MBA Essays
MBA essays provide you with the opportunity to personalize your application. With a huge number of students from similar ethical
backgrounds and GMAT scores, the only factor that sets your application apart from others is MBA essays. Your application heavily
banks on correct and truthful representation of yourself. These essays are windows to your character, personality and traits. In
order to get selected in your preferred business school, you need to highlight and focus those points that present you in
the best possible manner.
Most of the business schools require you answering as much as four MBA essays. The first two essays are mandatory which each
applicant must answer. For the remaining two, you either have the option to choose from a general set of essays or select the
essays to answer that are relevant to your area of specialization.
The following tips provide you with the general rules to apply in your essay writing:
- Be Honest:
The first point to remember is that essays directly represent you in front of the admission committee. You have to keep in mind that
honesty is the best policy. You lose out on getting selected by writing content that does not mirror you truthfully. Even if you
feel you don't have many traits to market in your essay, you can still seal the deal by highlighting your personality through elegant writing.
- Self-Reflection:
Before attempting any of the essay questions, it is important for you look within yourself for answers. Take some time off for
self-introspection. Try to identify who you really are, what your short and long term career goals are, how an MBA can help you achieve
these goals, what can you contribute to the business school etc. Also discuss with others how you are perceived to determine your leadership
quality and ability to work well with others. It is only after self identification that you can present yourself in front of
others in proper light.
- Brevity is the name of the game:
The easiest pitfall to plunge into is writing long and abstruse essays. You must remember that admission committee is looking for
candidates that are logical and concise in thinking. Before you write endless lines of self-praise, take a moment off and think hard
as to what exactly the question requires. Don't lose out on the essence of the question. Usually, business schools set a word limit
for each essay question. Some may even set limit on number of pages you can fill out against each essay. In any case, keeping your
essays brief and extremely relevant will surely win you points.
- Forgetting to Proof Read:
Remember: no writing is perfect. The first draft of essays is prone to grammatical, spelling and structural mistakes. Continuous
revision of content is required to create the absolute masterpiece. For this, you need to run a thorough check on your essays before
considering them as the final version. An ideal option is to ask someone else to proofread the essays. This helps in pointing out mistakes
that you might have missed out on. Having applied for such a high-profile degree, your writing requires consistency and flawlessness.
Your entire impression is spoiled if you send out essays with such imprudent mistakes.
- Correlating goals with the degree:
The underlying question to address in essays is how your personal and professional goals are realized through the MBA program.
You must correlate your short-term and long-term goals with the MBA degree. The graduate committee is not just looking for
candidates who are right for the program but people who also can fulfill their aims through MBA. It is equally important for the
business schools to enroll students who are strongly aware of their goals and means through which they can be accomplished.
- Building lasting relationships:
Emphasize how you can blend yourself into the graduate school culture. One essential factor that graduate committee is looking for
is that how much of an asset you can be for the school? Whether it's through debates or joining the swimming team.
You need to exemplify how eager you are to assimilate in the environment and build lasting relationships with the
faculty and other graduates.
- Born to lead:
It is imperative to highlight your leadership ability in the application. Although you may not have had enacted a leadership
role professionally or personally in your life. However, any instance where you had to step up the game and guide others;
is a good point to mention in your essays. The graduate committee is looking for mentors who can manage others and work
well in teams. Reference to such cases is an added bonus in your essays.
- It's all about you:
Your essays require a special personalized touch from you. Even if questions address any pointer that is not directly
about you, do not deviate from the topic of discussion. These essays help the committee judge and evaluate your personality.
You must continue focusing on your positive traits without digressing into other minor details.
- Hitting the bull's-eye:
You have to cater to each business school separately. Collectively outlining essays for all graduate schools is a fatal mistake.
You have to keep in mind that each school requires exclusive attention and detail in essays. By generalizing essays that are
applicable for any school, you are indicating to the committee that no special attention is given to the particular business school.
Some sample essay questions are listed below:
- What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600 word limit)
- What have you learned from a mistake? (400 word limit)
- What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
- Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.
- Write a cover letter to your application introducing yourself to the Admissions Board.
- What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
- Explain why you are interested in pursuing your MBA and the specific career specialization at this point in your life. Specifically, how will this degree impact your future career and describe your professional short term career goals (immediately following the MBA).
- Tell us about a time you faced either a challenge or set back (professional or personal) in your life. Explain the situation, what happened and what did you learn or gain from the experience.
- Start by listing your achievements. From the major ones to even those small ones that you may hardly consider as achievements.
- Classify the listed achievements into four broad categories.
- Personal
- Professional
- Academic
- Managerial
