the tricks-of-the-trade essay editing techniques we use is something called the Editing Funnel. After you draft your essays, you should use it too.
Here's how it works:
- At the top of the funnel (that's the widest part of the opening), you examine your essay as part of your application's big picture. Ask yourself: How does my MBA essay complement the other elements of my application? Does it contribute to the reader's overall knowledge of who I am? Does it add new information in areas that the boxes and numbers don't address? If you have more than one essay, does each one contribute something new to this large picture?
- As we move down towards the middle of the funnel, your editing focus should narrow to each individual essay. For each essay, ask yourself the following: Do I present a clear theme? Do I support my theme with clear examples? Does this essay have a logical structure? Did I infuse this essay with the details necessary to bring it to life and make it as readable and persuasive as possible?
- Finally we reach the bottom of the funnel (that's the narrowest part at the end). This is where you'll check the writing mechanics of your essay. Pay close attention to the nitty-gritty here: the spelling, grammar, style, clarity, word usage, etc. You'll want to read and reread your essay a few times, and the last time aloud, to make sure you catch, and then fix, each and every error.
As you start to use the funnel, you’re at a point where you may want to recruit a friend, family member, or MBA application essay editor, if you haven't already, to help you make sure that your answers to the questions raised above are the right ones.
And that is how funnels relate to MBA admission.
Find all the writing and editing tips you need to proof your MBA application essays to perfection at How to Write and Edit MBA Essays 101 now!
Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best
This post originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog, the official blog of Accepted.com.
