{"id":19898,"date":"2013-07-29T13:33:37","date_gmt":"2013-07-29T20:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=19898"},"modified":"2013-10-02T01:26:11","modified_gmt":"2013-10-02T08:26:11","slug":"5-ways-to-make-your-application-pop","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/5-ways-to-make-your-application-pop\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Make Your Application Pop"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Tips<\/a><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s post comes from Manhattan Review China<\/a>, a well-known provider of test prep and MBA Admissions Consulting in Beijing<\/a>, Hong Kong<\/a>, and Shanghai<\/a> for Top Business Schools.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to get into business school, applying for a job, or asking for a promotion, you know the kind of bind writing about ambition is. You want to praise yourself, but you don\u2019t want to be too boastful or even smug. So what\u2019s to be done? Writing can be a very effective way to put your case delicately and gently sing your praises. The next time you\u2019re working on that big essay, use these handy tips!<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    \u00a0Show & Tell?<\/h3>\n

    No. Show!You\u2019ve probably heard the phrase \"show, don\u2019t tell.\" It\u2019s a clich\u00e9, but that\u2019s for a reason. People are increasingly visual and over-stimulated and tend to tune out when they\u2019re being told. But one thing remains the same: people love a show. Use this to your advantage.<\/p>\n

    What does this mean in terms of an application essay? Don\u2019t write, \"I\u2019m an excellent written communicator,\" because that should be apparently in your writing. Show it, don\u2019t tell it. Why tell your reader about your \"strong work ethic\" when you can give examples that show it? Examples and strong, active language go a long way to making your essay readable and engaging. Remember, and use, these basic writing skills: don\u2019t end sentences with prepositions; use active verbs (\"ing\" is the enemy); take as few words as possible to make your point; and keep your sentences clear and declarative. Like this one.<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    Use \"Mini-Stories\"<\/h3>\n

    Here\u2019s another way to show rather than tell: use a mini-story to make your point. Mini-stories, unlike simple examples, have a beginning, middle, and end. This is the \"three act structure\" as recorded by Aristotle (read The Poetics if you want a primer). In the beginning a protagonist (you) is confronted by a challenge; in the middle, the protagonist overcomes the challenge through adversity and persistency; in the end, the protagonist (still you, but changed) has learned some invaluable lesson. For instance, \u201cGrowing up, I had a hard time focusing. I worked hard for years to master myself and learned French, German, and the oboe. Now I know I can apply my skills focusing to whatever work I do. I\u2019ve learned the incredible value of focusing!\u201d Expand as needed. Remember it\u2019s a mini-story, so keep it to a single paragraph.<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Don\u2019t Oversell<\/h3>\n

    Whether you\u2019re applying for a job or business school, your task is to show your reader you\u2019re worthy for serious consideration. It can be tempting to write about yourself as if you\u2019re a superhero who\u2019s never made a mistake. Now imagine how that reads to someone who sees a lot of applications. \"Ahh, another shining starchild has deigned to apply to our sad little program! Whatever shall we teach this god descended from the halcyon heights to bless us with his application? NEXT.\"<\/p>\n

    What\u2019s the trick? Be realistic about yourself, and be sure to write about at least one flaw you\u2019ve overcome and one you\u2019re working on. Showing you\u2019re conscious of your limitations, and striving to improve, is at once humble and sneakily boastful. You\u2019re saying, \"I\u2019m so outstanding, I know that I\u2019m not always outstanding, and I\u2019m confident enough to admit it!\"<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Add Some Personality<\/h3>\n

    You do have a personality, don\u2019t you? Employers and business schools receive many, many applications, and while you shouldn\u2019t write your essay in Comic Sans or anything so horrifying, you shouldn\u2019t be afraid to let your personality out to play. What are you passionate about outside the realm of business? What makes you excited about applying to the program or job, beyond the obvious (e.g. salary, prestige, season tickets). Be professional and don\u2019t over-share, but don\u2019t be afraid to let drop a touch of the personal to color your letter and show who you are when you\u2019re not all business. Think, and then write, responses these questions: what do you value; what drives you; and why are you an exceptional choice? Put the answers into your application, and if you can sneak a bit of personality into a Mini-Story, all the better.<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    Share Your Story<\/h3>\n

    When you write about yourself, remember that people want to understand why you became the person you are. Talk about what inspires you, what matters to you now, and what forces drove you to decide to do what you\u2019re doing. Your story is, after all, the one you should know best, so tell it in a way that\u2019s engaging, and the rest will take care of itself.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Derrick Bolton, director of MBA admissions at the Graduate School of Business at\u00a0Stanford University, says his best advice for application essays is this: \"Don\u2019t try to stand out.\" What does he mean by this? He\u2019s channeling Yoda. He means don\u2019t try to stand out. Just be yourself, tell your story, and your essay will do its job. Just make sure it\u2019s readable and tyop-free. Whoops. Ask a friend or two to review it, read it to yourself aloud, and review it again to make sure you\u2019re typo-free and it reads well. Good luck!<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re starting your MBA applications, check out our free interactive MBA Admissions Webinars<\/a>, where you\u2019ll gain lots of useful insight into the MBA Admissions process from Manhattan Review\u2019s Director of Admissions Consulting, who has been a member for the Wharton Admissions Committee for many years. The session will reveal many secrets of the admissions process and definitely increase your chances of success. Don\u2019t miss this opportunity to ask questions, and get an inside perspective, from an expert!<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Today\u2019s post comes from Manhattan Review China, a well-known provider of test prep and MBA Admissions Consulting in Beijing, Hong Kong, and Shanghai for Top Business Schools. If you\u2019re trying…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,775,113,243],"tags":[1281,778,1275,1286,1276,1279,1280,1278,1277,39,325,1282,1285,1284,1283],"class_list":["post-19898","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","category-blog","tag-best-applications-essay","tag-business-school-admissions","tag-getting-into-business-school","tag-grad-application-essay","tag-how-to-improve-your-application","tag-how-to-improve-your-job-search","tag-how-to-write-an-applications-essay","tag-job-hunt-tips","tag-job-search-tips","tag-mba-admissions","tag-mba-application-essay","tag-mba-application-writing","tag-writing-a-graduate-school-application","tag-writing-an-application","tag-writing-the-mba-application-essay","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n