What makes a truly outstanding sample admission essay? Here are three elements that you should be aware of when turning in your MBA admission essay to the committee of admissions:
Good essays get straight to the point
Rather keep your essay short but sweet. However, this doesn’t mean that you can ignore the minimum number of words and page limit. Do not be redundant and avoid cliches. Both would just lengthen the essay unnecessarily. Even if you are not under the pressures of a word count, avoid going in circles. This is not a case of “the longer, the better.” The selection panel won’t waste their time reading an essay with long paragraphs that seem to be going nowhere. Be clear with your intentions and purpose of writing right from the start.
Good essays avoid confusion in thoughts and transition
Avoid the following:
- using unfamiliar terms and jargon
- exaggerated claims in hopes of impressing the screening committee
- errors in sentence structure, punctuation, spelling, and grammar
- trite expressions and cliches
Good essays are thought-provoking and appeal to the emotional side of the readers
When you say emotional side, it does not mean trying to make the admissions officers laugh like hyenas. One funny or witty sentence in the essay is OK; do not turn it into a script for Rowan Atkinson’s stand-up comedy. A short narration of a family tragedy (minus the heavy drama) followed by an explanation on how it instilled new values in you is an example of good content. Of course, you can skip family problems and focus on your aspirations and motivations. Let them in to your own world and be open to share personal views. Just keep it simple, unique, and interesting enough for them to remember your name and consider your qualifications.
Related links:
Essay writing process – About MBA admission essay writing process
Editing your essay – Tips on revising and editing your MBA essay
Career goals – Discussing career goals in your MBA essay
Personal statement advice – Tips on admission essay writing
Grad school guide – Guide to getting into grad school
Let us face it, you belong to multitudes of applicants vying for the limited slot for the MBA program. Some of these people would be more accomplished or intelligent than you, but this does not mean you have to lose. You can actually steal the spotlight from highly qualified applicants by turning in a compelling, well thought of admission essay. Here are some pointers for MBA essay writing that will gain approval from the selection panel.
Forget about lame introductions
Please, if the first two lines of the introduction would make the admissions people yawn and want to crawl under their bed, don’t expect to get admitted to the program. Make them want to keep on reading until the last paragraph of the admission essay. Make interesting intros that will grab their attention and make them want to consider your points. You can start with a personal anecdote, quote, or any fresh insight you can impart to your readers. Don’t make lame introductions if you want to get noticed by the selection panel of the
MBA school.
Provide juicy details in the body
Do not wear a mask– that’s another way of saying be yourself. Simply, don’t try to be someone you’re not. Instead of presenting an ideal candidate, be honest about who you are. With this approach in writing your MBA essay, readers will sense some sincerity in you. Elaborate on why you think you deserve to be part of the MBA program by discussing your personal views and work experiences, aspirations, and plans.
When you say juicy details, they don’t have to be controversial. They should at least be thought-provoking. You can use imagery for a more vivid form of writing. Just remember to weed out irrelevant information and focus on the main theme of the essay.
End with the feeling that readers have to know more about you
The conclusion is really important. It should sum up everything you’ve pointed out in the essay. So the selection panel will remember your application, try to end with a bang. Make them want to know you more by revealing an interesting part of you.
Related links:
Grad school guide – Guide to getting into grad school
Value of education – About goingt to college and the value of education
Editing your essay – Tips on revising and editing your MBA essay
Career goals – Discussing career goals in your MBA essay
Career switch – Writing about your plans for a career switch in your essay
