Top 10 Essay Tips

The essays are very critical part of the overall application. There are thousands of qualified applicants - the essay is your chance to show why you are the best person for the program. You need to stand out. Listed below are the top 10 tips to consider when drafting your essays:

1. Be Concise, Don't Ramble: Make sure you answer the question. Be concise and to the point. Do not ramble and stay within the word limits set forth by the admissions committee. Do not re-iterate information from other parts of the application (other essays, short answers, resume, etc).
   
   
2. Link, Link, Link: You need to show a clear and logical career path. Demonstrate a rhyme and reason to your previous and future career desires. In other words, link your past, present, and future. How has the past led you to where you are today? How does your present position affect where you want to be in the future?
   
   
3. Show the Need for Your MBA: Often times applicants try to come across as though they have conquered the world. You can highlight your strengths, but you need to be very clear on why you need the MBA, why it is critical for you at this juncture in your career, and why you need an MBA from "School A".
   
   
4. Personalize Your Essays: Do not just copy and paste your essays from one school to another. Admissions Committees are very aware of the essay questions utilized at other top MBA programs. It is very obvious when an applicant tries to re-use essays for similar questions. Be sure to personalize each essay for each school. There is a reason they are asking that particular question.
   
   
5. Be Honest: Show sincerity. Be honest about your accomplishments, desires, strengths, and weaknesses. The admissions committee should have a very real sense of who you are after reading your essays. Steer clear of gimmicks, or attention-getting schemes. Be professional and be yourself.
   
   
6. Show Maturity & Self Awareness: Admissions committees are looking for mature professionals. Maturity does not necessarily translate to age. You need to demonstrate that you make sound and insightful decisions. Are you self-aware and can you learn from the accomplishments and mistakes that you have made along the way? Most importantly, can you apply those learnings to future situations? That is maturity.
   
7. Be Unique: Sell yourself. Show that you are a unique individual and will bring a different perspective to the classroom. Make sure that the admissions committee will remember you through your essays. Use forceful expressions and market yourself. Talk about the value you will add to the program.
   
   
8. The Introduction: Admissions committees read, literally, thousands of applications every cycle. Therefore, the introductory paragraph is very important. Use it to grab their attention. Make them want to read more about you. If you are able to do that, then they will be able to absorb more of what you are telling them in the rest of the essay.
   
   
9. Above the Norm: Write about a time that you went above and beyond what was expected of you. Highlight an accomplishment that took more dedication, more insight, or more initiative. Show that you are above the norm.
   
   
10. Polish - But to a Degree: Put together a professional application. Write several drafts to get it perfect. Proofread, edit, rewrite, and give it polish. The only note of caution (especially if you use a professional organization to help with your essays): do not add so much polish that "the real you" gets lost in the application.