how to write effective application essays (a step by step...

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How to Write Effective Application Essays

(A Step by Step Guide)

Marc Zawel, co-founder, AcceptU www.AcceptU.com

Webinar attendees can schedule a complimentary admissions assessment from a former MBA admissions officer by visiting: http://learnmore.acceptu.com/webinar

Get feedback on your candidacy: strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for improving your competitiveness

For a copy of this presentation, visit: http://learnmore.acceptu.com/essay

An introduction to AcceptU 2

AcceptU is an MBA admissions counseling group comprised entirely of former admissions officers from top 25 MBA programs. Our counselors provide 1-on-1 virtual support (by phone, Skype & email) that has given hundreds of applicants a competitive advantage and placed them into the business schools of their choice.

The team behind AcceptU 3

Co-founder Stephen Friedfeld (Cornell, BA; Columbia, MA, Rice, Ph.D.) is the company’s COO. He has 10+ years of experience in admissions at Princeton and Cornell. Stephen also worked as an admissions consultant from 2007-10.

Co-founder Marc Zawel (Cornell, BA; UNC Chapel Hill, MBA) is author of the top-selling admissions guidebook, Untangling the Ivy League. He ran the admissions advisory board at UNC & conducts alumni interviews for Cornell.

AcceptU’s counselors are all former MBA admissions officers from highly selective top 25 programs (including Columbia, Cornell, Emory, Stanford, UNC and Wash U),

putting them in a unique position to provide the inside knowledge and guidance that applicants need to differentiate themselves and get admitted.

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How to write effective essays – agenda ¤  Overview of MBA admissions essays

n  Why are they important and what can you expect?

¤  Step 1: Get organized n  Figure out your best means of tackling the essays.

¤  Step 2: Start the self-discovery n  Why are you interested in an MBA and what makes you different?

¤  Step 3: Put pen to paper n  Engage the reader, keep it brief and to the point.

¤  Tips from AcceptU experts on strong topics and how to stand out n  Advice gleaned from reading and reviewing thousands of essays.

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Why are application essays important?

1.  Admissions officers want to learn more about you and your background.

2.  Some programs do not have on-campus interviews and rely on essays as a means of better understanding an applicant.

3.  The essay gives a “voice” to the application. 4.  Strong writing shows thoughtfulness, analysis and communication.

5.  Admissions to top 25 programs is highly competitive. The essay can help you move from “qualified” to “admitted.”

6.  The essays can help you address any weaknesses and/or extenuating circumstances. Own your story.

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What can you expect with the essays? ¤  Most business schools require 2-6 essays.

n  Essays can range from a 140-character “tweet” to 1,000+ words.

n  Essays can cover a variety of topics but are most often centered around why you are interested in an MBA, why you feel the program is a good fit and what you can bring to the school.

¤  Essays are time-consuming. n  It’s not as easy as sitting down and penning a draft.

n  You likely have not written a personal essay like this in some time.

n  Essays are not just about a polished piece of writing. It’s showing your ability to pick appropriate questions and topics.

n  Start your essay writing as far in advance of deadlines as possible. They will end up taking longer than you estimate.

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Step 1: Get organized ¤  Don’t just start writing your essays.

n  First, determine how many essays you will be writing, the respective application deadlines and the essay questions.

n  Try to broadly arrange essays based on topic. For example, leadership, challenge or Why MBA? This will give you some sense of what’s in front of you.

n  It’s not as easy as writing one essay for each topic and using it across multiple schools. You may be able to reuse content across multiple schools but this should not be how you approach essay writing. Why?

n  Work on a school by school basis. This will help you build a more compelling portfolio of essays. You should think of essays as a package, not standalone. In sum, what do these stories tell about you?

n  There are advantages of starting with essays for your top choice as well as for your “lowest choice” school. Or, start with the school whose deadline is closest.

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Logistics of MBA essay writing ¤  Follow a methodical approach to essay writing.

n  Choose appropriate questions to answer. You want to answer questions that play up your strengths and give admissions officers a more complete picture of who you are and why you are different.

n  Don’t choose questions because you have already written a similar essay.

n  Don’t force a topic or story to a question that doesn’t fit.

¤  Put together a timeline for yourself – and stick to it. n  Writing essays can be a time-intensive process. How long did you study

for the GMAT? Are essays equally important?

n  Establish realistic deadlines and hold yourself accountable (or have someone else – a significant other, parent or friend do so).

n  Set aside dedicated time to write. Twenty minutes in between lunch is not appropriate. Make sure you reflect.

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Step 2: Start the self-discovery ¤  Before you begin writing, consider the following questions:

n  Why do I want to pursue an MBA?

n  Why is this program the right fit for me?

n  How will I be able to contribute in a way that other applicants won’t? n  Consider professional experience, personal interests, diversity of background.

¤  What is going to make you different from other applicants? n  This is the key.

n  Admissions is highly selective. As an admissions officer, why should you be admitted over equally (or more) qualified applicants?

¤  Come up with a list of 3-5 key differentiators, these will form the foundation of your application essays.

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Determine your differentiators

¤  Your differentiators can be personal or professional. n  I am a leader.

n  I am a strong communicator.

n  I bring (geographic, ethnic, socioeconomic or other) diversity to the table.

n  I have unique past work experience or future career interests.

¤  Get feedback from others. n  Consider those that have known you for a longer period of time.

n  You could even look back at old performance reviews or evaluations.

n  Don’t ask your parents or significant other. Find unbiased sources.

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What are business schools looking for?

¤  Dig deeper into the business schools on your radar. Are there specific values or characteristics that they are looking to identify in applicants?

¤  Some MBA programs are very upfront with the criteria. For example, UNC Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler says these are the most important:

n  Leadership and organizational abilities n  Communication skills n  Interpersonal skills

n  Teamwork abilities n  Track record of results n  Drive and motivation

n  Analytical skills and problem solving ability n  Prior academic performance n  Career progression and career goals

¤  Others are less up front, in which case, more research is recommended. (Talk to students, alumni, professors, etc.)

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Align your stories with MBA programs

¤  You know your strengths and differentiators. You know what business schools are looking for. n  You’re now on the right track to writing a compelling essay.

¤  Before you begin typing away, remember: don’t write what you think admissions officers want you to write. This is inauthentic. n  Be real. Be someone. Remember, this is the role of the essay – in a sea

of data points, you want to become someone who is likeable, someone who admissions officers would want to interact with and someone who would actively contribute to the campus community.

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1.  Follow instructions.

2.  Answer the question.

3.  Be direct, to the point and engaging.

4.  Creativity is rewarded, to an extent.

5.  Rely on examples to showcase who you are. 6.  Proofread, iterate and polish.

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Step 3: Put pen to paper

¤  Okay, you’re ready to get writing. Here’s what to keep in mind.

¤  Follow instructions. If an essay prompts you to write an essay that is 500 words, write an essays that is 500 words. n  It doesn’t need to be exact. Generally, plus or minus 10% is fine.

¤  Answer the entire question. It sounds obvious but it’s surprising how many applicants fail to actually answer the essay question. n  Write the question at the top of your prompt.

n  If there are two or more parts to the question, answer them all.

n  Do not try to tailor another essay to a question that doesn’t fit. Reusing examples is fine. Reusing an entire essay can raise red flags.

n  Is this school not a priority to this applicant?

n  You need to think of your essays as a package, not as single essays. In sum, they need to tell a compelling and supporting story to your application.

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Follow instructions and answer the prompt

¤  Be direct. n  Your space is limited. You can’t tell your life story. Prioritize. This is an exercise

in your ability to identify those examples that are most impactful. n  Always remember to emphasize: why an MBA, what you will bring and how

business school + past experience = you achieving goals.

¤  Get to the point. n  Don’t spend half your essay explaining a situation. Talk about the effect of that

situation on you. Talk about how it changed you. Talk about what you learned. The essays are about you.

n  Try not to use examples that are found in other parts of your application (like your résumé or letters of recommendation), unless they are particularly impressive. Don’t be redundant. Give admissions officers a complete picture.

¤  Be engaging. n  This is a professional exercise in writing, but it doesn’t need to be boring. n  Add life to your essays! Start with an engaging opener, use quotations,

parenthetical comments, descriptive terms. Make your essay fun to read.

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Be direct, to the point and engaging

¤  You do have some leeway to be creative – if there is a purpose. n  Look to the prompt for an indicator of how creative you can be. Some

prompts will actually tell you to be creative.

n  For others, try to think slightly outside of the box, more so with your story and examples and less so with the structure of the essays.

n  Be fresh. This is not a business brief.

¤  Use real, vivid examples. n  Examples are critical to your essays.

n  Examples help admissions officers understand the impact of your accomplishments – as well as your future potential.

n  Be authentic. Be likable. Admissions officers are humans. If you can make a real connection, you’re more likely to get admitted.

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Importance of examples and creativity

¤  Your first draft should never be your final draft.

¤  Get objective feedback from an unbiased reader. n  Ask: Do I come across as likeable? Do I come across as compelling? Do I answer

the question? Do I come across as someone who would contribute?

¤  Feedback should be focused on grammar but, more importantly, content.

¤  Spelling errors or mistakes are not an automatic ding, but they do not reflect well on your attention to detail.

¤  Read essays out loud. If it doesn’t sound like you, keep working on it until it does.

¤  Do not over edit. With each iteration, a little bit more of your voice can be lost. n  Ultimately, these essays need to be about you.

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Proofread, iterate and polish

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¤  Dedicate time to the essays, they are important. n  Can move you from “qualified” to “admitted” – but don’t go overboard,

the essays are just another piece of your application in a holistic process.

¤  Be careful with topics and avoid buzz words. n  Possibly avoid risky topics (like ethics, religion, politics) and focus on

topics that give the most insight into you. Buzz words (like synergy, value-add, etc.) cause admissions offices to sigh.

¤  Three most important things to consider with your essays: n  How are you different?

n  How will your past experience + MBA = achieve your goals?

n  What niche or role will you fill? Figure it out, build your story around it, be compelling and get admitted.

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Final tips from AcceptU counselors

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To wrap up, today we learned ¤  Overview of MBA admissions essays






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How to Write Effective Application Essays

(A Step by Step Guide)

Marc Zawel, co-founder, AcceptU www.AcceptU.com

Webinar attendees can schedule a complimentary admissions assessment from a former MBA admissions officer by visiting: http://learnmore.acceptu.com/webinar

Get feedback on your candidacy: strengths, weaknesses and recommendations for improving your competitiveness

For a copy of this presentation, visit: http://learnmore.acceptu.com/essay

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