mba admission essay

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.

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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

Just like many things in life, there are limits you should be mindful of when writing your MBA admission essay. Here are a few pointers that will aid you in this endeavor:

Don’t get too personal

A lot of times, applicants get carried away, narrating why his or her mother already has three ex-husbands. Anecdotes or family-related bits are fine if they are truly relevant to your MBA application and they do not distract readers from the real focus of the essay. Although the real focus is you, there are still limits when writing your essay. Be aware that the screening officers would not be interested in every little thing about you.

Don’t make it seem like you are the next best thing to Bill Gates

You may have graduated cum laude and, at the same time, played three straight years for the chess varsity. You’re a very dynamic individual, doing some socio-civic works on your free time. Even so, it’s not a good idea to be too confident about your qualifications. Instead of bragging about your accomplishments, talk about your goals and intentions sincerely. Focus on your MBA application and the school. Do not turn the essay into a mini-autobiography. Also remember that arrogance can really put off the readers of your essay.

Don’t let your emotions take full control

If you will read some expert advice online, you would see that they encourage applicants to appeal to the emotional side of the admissions panel. But if you overdo it, if 80 percent of the pages contains sob stories after sob stories, it would backfire. They might not waste any minute skimming through your essay, thinking that it’s out of focus. Remember that the admission essay is for your MBA application and not the story of your life. Use personal experiences to illustrate your where you get your motivations and drive to success. A personal story can also be used to show your real character, but better keep it short.

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Essay writing process – ABout MBA admission essay writing process
Communication skills – Discussing your communication skills in the essay
Evalauting your essay – About how to evaluate your MBA essay

Personal statement advice – Tips on admission essay writing
MBA admission essays – Guide to MBA admission essays

Pursuing an MBA degree is not easy. You have to invest money, time, and effort. The admission process itself is arduous, and the competition for the spot in the the MBA school is tough. This is why in preparing for your MBA school application, you have to know the barriers to your MBA admission.

Not knowing the right MBA program for you

One of the common mistakes of applicants is not knowing the right MBA program for them. Some decide on the program based on peer pressure or pressure from their family. You have to keep in mind that obtaining an MBA school admission and spending years in MBA school will be your responsibility. Your friends and family could not do the job for you. This is why you have to decide on your own. You can consider their advice, but you have to also base your decision on your interest and skills. Your former professors and colleagues can also give advice on the MBA program that would suit you best.

Disregarding the requirements of the MBA school

Every requirement of the MBA school is very important. This is why you have to make sure that you submit each required document. With regard to your MBA admission essay, you have to know first if the admission committee requires you to answer some questions in your essay. If there are questions, make sure that you address each of them in your personal statement.

False expectations from the MBA degree

What do you know about MBA school? Before you apply to an MBA school, you should know what to expect. Ask MBA degree holders about their experiences. Don’t ever expect that the life of an MBA student is a bed of roses. Getting an MBA degree is difficult. You should know this to prepare for the challenges ahead.

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MBA career goals – All about ways to gain admissions to the MBA school that you want.
Bad student habits – About the barriers to success in MBA school
Winning essays – All about getting into your chosen MBA school
Online MBA – About pursuing online MBA degrees
MBA application essay – How to pass the MBA admission process

Coming up with a topic or idea for your admission essay can be difficult. Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind when writing your essay, however, is that you want your essay to be interesting and compelling enough to convince the admissions committee to accept you into their school. If you are having a hard time thinking about what to write in your MBA admission essay, then you may want to check out some of these helpful tips:

Talking about your career plans

One great strategy for writing your MBA admission essay is to talk about your career plans. Considering the fact that you are applying for an education in business, it’s only logical that you share your entrepreneurial or career plans. Is there a specific reason you want to get an MBA degree? Two examples of career-related topics for your essay include your intention of starting a business or getting a significant promotion. The main idea here is to tell the admissions committee what you plan on using your degree for. Also, sharing your career plans is a good way of showing the committee that you have direction and that you have clearly defined goals for yourself – two traits that admissions officers often look for in applicants.

Citing relevant field experience

Another strategy for writing a good essay is to talk about relevant experiences that you have had. What’s important here is not just to talk about your achievements, but you should tell stories of how working for these achievements or going through these experiences has helped to form your character and personality. Essentially, you want to express to the admissions committee that the experiences you have had have led to personal realizations and developments that made you better prepared for MBA school and for life, in general. Try not to get carried away with the small details and, instead, focus on deep, thought-provoking, and interesting aspects of your experiences that are relevant to your aspirations, goals, and your application to MBA school.

Discussing your motivations

A third strategy you can use in your admission essay is to discuss what motivates you. You should try to discuss your motivations in line with your experiences and career plans, in order to give a more complete and fleshed-out story to the reader. Motivations can come from just about anything, from your family or friends to your beliefs or your life experiences. For this reason, it’s important to make clear connections between how your motivations developed to how your motivations will help you achieve your aspirations. Just make sure that you don’t sound too preachy or overly zealous when discussing your motivations.

Related links:
Fun Essay Writing – Making admission essay writing fun
Career Goals – Writing your admission essay about your career goals
MBA Admission Essay – Writing winning MBA essays
Business Communication Skills – Writing your essay about your business communication skills
MBA School Profiles – Some MBA school profiles on top schools

MBA Essay – About writing your MBA essay
MBA Essay Success – How to succeed on your MBA essay
MBA Essay Tips – Tips on writing your MBA essay
Topic Selection – On the importance of topic selection
Essay Topics – On choosing interesting essay topics

BusinessWeek is one of the most reputable sources of business news throughout the globe. It provides updates about the pulse of the economy, especially in Asia, Europe, and the United States. It provides statistics on the stock exchange and graphs which can help readers know how well the financial sector is doing. This blog is for professionals who want to be more guided in their business pursuit. Students who are currently engaged in MBA programs can also benefit from the professionally written articles on the site. Even ordinary consumers who just want to keep track of the economy will benefit from this blog.

What this blog offers

The blog stands out among other blogs because of its encompassing articles. The site has daily news updates as well as analyses from finance experts. Videos are provided for people who want to witness the business news themselves instead of merely reading about them. Readers are also updated on who is up and who is down in the world of money and finance.

MBA GamePlan lives up to the high reputation of BusinessWeek. The blog is about MBA programs in the United States. It offers insights on admission: the latest trends, new testing methods, and the best schools. The blog provides updates on the coming admission schedules as well. Readers will be notified which schools are admitting students and what their requirements are. The sidebars provide links to recommended websites and to recent posts in the blog. The search engine of the blog has advance search options which can help a reader find what he or she is looking for.

What this blog lacks

The blog just has to improve on its layout. There are lots of blank spaces on the right side which could have been utilized to keep the pages from looking overcrowded. The blog should also provide e-mail links after each article so the readers can easily share the information that they have gathered.

Going to the homepage of khoj4u, one will notice the wide variety of topics the site offers. The blog’s site heading summarizes it all: career, education, technology, and entertainment. This site is for anyone who wants to remain updated on those fields. This site offers not only information, but help as well. Expert tips are available to help everyone improve on their studies and career. The blog has entries that are as diverse as the needs of a modern career person. It offers information on the latest cars which is significant, not only for auto enthusiasts, but also for people who want to know where the automobile industry is heading. The latest news on mobile phones, gadgets, and even websites are available, too. There are even updates for Bollywood news.

Strong points

Distance and online MBA is where one finds out about the importance of having an extra edge when applying for a job. Getting a Masters of Business Administration is an advantage that can help a job aspirant stand out among other candidates. This blog helps readers understand how significant a second university degree is. It is neglected by many and this is basically the reason why many people end up being disappointed in their search for work.

Weak points

It is easy to navigate through the website but it has minor problems. For instance, the blog needs more organization. So many information and blog entries are filed up in one page. This is good since it offers a reader many resources, but it does not look good to the eyes. The blog should also have chosen a name that is easier to remember. Khoj4u is not a blog name that an average reader can remember instantly. Adding a photo to every blog entry can also help. Overall, this site is a good one.

University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton College carries prestige and reputation across its name. It is not only the world’s first collegiate business school; it is also among the finest. This blog is for graduate students from all over the world who want to earn a Masters of Business Administration. Wharton College also offers undergraduate, PhD, and executive programs. This blog is for students and professionals who want to engage in either actual or distance learning.

What I liked about this blog

This blog is not only remarkable because it is the blog of a prestigious college. The variety of media that this blog offers makes it even more interesting. The articles, announcements, and video streams will help a person know more about the MBA program that the college is known for. A reader who is interested in programs other than the ones mentioned above will also benefit from this site. The interdisciplinary, certificate, and summer programs of Wharton are laid out on its webpage.

The MBA admissions blog is where a person can find information and updates about the different MBA programs. There are also articles about student loans and other issues concerning MBA students. The navigation is quite easy and the design of the blog reflects the reputation of Wharton College. There are links to previous blog entries as well as bloggers, which can help a person find the information he or she is looking for. Weekly chats, forums, and electronic mails are available for questions and additional information.

Suggestions for improvement

Overall, Wharton’s website is very rich when it comes to blogging methods. However, the blog page appears monotonous. It is filled with articles but that is all it offers. Enlivening it with images, audio files, and videos can make the blog more attractive. Web applications such as Adobe Flash Player can be added to make the site more interactive. But, minor errors like these do not make the blog a poorer resource than the school it represents. This blog is worth visiting.

Setting Your Sights to Getting an MBA and Coming Up with a Winning MBA Admission Essay

The focal question asked by many nervous applicants to any MBA school is this: “will the admission essay ultimately decide whether I will be accepted or not?” One way to increase your chances of getting accepted into your dream school is to come up with a winning MBA admission essay.  The MBA admission essay is a crucial part of the whole application process, but there are still other considerations.  What the admission essay does is to serve as a tool for the admissions people to know the applicants better.  An effective way to let the admissions people see a more personal side of you is to discuss your career goals in your essay.

However, so many MBA applicants commit the blunder of just turning the resume entries into complete sentences, consolidating all these sentences, and then call it an essay.  The following are tips on how to come up with a winning essay.

Show your communication skills in your essay.

One thing that admissions committees look for is an applicant who has the ability to communicate.  The admissions officers are cognizant of the fact that not everybody is an excellent writer, but if they see a personal statement that is riddled with punctuation blunders and spelling errors, they would simply make a conclusion that the applicant does not have what it takes.  Excellent communication skills are very important, especially if you want to achieve your corporate goals and climb up the corporate ladder.  Indeed, one could be motivated and intelligent, but if he or she could not properly impart his or her ideas to others, then the ideas are useless.

The good thing about the admission essays is that it (in a way) levels the playing arena.  This means you can increase your chances of getting accepted into your dream school even if you don’t have the highest grades by coming up with an excellent essay.  As such, the admission essay helps in determining if an applicant has the commitment, motivation, and communication skills needed to be a success in the business world later on.

Be truthful and sincere when writing your essay.

Another common blunder of so many applicants is that they think they should present a perfect picture of themselves through the essay.  What the applicant must do is to focus on experiences that developed or showed his or her initiative to excel, to improve his or herself, and to contribute to the society.  MBA admission committee members want individuals who could rise above the pack, while at the same time exhibiting qualities that show suitability to a particular MBA course.

Discuss your career goals in your essay.

Discussing your career goals in your essay is one way to add a more personal touch to your personal statement.  Once the admissions panel see that you already have career goals, they’ll know that you are a person who has a direction in life and is determined in reaching your goals.

Photo Credit : thetorpedodog

Make Management Proud by Landing a Spot at Your Dream MBA School with a Winning MBA
Admission Essay

Almost all colleges and universities consider the admission essay as a crucial part of the application procedure.  A very bright student who submits a half-heartedly written admission essay would be in for a rude awakening when he or she gets rejected because of it.  In the same vein, a student who doesn’t have the highest GPA can increase his or her chances of getting in if his or her essay is original, compelling, truthful, and interesting.  Having said all that, here are some tips to turn that MBA admission essay into a winning one, and impress your boss and colleagues by getting accepted into a top-notch dream MBA school.

#  The MBA admission essay is not a list of achievements.  A lot of applicants commit the sin of including all their achievements in the essay, even including irrelevant achievements.  There are other documents (transcripts or records) to be submitted for your application, and as such, these lists of achievements would be best included on those documents.  An essay that is compelling to the admissions board is one that tells a story, yet has a clear topic as opposed to something that goes in circles like a snake with a hangover.  A relevant and interesting discussion of a very difficult time in one’s life is better than a recitation of all competitions won way back in high school.

#  Just a tiny bit of humor is best.  The admissions essay is an application essay, not a script for a comedian’s skit.  A witty discussion would do well, and is appreciated by the admissions people.  Sex-oriented or racist jokes are definitely a no-no, and if you make the mistake of including one in your admission essay, expect your chances of getting accepted to plummet faster than the speed of light.

#  Your character must be revealed in the essay.  Positive attributes such as honesty, integrity, and maturity should be reflected in your essay.  While there is something to be said about straight A’s, this is not the sole criterion being sought by most colleges and universities.  They need students who have shown and proved themselves as responsible citizens and matured individuals, and not just smart students with high grades.

#  Pay attention to the technical side.  Punctuation blunders, grammatical errors, and even spelling mistakes would make your essay look unprofessional.  If every other sentence in your admission essay has one of the aforementioned blunders, the admissions officers would come to the conclusion that either you lack the perseverance to edit your work, or you are just a very poor writer.  Whichever it goes, it is a bad mark as far as the application is concerned.  Assuming writing excellently is not one of your assets, seek help from others such as your previous English professor in college or a mentor.

Getting into an MBA school could do wonders for one’s career, especially if one wants to impress bosses and colleagues at work.  However, it all starts with the application process, with the MBA admission essay being a significant part of it.  Make sure that your essay does not repeat data already included in other documents, and that it is well-written and edited.

Photo Credit : dabawenya