How To Conquer The Admissions Essay

How To Conquer The Admissions Essay Every IVY league MBA program requires applicants to write an essay on at least one topic. The school provides the topics, and nearly every business school has a unique topic for you to write. The MBA essay provides you with an opportunity to tell the admissions committee about yourself. It also gives you a chance to tell you about your personality, your likings, your ambitions, and whether your goals and vision align with the program. The essays help the panel learn about you as a person. You should keep in mind that your writing will be one amongst hundreds or even thousands of other essays. It should be interesting and impressive, and it should make you stand out from the rest of applicants, containing facts from your life that influenced your decisions, helped you become a who you are now. Again, the number of readers for each essay would depend on individual institutional practices. Remember that one of the goals of the admissions board when reading college admissions essays is to find students who will enhance the educational experience of other students. Many large schools don’t require essays at all because they don’t have the personnel resources to process the huge number of admission essays which would be submitted. Schools which require essays, however, use the essay input to form a more complete picture of the applicant, over and above the numbers, grades, lists, and so on, which are entered onto the application form. The essays may form the most deciding part of the application after the student has met basic application criteria â€" grades, standardized test scores, etc. There are many different kinds of schools, however, so it would be impossible to know how each of them handles the essays which are submitted. I do know that some schools have a group of readers, each receiving one set of essays, with each individual essay being read by just one person. In other instances, each essay is distributed to several readers, who will then compare their impressions when the admissions committee meets to decide upon student admissions. In this instance, the essay would be read by several people. Again, the number of readers for each essay would depend upon individual institutional practices. It should show your personality, your motivation, and plans for the future. If your paper reflects your ideas and strong skills that would interest the board, nothing can stop you from getting accepted. In other words, how can you contribute to other students’ learning? As with tip #3, you already have an edge by being an international student. Since the school shares the essay instructions, it is important not to stray from the subject. Moreover, the essays have word limits (generally words) â€" so be wise with what you write. So yes, they are read by all the admissions officers, particularly the ones who oversee your county and region. If you send more than the one supplemental essay suggested, there’s no guarantee they’ll read themâ€"unless they don’t think they have enough to go on. That said, if they don’t think they have enough to go on after 2 essays, you’ve got a bigger problem. It is my understanding that if essays are required by an institution, they are actually read. Stay within the boundaries of the topic and the word limit. It puts a terrible impression if you cross either one of them. Keep the essays professional, and don’t be too humorous. You don’t need to be bland, but keep in mind that the MBA is a serious degree, and the admissions committee expects maturity and professionalism from the applicants. So be professional but at the same time, be conversational. The number of readers depends on how “borderline” the applicant is, and the number of applicants being processed. Even colleges who say their essay is “optional,” you shoulod definitely write one. It can make all the difference in your admission decision. Three former admissions officers I spoke to told me that, contrary to Steven’s observations, officers read every essay that comes across their desks. “We definitely read the essays,” says Joie Jager-Hyman, president of College Prep 360 and former admissions officer at Dartmouth College. “You don’t do that job unless you enjoy reading the essays. If you aim to apply to a college or university, you are to submit at least a paper.