Optional Essay...What should I write about?

Question

Unfortunately, I have two weaknesses I need to address. 

1) I have a relatively low GMAT for the schools I'm aiming to. BUT I do have an excellent college GPA at a top public university and am taking supplementary math courses at a local college.

2) I have an employment gap between graduating from college and my first job (~ 5 months). I traveled all across Asia for 2.5 months, then worked at various temp jobs. 

My question is, which of these weaknesses is more important to address? A low GMAT or employment gap?

dabots · Answer

i think trying to explain the low gmat will sound like making excuses. i dont think the unemployment gap is severe enough to really warrant an optional essay, but it would be the preferable one of the two.

kryzak · Answer

I thought most schools have a separate section asking you to explain any unemployment gaps... make sure your schools have that before you consider using the optional essays.

As for the GMAT score, how low is "low?" If you're worried that your Quant is in the 60-70% when your outside coursework and GPA in school is very high, then it might be overkill. If you're quant is like 60% or lower, then maybe a paragraph addressing the fact that you're getting good grades at local colleges and back in undergrad will be enough. NEVER make it sound like whining! Only present the positives (how well you're doing now).

djhouse81 · Answer

I saw this thread buried, and wanted to throw in my 2 pennies (hopefully it will be helpful):

Don't write an Optional Essay!

It only will drag attention to your faults that might not otherwise be that glaring to the adcoms. There are exceptions:

- bad GPA or GMAT due to an EXTENUATING circumstance (i.e. family emergency)
- gap in employment, arrest, academic probation (you don't have much of a choice with this one)
- Stern reapplicants are encouraged to use this space to express their growth since their last app
- to make some brief neutral or positive point (i.e. because I am submitting my app in September, I am using the optional essay to tell one of my schools that I am visiting in October)

Other than these reasons, I would shy away from the optional essay. 

If your college GPA was poor in your 1st two years and then you raised it in your 3rd and 4th year, don't explain the 1st two years. The adcoms love someone who is constantly rising, so let them focus on that aspect of your GPA; they don't need to know that you crawled into a beer keg when you started college and did not leave until your junior year. They will probably assume that, so just leave it at that.

I am not saying that if you don't write about it, the adcoms won't catch your flaws; they most certainly will! However, you try to put the spotlight on your achievements in your standard essays; if you write about a flaw in your app in the optional essay then you are putting the spotlight on the flaw. Ultimately, use your good judgment, and use the optional essay as a last resort.

lepium · Answer

There's nothing you can write about a low GMAT that'll work. They'll either take it as it is or not, but they won't be influenced at all by anything you write about it.

Explaining the job gap could be an option, although with a positive spin. I'm still not sure whether I'd mention it in the app., though.

L.

riverripper · Answer

I agree with the GMAT aspect, if you have a low GMAT then you have the option of taking it again unlike the GPA of an undergrad which is what you have no matter what. Depending how low your GMAT is, you may want to consider retaking it, especially if you have been out of school for a fair amount of time. The longer out of school you are the more programs look at the GMAT as an indicator of where you are now.

If you are significantly below the avg GMAT you should consider retaking it. If you are just slightly below I would ignore it totally.

mba2010 · Answer

I'm using the optional essay to explain an employment gap and an educational gap (I took a semester off to travel). However, my employment gap contributed to my future career goals so it dovetails nicely with the rest of my essays. There are no excuses in my optional essays, just facts and key learnings.

Optional Essay...What should I write about?

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