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\u201cBusiness schools only want to accept candidates who are perfect, so I am going to make sure I show myself in the best possible light. Crickey. One of the essay questions is to tell them about a failure. What do I do now?\u201d<\/p>\n
While this is a conversation you might conceivably have with yourself, fear not. An honest and introspective essay discussing a failure or weakness can actually be one of the strongest advocates for your admission, but note the key word: honest. Admitting to a failure or weakness is difficult, to be sure, but also one of the ways to show you have integrity, are self-aware, and are able to change.<\/p>\n
To get started on your essay<\/a>:<\/p>\n 1.<\/strong> Recognize that nobody is perfect. As a former admissions committee member<\/a>, I know that members of the adcom are human, too. You can guarantee they\u2019ve all had to acknowledge a failure or weakness at some point in their lives. The reason this question is being asked by a particular school is because the admissions committee is looking for applicants who have the self-awareness to acknowledge shortcomings and adapt.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Start jotting down the examples you can think of, since the likelihood is that you have faced more than one failure in your life. Same goes for weaknesses, if that is the question.<\/p>\n 3.<\/strong> Take each of the examples and think about which experiences helped you grow the most. Which ones have made you a better person, a stronger person, one who is more prepared to face adversity in the future? How are you different now as a result of confronting the negative situation? Do you have concrete examples to show how the changes you made as a result of the failure or weakness have led to success? Oftentimes a weakness is a flip side of a strength, so perhaps a weakness served you well at some point? Perhaps the fact that you are \u201ctoo detail-oriented\u201d resulted in discovering a critical error? Or perhaps identifying your weakness \u2013 from a perspective of maturity and introspection \u2013 has allowed you to take steps to ameliorate it.<\/p>\n Recently I worked with a client who suffered a failure that could have been catastrophic for the business relationship between his company and its client. The analytics department had interpreted data incorrectly, such that their strategy recommendation to the client was the exact opposite of what it should have been. The error wasn\u2019t discovered until after the new strategy had been implemented. Rather than watch from afar as the strategy failed, my client told the truth, fully prepared for awful consequences. Instead, the relationship between the two companies flourished, due to a newfound appreciation for honesty and integrity in the relationship.<\/p>\n Be thoughtful in your response to a question on weakness or failure, and try to create the link with honesty and integrity as you lay out the answer. Successful leaders<\/a> must have honesty and integrity as part of their DNA, and be able to see and admit to failures and weaknesses. As I said earlier, nobody\u2019s perfect, but a \u201cperfect\u201d answer to this question just might get you admitted!<\/p>\n Need help figuring out how best to present your failures or weaknesses? Our consultants would be happy to help you craft compelling essays that improve your chances of admission. Contact us today!<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 From Example to Exemplary<\/a>, a free guide This article<\/a> originally appeared on blog.accepted.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.<\/em><\/p>\n![\"Get](\"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Get-accepted-to-top-MBA-programs-with-low-stats-live-webinar-April-18-2018.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Get](\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/jen_weld_pic_thumbnail.png\" "\\"Jennifer")
<\/a>Jen Weld<\/a>\u00a0worked as an admissions consultant and Former Asst. Dir. of Admissions at Cornell\u2019s EMBA program (4 years) prior to joining Accepted. She has an additional 10 years of experience in higher ed and corporate marketing.\u00a0Want Jen to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n
\n\u2022 How to Write About Overcoming Challenges Without Sounding Like a Whiner<\/a>
\n\u2022 3 Tips for Highlighting Your Strengths in Your Application Essays<\/a><\/p>\n