UT McCombs School Fall 2019 MBA Essay Tips

The UT McCombs School of Business is a globally recognized MBA program, located in Austin, Texas, a center of technology and business for the region.

When approaching these essay questions think about the reasons you are pursuing an MBA, particularly at McCombs. Thorough school research will help you come up with specifics, by talking to current or former students, visiting campus, or attending admissions events.

Stacey Kammerdiener, Senior Texas Full-Time MBA Admissions Officer advises, “While it may be tempting, do us (and yourself) a favor and avoid the snooze-fest/shock-factor extremes. Instead, approach your essays genuinely and with reflection.” More advice can be found at the www.topadmit.com

ESSAY ONE

Introduce yourself.
Select only one communication method that you would like to use for your response.

• Write an essay (250 words), OR
• Share a video introduction (one minute)

For an open-ended essay with a creative option (the video), it can be daunting to think of a topic. Rather than focusing on how you are going to communicate, start thinking about what you want to communicate to the Texas MBA admissions committee by introducing yourself to your new study group.

The best essays will dive deep into your motivations and aspirations, perhaps getting into your cultural background, formative moments in your life and friends, family and colleagues who have influenced you. To identify one or two key stories you may want to tell, think about those pivotal moments of change in your life.

For many people, the transition from high school to college and from college to work led to personal change. Others had formative childhood experiences or experiences that led to shifts in perspective like travel or living outside your home country. Anyone of these moments could be a good way to illustrate who you are and what motivates you.

Once you have identified the content of your essay you can decide how to present it. A video could give you the opportunity to add elements of emotion, such as humor, that are harder to convey in writing. A video also allows you to include graphics, photos or other visual elements. If your story fits better into a written narrative you may choose the written essay instead.

If you choose a video essay you will still want to write a script for your video. Think about the bullet points you want to cover and any important points you need to convey. If you decide to talk into the camera, rehearsing will be especially important, and consider having a friend or family member there so you can talk to a person instead of the camera. If you are able to edit the video after you record footage it will be easier to keep it smooth and on topic. Either way, make sure you take the time to record several takes of the video content so you can choose the best one to submit to McCombs.

ESSAY TWO

Picture yourself at graduation. Describe how you spent your two years as a Texas MBA student, and how that experience helped to prepare you for the post-MBA world. (500 words)

This essay is your opportunity to demonstrate strong fit with the Texas MBA program. As part of your homework before starting this set of essays you have hopefully learned as much as possible about the school, now you can bring in your own aspirations and goals. Use your imagination to think about how you might describe your MBA experience at graduation. You’ll likely have experienced both professional and personal growth, and met interesting people who will be part of your lifelong network.

To help you get started, research some of the unique opportunities at McCombs like the Venture Labs, if you have entrepreneurial dreams, and The MBA+ Program, with opportunities to work with influential companies through a variety of touch points. Being part of the city of Austin is another unique benefit to the program that you may want to consider in the context of your background and goals.

For example, perhaps you were interested in working for a major technology firm to learn product management skills to use in starting your own business. While at McCombs you might have tested ideas with the Venture Labs, and also consulted for major companies like Adobe or HP to learn how large companies worked. These experiences were likely formative as you made career plans.

Don’t forget the personal – McCombs has an active and engaged student culture with many student organizations you likely joined. And your classmates and friends you made in the program were definitely an influence as well.

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some MBA essay samples written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copy their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

Which MBA Programs Should Be On Your List?

Outside the Wharton School on the University of Pennsylvania campus

Many students who are applying to business school know they want to go to a top school, but don’t know how to come up with a target list. You might have an idea from rankings, which are a place to see the names of schools, but I’ll say it right here: It’s not useful to just go through the rankings list and pick the top 4 or 5. You can be more thoughtful than that. But how do you begin?

10 Things You Can Do Right Now to Start Your List of Schools

Here are 10 things you can do right now to figure out which school should be on your long list. Unless you absolutely hate a school because of its location, or you think everyone you’ve ever met from that school is a weenie, keep an open mind about schools you simply want to research. It doesn’t mean you have to apply, or if you get in, go. But it helps you clarify your thinking.

Ask trusted friends

Ideally, you want to ask friends who know what they are talking about, who have applied, rather than those who are just reading rumors on the internet. Work colleagues, alumni of your undergraduate school all might have some insights from their own experiences.

Think of people you know and admire who hold an MBA

Ask them why they chose that school and how it helped them become who they are.

Look up people in your target field and see where they went to business school

LinkedIn has a variety of free ways you can search to figure that out (just make sure you put in “MBA” a search parameter). Or find the profiles of executives at companies you like and deconstruct their career paths.

Pick a school, any school, and look at their employment reports

It’s worth it to wander around the career section of a school’s website See who recruits at the school, check out top employers, dig into the actual names of companies that employ students. Also, LinkedIn can help you here – especially if you know the right tricks.

Go to in-person events.

Because it is summertime when I am writing this, going to class is usually not an option. But every business school goes on international and national road trips. These incredibly worthwhile presentations include a mix of admissions officers, current students, alumni, and sometimes senior faculty. The best way to get a seat is to get on the school mailing list so they can email you details of all upcoming events. Let me say that again in italics: The best way to get a seat is to get on the school mailing list so they can email you details of all upcoming events. Note: you will not get dinged from a school if you register to a big event and cannot make it.

Read through school websites.

Not just the overall marketing material and student voices, which are helpful, but look at the academics. Look at courses, concentrations, special research centers, and initiatives. Many schools have special centers for entrepreneurship and social innovation; but what about real estate, health care, luxury goods, data analytics, or global operations?

Look at the school profiles.

For those who aren’t familiar with the term, a school profile gives the demographics and breakdown of an entering class. Importantly, you’ll find the average (and hopefully range of) grades, scores, years of work experience, geographic breakdown, previous industry, and more fun statistics to see if you are in the ball park for that school. Be realistic, but don’t consider these numbers gospel. In the case of GPAs, for example, schools are more interested in the quality of your transcript as well as the absolute number.

Look at all-in costs and probabilities of financial aid.

Combine this with their work on current costs of business school, and you might add or subtract some schools.

Look at a map.

Even in this global world, location does matter. But do keep an open mind. Most schools are right near major airports, so you can explore and interview without too much trouble. Still, location tends to have a visceral pull, especially if a spouse or significant other are coming along for the ride. (And yes, ask for their input.)

Look at rankings.

Of course, they matter. But be smart about them. They are imperfect, and they shouldn’t drive your entire decision. Or you will drive yourself crazy, and life is so much better than that. A

Credit: Quants

Wharton To Ask Rec Writers For ‘Essays’

Wharton School operations and innovation management professor Christian Terwiesch teaching class

After a major review, the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School has decided to ask recommenders of its MBA applicants to effectively write two short essays on the candidates they are recommending.

The changes, effective with the upcoming 2017-2018 admissions cycle, occurred after the school surveyed more than 1,200 writers of recommendation letters and asked about their experience with the process. Vice Dean Maryellen Reilly, who deemed the overall “significant,” said they were being made “in an effort to get a deeper understanding of a candidate’s personal characteristics and their impact on others throughout their career.”

It’s a major changeup, in part, because business schools have been reducing the number and the length of essays for MBA applicants for several years now. At least on the surface, it seems ironic that a school would now decide to essentially ask recommendation writers for a pair of 300-word essays. The move also comes not long after several schools have moved to a common rec letter format to make it easier for recommenders to provide support for their candidates to several schools.

IMMEDIATE FEEDBACK FROM ADMISSION CONSULTANTS MIXED

But Wharton ostensibly thought it could improve on the current system after asking rec writers for their perspectives. “Utilizing their valuable feedback, in conjunction with conversations with writers at a variety of companies and Wharton stakeholders, we have revised and improved how recommenders provide information on who a candidate is both personally and within an organization,” wrote Deputy Vice Dean Maryellen Reilly in a blog post about the change.

Several MBA admission consultants, however, weren’t nearly as enthusiastic about the change, largely because they saw it as an additional burden on recommenders. That could encourage more recommenders to ask applicants to write the essays for their approval. “For the personality traits, the good news is that Wharton is trying to get authentic and thoughtful responses from recommenders, rather than literally ‘check-the-box,’” says Betsy Massar, founder of Master Admissions. “Because there are truly no right or wrong answers, hopefully, students won’t be as anxious about not being top at everything. For the qualitative questions, It’s great that the essay question specifically says up front, “give examples.” Maybe that will bring more substance into some of the high-praise-but-fluffy recommendations that don’t differentiate candidates in the least.

“On the downside,” she adds, “moving away from the common application questions that have been asked by other top schools really does put more of a burden on the recommender. That has all sorts of repercussions that increases anxiety for the student and might even mean that Wharton loses some applicants. Not sure that’s an optimal outcome for anyone.”

APPLICANTS MORE LIKELY TO SUCCUMB TO ‘YOU-WRITE-IT-I’LL SIGN-IT’

Linda Abraham, founder and CEO of Accepted.com, agreed. “Even those inclined to write their own recs are more likely to succumb to the time-saving temptation of you-write-it-I’ll-sign-it if they have to write two additional, distinctive responses to the open questions posed in the Wharton rec,” she says. “This would be especially true for applicants applying to more schools.”

Jeremy Shinewald, founder and CEO of mbaMission, sees an upside and downside to the change. “Unquestionably, relative to other schools, Wharton will get more thoughtful and colorful letters from those who take the recommendation process seriously – the questions almost force that outcome,” he says. “Unfortunately, they may also serve as a catalyst for those recommenders who may not want to put the time in and who may not put the time in and decide to shirk their responsibilities altogether. Because a truly excellent letter of recommendation can be a very powerful differentiator for any applicant, we strongly advise our clients to meet with their recommenders and discuss the process and more so what it means to write a standout letter.

“In doing so, we always advise our clients to be ready to diplomatically push back against a boss who says “write it yourself.” There is a reason why the schools want recommendation letters – they want insight that an applicant just can’t objectively and compellingly state about themselves. So, we may emphasize an extra level of preparedness for pushback to our Wharton applicants, because it will serve them well. They will have a better chance of getting in if they can persuade their recommenders to embrace the process.”

Credit: Poetsandquants

Tuck’s Own Insider Guide To Its MBA Essays

Tuck School of Business

These days just about every business school has a blog or two that regularly dispenses advice to MBA applicants. And, of course, there is no shortage of places you can go on the web to get perspectives on exactly how to respond to a specific essay question at a given school, whether it’s the blog of an admissions consultant or even Poets&Quants.

But it’s rare when that advice is as clear and concise as the insider’s guide published recently by Dartmouth College’s Tuck School of Business which has long had a reputation as one of a handful of schools that really get to know the candidates who apply there.

As the admission folks at Tuck put it, “Within days of publishing these essays, there will inevitably be sources willing to help you analyze Tuck’s questions, as well as our thought process behind them. Instead of relying on second-hand advice, here’s all the guidance you need to write an excellent essay—straight from the admissions committee.”

Here’s how Tuck is helping applicants do their best MBA application:

1) (Required) What are your short and long-term goals? Why is an MBA a critical next step toward achieving those goals? Why are you interested in Tuck specifically? (500 words)

This question is as straightforward as it seems. Pursuing your MBA is a big commitment. There has got to be a good reason for this, right? We want to know that reason. What do you hope to be doing after graduating from an MBA program? How does your path thus far play into that? If the logical path isn’t clear, make sure you tell us why you’re making this transition.

Also, we want details! You want to lead a company, make decisions, problem solve, help people? Great, but does that mean consulting or product management? Healthcare or technology? What companies interest you? What roles do MBAs play in those fields? Pulling out these details will not only make you a more competitive applicant, but will also give you a great foundation when presented with all your career possibilities. Business school is great for exploring different industries, roles, and companies, but without a plan it can be overwhelming.

As for the final part of the question, every MBA program is different. What about Tuck specifically will help you get from where you are now to where you want to be in 3, 5, or 15 years? As an admissions committee, we have only 285 seats to fill every year. We want to make sure we’re offering this incredible opportunity to those who 1) understand why they’re in an MBA program to begin with, and 2) are excited about spending two transformative years at Tuck.

What programs, classes, clubs, treks, or activities does Tuck offer that will help you achieve your personal and professional goals? It’s true that we like people who are enthusiastic about Tuck—we want students who will dive in, not blend in! However, that doesn’t mean that you should try to flatter your way in. There are many, many opportunities at Tuck—you owe it to yourself to do some research and figure out those that are truly most appealing to you.

Other tips:

If you can take Tuck’s name out of this essay and replace it with another school’s name and it still makes sense, then you need to go back and show you know what makes Tuck (and the other MBA programs you’re considering) unique. We don’t want a laundry list of classes, clubs, or qualities at Tuck. We know what Tuck has. We want to know that you understand why those things are meaningful to you. Be authentic, be straightforward, be specific, and tell a story that makes sense.

2) (Required) Tuck’s mission is to educate wise leaders to better the world of business. Wisdom encompasses the essential aptitudes of confident humility, about what one does and does not know; empathy, towards the diverse ideas and experiences of others; and judgment, about when and how to take risks for the better.

With Tuck’s mission in mind, and with a focus on confident humility, tell us about a time you:
received tough feedback, experienced failure, or disappointed yourself or others. How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself as a result? (500 words)

Life isn’t all successes; there are plenty of failures in there too. We are not trying to bring in a class of perfect people. We’re looking for people who are self-aware, growth minded, and humble, people who recognize those less-than-perfect moments or traits in themselves and then figure out where to go from there. That’s why we focus on confident humility.

Tuck is small in size and big in collaboration. It’s not about being right, being the best, or winning. We don’t seek success at the expense of others. You won’t blend in or be anonymous. You will work with diverse people, with different ideas, perspectives, and experiences that shape them. In business school (and life!), you will be one smart and talented person among many smart and talented people.

We love that our students listen and learn from each other in class and over dinner, that they lean on their study group mates in areas where they’re less strong, and that recruiters highlight how Tuckies stand out as being able to work well with just about everyone.

We’re looking for honesty in this essay. This is not a trick question. We’ve all received tough feedback, failed, or disappointed someone. Show us personal accountability and action. And like the first essay, details are important. Be specific enough that we get a clear picture of the situation, the result, and your role in it. Finally, don’t get to the end and forget the last part of our question: How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself as a result?

Other thoughts: Stick to one particular example instead of a string of several instances, and avoid being too vague. Consider both your immediate reaction and your reaction once given time to think and reflect.

3) (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

Optional is optional! We are NOT docking you for an empty optional essay. Actually, quite the opposite; if you give us an extra five paragraphs to read and it’s not necessary, we will question your judgment or your ability to express yourself succinctly elsewhere. For example, you do not need to further declare your love for Tuck here when you can articulate that in the first essay and the interview.

Reasons you should use this space:

Explaining an unusual recommender, or why you didn’t include your current direct supervisor.
Explaining a particularly incongruent semester/class from undergrad, or a poor record overall.
Anything else that may need additional explanation—as in, without it we will not understand the true context behind something.
A good rule here is to keep it to a reasonable length. If you’re unsure if you should explain something, err on the side of including it—just do so as succinctly as possible.

4) (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally. (500 words)

This question is very straightforward, but similarly to the optional essay, try not to repeat a bunch of stuff from elsewhere in the application. Naturally, it might happen here and there, but use your best judgment. If you received reapplicant feedback, you should specifically address that feedback—all of it.

Word Counts: All noted word counts are meant as a guideline. While we’re not going to count every word, if your essay is exceptionally short, you either haven’t explained something fully, or simply did not put in much effort; if your essay is exceptionally long, you should consider revising it to be more succinct.

Credit: Poetandquants

30 Tips For Your MBA Admissions Success

Fortune may favor the brave, but when applying to business school it is careful planning and meaningful self-reflection that win the day.

With round-one deadlines for the world’s top MBA programs less than six months away, this is the time to put together a plan for admissions success. You’ve got a lot of ground to cover:

• Introspection about your personal and professional goals

• Research to identify the schools that match your objectives

• Study for the GMAT or GRE, and any courses that boost your academic record

• Outstanding professional performance to strengthen letters of recommendation

• Purposeful community engagement and genuine leadership opportunities

• Outreach to b-school students and alumni combined with campus visits

That’s quite a to-do list, but MBA admissions success doesn’t just happen — you create it. And that means accepting all the challenges that are involved, and not just pursuing the ones you like.

(Photo by Jens Schlueter/Getty Images)

You don’t have to go to business to make a success of your life, but this is your chance to shape your own path, and not rely on somebody else’s. To more accurately quote business philosopher Jim Rohn, “Successful people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do. Don’t wish it were easier; wish you were better.”

So where do you get started? Pursuing the theme of insightful quotes, I asked my colleagues at Fortuna Admissions for their advice, based on years of insider experience working in the admissions offices of the world’s top business schools.

Here are their 30 tips for MBA admissions success.

Self-Awareness And Defining Your Personal And Professional Goals

1. “Be your authentic self in your application. The most engaging candidates strip away the pretence, and don’t try to fit into a mould.” — Judith Silverman Hodara, Wharton

2. “Start with good questions — they are the best way to find great answers. Business schools want to know more about you than just your resume. They want to get a sense of what makes you tick. What do you want from your career? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What have you learned about yourself from times you have excelled and times you have failed? Don’t skimp on introspection—or waste the gift of choice.” — Caroline Diarte Edwards, INSEAD

3. “Spend time talking to many people in careers that seem interesting to you so that by the time you apply, you have a much better sense of your post-MBA plans. If you’re looking to make a career transition, consider speaking to people at your current company in positions that you’d like to go into after your MBA since they could be great resources that are highly accessible.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

4. “When talking about your long-term goals, think big. You will inspire the reader with your plans to change the world, not with your goal of retiring at 50. Find the thread that links your past decisions with your future goals. Make sure your story makes sense with a clear vision of where you want to go.” — Heidi Hillis, Stanford GSB

Selecting And Researching Your Target Schools

5. “Don’t settle for the ordinary — by definition a stretch school is within reach and by stretching yourself you will improve your reach. Believe in yourself, so that the admissions office can believe in you.” — Julie Ferguson, Chicago Booth

6. “Look beyond MBA rankings. List the factors most important to you and talk to students and alumni to help assess the fit.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

7. “Don’t settle for general statements about the school. Repeating well-known facts proves nothing. Identify and be able to explain your personal passion for the school.” — Karen Ponte, London Business School

Mastering The GMAT

8. “If you’re going through hell on data sufficiency or critical reasoning, keep going. You may have to fight the GMAT battle more than once to win it.” — Judith Silverman Hodara, Wharton

9. “Improving your GMAT score by 100 points is achieved in 10 point increments. Test success is the sum of small efforts practiced day in and day out.” — Cassandra Pittman, Columbia Business School

Personal Branding

10. “Think like a marketer — define and design your brand. What’s your unique expertise and contribution to the MBA program? Leverage that in each part of the application.” — Katherine Johnson, Harvard Business School

11. “As you look to set yourself apart, consider the lens that has influenced your worldview—and then find ways to project that understanding of yourself into your application.” — Brittany Maschal, Wharton

12. “Every school wants diversity – think how could your professional background, upbringing, nationality, age, future ambitions or interests add a unique dimension to your MBA class.” — Melissa Jones, INSEAD

Resume

13. “Be specific – demonstrate your value with objective evidence, don’t just ask the reader to take your word for it.” — Jodi Keating, Wharton

14. “Tone back the technical language and take it back to basics, highlighting the skills relevant to the role and ones the school will be looking for.” — Nicola Sandford, INSEAD

15. “There is probably someone applying to your target school with the exact same job title as you. Your resume needs to show exactly why you are better at that job.” — Jodi Keating, Wharton

Application Essays

16. “Telling a story that illustrates the type of person you are has far more impact than telling the reader what kind of person you are. Show, don’t tell.” — Heather Lamb Friedman, Harvard Business School

17. “In your essays, go for the why, not the what. The resume tells what you did, it is up to the essays to explain what motivated you.” — Heidi Hillis, Stanford GSB

18. “Don’t just cut and paste essays from one school to another. Each application should feel like it was written specifically for that school, including concrete examples and specific school offerings rather than generalized statements.” — Dina Glasofer, NYU Stern

19. “Focus on depth over breadth! Talk in a non-technical manner when explaining your career — your file reader may come from a different background to you.” – Nonie Mackie, INSEAD

20. “Show self awareness. When talking about your weaknesses, be honest. A strength disguised as a weakness could very well backfire. Remember that you need to show that you still have something to learn.” — Michel Belden, Wharton

Extra-curriculars

21. “Go for quality not quantity. It’s better to get deeply involved in one thing you’re really passionate about, than to start four new activities simultaneously.” — Emma Bond, London Business School

22. “Devote your time and energy to something that supports your personal purpose in life. Don’t just get involved because it’s an admissions criterion. Do it because it genuinely resonates with who you are, your values, and your sense of purpose.” — Catherine Tuttle, Duke Fuqua

23. “Don’t underestimate the importance of your passions outside of work. The 10 years spent training as a ballerina shows dedication and drive, and can help you dance your way to the top of the applicant pile.” — Melissa Jones, INSEAD

Letters Of Recommendation

24. “Work on developing a relationship with your recommenders now so that when you ask them for a recommendation they are inclined to do so.” — Michel Belden, Wharton

25. “Don’t assume that your recommenders know what they are doing. Details, depth and insight add value; generalisations and do not. Help them to help you.” — Caroline Diarte Edwards, INSEAD

Interviews

26. “There is a misconception that schools are looking for perfect candidates, when in fact schools are looking for candidates with the right fit.” — Malvina Miller Complainville, Harvard Business School

27. “Practice, practice, practice! Have great examples to hand and a clear story, ensuring you tell the interviewer what you did do, not what you would do.” — Nicola Sandford, INSEAD

28. “Prepare your key selling points and stories ahead of time, and go into the room feeling confident that they wanted you there, and enthusiastic about the prospect of joining the school’s community.” — Malvina Miller Complainville, Harvard Business School

Staying On track

29. “Focus on what you can do, rather than what you cannot undo. A brand-new start is not an option, so put your energy into a brand-new ending.” — Brittany Maschal, Wharton

30. “When tackling the most challenging areas of your MBA application, get up early in the morning and be sure to complete these first!” — Nonie Mackie, INSEAD

It is clear from the insider experience of my colleagues, and decisions they made to admit certain candidates and reject others, that successful and unsuccessful applicants do not vary greatly in their abilities. They vary in their desires to achieve their goals. So what is to stop you?

Source: www.forbes.com

MBA Essay Tips

Most graduate business programs require applicants to submit at least one MBA essay as part of the application process. Admissions committees use essays, along with other application components, to determine whether or not you are a good fit for their business school. A well-written MBA essay can increase your chances of acceptance and help you stand out among other applicants.

Choosing an MBA Essay Topic

In most cases, you will be assigned a topic or instructed to answer a specific question.

However, there are some schools that allow you to choose a topic or select from a short list of provided topics.

If you are given the opportunity to choose your own MBA essay topic, you should make strategic choices that allow you to highlight your best qualities. This may include an essay that demonstrates your leadership ability, an essay that showcases your ability to overcome obstacles, or an essay that clearly defines your career goals.

Chances are, you will be asked to submit multiple essays – usually two or three. You may also have the opportunity to submit an “optional essay.” Optional essays are usually guideline and topic free, which means you can write about anything you want. Find out when to use the optional essay.

Whatever topic you choose, be sure to come up with stories that support the topic or answer a specific question. Your MBA essay should be focused and feature you as the central player.

Common MBA Essay Topics

Remember, most business schools will provide you with a topic to write on. Although topics can vary from school to school, there are a few common topics/questions that can be found on many business school applications. They include:

Why attend this business school?
What are your career goals?
What are your short-term and long-term goals?
What will you do with your degree?
How will a degree help you achieve your goals?
Why do you want an MBA?
What matters to you most and why?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
What is your biggest accomplishment?
What is your biggest regret?
How have you failed in the past?
How do you respond to adversity?
What challenges have you overcome?
Who do you admire most and why?
Who are you?
How will you contribute to this program?
Why do you have leadership potential?
How do you explain weaknesses in your academic record?

Answer the Question

One of the biggest mistakes that MBA applicants make is not answering the question they are asked. If you are asked about your professional goals, then professional goals – not personal goals – should be the focus of the essay. If you are asked about your failures, you should discuss mistakes you have made and lessons you have learned – not accomplishments or success.

Stick to the topic and avoid beating around the bush. Your essay should be direct and pointed from start to finish. It should also focus on you. Remember, an MBA essay is meant to introduce you to the admissions committee. You should be the main character of the story.

It is okay to describe admiring someone else, learning from someone else, or helping someone else, but these mentions should support the story of you – not cover it up.

See another MBA essay mistake to avoid.

Basic Essay Tips

As with any essay assignment, you’ll want to carefully follow any instructions you are given. Again, answer the question assigned to you – keep it focused and concise. It is also important to pay attention to word counts. If you are asked for a 500-word essay, you should aim for 500 words, rather than 400 or 600. Make every word count.

Your essay should also be readable and grammatically correct. The entire paper should be free of errors. Do not use special paper or a crazy font. Keep it simple and professional. Above all, give yourself enough time to write your MBA essays.

You don’t want to have to slop through them and turn in something that’s less than your best work simply because you had to meet a deadline.

See a list of essay style tips.

More Essay Writing Tips

Take time to reflect on yourself, your goals, your accomplishments, your strengths, your weaknesses, etc. before you begin writing your essay.
Research the school until you have a good understanding of the school’s mission, culture, programs, and approach.
Create an outline to organize your ideas before you start writing.
Use anecdotes and personal stories to make your essay original.
Don’t be too academic – an MBA essay isn’t a term paper. It is a marketing packet designed to introduce you.
Be specific and detailed. Use examples. Support your statements.
Keep it real. You want to impress, but honesty is key.
Don’t be afraid to be creative. If you’re asked where you see yourself five years from now, you can avoid the standard answer and write a diary entry for that day in the future or pretend that you’re telling your children about your first job after grad school.
Make your essay interesting. Some admissions reps read more than 1,000 essays answering the same question. Hook them with the intro and keep them interested throughout to make your essay stand out among everyone else’s.

Remember that the #1 rule when writing an MBA essay is to answer the question/stay on topic. When you have finished your essay, ask at least two people to proofread it and guess the topic or question you were trying to answer. If they do not guess correctly, you should revisit the essay and adjust the focus until your proofreaders can easily tell what the essay is supposed to be about.

Source: www.thoughtco.com

7 LESSONS FROM MY TIME AT HBS

My MBA at Harvard Business School (HBS) is over, but I will harbor memories from my two years there for a long time. I had some incredible experiences, met inspiring friends and professionals, visited fascinating places and – last but not least – reflected a lot. It has been a transformational experience not only professionally and academically but especially personally. As I embark to go back to what MBA students usually call “real life” (vs. bubble MBA life), these are the seven key lessons I plan to take with me.

1. Prioritize ruthlessly

As most MBA students learn, especially during the first weeks at business school, the academic, social, and professional activities are so plentiful that it becomes unfeasible to participate in each and every one. It would be great to do them all, but that is not possible. The solution is not easy: learn to say ‘no’, or as a famous poster shown in my office used to say you need ‘ruthless prioritization’. During business school, I learnt to focus on questions like how to prioritize my time, what matters most to me, what is important but not a priority, and to spend my time purposefully. Also post-MBA, I have planned to spend weekly time reflecting on whether I am devoting the right amount of time to the activities and people that matter most to me.

2. Be yourself

During my time at HBS, there were some moments where students shared some very personal stories from their past. Several students cried in front of large crowds. They opened themselves up. They became so vulnerable. At first, I was surprised how they were willing to share their deeper selves. Afterwards, I felt much more connected and closer to them. I felt that they had removed all barriers. They were so authentic. I will not be afraid to show my emotions and who I am. I will not be afraid to also show my weaknesses. I am confident that this is the only way I will be able to be myself. Some people will like it, others will not. However, at least, they will know me for who I am and not someone else.

3. Be patient and persistent

I spent two years applying to HBS. The first time I was rejected and HBS did not even call me for an interview. Had I not been patient, I would not have had the privilege to live such a great experience. The second time I applied, I reflected a lot about the reasons I was rejected and I tried to improve my application as much as I could. It took lots of efforts, time, energy, and patience. If I think about the achievements I am most proud of, I can easily realize that they took time, persistence, and lots of failures. Sometimes we want to have something immediately and I am that type of a person. But that is not always possible. Post-MBA, I want to continue being patient for the things I care the most.

4. Just ask

How many times do you get tempted to ask for something but you do not, due to a fear of rejection? How many times have you wanted to connect with someone but you are unable to do so because you are afraid? How many times have you missed an opportunity because you were shy? It happened to me many times both at work and in my personal life. During a sales class at HBS, a Professor pushed us to “just ask” in order to overcome our fear of being rejected. He suggested that we connect with people we would not have been comfortable reaching out to. That week, whenever I met someone I wanted to talk with, I approached him/her. Sometimes, I was rejected. However, I was surprised my requests were accepted many more times than I thought. That boosted a tremendous volume of confidence. Post-MBA, I do not want to be shy nor afraid of being rejected. Opportunities arise when we’re brave enough to seek them out.

5. Seek out diversity

At HBS you are often asked to work as a team. HBS students tend to be fairly opinionated and their opinions tend to be very different. During group work I was initially certain my way of thinking was the right one. Yet at the end of the project, I realized often that a specific point I had not understood led the project to new directions and ways of thinking. Post-MBA I will seek out diverse points of view both at work and in my personal life. Working in a diverse environment requires lots of flexibility and patience to understand different points of view and adapt to various ways of thinking, interacting, and communicating. However, I cannot emphasize enough how much being in a diverse environment has taught me about myself and about other cultures.

6. Be grateful

Graduation day is a day I will never forget in my life. I was very proud of myself on that day. But even more, I felt very grateful. I felt grateful towards my family. I felt grateful towards so many people who had filled me with continuous affection and support. I felt grateful towards HBS as an institution allowing me to live such a transformational experience. I want to continue manifesting my gratitude towards people and institutions that have given me so much. And even more, I would really like to start impacting the lives of people in a positive way as a tribute to the many people who helped me get where I am today.

7. Dream big and take risks

“I want to create a firm that allows space travels.” “I want to help in reducing famine in African countries.” “I want to revolutionize the way education works.” I have never been in a place where people thought as big as they did at Harvard. They had dreams that are very hard to realize. Yet these are their dreams and they are willing to invest lots of time and energy fulfilling them. They are willing to take risks. Post-MBA I want to dream big and take risks. Taking risks can be pretty daunting. However, not taking risks signifies renouncing your dreams, which would be far worse. **** Now that I’ve graduated from HBS, I hope to continue to apply these lessons in my daily life. And I hope they’ll be helpful to anyone considering applying to Harvard Business School. Credit: Sharing from Marco De Curtis – HBS alumni

Mom helps her quadriplegic son pursue his MBA and receives a surprise at his graduation

A California mom who helped her quadriplegic son pursue his Master of Business Administration degree received a surprise at his graduation ceremony last weekend — an honorary degree of her own. (Image source: KTLA-TV screenshot)

A California mom who helped her quadriplegic son pursue his Master of Business Administration degree received a surprise at his graduation ceremony last weekend — an honorary degree of her own.

According to ABC News, Marty O’Connor, 29, was paralyzed in 2012 after falling down a flight of stairs. After spending almost two years working on his physical recovery, he wanted to pursue a new challenge.

“After a certain point I realized that physical therapy wasn’t going to be the end all answer,” O’Connor told ABC News. “I was ready to take on another mental challenge.”

Before his accident, O’Connor worked in sales. So he decided to enroll at Chapman University, in Orange, California, for his master’s degree. But due to his injury, Marty O’Connor was unable to take notes or even raise his hand in class. So his mom, Judy O’Connor, a retired elementary school teacher, stepped in to help him.

She attended all of her son’s classes with him, took notes for him, and raised her hand when he had a question in class during his entire two-year MBA program.

“I did it willingly,” Judy O’Connor told ABC. “When a spinal cord injury happens, you want to swoop in and make everything better and you can’t.”

“This was something that I could do for my son and I was really happy that I was able to help him in that way,” she said.

Judy O’Connor said her son underwent a “total transformation” during his time at Chapman and he excelled at his studies.

Earlier this year, when Marty O’Connor was granted the university’s outstanding graduate student award, he asked Chapman University President Daniele Struppa for a favor — to surprise his hardworking mother with an honorary degree at his graduation.

“When Marty came to me asking if Chapman could present an honorary degree to his mom – and to keep it a surprise – there was no hesitation to make this happen,” Struppa told ABC News. “The provost, the dean and the faculty Senate immediately approved my request. The dedication from both Marty and his mother in his pursuit for a Master’s in Business Administration is nothing short of admirable. We were more than happy to make this happen.”

At the graduation ceremony last weekend, Judy O’Connor received the degree — and a standing ovation.

“I was so touched that my son would do that,” she said. “It was therapeutic for me to do what I did.”

According to ABC News, Marty O’Connor will soon begin a job as the head of corporate sponsorships for DIVERTcity, a youth sports startup.

Australia Is Attracting More International MBAs After Careers In Entrepreneurship

We spoke to three Sydney-based international MBA students to find out why

Written by Marco De Novellis | MBA Australia | Monday 22nd May 2017 09:13:00 GMT

Shikha Kanojia relocated from Dubai to pursue an MBA at AGSM

International students are snubbing traditional MBA destinations in the US and Europe for full-time MBA programs in Australia. Why? To differentiate themselves and stand out in a competitive MBA jobs market.

At Sydney’s top-ranked Australian Graduate School of Management (AGSM), 17 nationalities are represented in the current MBA class. The school boasts a 10,000-strong alumni network spread out across 68 countries worldwide.

85% of AGSM MBA students land jobs within three months of graduation. And many international MBAs see Sydney’s startup scene as the perfect place to take the leap into entrepreneurship and start their own business.

Shikha Kanojia, MBA ‘18

Shikha spent five years working at Deloitte in Dubai before moving to Australia for her MBA. After graduation, she aims to take the MBA triple jump – changing role, industry, and location – into a management consulting career in Sydney. She’s especially excited for the AGSM MBA’s entrepreneurship and innovation course. In the long-term, she hopes to start her own business.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at AGSM?

When I started to look for places where I’d like to pursue an MBA, I really resonated with Sydney. The big-city cosmopolitan vibe, strong economic fundamentals and an enviable lifestyle, all aligned well with my professional and personal goals.

AGSM was the only school I applied to in Sydney. Its collaborative community, integrated approach to learning, and partnerships with other elite global business schools made it a great fit for me. The program also has a strong focus on self-awareness and leadership development from the very start which helps make the experience transformative.

What stands out from your MBA experience so far?

We’re a bunch of 68 students in the cohort from over 20 different countries and with levels of work experience ranging from three to 10 years across a variety of industries and functions. It’s extremely rewarding to be sharing the MBA experience with such a diverse cohort. AGSM is a tight-knit community and the small class size means that you really get to know and learn from each other.

I also recently connected with alumni as part of AGSM’s 40th year grassroots fundraising initiative, and you really get a sense of how committed everyone is to engaging with and giving back to the community!

What are your plans for the future?

I intend to take an ambitious leap by changing role, industry and location – all at once! The AGSM MBA places you in good standing to achieve this. The diverse faculty, students and the larger community help shape your skills and perspective and make you more agile in the workplace. And the school’s careers team guides you through shaping your story, finding the right networks and navigating through the recruitment process.

Slobodan Gluvić, MBA ‘17

Prior to his MBA, Slobodan worked in finance for an Australian firm in his native Serbia. He joined AGSM’s full-time MBA program on a full scholarship. He graduated in April. Now, he’s looking to establish a career within Australia, and is considering starting his own business.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at AGSM?

My previous work experience was related to the Australian market. So, Australia stood out. The first school I applied to was AGSM and I was privileged to receive a Global Reach scholarship which made my studying in Australia possible.

Australian business schools are working towards challenging the status quo and getting to the top tiers of the MBA rankings. On top of this, Australia has decided to become more competitive worldwide in innovation. Business schools are appropriating funds to bring quality people over so, like I did, you can even get full funding for your MBA.

What stands out from your MBA experience so far?

Being from a small country and with non-existent exposure to corporations, I was oblivious of all the great ideas corporations around the world are rushing to develop and integrate in their systems. Now, I have learned how global businesses function.

I have met many excellent people and learned that, although I come from a background that is not as competitive as others, I can still add value to the classroom. The sense of friendly competition is pushing me to perform even better and the friendships I’ve made will last a lifetime.

What are your plans for the future?

In the long run, I want to start working on a startup idea which I believe has a lot of potential. Australia is currently one of the best places in the world for starting something new. The MBA has taught me how to be business-savvy and have a thought-out process in everything I do. I’ll always rely on the skills I’ve picked up during my MBA for my future endeavors.

Zach Pettinger, MBA ‘17

After almost a decade working in finance for big corporates like KPMG, Zach relocated from the US to pursue an MBA in Australia. With a group of MBA colleagues, he co-founded his own gaming startup. He’s now considering whether to transition into entrepreneurship full-time.

Why did you decide to pursue an MBA at AGSM?

I was actually in the process of applying to schools in the US when I took a vacation to Australia. I absolutely loved the country, especially Sydney, so I googled Australian MBA programs and naturally AGSM came up at the top.

After a bit of research, I realized that the AGSM program offered so much more than just the perfect location. It would give me the chance to work with incredibly smart and diverse international students at a top-tier university, which would help set me apart from other US MBA grads with similar backgrounds.

What stands out from your MBA experience so far?

The program has completely transformed me personally and professionally. AGSM’s high percentage of international students has given me a chance to work with people from many different cultures, vital learning for the global workplace.

Personally, I am more confident leading the discussion and gaining buy-in from the group than I was in the past. I am more willing to take risks to pursue my true passions. I know that I am walking away from the AGSM with amazing friends and an invaluable professional network

What are your plans for the future?

The key for me is finding a role that I’m passionate about. I want to work for a company that is changing the world and has a vision that I believe in.

The MBA has empowered me to try something different and has given me the business background to help me succeed, whether that is digging deeper into an accounting role or branching out into another area or industry that I find exciting.

Thirty essential tips for grad school success

Starting this summer, many of our subscribers will be heading off to grad school. Congratulations are in order, but this is only the beginning of your journey! Take a peek at an experienced academic’s advice for postgraduate success. (Also applicable in many other areas of life!)

By the way, if you are still thinking whether to take the grad school. plunge, Jason will be happy to talk with you. (linked text: www.essayapp.co/free-mba-consulting-session.html)

Top ten

1. Remember: there are no non-professional interactions.

2. Fundamentals matter. Practice your talks until they flow. Do some editorial work. Volunteer. Wear clean clothes. Update your software. Eat. Sleep. Take showers. Laugh. Love. Don’t obsess over the university—explore your city or town. Make friends everywhere. Eat cupcakes.

3. Figure out what you stand for politically. Be prepared to speak up.

4. Value loyalty over cool or influence. Make friends with people who care about your ideas and your well-being. Bleed for your friends and allies.

5. Do not work with anyone whose first desire is to burn things down. Eventually, they will.

6. Try not to get lost in departmental/teaching politics.

7. Always say “thank you.” And always be “nice.” Until, of course, it is time not to be nice. Insisting on politeness—at least at first—isn’t about suppressing dissent. It is about recognizing that no one wins in the long term when everyone starts every conversation by shouting. Anger only nets short-term gain and inhibits long-term goals.

8. From the moment you arrive, start thinking about the book you are going to write. No matter how daunting it seems, mess around with titles, and tables of contents, and story-lines. Think about archives and methods. Get in the habit of talking about it. Don’t be worried if, at first, you don’t know what you are doing. Choose a book that you can research and write well within five to six years. Don’t choose a topic so obscure that only a handful of people care about it. Don’t choose a topic so broad that it can’t be finished. Search for something that appeals to you and that connects with bigger issues. So choose wisely and be excited.

9. Learn how to say “no” politely and firmly. And do so often. But also learn how to say “yes.” Learn how to recognize when someone has gone the extra mile to extend an invitation to you, to introduce you to someone, and say “yes” as a sign of respect.

10. Take teaching seriously. Watch great teachers in the classroom. Ask them questions. Ask them to explain. Audit an undergraduate class. Draft syllabi, but don’t be weird about it. Talk to your comrades about what you’ve seen work in the classroom. Treat the discussion of teaching with as much seriousness as you do the discussion of the latest, coolest essay or book you’ve all read.

The rest

11. Write every day, without editing, for at least half an hour. Write at different scales—close readings, blog posts, project proposals, breezy op-eds, dense histories—and at different paces. Revise your CV—experimentally, trying on different formats and fonts—every single week. Treat your table of contents as a poem; don’t rush it, craft it, agonize over every comma, every gerund, every syllable. Join an ongoing writing group, and prioritize the writing and reading for that group. Take proofreading seriously. This means reading everything out loud, so that your ear can be your editor. It means running spell-check. It means leaving yourself enough time to do these things well.

12. When faced with qualifying exams/defenses/other rites of passage, do not listen to people who ask: “Do you think you’re going to pass?” Tell them to shut up.

13. Learn how to craft and control the narrative of your career, from the presentation of your CV to web pages to wardrobes to public performances. This means learning how to distinguish between the truly impressive and the superficial.

14. Never ask for a letter of recommendation without giving at least two week’s notice, a fresh copy of your CV, and whatever is being proposed. Accept responsibility for bugging your writer about the due dates and details.

15. Know the difference between criticism and critique. Do the latter. Posing and showboating is fine. Humility is fine, but not the norm. Hollow criticism is the thing you need to learn to hate. Know your shit. Do the reading. Trace the argument outward. Understand the stakes of every book, every essay, you encounter. Think harder. Applause is cheap.

16. Read blogs from professionals in your general area. Consult them alongside newspapers and academic journals and press catalogs. Develop reading habits. Consume information and analysis as if they were food.

17. Back up everything you have ever written every day. In the cloud and locally.

18. Know this: there is really only one question at job talks and conferences and grad student get-togethers: “Your work is interesting. How does it relate to mine?” So do your homework. Know what people care about.

19. There is a lot of concern about what comes after. You can always say “no.” There are other things to do in life. Lingering on and on as an adjunct is not a good life. Don’t do it. Move along. Don’t assume there will be an academic job waiting for you; and don’t assume that there won’t be one, either.

20. People will treat you like crap all the time. They will ignore you, or try to hurt you, or even try to ruin you. If what they are doing is illegal, don’t be silent. Do what must be done. If what they are doing is merely cruel, just remember, and don’t be that person. And mobilize for a better world.

21. Learn to value idiosyncratic behavior. Our tribe is very weird. Study them. Classify them. Make distinctions between, say, people who think your work is genuinely good regardless of who you work with vs. people who think your work is good only because you work with this person or that person vs. people who think your work is bad but won’t say anything because you work with one of their friends vs. people who are not willing to recognize that your work is good because you work with this other person vs. people who have no filter and say that your work is shit.

22. Understand that academia, like any other industry, will exploit and discard its workers to the extent it is able. So know what an “alt-ac” is, and recognize what is going on with adjuncts. Don’t imagine that “they” are not “you.” Imagine a future in which you might be off the tenure-track, and work to make that future better.

23. Learn how to tell the difference between those faculty who will help you get things within the context of your department/your university, and those faculty who will help you do the same thing while also teaching you how to get these things on your own.

24. Learn how to apply for extra-departmental funding. And do it. There is no better way to organize your thoughts than having to explain them to readers from outside fields. And, in many places, the generation of outside support is a crucial metric.

25. Do not take career advice coming from people who checked out of academia years ago.

26. Be social media savvy—and polite: it’s great to circulate news about your own work, but make sure you’re promoting and sharing the work of friends and colleagues too. Practice intellectual and professional generosity as part of your participation in the broader community.

27. Build a community around you that has a group of people who are not in graduate school. Among other things, their distance from your day-to-day struggles with graduate school life will help you maintain a healthy balance regarding your social life, sanity, etc.

28. No advice list is complete or all-encompassing, of course. So talk to others. Make your own choices.

29. Don’t trust the hype—good or bad—about academe. Investigate for yourself how many adjuncts are employed at your university, and find out how they are treated. Don’t think that administrators are evil, because most are awesome. Get to know your students before you decide that they are too rich, too spoiled, or too stupid to learn.

One last thing

30. Finally, write your own list. Don’t just copy this down. Edit it. Disagree with it. Improve it. Print it up. Put it on the fridge. Argue about it. The point of any such list isn’t to give you a pathway; it is to help you find your own.

Credit: This post originally appeared on Matthew Guterl’s website.