All business school adcom members want to read essays that discuss the time you saved the day at work, right? That is what I thought when I first sat down to write my Kellogg business school essays. I racked my brain to think of heroic stories...

Most of us have heard the saying “less is more,” but how many of us put it into practice when it counts? Your application essays are the perfect forum for reaping the benefits of this deceptively simple principle. What does “less is more” really mean? It’s the...

In our last post, we illustrated 5 key story elements with these opening application essay lines: The moment I found the lump, I suspected my life was about to change – in a big way. It was mid-May 2011. I was a busy consultant in...

Ready to write your personal statement? Then it’s time to conjure your inner storyteller. The best way to distinguish yourself from other applicants is to tell the admissions board a good story, a tale of your greatest achievements, dreams, and challenges. How do you tell a...

One of the many challenges of applying to college or graduate school is showing the admissions committee how you’ll fit in and stand out. Adcoms are trying to build student bodies that will work cohesively towards shared goals and ideals, but that come from different...

This is the first post in a 4-part series that examines INSEAD MBA’s 4 admission criteria. The adcom gives, as its first admission criterion, “ability to contribute.” I take the liberty to add: ability to contribute as a person of quality and substance. All the criteria...

Most applicants – whether applying to med school, law school, business school, or any other grad school or college program – need to deal with rigid character or word limits when writing their application essays or personal statements. You may start out thinking that you...

  This week we are airing an encore of one of the most populars shows of 2017. Many applicants focus on the past - both the good and the bad - to the detriment of their applications. Find out the role your past plays in admissions and...

What are the essential components of a strong statement of purpose or MBA goals essay? The adcom will want to see a MAP of where you’ve been, where you are now, and where you’re headed. (A personal statement is slightly different in that your readers...

Having trouble getting those first few words and sentences of your application essay up on your computer screen? Don’t fret – even the most accomplished novelists or famous journalists have a tough time getting started. Tempted to get up and do something – anything! –...