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BSchoolorBust
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 20:25
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Just read "65 Successfull HBS Essays" - damn, are these essays representative of the class?

I can't help feeling like a schmuck when three of my most substantial achievements hardly add up to one achievement in the book.

What do you guys think? Are the essays in this book representative? And if not, can you guys recommend a book where the essays are written by more "normal" people (not super overachievers)?
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pelihu
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 21:11
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Hate to say it, but just going by the profiles of people here at GMATclub, people who get into HBS are super overachievers.
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rhyme
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 21:24
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All the books I've seen always have essays that are ridiculous.
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BSchoolorBust
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 22:02
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I think I may just skip the HBS application. It's probably out of my league to be honest.
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 22:09
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Its simple... The authors would want to post essays of super achievers only in their guide.. If they sell essays of normal people, their guide would look ordinary and many of the critics would end up saying the guide isnt that great... Atleast here theyre not questioned on the quality of the essays.

Doubt any book would cover essays of normal applicants..

Anyways I know Harvard admits super achievers for sure..
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 01 Jul 2008, 23:45
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there are a lot of "normal" students at any of these top schools, but they're all probably pretty accomplished in their relative fields.

I used the 65 essays book to mainly see how one can condense a lot of information within 300 words. You just have to learn to ignore the extraordinary accomplishments of those represented, and write your own story. Another way is to try to gain access to the Essay Vault and ask some people if they are willing to share some essays with you, but generally you need to be a good contributor to this site before most people will trust you enough to share the essays (or for Praet to grant you access to that area).
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 09:48
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kryzak
...Another way is to try to gain access to the Essay Vault and ask some people if they are willing to share some essays with you, but generally you need to be a good contributor to this site before most people will trust you enough to share the essays (or for Praet to grant you access to that area).
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400 posts limit hurts, but it's a great idea. (Now adding one more post to my total... :wink: )
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 09:54
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I havent even cracked this open ... better get back on the application bandwagon soon or else .... :roll:
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 11:17
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Even in other essay books, the examples they have are pretty intimidating. I'm using them more to get a feel for what the essays should be like - how should they flow, various formats used, word choice, tone, etc. hope it works! :)
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 17:31
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Thanks guys ... it's at least heartening to know I am not the only one who feels intimitated by the model essays.

Kryzak - thanks for the tip!
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 20:44
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Guys after you write your essays and edit them for months you will be amazed at how polished you sound and the quality of your work experience...that is if you put enough effort into them. Its not just the material but how you present it.
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 02 Jul 2008, 22:57
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riverripper
Guys after you write your essays and edit them for months you will be amazed at how polished you sound and the quality of your work experience...that is if you put enough effort into them. Its not just the material but how you present it.
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I also agree with rr. I started reading those essays to also get a feel of how to condense essays, yet still leave impact. Those essays are pretty good though. :?
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 03 Jul 2008, 02:55
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That's for the confidence boost guys. However, what intimidates me is not the quality of the writing, but the quality of the content - eg. guys who started their own business, NGO, start-up, raised $1bn in financing, etc.

My own accomplishments are somewhat more modest!

Anyway, I've decided not to apply to HBS, given their trend of going younger (I'm getting OLD!). Going to try for Wharton, MIT, Columbia, Chicago and LBS instead, plus some safeties (yet to be decided).
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 03 Jul 2008, 03:12
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Hey ... finally got my Avatar going!! If only I could travel through time, and get the MBA Almanac that would give me the secret of getting into the top business schools ...

Actually, if I did have a time machine I'd just start a hedge fund and make a ton of money. B-school be dammed!
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65 HBS Essays (I Feel Like A Schmuck) 03 Jul 2008, 23:20
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bhatiagp
Its simple... The authors would want to post essays of super achievers only in their guide.. If they sell essays of normal people, their guide would look ordinary and many of the critics would end up saying the guide isnt that great... Atleast here theyre not questioned on the quality of the essays.

Doubt any book would cover essays of normal applicants..
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Actually, people self select. Most people won't feel confortable sharing their essays so they don't. I guess after that the editors may or may not cut some form the final version. But I think they just include as many essays as they get volunteers.

I might go further and speculate on the correlation in between being an overachiever and sharing the essays but I won't.

L.