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mbaMission Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Apr 2013
Posts: 4420
Given Kudos: 1
University of London (London Business School) Essay Analysis, 2015
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24 Jan 2015, 14:00
24 Jan 2015, 14:00
Expert Reply
| FROM mbaMission Blog: University of London (London Business School) Essay Analysis, 2015 |
|
London Business School (LBS) jumps on the “less is more” trend with regard to its application essays this year, only at a lesser rate of decrease than many of its peers. LBS is still asking candidates to write three essays, but it has reduced the total maximum word count from 1,200 (enjoyed by its Class of 2016 applicants) to 1,100 for aspirants to its Class of 2017. This means you have 8% less space in which to market yourself this season, so you will need to use that space wisely. Our analysis of LBS’s essay questions for its Class of 2017 applicants follows… What are your post-MBA plans and how will your past experience and the London Business School programme contribute? (500 words) Because personal statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. We offer this guide to candidates free of charge. Please feel free to download your copy today. How will you add value to the London Business School community? (300 words) What is the difference between answering this question well and flat-out bragging? Context! If you make claims about how you will add value without providing any context for your assertions, your statements will be perceived as boasting. However, by offering the appropriate context, you will effectively prove that you have something of merit to contribute. For example, if you were to simply say that you are a master trainer and that you would therefore facilitate others’ learning, your reader would likely be hesitant to believe you, because he/she would not have any information as to how you would do this or evidence that you are truly equipped to do so. However, if you were to detail instances when you have—for instance—developed training programs, led new hire training, and/or successfully taught and lead others, then the reader would be able to “buy” that you possess this skill and could accomplish what you claim. In addition to proving yourself by offering relevant detail, you must also explain how and where you will add value to the LBS community. So, beyond showing the skills you have and declaring how you would apply them, you need to send a clear message to the reader that you understand what LBS is about and show that what you can contribute is appropriate for the LBS experience specifically. In effect, you need to communicate to the reader, “Here is proof that I have done my homework on LBS, know that I am a good fit with the program, and am ready to immerse myself in the community from day one.” Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (300 words) This “additional information” prompt is different from that of most schools, in that typically, this is where applicants would discuss any blemishes in their profiles (e.g., low GMAT scores, poor grades, employment gaps). However, LBS offers candidates other opportunities to address such issues in its application. So, we will refer you to our mbaMission Optional Statement Guide (available through our online store), which includes detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay (with multiple sample essays as illustrations). Let us clarify, though, that we do not feel that this essay is the right place to explain any shortfalls in your candidacy, unless they truly fall outside the parameters of the other spaces the school gives you, and you feel that they absolutely must be more thoroughly explained! Instead, you should use this essay to offer a more rounded, positive representation of yourself. So, be thoughtful about how you can use this space to do so. Do not just copy and paste an existing essay you wrote for a different school here and hope for the best. Take a step back and carefully consider what the admissions committee already knows about you from the other parts of your application, including, of course, your other essays. Then, do your utmost to develop and convey a narrative that is truly crucial to understanding your character. Because this question is so open-ended, your options are somewhat limitless. You will need to honestly check your instincts and ask yourself whether you are simply tacking something extra onto your application with this essay or whether you are presenting an authentic representation of who you are as an individual. |
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mbaMission Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Apr 2013
Posts: 4420
Given Kudos: 1
MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Well, I Had My Chance on the GMAT…
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25 Jan 2015, 14:00
25 Jan 2015, 14:00
Expert Reply
| FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Well, I Had My Chance on the GMAT… |
|
You finally took the GMAT, and though your score was not bad, it was not what you had expected or hoped—so, not your best score, but certainly not so low that you need to take the test again. With a score just below where you think you should be, should you risk it all and take the test again? The truth is that there is actually no risk in taking the GMAT a second (or even a third) time in pursuit of a better outcome. If you do your best on the GMAT on your first try, you can rest easy and move on. However, if you do poorly or simply do not live up to your potential, go ahead and take the test again. Simply put, you do not need to worry that if you do worse on your second try, your target school will average your score down or worse, consider only your later, lower score. In fact, whether your score improves or gets worse, your target school will consider only your highest score, thereby eliminating any risk to you or your candidacy. So, if you score a 700 on your first test and a 670 on your second, you are better off than if you had scored a 690 on both. We should note that Dartmouth Tuck tacitly encourages multiple attempts at the GMAT by allowing applicants to create a synthetic score on the GMAT. Tuck will take an applicant’s best performance on each section of the GMAT (Verbal or Quantitative), even if the individual scores are from different tests, and will count them toward a single score that the school calculates on its own. So, relax and take the test again if you have time and, more importantly, can do better. However, unless you feel that you can improve, taking the test over and over is pointless. You would be surprised how many people take the GMAT repeatedly without considering improvement at all. |
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mbaMission Admissions Consultant
Joined: 25 Apr 2013
Posts: 4420
Given Kudos: 1
Monday Morning Essay Tip: Contextualize Your Educational Objectives
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26 Jan 2015, 11:00
26 Jan 2015, 11:00
Expert Reply
| FROM mbaMission Blog: Monday Morning Essay Tip: Contextualize Your Educational Objectives |
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When tailoring their essays to specific schools, many business school candidates do not go far enough to show a clear and understandable connection between themselves and their target MBA programs. Offering school-specific information is good, but you must go beyond merely mentioning the particular resource(s) that appeal to you—you must add context for your claims. What is the difference between a mere mention and providing context? Mention: “With a focus on entrepreneurship, I will participate in Columbia’s Entrepreneurial Sounding Board process. Further, I am attracted to classes such as ‘Small Business Finance,’ ‘Real Estate Marketing,’ and “Introduction to Mergers.’ I also plan to join the …” Context: “With clear plans to launch my start-up immediately after graduating from Columbia Business School, I look forward to testing my ideas through the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board; I find this opportunity to meet with faculty and gain critical feedback and mentoring invaluable as I strive to refine my business plan and learn more about how to source investments…” In the first example, the candidate shows an awareness of the Entrepreneurial Sounding Board but does not provide the context necessary for the reader to fully understand how he/she will use this resource; therefore, the mention is entirely superficial. As a result, it is easily forgettable, unconvincing, and impersonal (i.e., it could be made by pretty much any candidate with any background and any goals). The applicant has seemingly not taken the time to reflect on this resource and how he/she would use it to progress toward his/her stated goals. The candidate then goes on to list the classes he/she plans to take and essentially succeeds in little more than cataloging resources rather than offering a reasoned consideration of how the school’s offerings are necessary. The second example better explains exactly how the candidate will use the resource mentioned; the applicant has clearly done the necessary homework on the school and truly grasps how Columbia Business School will satisfy his/her academic and professional needs. Because the latter example is more informed and serious minded, the reader can be certain that the candidate has a set path and a clear plan to achieve specific goals. |
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