8 Tips To Make Your MBA Application Essay Stand Out
The “subtle selling/pitch” always works: MBA admissions officers are now used to applications with the “I did…..” “I lead……” “I spearheaded…..”. While most applicants would still tend to pitch in their achievements – why not consider giving the officer a break and for a change, focus on the event/achievement. Sounds subtle? How about the statement “In March 2002, one of the greatest challenges in the way of a 50% market share was surmounted…………..”. A simple trick: when you shift from active to passive, the attention shifts to the event – and of course, you need not be insecure – it’s after all your application and you ARE involved! It pays to be more subtle as you use essays to prove your case.
Interesting presentation: Present an interesting view of yourself to gain the attention of the b-school application essay reviewer or officer. Colourful language with a sense of passion towards the project/operation being discussed will work wonders for your case.
Your goals/career plans could be aggressive/ambitious; however a sound foundation/earlier track record is a must if you choose to talk big: A common quote among admissions officers “Every MBA wants to head a large Fortune 500 Co. and probably retire as a Chairman or wants to start a multi-million dollar enterprise post-MBA”. Agreed? So as an MBA applicant, you can two choices – if you have the earlier foundation, you qualify for the “big talk” Else it might be in your best interests to project a milder version of your goals.
Specific and clear goals expected: “After an MBA, I want to work as a marketing manager!” “I plan to work in area A or Area B” – There goes your window of opportunity. A better, winning statement would be to “work as a marketing manager in XYZ industry handling ABC type of products” you can even give specific names of companies that are your “dream companies” and why so.
Be candid with caution: Be true and real in your MBA application essay and avoid any overstatements and excuses for something you could not achieve. The “Blame-game” will not help you in any way, except in getting rejected.
Crisp on sub-topics, detailed when needed: Mention all your qualities and achievements in brief paragraphs. Dive into depth explanation when it is required to make the reader understand you more on a certain front, to realise your strengths and learning as well as your passion. Highlighting your best skills in an MBA admission essay is important to grab the reader’s attention and develop a liking for yourself.
Passionate writing: Motivation, purpose, interest, weakness, fears are some of the most important points to be covered in an MBA application essay. Your passion for the course as a key step in your career is what drives the admission officer to select you. Passionate writing ensures that you stand apart from your competitors and that is the click-through to acceptance.
Schematize the strategy: A good path to follow while writing a MBA application essay is as follows: A) Strategise- Research the organisation and plan your essay accordingly. B) Organise- The flow of your essay should be according to your strategy and mention all that is necessary to invoke interest in you. C) Execute D) Revise- A thorough revision of your MBA application essay ensures that the content is grammatically correct and all your skill-sets are presented effectively.
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