{"id":20036,"date":"2013-08-05T14:11:55","date_gmt":"2013-08-05T21:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=20036"},"modified":"2013-08-05T14:11:55","modified_gmt":"2013-08-05T21:11:55","slug":"short-and-sweet-tips-for-writing-mini-mba-essays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/short-and-sweet-tips-for-writing-mini-mba-essays\/","title":{"rendered":"Short and Sweet: Tips for Writing \u201cMini\u201d MBA Essays"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NoFrills\"<\/a>What is an admission committee\u2019s message, intent, behind limiting an \u201cessay\u201d answer to 100, 200, or 300 characters? Just the facts, please.<\/strong><\/em> In fact, just the key<\/strong><\/em> facts.<\/p>\n

No adornment, no backstory, no extended rationale.<\/p>\n

Columbia Business School<\/a> has had such a goals question for a few years, Darden<\/a> has had a 140-character Tweet question, and now HBS<\/a> has a couple of these mini-essay questions. Yes, it\u2019s a trend.<\/p>\n

In working with clients on such questions, I\u2019ve been struck by how hard providing \u201cjust the facts\u201d really is \u2013 it\u2019s counterintuitive, it\u2019s letting go<\/a>. It makes the writer feel, well, a little naked out there. Adornment, backstory, rationale \u2013 those are the comfortable \u201cclothes\u201d now in a heap on the floor.<\/p>\n

OK, but how do you give them what they want \u2013 while simultaneously serving your goal of creating a compelling application that differentiates and distinguishes you?<\/p>\n

Here are some unadorned tips to answer that question.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Read the question carefully and weigh each word, to make sure you\u2019re answering the exact question<\/em>.<\/strong> (Seems obvious? I\u2019ve witnessed many very smart people misread the question, with predictable results.)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Short doesn\u2019t mean easy.<\/strong> The opposite is often true. Allocate and devote some up-front thinking time to what you\u2019ll say. The fewer words you have, the greater weight each word has.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In this thinking process, decide the 1-3 key points you must<\/em> convey.<\/strong> Don\u2019t even consider anything else.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Also in this thinking process, consider the application overall.<\/strong> These mini-essays must work within a larger whole. For example, if you only have 200 characters to write about your goals<\/a>, and you\u2019re planning to shift careers, look for other places in the application to indicate that you have relevant skill sets, understand the industry\/function, etc.<\/p>\n

\u2022 In drafting, write a little<\/em> over the limit and pare down.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Make sure each word is meaningful.<\/strong> Stick to nouns and verbs. Use short, direct sentences, which allow you to \u201csqueeze<\/a>\u201d the most out of the limited characters.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Avoid repeating the question<\/strong> (if it\u2019s about post-MBA goals<\/a>, the reader will know what you\u2019re referring to, you don\u2019t have to say, \u201cPost-MBA I plan to\u2026).<\/p>\n

You know the expression \u201cshort and sweet.\u201d Turn brevity to your advantage. A short statement can have great power, propulsion. The key is to do it right.
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