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Nov 2007:30 AM PST
-08:30 AM PST
Learn what truly sets the UC Riverside MBA apart and how it helps in your professional growth
Nov 2010:00 AM EST
-10:30 AM EST
If you’re applying to Columbia, NYU Stern, or Yale SOM, you need more than strong stats. Each school defines “leadership” differently, and your essays must reflect that. Join Sia Admissions founder, Susan Berishaj on November 20th
Nov 2009:00 PM IST
-10:00 PM IST
Join our free expert-led Essay Workshops to discover how to choose impactful stories, highlight your core values, and align your background with each school’s distinct culture, making every word truly count.
Nov 2108:30 AM EST
-09:15 AM EST
Get the inside scoop on what makes Emory’s Goizueta Business School great, learn how you can present a strong MBA application, and connect with an Admissions Director to get your questions answered.
Nov 2109:30 PM IST
-10:30 PM IST
Learn how to craft powerful, authentic essays by mastering the 3 “WHYs” every top MBA program looks for: Why MBA, Why Now, and Why This School.
Nov 2408:00 PM PST
-09:00 PM PST
Inquire for a free profile evaluation and guarantee statement for possible admits and scholarships!
22 Dec 2022, 07:39
Kudos
Bookmarks
Round 2 MBA hopefuls are in the swing of essay writing. How do I know? Because that’s the number one topic every in every single conversation I have with candidates this week.
Are you writing? Do you know what your MBA essays will be about?
The most important part of writing is thinking. Are you surprised to hear this?
I always advise MBA candidates to plan before they write.
What do you want the main takeaways from your essays to be? How will you convey them to the reader? Have you made sure they are not solely focused on you but display the leadership all top business schools look for?
Most importantly, how will you use the precious real estate that is your essay to accomplish the most important and hardest task you have in the MBA admissions process - differentiating yourself.
One of the hardest parts is for candidates to move from *statements* to *stories*.
“I am an innovative leader” doesn’t hold quite the same spell as “When COVID shut down the conference rooms of the world, my team and I reimagined our business model to create engaging virtual events that transformed the way MBA candidates and business schools interact”. (I used an example from my own track record as a former Managing Director of The MBA Tour for illustration purposes.)
Writing essays could feel like a slog. Inspiration is a fickle fellow but without it, writing comes out flat.
Today, I am offering you seven creative ways to ignite your inspiration as you write your MBA essays:
1. Create your slogan: If you could hold a billboard in front of the adcom’s window to convince them you are *the one*, what would it say?
2. Play music! It’s amazing what music does to our brains so put a great playlist on. As I write this, I am listening to Graeme James’s “Field Notes on an Endless Day”. (It’s not coincidental that Columbia Business School gives you an opportunity to speak about a song you love in one of your MBA essays.)
3. Write for your eyes only: Don’t start writing with the adcom in mind right away. Write the story you want to tell; then edit to ensure it is tailored to best present that story to your reader.
4. Go write someplace different: Every now and then, go to a café, a cool outdoor spot, maybe even a museum or the beach, to work on an essay. The change of scenery has the power to shift your mental viewpoint.
5. Take a walk: If I am stuck in my own writing, I get up from my desk and go for a walk. Invariably, about ten minutes in, ideas start to pop into my head and clarity of expression becomes more attainable. Just make sure to stop and record the light-bulb moments!
6. Create an “ideas portfolio”: Keep an easily accessible log of any ideas and inspirational thoughts regarding your candidacy – then re-read it periodically. Just as you would with an investment portfolio, diversify across different areas.
7. Hunt for a few metaphors: Sports, art, science, philosophy are all good places to mine. They might come in handy as you are trying to convey a thought.
Now go write! May the force of inspiration be with you!
Onwards and upwards,
Petia
Are you writing? Do you know what your MBA essays will be about?
The most important part of writing is thinking. Are you surprised to hear this?
I always advise MBA candidates to plan before they write.
What do you want the main takeaways from your essays to be? How will you convey them to the reader? Have you made sure they are not solely focused on you but display the leadership all top business schools look for?
Most importantly, how will you use the precious real estate that is your essay to accomplish the most important and hardest task you have in the MBA admissions process - differentiating yourself.
One of the hardest parts is for candidates to move from *statements* to *stories*.
“I am an innovative leader” doesn’t hold quite the same spell as “When COVID shut down the conference rooms of the world, my team and I reimagined our business model to create engaging virtual events that transformed the way MBA candidates and business schools interact”. (I used an example from my own track record as a former Managing Director of The MBA Tour for illustration purposes.)
Writing essays could feel like a slog. Inspiration is a fickle fellow but without it, writing comes out flat.
Today, I am offering you seven creative ways to ignite your inspiration as you write your MBA essays:
1. Create your slogan: If you could hold a billboard in front of the adcom’s window to convince them you are *the one*, what would it say?
2. Play music! It’s amazing what music does to our brains so put a great playlist on. As I write this, I am listening to Graeme James’s “Field Notes on an Endless Day”. (It’s not coincidental that Columbia Business School gives you an opportunity to speak about a song you love in one of your MBA essays.)
3. Write for your eyes only: Don’t start writing with the adcom in mind right away. Write the story you want to tell; then edit to ensure it is tailored to best present that story to your reader.
4. Go write someplace different: Every now and then, go to a café, a cool outdoor spot, maybe even a museum or the beach, to work on an essay. The change of scenery has the power to shift your mental viewpoint.
5. Take a walk: If I am stuck in my own writing, I get up from my desk and go for a walk. Invariably, about ten minutes in, ideas start to pop into my head and clarity of expression becomes more attainable. Just make sure to stop and record the light-bulb moments!
6. Create an “ideas portfolio”: Keep an easily accessible log of any ideas and inspirational thoughts regarding your candidacy – then re-read it periodically. Just as you would with an investment portfolio, diversify across different areas.
7. Hunt for a few metaphors: Sports, art, science, philosophy are all good places to mine. They might come in handy as you are trying to convey a thought.
Now go write! May the force of inspiration be with you!
Onwards and upwards,
Petia
