{"id":27370,"date":"2015-01-29T03:00:27","date_gmt":"2015-01-29T10:00:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2015\/01\/the-truth-behind-the-cuts-in-mba-application-essays-and-tips-to-improve-yours\/"},"modified":"2015-01-29T03:00:27","modified_gmt":"2015-01-29T10:00:27","slug":"the-truth-behind-the-cuts-in-mba-application-essays-and-tips-to-improve-yours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/the-truth-behind-the-cuts-in-mba-application-essays-and-tips-to-improve-yours\/","title":{"rendered":"The Truth Behind the Cuts in MBA Application Essays, and Tips to Improve Yours"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"MBA<\/a><\/p>\n

No matter the word count, applicants\u2019 MBA application essays require just as much thought as ever.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Kaplan annual survey of admissions officers from business schools, graduate schools, law schools, medical schools, and colleges across the nation is in, and we\u2019ve got the newly released findings about the trends and practices that will help you navigate business school admissions and get into those elite MBA programs. The hot topic of 2014\u2019s survey, reflecting trends that will continue into 2015? Business schools slashing the number of application essays<\/a> they require, or the word count therein.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s true that some of the most competitive programs like Harvard<\/a>, Stanford<\/a>, Yale, <\/a>and Wharton<\/a> have instituted some version of the application essay slash<\/a>, Kaplan\u2019s research has found that the practice might not live up to the popularity its high-profile frontrunners have bestowed upon it. Only 13% of the more than 200 business schools that participated in our survey say they have cut the number of essays or words for this cycle, and only 3% of MBA programs told us that they plan to cut the essays in the next application cycle.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s the takeaway: While it\u2019s true that some of the top MBA programs<\/a> have either reduced the number of essays or total words that applicants are required to write, the vast majority of business schools still see value in gathering more, not less, information about their applicants.<\/p>\n

Our survey additionally shows that those business schools that have cut their admissions essays have done so to streamline the application process, believing they can get what they need from applicants with fewer, more focused<\/i> essays. Aspiring business school students should keep in mind, therefore, that the motivation is not necessarily to attract applicants, make it easier to apply, or boost application numbers. The top business schools, after all\u2014those who started the trend\u2014will rarely have trouble securing high-level applicants at high volumes.<\/p>\n

As for the matter of ease, keep in mind that a shorter essay is not necessarily a simpler essay, and the participating MBA programs\u2019 goal is to streamline the process for them\u2014not necessarily make it easier for you. Therefore, the application essays you will write and ultimately submit are expected to be more succinct and focused, and this can present its own challenge.<\/p>\n

Regardless of word count or quantity, however, it\u2019s important to continue to put thought and effort into your application essay. What hasn\u2019t changed, after all, is the fact that this part of the application can showcase things admissions officers cannot find out about you through more quantitative measures like GPA, standardized test scores, and work experience. Use this as an opportunity to show why you\u2019d be a good fit for the program.<\/p>\n

Here are a few ways you can do this:<\/p>\n

MBA Application Essay Tips<\/b><\/h4>\n

Maybe you\u2019ve heard these tips before in some way\u2014but they bear repeating.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Stay on topic\u2014and within the word count.<\/b> If you are asked what your biggest workplace success story is, don\u2019t write about why you\u2019ve wanted to go to business school X your entire life. They already know you want to go there. That\u2019s why you are applying. If they say no more than 200 words, they mean it. They mean that 210 words are 10 words too many.<\/li>\n
  2. Be genuine.<\/b> Don\u2019t write about the person you wished you were; write about who you are. Admissions officers were not born yesterday, and they see a lot <\/i>of applications. They can usually tell who is faking it. Furthermore, a charade\u2014even a well-crafted one\u2014becomes harder to pull off if you are asked to come in for an interview. Struggling to remember the \u201cfacts\u201d about yourself\u2014which is pretty much all the interviewer will know about you\u2014is dead giveaway that you were less than authentic on your essay.<\/li>\n
  3. Have a colleague, friend, or family member proofread your essays.<\/b> These are the folks who know you best, so they will be able to tell you if your tone is authentic. If they\u2019re not great with grammar and content, find a second, third, or fourth person to review your application essay.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Want to know what business school will be like for you? <\/i>Enter now to win a trip to your own personal dream school.<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n

    The post The Truth Behind the Cuts in MBA Application Essays, and Tips to Improve Yours<\/a> appeared first on Kaplan GMAT Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    No matter the word count, applicants\u2019 MBA application essays require just as much thought as ever. Kaplan annual survey of admissions officers from business schools, graduate schools, law schools, medical…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":120,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"1","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,558,243,940],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gmat","category-kaplan-blog","category-blog","category-gmat-prep-gmat","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/120"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27370\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}