Round 2 applicants! I am sure you must have spent the last couple of weeks writing, rewriting, revising, and editing your essay multiple times making sure that you have addressed the essay question effectively and persuasively within the prescribed word limit, and are now all set to submit your essays.<\/b><\/p>\n
Wait!!! If you are a non-native applicant applying to the US Business schools, you also need to make sure that you have not used any words\/ phrases\/ expressions that your readers, the Admission Committee members,\u00a0\u00a0 are not familiar with.<\/p>\n
There is no denying the fact that English is an international language used as a means of communication by people all around the world. \u00a0However, it is also true that English spoken by people in India and UK is different from that of American English in terms of spelling, grammar, usage, and of course, accent. \u00a0Therefore, it is critical that after finalizing application essays for the US B-Schools in the areas of content, organization, and sentence structure, the non-native applicants should identify words\/ phrases that American English speakers are not familiar with and replace them by their American English equivalents. \u00a0 I would like to bring to your attention some of those words and phrases that I have consistently come across when reviewing student essays for US B-schools.<\/p>\n
To begin with, B-schools often require their applicants to write \u2018life experience\u2019<\/i> and \u2018background\u2019<\/i> essays for which they need to recall their childhood\/teenage experiences. \u00a0Having done their schooling and under graduation in India (just like I did), they obviously use the terms popularly used in the Indian education system.\u00a0 For example, in India we use the term \u2018higher secondary\u2019<\/i> for 11th<\/sup> grade, \u2018senior secondary<\/i>, or \u2018intermediate\u2019<\/i> for 12th<\/sup> grade and \u2018middle school\u2019<\/i> for 6th<\/sup>-8th<\/sup> grades. \u00a0In America, however, 9th<\/sup>- 12th<\/sup> grade schools are called \u2018high schools\u2019<\/i>, and \u2018middle schools\u2019<\/i> are called \u2018junior high schools\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Therefore, instead of saying \u2018I passed or passed out intermediate\u2019,<\/i> you should say \u2018I graduated high school\u2019<\/i>; instead of saying \u2018I went to a primary school\u2019<\/i>, you should say \u2018I went to an elementary school\u2019. <\/i>\u00a0Some other words that you may want to replace by American- friendly terms are \u201810th<\/sup> or 12th<\/sup> standard\u2019<\/i> by \u201810th<\/sup> or 12th<\/sup> grade<\/i>\u2019, \u2018hostel room\u2019<\/i> by \u2018dorm\u2019<\/i>, \u2018class mate\u2019<\/i> by \u2018batch mate\u2019<\/i>, \u2018fresher\u2019<\/i> by \u2018freshman\u2019<\/i>, and \u2018topper\u2019<\/i> by \u2018number 1<\/i> student\u2019 <\/i>or \u2018honor student\u2019<\/i>. Please note that in India, students \u2018pass out\u2019<\/i> college or university, but in America, students \u00a0\u2018graduate\u2019<\/i> school or college and interestingly \u2018passing out\u2019<\/i> in American English means \u2018fainting\u2019<\/i> or \u2018losing consciousness\u2019.<\/i><\/p>\n Let\u2019s take a look at some other terms used in American Education system that you may want to know when sharing your background or life experience\/ stories for American B-Schools. \u00a0For example, in American schools, they have \u2018lunch\u2019<\/i> break as opposed to \u2018recess\u2019 <\/i>in India. \u00a0American students \u2018turn in\u2019<\/i> their papers while Indian students \u2018submit\u2019 them; they \u2018check in\u2019<\/i> and \u2018check out\u2019<\/i> the books from the library, while their Indian counterparts \u2018issue\u2019<\/i> and \u2018return\u2019<\/i> them.\u00a0 Again, American students are marked \u2018tardy\u2019<\/i> when they \u2018show up\u2019<\/i> late to the class, while Indian students are marked \u2018late\u2019<\/i> when they \u2018turn up\u2019<\/i> late to the class. \u00a0The teachers in American schools and colleges \u2018grade\u2019<\/i> student papers, while their Indian counterparts \u2018check\u2019<\/i> them, and at the end of the term, teachers in the US pass out \u2018score sheets\u2019<\/i> while Indian teachers announce \u2018results\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Indian students opt for different \u2018subjects<\/i>\u2019 in their undergraduate, while their American counterparts opt for different \u2018courses\u2019.<\/i> \u00a0Lastly, and most importantly, Indian students \u2018write\u2019<\/i> or \u2018give\u2019<\/i> the GMAT, while American students \u2018take the GMAT<\/i>.\u2019<\/p>\n Another common usage that I have come across in a majority of essays is the use of the phrase \u2018bring up\u2019<\/i> in place of \u2018raise\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0For example, \u2018I was born and brought up in XYZ town in India\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Please note that \u2018brought-up\u2019<\/i> is British English usage, and its American equivalent is \u2018raise\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Hence you may want to say \u2018I was born and raised in a XYZ town in India\u2019<\/i> to make yourself more comprehensible to the US Ad Com. \u00a0It is interesting to note that in American English, the phrase \u2018to bring up\u2019 means \u2018to mention\u2019<\/i>, whereas in British English (and by default in Indian English, too) it means \u2018to raise\u2019<\/i> the kids.\u00a0 Furthermore, if your story requires you to say that you \u2018shifted\u2019<\/i> to a new house or apartment, replace \u2018shifted\u2019<\/i> by \u2018moved<\/i>\u2019. \u00a0Also, if you need to write plural of \u2018person\u2019<\/i> write \u2018people\u2019<\/i> instead of \u2018persons\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Moreover, while discussing your professional history, replace the word \u2018fresher<\/i>\u2019 by \u2018new hire\u2019<\/i>. \u00a0Instead of saying \u2018I was a fresher at XXX company<\/i>\u2019, you may want to say, \u2018I was a new hire at the XXX company<\/i>.\u2019 \u00a0Also, I will encourage you to replace \u2018I was recruited by XXX company,\u2019<\/i> by \u2018I was hired by XXX company\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n Furthermore, some verbs have a different past and past participle form in British and American English. \u00a0Verbs such as learn, burn, dream, smell, spell, lean, spoil<\/i> end in \u00a0\u00a0\u2018d\u2019 or \u2018ed\u2019 in their past and past participle forms (learned, burned, dreamed, smelled, spelled <\/i>etc.) in American English, whereas the past and past participle forms of these verbs in British English is learnt, dreamt, burnt<\/i> etc.; therefore, we Indians are accustomed to ending these verbs with a\u2019t\u2019. \u00a0Since most essay prompts expect the applicants to discuss the lessons they learned from their professional or personal experiences, the most common verb form that I have replaced by its American English usage in student essays is \u2018learn\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n Takeaway:<\/b><\/p>\n When applying to US Business schools, be mindful of words and phrases that are common in your native translation of English and replace them by their American English equivalents. I hope that the above-mentioned tiny tips will assist you in making your essays more free-flowing, comprehensible, and Ad Com friendly.<\/p>\n Good luck on your applications \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n Note:<\/b> For more details on the differences between American English and British English, refer to my article \u2018American English vs. British English.\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n For more MBA articles, visit myEssayReview<\/a> blog.<\/p>\n