Preparing for the MBA essay
The best way to prepare for the GMAT is to go through any of the GMAT reviewers available at local bookstores. But how do you prepare for the admission essay? If your writing voice is inaudible and your writing style bland, does it mean that the MBA essay becomes your waterloo and potential deal breaker? Not entirely!
There are many ways to improve your writing skill when it comes to admission essays. The first and most obvious way is to read up on excellent MBA essay samples available online. This should give you an idea of the many ways you can come up with an excellent application essay without going overboard.
Another great way to prepare for the admission essay is to read up on previous MBA essay questions. Application essay questions may range from the general (e.g. What is your definition of a mistake?) to the specific (e.g. What have you accomplished so far, and does it fall into your 10 year plan?). It’s easy to surmise that a general question requires a general answer, but the MBA essay checks not only your command of the English language and writing style; it also brings to the forefront your persona, psyche, clarity of thought and career visions. The MBA admission essay becomes, essentially, the last stop for the MBA admissions board to determine who you are and what you are capable of achieving short of having to go through a personal interview with them.
The MBA essay rounds out the entire admission process. There is no greater written report of your character in the application process than this, so it is of prime importance that you spend a substantial amount of time giving thought to the words and ideas that you’re writing down, lest they be a misrepresentation of who you really are.
Getting into graduate business school after months (and even years) of slacking or working in an office job can be a bit of a dilemma; for one thing, you’ve got to get into the habit of waking up to go to school again. You’ve also got to get into the idea of sitting in a classroom for a specified amount of time, and getting all your homework and essays done. If all of this appeals to you, congratulations: you’ve taken that crucial first step into getting an MBA.
No matter how much you’d want to get in, though, you won’t be able to get to learning if you don’t pass the admission test first. If you’ve got all your analytical skills down, that’s good but just make sure your writing is at par as well.
The admission essay
The application essay consists of questions that revolve around you because it’s the MBA admissions board’s window into who you really are and what you are capable of doing. If you score low in your MBA essay, chances are you won’t get a good rating in your GMAT and you consequentially might be denied entry. Since an MBA program develops leaders in the industry, high value is placed in the completion of a good admission essay.
Using MBA essay samples in writing your own application essay
A fantastic and perfectly legit way to gaining a clearer idea of how your application essay should look like is to look for MBA essay samples on the internet. There are many sites that offer valuable MBA essay samples with good credentials and references, so make sure that what you’re planning to analyze consists of good, clear writing and a direct to the point style of writing. There simply isn’t enough room in an admission essay for filler words, sentences and statements that might otherwise detract the full value of your work.
Proofreading your admission essay for quality control
As with any important work, proofreading is a vital step in ensuring that your admission essay is as good as it can be. Proofreading allows you to make edits to your admission essay and rework/reword any lines that feel cumbersome or awkward when reading the application essay as a whole, so it’s always a good idea to allot some time to proofread the finished product before handing it in. This is also the place to correct any spelling and grammatical errors (oops!) that you may have made in your haste to write all those great ideas that are pouring out of your head.
The MBA essay isn’t something that you should take for granted. It’s the most vital part of any entrance examination. Taking the time beforehand to read up on quality MBA essay samples is a great way to enhance your manner of business writing, as well as help to keep your writing voice loud and clear for the MBA admissions board to hear.
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The importance of clear writing in an MBA essay
Say for example that you’d want to answer an admission essay question that goes “Where do you see X company 10 years from now if you were its CEO?” You’d probably have your own ideas and ways to take said company a step further in the industry that it resides in. But if you begin your application essay with a sentence that contains totally improbable answers to the question, chances are the MBA admission board will laugh heartily while burning your GMAT. Likewise, if you were to answer the MBA essay question above impertinently with statements such as “I used to be the president of the Chess club, Drama club, and Science club which is why I will become the best company CEO ever,” you probably won’t get a favorable rating in your GMAT as well.
The trick in getting a good, clean MBA essay done is to write it in a good, clean and clear manner. Don’t stuff your application essay with filler sentences and difficult-to-understand words with the sole purpose of impressing the board. Your admission essay will speak volumes about your personality, vision, and style, so don’t give the wrong impression by making it your goal to reach a specified word count through unnecessary words and discussion pieces.
If you need an idea of how to write your admission essay, it’s always a good idea to do proper research first. Scour the net for differing writing guidelines for the MBA essay that are presented in a well versed and thoroughly clear manner, and dissect it to learn how to apply the style and voice to your own unique style of writing. These MBA essay samples are great stepping stones to reaching a well polished business writing style, and will certainly come in handy not just in your application essay, but in your future career as well.
Content and clarity over length in an MBA essay
In any admission essay, it should always be your goal to write out material based on substance, not material based on netting a substantial amount. The more concise you could make your essay while observing the word count minimum, the better your application essay becomes. There’s simply no reason to beat around the bush in a professional environment that requires clarity.
