"People may be surprised to learn that Iâ€¦"

Question

USC question:
"People may be surprised to learn that Iâ€¦"
Is it okie if I write about my...playing football ability? I look small and stern, but I'm a good football player, is it really a suprise, and is it suitable for this essay....?

venky1979 · Answer

your choice is good and nothing wrong with it

braindancer · Answer

It's not bad; however, I'd take my time to think about something more relevant for your study. I don't mean strictly professional - maybe some personal quality of yours; something that distinguishes you and sheds some positive light. Football does answer the question, but will it impress the adcoms?

venky1979 · Answer

If he has some achievement like captaining the winning team

or even coaching people he can show case his talents as a leader in foot ball may have over looked becuase of physcial appearance

braindancer · Answer

That's a better story. I just wanted to say that a plain statement like "I'm good at football" doesn't help much.

jayy178 · Answer

i think thats a good platform to use. I did the .."my greatest accomplishment to date..." option for my USC essay.

just tie it back into how the things you learned from it shaped who you are and how it will help you through b school etc etc

pelihu · Answer

I will agree with the others. You can talk about being a good football player, but you need to specifically point out how this is relevant to business school.

The question really means, "People might be surprised to learn that I...which demonstrates my leadership/teamwork/other ability."

rhyme · Answer

Just for the record, you don't have to tie it back - it can just be about who you are as a person. For instance, I know someone who wrote about playing a musical instrument. (accepted).

Nsentra · Answer

I am struggling with similar question for chicago. I'd like to write my love for classical music, but I am not sure how to tie it back, besides that fact that I have love and appreciation for culture and art. What can be done with that?

rustmonster · Answer

I agree with rhyme. If you can tie it in naturally, more power to you, but I wouldn't worry about doing so. 

Imagine how many essays AdCom's are reading right now that strain to tie in everything in the application with why you will be a great teamplayer, leader, etc. Yeh, they will see right through it. Imagine how refreshing something totally new and different will seem.

You are a human being who wants to go to business school, not a business school applicant who just happens to be a human being. This question is about getting to know you as a person. So, introduce yourself. I think its a huge mistake to ignore something really interesting about yourself, simply because you couldn't figure out how it relates to bschool. 

Presumably, you made your MBA case in other essays and through recommendations. This Q is an opportunity to let the AdCom know why you should be admitted and not the next guy who claims his freakish knowledge of Ethiopian cuisine means he will be a great team player...

rhyme · Answer

Absolutely. Its supposed to be something interesting, and anyway you only have 100 words, so its not like you can really tie it back that much with that kind of space anyway. I'd go for it.

darren1010 · Answer

Thanks you guy for all your ideas. I stand corrected, it's soccer, not football. (in VN, people always call it football, so I've mistaked all the time)
I can begin like this:

People may suprise to learn that I can play soccer well, although my outward may give them the impression that I am not a good sport player.
.......
then I will explain why I love soccer, how I love soccer, and what I learn from soccer (team play, for example). 

Do I have to expose very clearly why it is a suprise? (i.e I'm small but run fast and my skills and movement are so...unbelievable. I think those infos are...absurd)

I don't tie it back a lot (it hard to do so in 250 words), but I will try to show my passion and some personal fact about me. Do you guys think it is okie?
(and also, any suggestion for another impressive opening)

braindancer · Answer

Don't dive into detail too much. State it briefly in once sentence and go ahead. The "why I love soccer and what I learn from it" part is crucial, so you want to save as much wordspace for this as possible.

deowl · Answer

Contrary to the previous advisers I think that doing so you will just burn your chance to sell yourself to the addcom. Try to think as they do: what added value could a soccer player bring to a class? I could hardly think of any. And no, they are not looking for just another human being. They are looking for people who would diversify the class experience so the sudents can take more out of their MBA degree. 

So this quesion actually asks the following: what can you bring to the class? what kind of experience and skills can you contribute to your fellow students? 

Great soccer player despite of the physical conditions? hm...

Sorry if this sounds bitter..

braindancer · Answer

That's what I was talking about from the very start. If you stick to the soccer story, make sure you sell it appropriately.

rustmonster · Answer

Everyone has to follow their own path I suppose. Several years ago, I applied to one MBA program, a top ten school. I wrote about playing guitar in a alternative/ grunge rock band. I focused on my passion for music and the adrenalin of performing live and the hardships of regional touring on a shoestring budget. I made no attempt to tie it in to what I would contribute in a classroom, my leadership skills, or my future goals. I felt that other parts of the application sufficiently covered those issues. 

(I didn't matriculate then because one of my recommenders offered me a good job and I decided to take it. So here I am applying again. Crappy part is I wasted a good GMAT score; fortunately I did better the second time, but I missed all the first deadlines this year, while studying for the GMAT.)

deowl · Answer

Being a professional musician is really uncommon background for a businessman wannabe, thus you are surely an asset for a class of investment bankers and consultants of all kinds. Moreover, this experience could be very valuable for those heading for entertainment business. 

Whereas, being a soccer player is a quite common hobby nowadays, and I can hardly see how it can set one apart from a crowd of other socker, tennis, or whatever, players. Of course, if you are a former NBA star, that can make a difference.

Of course, one can create a brilliant essay bassed on this sole experience as well. But, not considering myself Shakespeare, I would better use a more solid stuff to base my essays upon.

darren1010 · Answer

Ooops... The reason I choose this topic is that, USC is well known for it football, or sport overall. Therefore, I try to picture myself a good fit for them.
In other 3 essays, I have given them my goal, leadership, career progress, and even extra-curricular activities. So in this essay, I try to do something different (and very honestly, I can not think of something else noteworthy).

braindancer · Answer

Well, if they pay attention to sports, this may be a decent option. Still, make sure that it doesn't sound like "I'm good, take me, I'll play for your team" - try to enrich the essay with your passion for sports and what you learn from it.

Anyway, if there is no other "surprise" you can think of - it's better to tell about your actual ability. be it soccer or whatever, than try to fabricate something.

"People may be surprised to learn that Iâ€¦"

Prep Toolkit

Top 5 GMAT Debrief Videos

615 to 715 in 15 Days (Ria's Strategies)

More than Quant/Verbal Abilities: Speed vs. Accuracy

745 with Only Self-Prep and GMAT Club

From 555 to 765: 210-point Improvement

Perfect 805 Score Debrief by Julia

My Rewards