{"id":45324,"date":"2019-04-25T10:38:38","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2019\/04\/what-a-difference-a-year-makes-writing-a-convincing-re-applicant-essay\/"},"modified":"2019-04-25T10:38:38","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:38:38","slug":"what-a-difference-a-year-makes-writing-a-convincing-re-applicant-essay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/what-a-difference-a-year-makes-writing-a-convincing-re-applicant-essay\/","title":{"rendered":"What a Difference a Year Makes: Writing a Convincing Re-applicant Essay"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Re-applicant<\/figure>\n

The re-applicant essay is a tactically thorny essay to write, no matter which way you look at it. You have a few hundred words, maybe a little more, to remind the adcom why they didn\u2019t let you in the first time around, and change their minds. <\/p>\n

The key here is not to tell
\nthem they were wrong. In fact, tell them they were RIGHT. Yep, you heard us,
\ntelling the adcom they were RIGHT not to let you in will unlock this essay.
\nOkay, maybe don\u2019t phrase it quite that starkly, but you do want to acknowledge
\nthe weaknesses in your previous application.<\/p>\n

This is going to require some
\npainful self-reflection on your part. If you haven\u2019t already gone back and
\nassessed why you didn\u2019t get the admit the first time around, now is the time to
\ndo so. Take a long, hard look at your application from a year ago, or two years
\nago, and consider why it wasn\u2019t quite worthy. Okay, done that? Now treat
\nyourself to some chocolate cake, give yourself a pep talk, and get ready to
\njump into version 2.0.<\/p>\n

Ready to write? Let\u2019s dig in.<\/p>\n

First, acknowledge why you
\nweren\u2019t quite up to standard the first time around. Maybe your goals were
\nfuzzy, or you lacked leadership experience, or you simply didn\u2019t have the GMAT
\nscore or quant skills. Recognize those faults in a concise, straightforward
\nmanner, not spending ANY time dwelling on WHY that was true or justifying those
\nweaknesses.<\/p>\n

Then, spend the bulk of the
\nessay showing the adcom how you\u2019ve not only improved on those weaknesses, but
\nmade them your STRENGTHS. Version 1 might not have had clear goals, but version
\n2 did X, had Y experience, and did Z research and now knows EXACTLY what her
\ngoals are, and how to achieve them. Mic drop. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s a key word here: SHOW the adcom the difference<\/em>. This is not going to work if you simply tell in a series of statements that you have improved on A quality or B skill gap. SHOW them! Paint a picture of WHAT you did to improve on that, or show this new and improved version of you putting that skill to use. Showing is always stronger than telling, and this is never truer than when you are attempting to prove that you\u2019ve turned a fault into a strength. <\/p>\n

Focus on what you\u2019ve DONE or
\nACHIEVED in the year (or more) since your last application, and what you\u2019ve
\nLEARNED along the way. These are two halves of the whole: simply listing a
\nbunch of experiences you\u2019ve had or success you\u2019ve achieved won\u2019t cut it any
\nmore than will spewing a series of lessons learned. You need to take 1 plus 1
\nand make 3 by demonstrating how you INTENTIONALLY took on X or Y role, project,
\nor experience to improve on A or B quality and learned D, E and F valuable
\nskills or lessons along the way. <\/p>\n

See how that\u2019s SO much better
\nthan just saying, \u201chey, I got a promotion, now can I attend your program?\u201d Tell
\nus HOW you got that promotion, what it meant for your role and
\nresponsibilities, and how it helped you become that better 2.0 version of
\nyourself.<\/p>\n

Intentionality is key here:
\nshowing the adcom that you acted specifically to address certain weaknesses
\nwill show that you have the self-awareness and maturity to recognize your own
\nfaults, and the ability and will to address them to become the BEST possible
\nversion of yourself. These qualities are key indicators that you will succeed
\nin their MBA program, in your future career, and, well, in life in general.
\nThis is why that self-reflection is so key: even if stating those weaknesses is
\nonly the first line or so of your essay, it is the ENTIRE basis of what you did
\nto improve yourself and why THIS version of you is b-school ready.<\/p>\n

Think you\u2019ve got it? Cool.<\/p>\n

Before you dive in, though,
\nlet\u2019s make sure we\u2019ve got a few things straight. These are common re-applicant
\nessay killers, and we don\u2019t want you making these mistakes. <\/p>\n

The DON\u2019TS:<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Don\u2019t push harder
    \non the same stuff as last year. There\u2019s a reason that material didn\u2019t work, and
    \nramming the same crud down the adcom\u2019s throats will not help your case. Even if
    \nyou think they screwed up, and wayyy undervalued X or Y about your application,
    \nthis essay is NOT Judge Judy\u2019s courtroom and you do not get to make your case.
    \nTake a breath and move on. Show them what\u2019s new and improved, not what\u2019s old
    \nand stale.<\/li>\n
  2. Do not justify
    \nthose weaknesses. Acknowledging is different from explaining. If you spend the
    \nfirst half of the essay telling the adcom WHY your goals were fuzzy or your
    \nexperience lacking, you will come off as whiny, and ain\u2019t nobody got time for
    \nthat. They don\u2019t want to hear excuses, and they won\u2019t give your new application
    \ntime of day if there\u2019s even a hint of that tone. Acknowledge your weaknesses
    \nand move on.<\/li>\n
  3. Finally, don\u2019t
    \nfocus too much energy on one area of improvement. There may be one particularly
    \nglaring weakness in your previous application, and hopefully you dedicated a
    \nlot of energy to fixing that since then, but it\u2019s not likely that there was
    \nonly ONE area in which you needed improvement. Give them a few reasons that
    \nversion 2.0 is better than version 1.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    At the end of the day, the re-applicant essay is all about showing them the delta<\/strong>. What\u2019s changed in this software update? What bugs have you fixed? Give the adcom good reason to believe that 2.0 is a truly superior applicant and that you can honestly self-reflect in order to improve upon your weaknesses, and you are on the right track.<\/p>\n

    ===<\/p>\n

    ***NEW Admissionado Products & Services for MBA\/Masters!<\/a>***Now, read up and get smart:<\/p>\n