MBA ZoNe - B-School Blogger

MBA essay word count: we can’t go over it. We can’t go under it. Or can we? @MBAStudio

"“How strictly do I have to stick to the essay word limit? How much can I go over? Does it matter if I’m under?” is a question I get a lot from clients and people who pop up on email.  To answer this, it’s essential, as always, to think about any process or task or limit in admissions from AdCom’s point of view. Put yourself in their shoes. Why do they ask for it? What are they trying to achieve? How does it help them?..."
read entire post

Source: MBA Studio

UCLA’s Anderson School of Business Asks Applicants to Submit Audio Essays

"Applicants this year to the Anderson School of Business at the University of California at Los Angeles were invited to submit essays in audio format, the Financial Times reports.  Though the option was voluntary, 70 percent of applicants for the class of 2011 chose to record their essays, Mae Jennifer Shores, Anderson’s admissions director, told the FT. Furthermore, the submissions were “ethnic, gender and country neutral,” Shores says,with international applicants as eager to participate as U.S. students..."
read entire post

Source: ClearAdmit

Essay Tip: Sentence Length

"Many essay writers use medium-length sentences (like this one) in their essays. Few use short sentences(like this one.) Few use long sentences in their essays, even though long sentences (like this one) can often play a useful role in an essay’s structure and story.  Confused? Consider the following example..."
read entire article

Source: mbaMission

Essays Lesson Three: Structure & Outline

"The easiest way to sabotage all the work you have done so far is to skip this lesson. Writing is as much a discipline as it is an art, and to ensure that your essays flow well and make sense, you need to construct solid outlines before you write. Unless you conscientiously impose structure around your ideas, your essay will be rambling and ineffective...."
read entire article

Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge

Essays Lesson Two: Topic Brainstorming

"Choosing an essay topic can be one of the most difficult aspects of the entire admissions process. Questions often ask you to think about your entire life, pick just one thing, and talk about it in great depth. Even the most reflective writers are left wondering: "How am I supposed to know the ONE event that has changed my life or the one thing that represents my entire personality"..."
read entire article

Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge

Essays Lesson One: Tackling the Question

"Think of the essay as the face of your application. An application without an essay is a statistic?just another faceless person in a crowd. An application with a poorly written essay does not give admissions officers the chance to care about you. Use simple psychology: make them feel that they know you, and it will be harder for them to reject you. Make them know you AND LIKE YOU, and they might accept you despite your weakness in other areas. Understanding the importance of the essay is a necessary first step toward perfecting your application..."
read entire article

Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge

MBA Application Essays and Recommendations: Where to Begin?

"Your whole admissions package should give the admissions council a pretty good idea of who you are. Your undergraduate record and your GMAT scores give an impression of your academic skills. But the essays and recommendations, especially, are key to revealing the person behind the application. That means that your goal is to give the admissions committee the clearest picture of who you are. We’ll let you know how to do that by exploring what makes a good essay. We’ll also hear from admissions directors about common mistakes applicants make and who to approach to get an excellent letter of recommendation..."
go to podcast & transcript

Source: MBA Podcaster

Guests include:
Linda Baldwin, Director of Admissions at UCLA Anderson School of Management

Paul Bodine, Senior Editor at Accepted.com and author of “Great Application Essays for Business School”

Linda Meehan, Assistant Dean and Executive Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School

Demonstrating the Need

by Stacy Blackman
Stacy Blackman Consulting

As you fill out your business school applications, you will undoubtedly encounter some very challenging essay questions. To be successful, you will go through a lot of soul searching and self discovery. Most applicants are bound to encounter the “why MBA” question frequently. It is surprising how difficult this relatively straightforward question can be. Applicants who have focused goals and defined reasons for wanting to apply often still struggle.

Essay - Optional

by Stacy Blackman
Stacy Blackman Consulting

When it comes to the optional essay offered by most schools, a frequent question is - is it really optional? Many applicants feel an obligation to write something, and struggle with what that something should be.

My approach to the optional essay is the following:
1) Complete your entire application, except for the optional essay. Don’t worry about that piece of the puzzle just yet.
2) Once complete, review your application and ask yourself if there is something extra you would like to communicate to the admissions committee.
3) If there is something missing, by all means, use the optional essay as an opportunity to say what you need to say!
4) If you cannot think of a topic you would like to cover, do not waste the admissions committee’s time, (or your time, for that matter).

One Question, Five Parts

by Stacy Blackman
Stacy Blackman Consulting

Wharton Question 1:
Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now?
Kellogg Question 1:
Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at the Kellogg School.
Harvard Question 6:
What are your career aspirations and how can an MBA help you to reach them? Why now?
Columbia Question 1:
What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals?