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Most of us have heard the saying \u201cless is more,\u201d but how many of us put it into practice when it counts? Your application essays<\/a> are the perfect forum for reaping the benefits of this deceptively simple principle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the idea that we must resist our natural tendencies to overplay our hands, to choose complexity over simplicity, to include unnecessary details, to say what needn\u2019t be said, to be redundant\u2026See what I did there? Often, more information is of less value in getting your point across.<\/p>\n Every day we have multiple opportunities to explain ourselves, demonstrate our skills, or express something: speaking in class or at a meeting for work; trying to convince our friends, colleagues, parents, or children of something; or texting or tweeting when you just want to make your point fast.<\/p>\n Here are three key areas to practice less is more:<\/p>\n From personal statements to MBA goals essays<\/a>, being focused and concise is essential. Focus on key details on your work experience, fit with the program<\/a>, and lessons learned. DO NOT repeat the question or include vague generalizations. For example, there\u2019s no need to state the obvious such as: \u201cYou asked about my goals, so in this space I will tell you about my goals\u201d or \u201cEach of us faces many key decisions in our lives.\u201d At best, admissions committees, who read far too many generic essays, will just gloss over these parts. At worst they will see them as evidence that you don\u2019t express yourself in a compelling way. Also, don\u2019t succumb to \u201cpack-it-in-itis\u201d and try to stuff fifteen different stories in these longer essays. Pick the two or three most powerful stories about your experience and\/or goals, and polish those until they shine.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n The same principle applies here, especially because our tendency to include the unnecessary is amplified by anxiety. A perfect example concerns the dreaded \u201cWalk me through your resume\u201d<\/a> request. When we practice this with our MBA clients, over 90% of them start by telling us where they went to college and what their major was, then more or less read their resumes, sometimes point by point, often taking close to 10 minutes. Huge mistake. A much better \u2013 and simpler \u2013 approach is to say something like, \u201cMy resume shows that I have a strong engineering background, with professional experience that has focused increasingly on business-related problem-solving and leadership.\u201d Then proceed to illustrate each of those three main points with select, high-impact details from the resume. Two or three minutes, tops. Less is more.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n These are the essays typically used to explain weaknesses<\/a>: low GPAs; poor test scores; gaps on the resume. Here again our fear of leaving out key information often compels us to include too much, thus diluting the answer. Don\u2019t start this essay with something like, \u201cYour school has very high academic standards, and I know you prefer that students meet these standards. My grades and test scores are below the standard, so here I wish to explain why and hope that you will not hold these against me.\u201d Too long. Too wordy. Too much information. Instead, remember that less is more and go straight to the main point: \u201cMy GPA and GMAT score do not adequately reflect my academic capabilities.\u201d Then use key information, including numbers (a particularly effective way to practice less is more), to back up your claim.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Using less is more is a smart way to impress admissions committees and ultimately end up with more options for graduate school. We can help you focus your essays, trim them back, or help you from the very beginning \u2013 check out our catalog of application services here<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Related Resources:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022\u00a05 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your Personal Statement<\/a> 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>\nWhat does \u201cless is more\u201d really mean?<\/h3>\n
How do you apply this principle to your MBA applications?<\/h3>\n
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\n\u2022\u00a0How to Stay Within Essay Word Limits by Reducing Verbal Verbosity<\/a>
\n\u2022 What 3 Essential Ingredients Must You Include in Your Statement of Purpose?<\/a><\/p>\n