slacker wrote:
Hi Linda,
Do you think it's okay to mention in the essay the school you're applying to is the only school you're applying to (and thus considering)? Is there any beneficial value in that?
Presumably, it would be in the "Why our MBA?" question. And it would be an attempt to convey that they are the only school that meets my needs so completely, that the school is the only one I'd apply to.
Does it add any value? negligible either way? Or is there a negative connotation that I'm not seeing?
Also, is 12 the standard accepted sized font, with 11 on an "if you have to basis" and that's it?
Thanks a lot.
Slacker,
I'm answering for Linda. Schools are regularly told by applicants that they are their "number one choice," so they view such claims with skepticism. You are suggesting taking it one step further by letting them know that you are applying nowhere else. This makes the "number one choice" claim more credible, but it might also make them wonder at your prudence--why would someone who truly understands the value of an MBA put all of his eggs in one basket?
If you really are willing to forego the MBA unless School X admits you (perhaps because you don't want to leave your city and they're the only Top 25 game in town), then go ahead, but a much more effective strategy is to (a) overwhelm them with all of the specific ways in which their
B-school matches your needs and (b) dazzle them with the extent of your personal interaction with the students, alumni, and perhaps faculty of their institution.
Eleven-point type is fine (unless a school
requires 12 point). It's 10-point type that I put in the "if you have to" category (and try to use 10.5 first before dropping down to 10!).
Good luck!
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Linda Abraham
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