Are you experiencing feelings of anxiety as you are preparing an application essay for an MBA programme? Don’t be frightened! A lot of potential students are scratching their heads trying to figure out how to put their best foot forward in an essay for business school admission.
The application process for MBA schools has gotten increasingly difficult in recent years, much like the application process for a variety of other graduate school programmes. This provides applicants with the opportunity to be creative while striving to separate themselves from other candidates. But what should you do if the summary, grades, and GMAT scores are fairly similar for all of the students? What makes you such a wonderful applicant despite the fact that your rankings are lower than those of the other candidates?
The greatest thing you can do is wow admissions officers with a well-written personal statement and seek feedback from others on how to improve it. In this article, we’ll talk about the topics mentioned above. This implies that you should remain tuned in and grasp our advice if you need assistance in producing your MBA essay. You will learn how to write an effective personal statement by following the stages and ideas that are provided below. This statement will ultimately cause admissions officials for MBA programmes to exclaim, “Yes, of course, we need this candidate!”
What exactly do you mean when you refer to an MBA essay?
In most cases, the terms “MBA essay,” “admission essay for MBA,” and “application essay for MBA” are all used synonymously. This kind of essay is often used to support other application items such as letters of reference, transcripts, resumes, and standardised test results. It is submitted as part of the MBA admissions process and is typically used to support the applicant’s candidacy.
Why are students required to prepare an essay for their MBA applications?
At each stage of the admissions process, the admissions committees go through a number of applications and classify them accordingly. You are in luck since there are a large number of MBA programmes to which you may apply. Nevertheless, the vast majority of applicants and candidates were denied admission, even those who were chosen based on the application essay. It is especially real in light of the fact that prestigious MBA schools get hundreds of essays from candidates each academic year.
There is a large pool of people that are qualified MBA applicants who are interested in attending business school. These candidates have the academic credentials, professional experience, and exam scores necessary to contribute to or flourish in an MBA programme. Anything in addition to a candidate’s grade point average or test results is necessary for admissions committees to evaluate applicants and determine who should be accepted into the programme and who should not. To address this issue, there will be an essay required for the MBA. Your entrance essay for the MBA programme should show the admissions committee who you are as a person and help differentiate you from other applicants.
How to properly write an admissions essay for an MBA program:
In this blog post, we are going to talk about what the admissions committee looks for in the application essay. The following are the five stages to creating a strong entrance essay for an MBA programme:
1 Get a head start and familiarise yourself with the fundamentals of essay writing as soon as possible:
Writing an entrance essay for an MBA programme is meant to be a process that is both progressive and constant. It will be easier for you to write an amazing essay if you give yourself enough time to make improvements and give your essay a final polish before submitting it. Therefore, getting an early start is almost always the best strategy.
Allow yourself a sufficient amount of time to reflect on your own thoughts. Take some time to jot down your ideas as they come to you. Keeping yourself in the right state of mind and picking a moment when your attention, creativity, and focus are at their peak will allow you to generate the maximum output you are capable of. The use of brainstorming techniques on certain aspects of your profile might help you discover new information about yourself that you had not previously considered.
It’s important to steer clear of too emotive language that does little to advance the plot. Stay away from too scientific and technical language. After you’ve put all of your precise thoughts down on paper, the next step is to arrange them in some way. Prepare a blueprint.
The next step is to control and direct the flow of the traffic. Be true. Your account has to be backed up with facts, which we feel you are able to provide with proof if it’s required. When you do this, you put yourself in a calm posture, which will benefit you throughout the interviews.
Make it possible for your tale to convey the emotion, enthusiasm, and excitement you feel about becoming a participant in the programme. Make sure that your essays, rather than merely being a duplication, are written in a way that is consistent with your curriculum vitae and the standards. You need to be able to draw a link between all of your writings and finish painting the whole image.
2 Make sure you are familiar with the requirements for the MBA entrance essay:
The admissions committee at the business school may request either one long essay or multiple shorter ones as part of the application process. Read those writings carefully in order to get an understanding of the prerequisites, since each business school has its own set of essays. Make it a requirement that every essay is original and different. Give a sufficient amount of context to address the major question raised in an essay.
Be more open and forthcoming by providing more information in addition to only listing the requirements. Start digging further to find out if you have shown rare attributes, demonstrated leadership, or demonstrated motivating skills on a variety of occasions or in hard situations.
Show evidence of your participation in extracurricular activities, such as participating in hobbies or sports, volunteering for a charitable organization, or holding any job in which you were responsible for event coordination or played a leadership role. Read general essay questions your desired MBA schools have posted.
3 Evaluate and defend the extent to which you are compatible with the programme:
Are you wondering what it means to be the ideal candidate for a Master of Business Administration programme?
If, after investing a significant amount of money in getting an MBA, you discover that the institution you attended was not the best option for you, then getting an MBA was a waste of both your time and money. It will not assist you in reaching the objectives you have set for your MBA.
Because of this, you should do all of the necessary research well in advance. Please take the time to read what other people have to say about the business school and their opinions on it. Additionally, it is important to get in contact with alumni of the institution in order to discover what the school has to offer.
On its official website, for instance, the Harvard Business School notes that when selecting a suitable candidate, they look for the following characteristics: leadership behaviours, a hunger for analysis, analytical acumen, and active community citizenship. If you are considering applying to Harvard, you should emphasise the many aspects of your life and the situations in which you have shown the traits they are looking for.
It is compatible with either technique. Even if you are certain that the institution is the right fit for you, you still need to demonstrate in your essays that you are the kind of candidate that they have been hoping to find.
The institution that is the “right match” for one individual may not be the same as the college that is the “right fit” for another person due to a variety of characteristics, such as academic profile, career profile, extracurricular activity, or GMAT ranking. There is a limit to the number of people who can be accepted into prestigious universities like Harvard and Stanford. Be practical and submit your application to the most promising schools of business administration from which you have a good possibility of being accepted.
4 Take into consideration the allotted number of words for the essay:
Regarding the number of words required for the essay, how serious are you?
If you haven’t been, you should start doing so immediately. You are required to adhere to the specified word limit that the university gives you for the entrance essay you must submit for the MBA programme. There may be times when a little deviance is acceptable, but you should make every effort to adhere to the plan. Certain business schools are comfortable with a difference of between 5% and 10% of the total. However, we would still advise that you do not go over it. On the other hand, be careful not to make insufficient use of it.
Try to avoid restating anything that is previously included in your curriculum vitae or references. Let’s make your writings as short as feasible. Editing the essay for grammar and removing instances of excessive use might assist to shorten its overall length.
5 Reread and modify your essay for the MBA admissions process:
Even after reading your article a number of times, it might be difficult to see the errors that have been made. If you review your work with the second set of eyes, you will be able to discover new perspectives and fill in any blanks or missing components in your story.
You will be able to create an amazing entrance essay for MBA school if you follow the methods that were just discussed.
Advice that might be helpful while preparing an essay for admission to an MBA programme:
Here are some guidelines to keep in mind:
1 Give yourself some space before you start writing:
If you struggle with writing, you need to give yourself a lot of extra time to have everything ready for your essay the way it should be. The practice of keeping a notebook in which one writes down all of the fleeting ideas that come to one throughout the course of the day might prove to be very beneficial. Always choose to write using bullet points rather than opening sentences at the beginning of your essay.
If you do this, you will finally have enough material for each essay to begin writing the first draught of the essay. Because preparing for this part of the application might take as long as ten weeks, you should be prepared to revise and refine your essay several times throughout the course of the application process. Don’t worry about trying to accomplish things quickly.
2 Mention your trip and make it seem personal:
Most candidates would like their MBA essays to concentrate exclusively on their professional experiences and ambitions, but you should not be hesitant to get personal in your admission essay. It is not necessary for you to recount every detail of your life. In particular, while responding to questions that inquire about your development over the course of time, you should demonstrate your individuality and provide the admissions committee with a sense of your own background and experiences.
3 Illustrate rather than just describe:
The admissions committees for MBA programmes want you to demonstrate that you have the talents and characteristics necessary to be successful in business school, such as the ability to lead and to be honest.
Your entrance essay for the MBA programme might be an ideal location to demonstrate traits like these. However, it is important to emphasise showing rather than telling. It doesn’t inform a committee anything lot about your talents to say something like, “I have strong leadership skills.” A reader should be able to tell you that you have the attributes of a great leader just by reading a narrative about you completing a challenging task or conquering an obstacle. This should be the case even if you don’t specifically state that you have these qualities.
4 Determine your objectives:
In the application essays, it is quite important to define both short-term and long-term professional goals in detail. There are two primary reasons for this. To begin, it demonstrates to the committee that you are a dedicated individual who is focused on a professional path. Second, it demonstrates that you are willing to do professional study in order to determine the specific ways in which an MBA degree can assist you in your job.
Because of this, you will need to do a lot of research before you can begin to define your goals for your future in an MBA essay.
5 Keep a keen awareness of who you are:
The purpose of your essay is not to create a superhero who is perfect in every way and can do no wrong. Regardless of how hard you attempt to sway the committee’s opinion, you must ensure that your MBA essay not only identifies your strong points but also reflects on your less favourable qualities.
When you are thinking about your personal growth, for instance, you may mention how you’ve managed to overcome a quality that is not as beneficial in business, such as anxiousness.
6 Make it as brief as possible:
The majority of the time, the “admission essay for MBA” will specify the maximum number of words that should be written. Under no circumstances should you write more than the allotted number of words. The purpose of the essay is not to determine who can write the most words; rather, it is a method for you to communicate your views in a manner that is both compelling and concise. For the same reason, you should avoid using an excessive amount of emotive language in order to win over the committee. In addition, before you hand in your essay, give it a last go-through and cut out everything that isn’t absolutely necessary to the story you’re telling.
7 Mention examples:
Every admissions committee for MBA programmes will go over your essay, looking for distinctive qualities and experiences that are relevant to them. Despite this, just declaring, “I have exceptional communication skills,” will not be enough to sway the committee’s decision. Present a few instances in which the organisation was able to fulfil its objectives or otherwise assist the community as a result of your excellent communication abilities, using examples drawn from your own experience.
8 Take break:
After you have finished all of the tasks mentioned above, give each essay some time to rest. Take a little break, then come back when you’re more refreshed, and look at it once again.
Be sure that your essay provides an excellent illustration of your brand and that it is angled in such a way as to capture the attention of the particularised admittance board.
The aforementioned guidelines will assist you in creating an outstanding entrance essay for the MBA programme. Just do as it says, and keep your fingers crossed!
Find out what to do and what not to do in your admissions essay:
The rules that must always be followed:
- Answer the question while paying attention to your grammar and spelling.
- Write numerous essay draughts
- Tell each other true stories from the working world.
- Check to see that the justifications and the program’s general relevance have been described appropriately.
What not to Do:
- They are already aware of how beneficial education is, so refrain from praising it.
- Should not include topics that have already been mentioned on your CV Should not disparage any organisations or persons
- Do not whine about the difficulties of life or place blame on other people.
The following are some common sorts of entrance essays that universities ask candidates who are applying for an MBA to write:
1 Essay about goals:
It is the one essay that you would want to see included in MBA applications submitted to the majority of universities. The purpose of this essay is to learn about your goals and reasons for attending business school when this experience is over. This dilemma arises in a wide variety of word count constraints and permutations.
2 Essay in which you reflect on yourself:
It is a broad category that encompasses a wide variety of approaches to writing entrance essays for MBA programmes. For instance, several organisations require that you make an introduction to your other team members. To provide an answer to a query such as that one would need introspection.
3 Essay recognising the contributions made by students:
The culture of most institutions revolves heavily around extracurricular activities that are organised and administered by the student body. Because of this, having a student population that is actively involved is very necessary for the success of programmes or student life.
The participation essay, which is required for MBA applications, provides the ideal opportunity for the college to learn more about the candidates’ potential contributions to the institution.
4 Reflection on Leadership Essay:
You will often have the chance in this kind of MBA essay to share a good narrative from your past in order to demonstrate to the admissions committee the potential that lies ahead of you in the future.
5 A depiction of an essay in a video:
- The concept of video essays was one that was developed quite recently. The key distinction between these essays lies in the fact that you have the option to either apply your answer in a deliberate way, retake, or film your video response. These writings will demonstrate not just your presence at the executive level but also your capacity to think creatively under pressure. It may provide a chance for the admissions committee to analyse more subjective parts of your application, such as your ability to communicate effectively, your body language, and your mental presence.
The following are some frequent subjects for MBA application essays:
- Why did you decide to enrol at this particular business school?
- What do you want to accomplish with your professional life?
- Do you have both short-term and long-term objectives in mind?
- What do you plan to do with this degree after you graduate?
- How exactly can earning a degree assist you in accomplishing the goals that you have set?
- Why do you feel the need to get an MBA?
- What is most important to you, and why is that?
- Share both your strengths and your faults.
- What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?
- What is your greatest disappointment?
Wrap up:
You should now have a good understanding of how to write an entrance essay for an MBA programme after reading the topic above. In order to write an essay, follow the stages and advice that were provided above. Every student who has the goal of earning an MBA has a secret ambition of one day being accepted to one of the top MBA schools.
In order for them to realise their ambition, they will need to compose an entrance essay that will wow the admissions committee. They are required to provide evidence that they are the most qualified applicant out of the group. I really hope that the information in this blog might assist you in preparing an MBA essay.
Give an essay your very best effort, and then cross your fingers and hope for the best!