"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...."
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Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge
"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"..."
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Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge
"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..."
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Source: Gradschools.com | EssayEdge
"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
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.
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).
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?
by Stacy Blackman
Stacy Blackman Consulting
As my clients are cranking out their initial essay drafts, many of them are contacting me a bit upset over the word limits being imposed on them. They insist that they are not even halfway finished, but they have completely run out of words. “It’s just not possible to describe my three most substantial experiences in only 600 words!”
