Things You Must Know Before Writing Your MBA Application Essays
There are a ton of things to think about when applying to business school, almost to the point of being overwhelming. As the MBA deadlines are nearing, are you getting overwhelmed by the MBA essay writing process? Here are a few tips to read before you even begin to put that pen to paper.
When approaching to write your MBA admissions essay, you have to get into the right mindset. Always think, "I must answer the question directly, at a high level. Thus, my long-term goal should be front and center.”
Think of a funnel.
Let's take Wharton's (goals) Essay#1 as an example. At the top of the funnel is the widest part, think of that as the beginning of your essay. This would be your long-term vision or your long-term goal. What you want to achieve when all has been said and done. Your funnel will start to narrow as you drill down through your essay. This is where your short term goals will come next. Then you would go into a transition of the “what have I already done” paragraph to the “why Wharton” paragraph. You should get more and more granular as you go down the funnel (hopefully you have the funnel right side up).
The admissions committee wants you to be as direct as possible.
Now, before we get into the nitty gritty, when a school asks you a question (any school for that matter), they want you to be as direct as possible. This is going to be one of the most annoying habits that a writer can have for the admissions committee. If they can’t determine what you’re talking about in terms of what you hope to gain or what your goals are in the very beginning of your essay, or if they can’t understand what your main point or thesis is, then it really becomes onerous for the reader.
Imagine reading thousands of these essays and half of them are probably bad. It’s one in the morning, and the reader has to make these decisions as soon as possible for the Wharton admissions committee. It really does bother them if there's no clear through-line or thesis. Bottom line? Don’t make your essay this murder mystery where your main thesis is revealed in the last scene that the butler did it, or in this matter the last paragraph that your short-term goal is this or that. Always state it up front.
When you write your essays it’s not to entertain, ever. It’s to inform.
The overall purpose of writing is to be clear. Is to tell them what they want to know first, and then you can explain. And by first, it doesn’t mean to dump the kitchen sink into it, rather, give information to them at a high level. So therefore, answer the questions they want at a high level.