Tackling application essays for business school is a daunting task. They\u2019re a critical part of your sales pitch. Your application may be read by a bleary-eyed administrator who\u2019s already waded through hundreds of files that day \u2012 with only yours keeping him from turning in for the night. So how do you grab his attention? We\u2019ve seen many candidates do this spectacularly well. Many more have done it unforgettably badly.<\/p>\n
Before you get started with any writing, we\u2019d like you to take some time to step back and reflect on the big picture, thinking about the kind of content that will make sense for you to include. Our first tip is that being original and distinctive is good but being too quirky or oddball will definitely not score you any points. The applicant who chose to describe his murky sex life in his opening essay did catch the eye, and raised a few laughs, but he also went straight onto the \u201cwall of shame\u201d that many admissions offices have. You don\u2019t want to end up on it. You need to take some time to think deeply about some fundamental self-reflective questions. What are your professional strengths and weaknesses? What career will you pursue after graduation? And where do you want to be in five, then ten years? Having clear plans will help you put together a compelling picture of where you\u2019ve come from, where you\u2019re heading, and why an MBA is critical for getting you there.<\/p>\n
Another way to start thinking about your personal story is to brainstorm all of the factors that have driven the direction you\u2019ve taken in your personal life and professional career. You can trace the story back as far as you like, but you should ask yourself the following questions:<\/p>\n
– \u00a0What have been your passions, the things you\u2019ve loved doing the most? This could be in high school, in college, or since you started working.<\/p>\n
– \u00a0What or who has influenced the decisions you\u2019ve taken, such as what to study, and which career to pursue?<\/p>\n
– \u00a0What experiences have been turning points in your life, and what do they say about you?<\/p>\n
– \u00a0What other information would you like Admissions to know about you that may not come across in other areas of your application?<\/p>\n
Authenticity is essential. If you pretend to be something you\u2019re not, experienced admissions officers will sense it and trust you less. Candidates who present an image of what they think the business school is looking for fail miserably because they come across as phony. Business schools want to understand what is special about you. Don\u2019t fake it.<\/p>\n
In the next step in this series, we\u2019ll address come popular themes that recur in the application essays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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