Here goes:

Admissions committee members are human beings. They are people, just like you and me.

While this may seem obvious to you, I happen to know from reading piles of application essays and personal statements, that while you may understand this concept on one level, your writing does not always reflect this knowledge.

So what does the sheer humanity of admissions people imply? How does the fact that they are humans (and not robots and not monsters and not aliens) affect your personal statements and application essays?

• Humans like stories, which means that the adcom humans would appreciate if you told them yours. And it should go without saying that true, real-life stories are the way to go—they can be just as compelling as fiction and won’t get you automatically dinged.
• Humans don’t all respond the same way, which means your story will have to appeal to a wide audience. Don’t try to imagine, “What will my reader think of this?” because, frankly, there’s no way for you to know what a single individual will enjoy. Write from your heart without worrying about a single end reader. Some people who read your essay will love it and other may not; your writing will appeal to the greatest number of people if you write honestly. (Just note: One thing all adcoms do have in common is their mutual dislike for typos and sloppy writing.)

Your human interest piece should come alive with personal anecdotes. It should engage your reader not because you wrote it for your particular imagined reader, but because you wrote it wholeheartedly, genuinely, and thoughtfully.

Present your humanity as you would like another human being to read it. Not a machine, not a monster, and not an alien.

Learn how to write a memorable, compelling personal statement or application essay when you view Essays that Stick, a FREE, 45-minute webinar filled with professional writing tips!

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ESADE 2010-2011 MBA Essay Questions

Known for its humanistic approach to business, Spanish business school Esade pays equal attention to the development of a just society and producing business leaders. Unsurprisingly, the school is strong in Social Enterprise and Green tech.

Consistently ranked among the top European business schools, a key strength is its flexibility: you can do the program in 12, 15, or 18 months. With agreements signed with over 100 universities worldwide, the program also offers a wide range of exchanges/ internships.

The teaching method is a mix of classic case-study techniques and a more personalized approach, depending on students’ needs. An extremely collaborative atmosphere and intimate class size engenders close relationships with both professors –approximately 20% from outside of Spain— and students –at least 70% international. Classes are taught in both Spanish and English.

Q1. Write a brief explanation of your most important professional and personal achievements to date. (2000 characters maximum, 30 lines approximately)

Note that the school asks about your most important achievements, and not just the professional ones. Ideally, I would aim for one professional, one community, and one personal accomplishment. Though the question does not explicitly ask “why” the accomplishment was important, I do suggest incorporating this into your answer. For example, what did the accomplishment teach you about yourself? Did it impact the choices you made in life? And so on.

Q2. What do you consider your most powerful strength or asset? Describe a situation where you demonstrated this strength or asset. (2000 characters maximum, 30 lines approximately)

Choose one strength or asset and describe a time when you demonstrated it in spades. Once again, if there is room, subtly show why this is a positive. (Ask yourself: what does this strength/asset say about me and my potential to be a good business leader?)

Q3. If you could pick the one quality that characterizes a good leader, which would you choose and why? (2000 characters maximum, 30 lines approximately)

Obviously, you don’t want to repeat what you wrote in Q2, but the two could nicely dovetail. Choose the quality. Explain why it is important. If possible, extrapolate with a situation in which you demonstrated this trait and how it led to success.

Q4. What are your mid- and long-term goals after doing the MBA? (2000 characters maximum, 30 lines approximately)

This is a forward-looking question. There is no need to explain what you have done in the past, nor what you are doing now, other than to anchor your future goals, if necessary. Just map out your plan. More importantly: how will you get there? What is Esade’s role in that plan? Get as specific as you can.

Q5. Is there anything you have not mentioned in the essays that you would like the Admissions Committee to know? (2000 characters maximum, 30 lines approximately)

Never let an optional question go to waste! This is where you can explain any gaps or perceived weaknesses in your profile. This is also a great space to share another aspect to your profile, like a hobby, a passion, community activity, and so on.

By Paris-based Accepted.com editor Tanis Kmetyk, who has well over a decade of experience advising applicants to top MBA programs. She’d be happy to share her expertise with you when you apply too.

Statement of Objectives: What are your immediate and ultimate professional objectives for attending the program. Specifically, please indicate how your objectives fit with the purposes of the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership and indicate what you would contribute to the Sloan Fellows community. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Translation: What do you want to do immediately after attending the Sloan Fellows program and farther into the future that requires you to attend the Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership?

Clearly you will need to know about the Sloan Fellows Program’s goals and objectives. Realize that the long name is there for a reason. They reveal the program’s purpose. Do you need to know about “Innovation and Global Leadership”? You should be able to demonstrate that you need those skills to achieve your goals.

For further insight into the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership, please see my recent interview with Stephen Sacca, Director of the MIT Sloan Fellows Program.

Essay 1: Discuss a defining experience in your development as a leader. How did this experience demonstrate your strengths and weaknesses? (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Choose your crowning leadership example and provide briefly some of the challenges you faced, how you handled them, and the impact of your leadership. Make sure answer the last part of the question. Focus on the strengths, but please show the maturity and self-awareness to honestly reveal a weakness — one that the Sloan Fellows Program may actually help you address.

Essay 2: Discuss a time when you made an unpopular decision. What did you learn from the experience? (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Leadership and innovation frequently the person in charge to take an unpopular position. Advocating change (innovating) is frequently unpopular. When have you done so? What did you learn that will improve your  your ability to spearhead change even when faced with opposition?

Essay 3: Please describe a time when you came to see something from someone else’s perspective, or when your opinion was changed by listening and learning from others. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

I want to point out that each of the essay questions asks you to discuss one time or to provide one example illustrative of your ability in a specific area. The same is true of this question. What was your opinion before you heard the other perspective? What did the person say or what did you learn that caused you re-evaluate your previous position? What was your new conclusion?

Essay 4: Please give an example of a significant innovation (product or process) that you developed for your organization (500 words or less, limited to one page)

This is a pretty straightforward question and actually gives you a little room to go in a direction of your choosing, as long as you reveal how you innovated for your organization. You could start with the innovation or with the problem that propelled an innovative solution. Discuss some of the challenges you faced, how you resolved them, and ultimately the impact of your innovation.

MIT Sloan Fellows 2011 Deadlines

The deadline to submit the online application, and all other required materials, is November 15, 2010 for non-U.S. citizens and U.S. citizens residing outside of the U.S., and January 17, 2011 for U.S. citizens and permanent U.S. residents residing in the U.S.

By Linda Abraham, President and Founder of Accepted.com.