essays

You are done with the GMAT or GRE, congrats! Now, on to the next crucial component of your business school application: the essays. Essays can be intimidating. Unlike the GMAT, "good" essays are more subjective in nature. You get no score, which means you can't go to a school's class profile to see if you fit within the 80% range. The good news is: essays are completely in your control! With enough time and introspection, you can write a compelling essay! See below for some tips:

 
 
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1. Know your story

Essays are your chance to share what makes you, you! Therefore, it's extremely important for you to know yourself well. Even though every school asks different questions, more often than not, they will be interested in the following:

  • what motivates you? what are you passionate about?

  • what makes you unique? how will you uniquely contribute to your program?

  • what have you done in the past? how does it relate to what you want to do next?

At the root of all of these questions is a need for introspection. You need to take the time to think through these questions, and answer them honestly and authentically. Going through this exercise before starting to write the essays will be of upmost value!

 
 
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2. Make a Plan (and stick to it!)

Writing a compelling essay can take a long time! Because most jobs don't require people to write essays on a regular basis, writing an essay can be highly time-consuming. The key is to plan. Make sure you leave enough time to write your essays and review them (and re-review, multiple times). Based on our experience, you'll probably have to create about five or six drafts for every essay. Depending on the number of schools you're applying to, this could quickly add up! Make sure you proactively plan for it!

 
 
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3. constantly review your work

There's nothing more important than reviewing your work! Unfortunately, there are no shortcuts here. You have to read and re-read your essays, multiple times. You also need to ask others for feedback. You should probably look for someone who knows you very well, so they can speak to how well you're representing who you are in your essays. Are you really showcasing your authentic voice? You should also look for a proofreader of sorts, someone who's good at grammar and can help you with the more technical side of writing. Ideally, two or three people should review and provide you with feedback on every essay.

 

For more tips on how to write a compelling essay, go to these blogs/pages: The Princeton Review, The Economist, and Magoosh. For additional questions, please contact us.