My clients are applying for the top busniess schools: Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton. To get into the top 3, you have to be the best of the best. But that’s where most applicants run into trouble: their essays sound like over-hyped versions of their resume.
Kate Klepper, the former Director of MBA admissions at Babson College describes common essay problems and offers tips on how to avoid the “So what?” feeling. I’ve paraphrased the key takeaways below:
Stop impressing the admissions committee.
Klepper writes, “A lot of times in these essays you don’t hear about what didn’t work. The person triumphed so manificently. In other words, everything was a success. But my thinking is every applicant was as magnificient as they are portraying themselves, then why do they want the MBA?”
Rather than describe what you’ve done, give introspection.
Answer the following questions for the reader:
- How were you challenged?
- What did you learn?
- What does it mean in the context of leadership?
- How did this experience impact you professionally?
Be yourself.
Kate tells us that successful essays are ones that “leave me really feeling as though I know a little more about you.” Essays that give a true sense of a person — those are the ones that she can’t wait to meet.
Read the full article: Here is a Method That is Helping MBA Applicants Avoid the "So What?" Feeling