Writing a successful Admissions Essay       The Admissions Essay is one of the most important parts of your application. A successful essay can often make the difference in being accepted to a business school rather than rejected. The admissions essay is often the only indicator an admissions officer has as to your personality, your values, your views and your strengths and offers a useful foil to the strictly numerical evaluation criteria of the GMAT and your transcripts.

Admissions officers look for candidates that stand out. They have on average no more than two minutes to read your essay and it is important that you make the most of this time and intrigue the admissions officer sufficiently to consider your application further. In your essay you want to demonstrate not only that you are a person of great qualities, but also that you would be a great fit for the programme. Your essay should demonstrate to the admissions officer what you can contribute to the MBA class, what you have achieved, why you have decided to do an MBA and what is important to you in your development.

An outstanding essay can in some cases make up for a weak GMAT score or a mediocre undergraduate record so you should prepare the essay with as much care and consideration as your preparation for the GMAT. Below we have compiled some of the essentials for a winning MBA essay.

Answer the question

This may be the biggest challenge in writing a successful essay and it is also the most crucial. It is important that the essay gives a glimpse of who you are, why your are pursuing an MBA, why you have chosen a particular institution and what you have achieved so far BUT it is absolutely imperative that you try and convey all the above while answering the often very specific essay question. Admissions officers will look at how well you are able to communicate within given constraints. If you fail to adequately answer the essay question, you will not be admitted to business school.

Stay coherent and focused

Once you are clear on how to address the essay question, construct your essay with deliberation. Give your essay a direction with a specific thesis. You often only have a limited number of words for this essay and it is vital that you are as concise and compelling as possible. A unified approach means that you deliberate on the beginning, the middle and the conclusion with equal consideration and each part must convey your ‘brand’ in a coherent manner.

Know the programme and the business school you are applying for

Admissions officers are looking for what you can contribution to the MBA programme. It is important that your essay highlights your knowledge about what you expect from the programme and how you will contribute to it. If possible, mention in your essay why you have chosen this particular institution and how you feel you can benefit from the programme content. Avoid at all costs producing a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to your essays if you are applying to several business schools. Each essay must be tailored to the specific programme and institution you are applying to. Admissions officers will spot a ‘generic’ essay within seconds.

Use concrete examples

When you write about your accomplishments, your characteristics and your experiences always back your statements up with concrete examples and illustrations. This makes the essay not only more interesting to read but it also helps avoid being vague and tells the reader much more about you. Illustrations, and examples also underline the credibility of your statements and demonstrate your writing ability.

Make your introduction interesting

It goes without saying that no serious MBA essay should start simply as an autobiographical account ˜I am from … I work in …”. Your introduction is the equivalent of the first seconds of meeting an admissions officer and you want to make an impact. Spend some time to find an opening that will create interest and mystery – maybe open with a question, and unusual quote or something that will appeal to the admissions officer’s emotions.

Be original

Many of your fellow MBA applicants will have a rich pool of experiences to draw on. Most will have travelled, worked abroad, volunteered or done something that would generally be considered exceptional. MBA candidates are typically ambitious and the stakes are higher than in a normal university application. So try and be as original as possible in your essay. Even if you have not had the opportunity to have extensive experiences working abroad or within a volunteering position in Kabul, your very own personal realm of experiences may be just as demonstrative of your unique leadership and teamwork abilities and problem solving skills. Key is to write about these very private experiences in a creative and captivating manner. Be imaginative and visionary in your writing style to communicate your personality to the reader. Try and avoid platitudes and ‘fashionable’ key terms and abbreviations. Rather than showing off that you have learned jargon, the admissions officers want to see how well you can write and communicate.

Focus on your strengths

If your undergraduate record is lacking or your GMAT results are not convincing – the essay is NOT the place to explain why that might be the case. Rather than explaining possible shortcomings, the essay should focus exclusively on your strengths and on opportunity. Try and use positive language, a ‘can do’ approach can go a long way in highlighting your qualities.

Stay within the word limit

Most MBA essays will have a word limit of anywhere between 500 to 1000 words. It is very important that you communicate what you wish to express within the given word limit. Admissions officers sometimes allow for a margin of 10% beyond this limit but it is safer not to run any risks and demonstrate that you know how to formulate your thesis within specified confines.

Revise and proof your essay

Your first attempt at the essay should only ever be just that – a first attempt. In composing a winning essay you will end up revising your essay several times in the process. Get input from friends and family to have an outside opinion and make adjustments as you go along until you are fully content with the essay. Once you have a final version of your essay make sure you proof it thoroughly. It is often helpful to have a second pair of eyes to look at your work and help spot mistakes you simply can’t see for looking at it all for too long.

Give yourself sufficient time

It seems obvious but we would like to reiterate that you should give yourself enough time to draft, re-write, revise and proof your essay. The essay represents such an important part of your overall application package that you should not leave it to the last minute to put your essay together.