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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 11 Jul 2016, 07:07
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Can i replace the essay with a poem? Will it be acceptable to the leading b schools of the US like Harvard and Stanford?

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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 11 Jul 2016, 10:43
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Can i replace the essay with a poem? Will it be acceptable to the leading b schools of the US like Harvard and Stanford?

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Fantastic question - I think there is definitely room and reward for creativity - everyone applying to the top schools is really an exceptional applicant, thus doing something exceptional is kind of the norm. Of course there may be some room for punishment too perhaps in case it comes off as low effort or if the essay fails to provide enough background/meat/substance that the Adcom is looking for. This is probably the best question to ask in the Admissions Consultants Forum where some folks may have had experience and tried some of these things.

I have a writer's block with the easiest things sometimes., Kudos and congrats to you if you can even come up with something like that.
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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 13 Jul 2016, 16:45
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Can i replace the essay with a poem? Will it be acceptable to the leading b schools of the US like Harvard and Stanford?

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It is certainly possible to use an alternative format to answer the essay questions. I have seen it work many times before but I have also seen it fail. Whenever you vary from the traditional approach, it is important to do it well. The safest thing is to answer a question with a traditional response.

Email me if you want to discuss your situation further. Scott@personalmbacoach.com

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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 18 Jul 2016, 16:04
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I don't think anything is wrong with an alternative format as long as you are staying within the rules and restrictions of the program. But creativity is certainly welcomed and sometimes necessary with some of the top programs to stand out. So use your judgement and make sure you are answering the question with whatever format you are using.
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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 19 Jul 2016, 10:58
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Can i replace the essay with a poem? Will it be acceptable to the leading b schools of the US like Harvard and Stanford?

Hi @usercentricity- I thought your question was very interesting since I have spent 15 years in MBA admissions and have read thousands of essays. While every school is different, I thought I could share a little from the school side. So when a school asks an essay question, they want you to answer that essay question!
That's not to say there is no room for creativity- but if your poem does not answer the question asked, you may find yourself in the negative. If you can answer the question and somehow embed the poem in there too- that might be the best way to approach. It is always a plus to do something that can showcase creativity and break through the clutter- but don't risk not following basic instructions to do so. An essay that I still remember years later is one where a candidate had an Opera background and tied some of the stories of key Operas to his professional career. I felt like I learned something new- which I was not expecting-- but also he tied it carefully to the question being asked. So if you can do all that and it works with a poem, more power to you! But heed the advice about making sure you cover the basics too!
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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 19 Jul 2016, 11:39
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Different styles and formats are definite possibilities, but it has to be done right, and the meaning and assumed interpretation should be well thought out. As others on this thread have noted, there is enhanced risk in going this route, so strengths and weaknesses across your profile should be assessed before going forward with something as a poem. I realize this isn't the prescriptive feedback you were probably looking for, but things like this should be dealt with on a case by case basis to ensure the recommendation makes sense for you. If you'd like for us to take a look, we'd be happy to help!
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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 20 Jul 2016, 06:09
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Thanks all. Thanks so much fr ur kind and useful replies. I'm now able to, somewhat, figure out what format my answer to the essay question is going to take. And it will certainly be a poem but I was just thinking of inserting a few lines before and after it so as to make sure that my answer to the essay question looks complete and comprehensive, and it doesn't miss out on any of the points required to be mentioned as per the question asked. Does this strategy look appropriate? Or does it have some serious loopholes? Suggestions, views, and comments are welcome and deeply appreciated. Thanks in advance. :)

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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 20 Jul 2016, 16:36
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Without seeing it firsthand it's awfully difficult to answer your questions directly. However the more clarity you can provide the better off you'll be. You don't have many words, so use them wisely! Best of luck.
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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 20 Jul 2016, 21:09
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Yes thats perhaps true! Thanks for your suggestions. :)

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Can the US B School essays be given a different style and format? 21 Jul 2016, 14:41
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Hi User Centricity,

Thanks for your question.

While an alternative format, such as a poem, can be a refreshing change to the thousands of (potentially) dry essays that AdCom’s read, I feel honor-bound to mention a few helpful pointers (just for you):

Answer the AdCom’s question. And answer it well.

Harvard and Stanford are besieged, each year, with an overwhelming number of qualified (and not so qualified) applicants. They’re looking for very specific elements in applicant essays. Having worked for over seven years with literally hundreds of MBA applicants at two different firms now, I have seen what gets an interview at H/S/W, and what doesn’t. It’s hard enough to leap over this hurdle in prose, why would you burden yourself with an additional encumbrance, by writing in verse?

Your MBA application essay is, in many ways, a marketing exercise. If you are not a Nobel Laureate or at least a published poet (and even, sometimes, if you are!), you might not be skilled enough yet to write the kind of poem that a reader (particularly an AdCom reader) would enjoy…or, sad to say, understand. Remember that AdCom folks are trying to get through many, many essays, and they’re trying to pick the best candidates for their program. They are unlikely to be amused by someone who makes their job more difficult, or their day longer and more odious than it needs to be. A big principle of marketing is that you want your customer (in this case, your AdCom) to like you, your “product” – otherwise, why would they “buy”? Giving them a headache with a complicated poem is unlikely to garner their esteem, or endear you to them. Avoid gimmicks that are unlikely to try your end-user’s patience.

Bottom line: While I couldn’t recommend poetry as a stand-in for a well-wrought application essay to Harvard or Stanford, I would be happy to take a look at your poetry and give you more actionable feedback. I actually love poetry, and know it well. One of my principal subjects at Harvard University (undergrad) was English Literature, and I have written several novels and plays. Who knows, maybe you are that rara avis who can write a stellar MBA poem – it’s absolutely possible!! Now that would be a lovely discovery to make.

All my best to you in life & the MBA,
Vanessa