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Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph?

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Aaliyah537
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Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   24 Sep 2017, 13:32
I'm curious what people's thoughts are on being creative with the structure of the MBA essay.

For instance if the question is :

What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

Do adcoms prefer that in the 1st paragraph I say somewhere "My post-MBA goal is to be a marketing manager"? As opposed to elsewhere in the essay, after maybe giving background on my prior experience. Should I try to answer the question (summarize the essay) in the first paragraph?
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   26 Sep 2017, 03:13
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Aaliyah537 wrote:
I'm curious what people's thoughts are on being creative with the structure of the MBA essay.

For instance if the question is :

What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

Do adcoms prefer that in the 1st paragraph I say somewhere "My post-MBA goal is to be a marketing manager"? As opposed to elsewhere in the essay, after maybe giving background on my prior experience. Should I try to answer the question (summarize the essay) in the first paragraph?


If this creative structure works for you and makes sense for what you have to say, you can go with it, although a more conservative structure would probably be to start with your background, past experiences and the reasons for applying, and then moving to discuss your goals and ambitions. Such structure can help your essay look more comprehensive and clear. For more essay tips please visit: https://aringo.com/mba-essay-tips-2/
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Aaliyah537
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   26 Sep 2017, 12:48
Aringo wrote:
Aaliyah537 wrote:
I'm curious what people's thoughts are on being creative with the structure of the MBA essay.

For instance if the question is :

What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

Do adcoms prefer that in the 1st paragraph I say somewhere "My post-MBA goal is to be a marketing manager"? As opposed to elsewhere in the essay, after maybe giving background on my prior experience. Should I try to answer the question (summarize the essay) in the first paragraph?


If this creative structure works for you and makes sense for what you have to say, you can go with it, although a more conservative structure would probably be to start with your background, past experiences and the reasons for applying, and then moving to discuss your goals and ambitions. Such structure can help your essay look more comprehensive and clear. For more essay tips please visit: https://aringo.com/mba-essay-tips-2/


Thank you!
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99Colleges
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   26 Sep 2017, 23:07
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Creativity shouldn’t come at the cost of clarity. As long as you explain things logically and don’t leave gaps for the reader to wonder at, you would be fine.
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   27 Sep 2017, 11:11
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As someone who HAS READ THOUSANDS of applications over the years- I have to say this is not the place to be too creative... you want to answer the question in a fairly straightforward way. Why? Because you have a person who is reading usually several of these at a sitting- and does not have time to hunt around for subtle meaning- they want to know your goals- so tell them! It does not have to be completely dry - but don't make it too tricky either where you beat around the bush. MBA application writing is not like fiction writing where there needs to be great dram or suspense... it's conveying the key points and answering the questions in a compelling but also efficient way as the person reading them does not have time to wallow too long in each one. That's my take as someone who has read them- but at the same time- reading something refreshingly honest and interesting will stand out in a sea of essays that all start with.... my short term goal is..... so be a little creative- be honest- be bold- but also do make sure you answer the questions asked and make it so the person reading does not have to be a detective to get at the points you want to make!

And for any tips on essays or if you are looking for some last minute advice on how to approach the essays, please reach out to us for a free consult to learn how we can help you! Link is here: https://stratusadmissionscounseling.com ... b-visitor/

Aaliyah537 wrote:
I'm curious what people's thoughts are on being creative with the structure of the MBA essay.

For instance if the question is :

What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

Do adcoms prefer that in the 1st paragraph I say somewhere "My post-MBA goal is to be a marketing manager"? As opposed to elsewhere in the essay, after maybe giving background on my prior experience. Should I try to answer the question (summarize the essay) in the first paragraph?
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VeritasPrepDozie
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink] New post   27 Sep 2017, 16:50
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You can structure it any way you like but clarity is key. Often times the problem most have is the more creative they structure their response the less clear the response to the question is. Also, most people in general are avg to sub par writers so sometimes a more direct approach is a safer way to go if you don't consider yourself a good writer. At the end of the day, make sure you are answering the question and that is generally a good start
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Re: Essays - Should you answer the Question in 1st paragraph? [#permalink]
27 Sep 2017, 16:50

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