Myessay Business eBook

8/8/2019 Myessay Business eBook

1/49

myEssay.com Business School eBook

Business School Application Guide .........................................................................................................2 Application Strategy and Overview ...........................................................................................................2

Know What You Want............................................................................................................................2The Ideal Candidate...............................................................................................................................2The Application ......................................................................................................................................3Strategy.................................................................................................................................................. 5

Application Time Line ................................................................................................................................6When to Apply?......................................................................................................................................6

Guide to Recommendations......................................................................................................................8What You Need......................................................................................................................................8Elements of an Effective Recommendation...........................................................................................9Things to Consider.................................................................................................................................9

Recommendation Check List ..................................................................................................................10Choosing Your Recommenders...........................................................................................................10Educate Your Recommenders.............................................................................................................11Do the Grunt Work...............................................................................................................................12

Guide to Interviews..................................................................................................................................12The Basics ...........................................................................................................................................12What You Need to Know...................................................................................................................... 13What to Expect.....................................................................................................................................14Focus on the Big Questions.................................................................................................................14More Questions....................................................................................................................................16Dress for Success................................................................................................................................17

Business School Essay Guide ................................................................................................................18 Essay Overview.......................................................................................................................................18

Things to Consider...............................................................................................................................18Strategy................................................................................................................................................18 Writing the Essays ...............................................................................................................................20Focus on the Questions....................................................................................................................... 21

Guide to Introductions .............................................................................................................................2210 Introduction Techniques .................................................................................................................22Guide to Conclusions ..............................................................................................................................24

Finishing the Essay..............................................................................................................................24Final Touches Checklist ..........................................................................................................................2510 Sample Essays...................................................................................................................................27

Five Essays with Comments................................................................................................................ 27Five Sample Essays ............................................................................................................................34

Grammar Supplement.................................................................................................................................40Parts of Speech ...................................................................................................................................40The Basic Sentence............................................................................................................................. 42Problem Sentences.............................................................................................................................. 43General Concerns................................................................................................................................46Punctuation..........................................................................................................................................48

Legal............................................................................................................................................................49 Disclaimer................................................................................................................................................49 Copyright .................................................................................................................................................49Trademarks .............................................................................................................................................49


2/49


Copyright 2001 myEssay.com Page 2 of 49

Business School Application Guide

Application Strategy and Overview

Applying to business school is no easy task. Getting in is even tougher. This guide will help you navigatethe sometimes tricky and always demanding process of business school applications. In this guide,myEssay.com tells you what schools look for in a candidate, where they find it, and how you can makesure that they find it in your application.

KNOW WHAT YOU WANT

Before you throw yourself in front of an admissions committee, make sure that youve given some thoughtto what your true motivations and objectives are. Why do you want an MBA? At first this may seem like asilly question. You probably have a quick answer, or you wouldnt be reading this. But in truth, theanswer to this question is the crux of your application. Throughout the application process you willattempt to define for the admissions committee why you want a Masters of Business Administration. Yourreasons must be supported by yourexperience. You must demonstrate intellectand characterandestablish yourpotential. But finally, you will need to have directionits not enough to be merelytalented and accomplished. Business schools want to see that you have career goals and that an MBA isa logical step to attain them. So, if you dont really know where you are headed or why you are headedthere, you have a lot of thinking to do. But once you figure out what you want, its not so hard to figureout what business schools want.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

Business schools are essentially looking for five attributes in candidates. Each candidate will present adifferent combination of these attributes, with each applicant emphasizing certain attributes over others.

But all candidates will demonstrate at least some component of each of the following qualities:

Intellect

While business schools emphasize experience perhaps more than any other academic programs,they are nonetheless academic programs. Business schools are interested in how smart you are,and, in how good of a student you are. In your application, admissions officers will first look toyour GMAT score and your academic record to establish your intellect. Next, yourrecommendations will offer evidence in support of your intellectual ability.

Character

Character is not so easily quantified as your intellectthere are no grades or test scores bywhich you can be measured. This certainly does not mean that the quality of your character isany less important. It does mean that it may be harder to establish. Your essays,recommendations, and your interview will define the quality of your character in the eyes of theadmissions committee. It is up to you to make sure that these components of your applicationaccurately and fully depict you.


3/49



Potential

Sure youve accomplished a lot, but thats not all the admissions staff is seeking. Businessschools want to be as certain as possible that your past successes are not just flukes. Everybusiness school wants their graduates to continue on to successful careers. How do they gaugepotential? Your recommendations will play a big part. Your recommendations will provide the

admissions staff with the opinions and perspectives of people who know you well. Where dothese people see you heading? Do their expectations of your future jive with your own? Themanner in which you present your experience can also indicate your potential for future success.Remember the importance not only of what you have accomplished, but how youraccomplishments are presented.

Experience

Your experience will become the substance and framework of your entire application. It will setyou apart from the hordes of applicants, or make you disappear into the crowd. But when itcomes to the actual business school application, your experiences in-and-of-themselves are notthe real issue. Without a compelling narrative crafted out of your experiences, you will have a

difficult time distinguishing yourself; even the most sparkling rsum will not, on its own, get youvery far. If schools were interested only in the status of your accomplishments, a rsum wouldmake a sufficient application. But schools want to know how youve capitalized on youropportunities. You must find the stories in your life that demonstrate the other four qualitiesintellect, character, potential, and directionthat the admissions office seeks. Primarily, you willbe relying on your professional experience, but you will also draw on your academic and personalexperiences throughout the application process. Your rsum is only the beginning when itcomes to conveying your experience to the admissions committee.

Direction

Arguably, this is the most important consideration for admissions officers. Of course, every

candidate must demonstrate all of the above attributes. An applicant may be a very impressiveperson, but without direction is in all likelihood not a good MBA candidate. Career goals matter.The bottom line is, you must know where you want to go and you must have a plan of how to getthere. An MBA should be a logical step in your course of action. You may see an MBA as anopportunity to progress or a way to increase your earning power, and you would be correct.Realistically, the desire to increase your earning potential is a completely legitimate motivation.However, the most compelling applicants are not those merely in pursuit of a raise, but those inpursuit of success.

THE APPLICATION

Academic Record

Admissions officers want to know that you will excel in business school. The best way to anticipate howyou will fare is to examine your previous experiences in academic settings. Your transcripts aresubmitted because business schools are interested in you as a student. The quality and difficulty of yourcoursework will be considered. A solid performance in past academic settings is expected. That said,business schools recognize that people who succeed in business do not always excel in undergraduateacademic settings. Therefore, a less than stellar academic record does not eliminate you from


4/49



consideration at top schools. Ideally, your application will balance itself outfor example, if yourundergraduate GPA is low, your GMAT is high, and vice versa. If you are below average on both counts,exceptional experience will be expected to compensate. Admissions officers will turn to yourrecommendations as a secondary resource to establish your intellect. If your academic record is sub-par,try to find a recommender who can speak to your intellectual prowess. Also keep in mind that the longeryou have been out of school, i.e. the more experience you have, the less important your academic recordis.

GMAT

Admission officers value the GMAT because it is seen as a good predictor of a candidates performancein business school. Whether or not you agree is not the issue. Your GMAT score mattersthe higher,the better. If your GMAT score is low, do all that you can to raise it. Hard work usually pays off onstandardized tests. With practice, you can become more comfortable in test settings, more proficient inthe material tested, and more efficient at test taking. All of these things will help boost your score.

Recommendations

Recommendations may very well be the easiest part of your application, but that hardly means that thereis no work involved for you. On the contrary, you need to put a lot of thought into getting the bestrecommendations possible. Recommendations flesh out your experience, corroborate your intellect andcharacter, identify your potential, and provide a valuable perspective for your application. Yourrecommendations will speak volumes about you, for better or worse. Schools will not only be consideringthe substance of what is said, they will also consider how well you have gauged your colleagues esteemfor you. The people you choose to recommend you should know you well. At least one of yourrecommendations must be work-related. Those who are just a couple of years out of school may want tohave a professor write a recommendation. For a more detailed discussion of recommendations see themyEssay.com Guide to Recommendations that is included in this eBook.

Essays

Like recommendations, essays give depth to your accomplishments. Your accomplishments mustpermeate your application. While your rsum lists the major things you have done, your essays andyour recommendations will develop and give life to your experience. Nearly everything a business schoollearns about you will be in the context of your experience. The challenge rests in conveying thecomplexities and fullness of your accomplishments. A rsum does not accomplish this. You will need todissect your experiences. What are some themes of your professional and personal development? To dothis youll need specific, personal, detailed, anecdotes to present yourself to the admissions committee.Dont tell the admissions office that you love to travel. Instead, tell them about the time you spent anevening as a guest in a secluded mosque watching whirling dervishes on the outskirts of Istanbul with thefriend you made in a teahouse. For a thorough discussion of essays see the myEssay.com BusinessSchool Essay Guide.

Interview

The interview allows you to put a face on your application. Not all schools have the same interviewingpolicies, but all interviews will be conducted with similar objectives. In an interview, business schools lookfor the qualities you have presented in your application. This is your chance to verbalize everything thatyou included in your application and more. It gives you a chance to show off your professional polish. Itis also the time when schools put you to the test to see how motivated you really are. Go in knowing as


5/49



much as you possibly can about the school. Go in prepared for what they will ask you. See themyEssay.com Guide to Interviews for a detailed discussion of business school interviews.

STRATEGY

Reasons

You need to have a compelling reasonan argumentfor why you are pursuing an MBA. Once youhave that, the rest of your application will fall into place. You can begin to frame your application alongthematic lines drawn from your experiences, which lead to your future goals. Once you have yourmotivation identified, your entire application is devoted to the effective presentation of your argument foradmission to business school. This means the entire application works in harmony. It is up to you tocoordinate the various pieces. All of your essays should complement one another, without overlapping.Your recommendations should reinforce the rest of your application while adding new material forconsideration.

Placement

In order to devise an effective strategy that maximizes your chances of being admitted to businessschool, you must consider how you stack up against the competition. You must accurately place yourselfin the applicant pool. Know where you fall. Not only should you know how your GPA and GMAT scorecompare to other applicants, you should also have an idea, through an examination of your work andother experience, what biases the admissions officers are likely to have about you. In other words, knowyour competition. When you apply to business school, you are not simply compared to every otherapplicant. Business schools attempt to put together diverse classes not necessarily of ethnicity, race,or genderbut of experience. (Schools are interested in racial, ethnic, and gender diversity, butminorities and women are under-represented at most business schools.) If you are a banker, know thatyou will be stacked up against other bankers because no business school wants a class of bankers only.It is imperative that you consider your peer group and devise a way to distinguish yourself within that

group. The way to do this is to present a consistent and cohesive argument about why you should beadmitted to business school, using your unique experiences as proof. Finally, each school emphasizesslightly different thingsfor example, some focus on international business, others pride themselves onteamwork. Tailor your application for each school to which you apply.

Timing

You will hear all sorts of advice about when you should submit your application. Your considerationshould be simple. There is really only one good reason not to turn in your application as early aspossible: if, in the time you withhold your application from submission, there will be significantenhancement to your professional career (e.g. an important promotion), then you may be well advised towait. If you are not awaiting a major enhancement to your rsum, your application should go in as soon

as you can produce a finished, polished product. This means you should get moving with yourapplication as soon as possible. Dont wait around. See the myEssay.com Time Line included in thisguide to help you navigate the application process.

Execution

The most important aspect of applying to business school is discipline. It takes discipline to maximizeyour GMAT score. It takes discipline to evaluate yourself thoroughly and devise an application strategy.


6/49



It takes discipline to craft a winning essay. It also takes discipline to excel in the business world. Put thetime and effort into your applications if you are serious about pursuing an MBA. Make a plan, andexecute it.

Application Time Line

Many applicants feel that they are held hostage by their scores, academic record, and experience. Ifyouve prepared yourself for business school, then you shouldnt have these feelings. With someplanning, you can take charge of your application. You can bolster your GMAT score with preparation forthe test. You can maximize the appeal of your experience by refining your essays. Theres a lot you cando, if you give yourself the time to do it. Plan ahead.

WHEN TO APPLY?

Remember, that the quality of your application is much more important than how early you submit it.Never compromise quality to meet a deadline, unless it is the last possible submission deadline. Werecommend starting the process so early to maximize quality and minimize the impact of unanticipatedoccurrences. Your application, then, should go in as soon as you have a finished product. There is reallyonly one good reason not to turn in your application as early as possible: if, in the time you withhold yourapplication from submission, there will be significant enhancement to your professional career (e.g. animportant promotion), then you may be well advised to wait. Otherwise, dont wait around. Use this timeline to stay on top of things.

Summer: Fifteen Months Before Matriculation

Research the GMAT. Explore your options for preparing for the test. Look into the logistics ofregistering and taking the GMAT and/or TOEFL exams. Keep in mind you can improve yourGMAT score by studying and preparing for the test. Ideally, you will start preparing for the GMATin early summer and complete the exam by September. This ensures that if your results are notgreat the first time, you will have time to retake the test later in the year. There are a number ofoptions available to you in your preparation. You can enroll in a test-prep class. You may opt fora more affordable optionpurchase the preparation materials and do on your own the same workthat you would cover in a class. Preparation requires discipline. If you can motivate yourself toprepare on your own, dont rush to sign up for a class. If you know you need the structure of aweekly class, give it some thought. The GMAT is a very important part of the application.

Research various schools. You probably have some predisposition to a few schools. Includethem on your list, but dont limit yourself at this stage. There are a lot of good business schools.Begin your research online. Find out as much as you can about the various MBA programs. Themore you know about schools, the easier it will be to apply in the coming months.

Request a few applications from schools of interest. Even if the applications are for the previousyear, request them anyway. Read them over. This will introduce you to the MBA application andgive you a jump on what to expect when you receive the current applications. Business schoolapplications are tough. Most of them are unique as well, which means that youll have to reallyput some work into every one. However, all of the applications will be looking for similar insightsinto the applicant. Perusing old applications will start you thinking about the sorts of issues thatwill come up in an application and will give you an idea of what completing an applicationinvolves.


7/49



Research online application options. For many applicants today, an online option did not existthe last time they were applying to schools. The idea can be a bit disconcerting, and there is aperceived security in the paper application. But there are numerous advantages to applyingonline, and some schools prefer that you use the online application. Begin looking into the onlineapplication in order to get yourself comfortable with the idea.

Begin to think about the various components of your application. Youll need to obtain transcriptsfrom all of the schools you attended. You will also need to get people to write yourecommendations. Its still to early to begin your collection of these application materials, butbegin to lay out a plan of action. Give some thought about whom you will ask forrecommendations. It may take you a while to track down people, especially if you will be using aformer colleague or a professor from school.

Log on to myEssay.com and take advantage of the many free services. You can register for theApplication Alert Tracker, which will notify you via e-mail of application availability, deadlines,and other pertinent information for the schools you indicate. This will reacquaint you with youraccomplishments, interests, and goals. If this step in the essay writing process is donethoroughly, it will save you countless hours of work in the future when you actually have to writethe essays. Like the GMAT, the essays are one of the few aspects of the application still underyour influence. Leave as little of the application process to luck as possible. Great essays arekey.

September: Twelve Months Before Matriculation

Request applications from each school you are considering. If you can, download theapplications from the schools websites to avoid having to deal with either the admissions office orsnail mail. Keep in mind that top schools receive thousands of requests for application materialseach year. Assuming that the school is perfect in both processing your request and execution, itwill still take a minimum three to four weeks for the application to arrive at your door. Downloadthe forms and they are available immediately.

If you have not done so already, take the GMAT

Finalize your list of schools

Begin in earnest on your application. Start writing your essaysyou need to allow yourself a lot oftime to ensure a great essay, so get to work early.

Determine whom you will approach for recommendations

Request transcripts from each academic institution that you attended

October/November: Ten Months Before Matriculation

Request recommendations from your chosen recommenders. Keep in mind that the averagerecommender is a very busy professional. It will usually take between three and five weeks tocomplete the recommendations. Do not rush them; you want the recommenders to spend asmuch time as they possibly can on your recommendation, so get them the forms as soon as youcan.

If you were dissatisfied with your previous GMAT score, take the test again


8/49



If interested, attend MBA fairs in your area. You may be able to talk to representatives from yourchosen schools. You might also discover a school youve left off of your list.

Complete rough drafts of your application essays

If you are well along in the process, consider submitting your applications as soon as you are

confident that they are ready to go

December/January: Eight Months Before Matriculation

Submit your completed application. For your application to be considered, the admissions officemust have everything, including recommendations, transcripts, GMAT scores (submitted directlyby GMAC), essays, and application forms. Make sure that you have accounted for everything.Keep copies of your application.

Send thank you notes to your recommenders

Prepare for the interview process. This includes ensuring that you have proper attire to wear to

the interview, being educated to the schools unique programs, and knowing how youll respondto the interviewers questions. For an in depth look at the interview, see the myEssay.com Guideto Interviews included in this eBook.

February/March: Six Months Before Matriculation

Each school will send you a card or note to tell you the status of your application. If you have notreceived notification, contact the admissions office and inquire as to the status of your application.It is possible that the schools did not receive a vital piece of your application. If so, take thenecessary action to complete the application.

Interview at each school

Notification

Take your acceptance or rejection in stride. Be sure to notify your recommenders of the outcomeof your applications

Guide to Recommendations

To a certain extent, your recommendations are out of your controlbut not entirely so. Whom you

approach makes all the difference. And once youve selected your recommenders, you can do everythingin your power to make sure that they write you the best recommendation possible.

WHAT YOU NEED

You dont just need recommendationsyou need the right recommendations. Your recommendationsshould complement the rest of your application. Consider your overall application strategy when decidingwhom to approach for recommendations. What are your stated career goals? How are you differentiating


9/49



yourself from the competition? What component of your application needs the most reinforcement? All ofthese questions should be considered when selecting recommenders. For example, you may feel thatyour undergraduate GPA or your GMAT scores are lower than average, or the admissions committeemight feel that your analytical abilities are sub-par for any other reason; in these cases, you might want toget a recommendation from a professor that can attest to your intellectual ability. Keep in mind that mostschools require at least one professional recommendation. While the most obvious choice is your directsupervisor, in some situations you may want to approach someone else. Sometimes applicants prefer notto let their immediate supervisor know that they are applying to business school. Sometimes, theapplicant knows that the recommendation of the direct supervisor will not fit in with the overall applicationstrategy. In this case, consider previous direct supervisors, or even a peer that you have worked withextensively.

ELEMENTS OF AN EFFECTIVE RECOMMENDATION

Youre not writing the recommendation, but you still need to know whats involved. Its up to you toconvey to the recommender what the recommendation needs to accomplish. Even if the recommenderknows you well and intends to write a glowing recommendation, this does not ensure that the end productwill be what you need it to be.

A great recommendation accomplishes the following:

Demonstrates that the candidate has many qualifications

Supports the major themes in your application, and is consistent with the other claims you makethroughout the application

Includes specific, rich stories that demonstrate that the recommender knows you well

Shows that you have a grasp on your colleagues perception of you, demonstrated by the factthat you chose the correct individuals to write your recommendations

Comments on your professional and/or personal growth

Is not limited to information presented in other parts of the application

Provides an outsiders perspective on you and your application that reinforces your overallapplication strategy

THINGS TO CONSIDER

Choose Carefully

Not only do you have to choose people that are able to strengthen your overall application strategy, youneed to choose recommenders who know you well. In order for recommendations to be powerful, yourrecommender needs to know you andyour work and should be able to illustrate your desirable traits byrecounting specific instances in which you demonstrated these traits. Do not pick someone who has afancy title or is well-known if they cannot speak personally about your qualities. You should choosesomeone who either personally likes you and wants to help you get into business school, or someonewho has a vested interest in seeing you succeed. It is not necessarythough in some instances in may


10/49



help youto have someone with an affiliation with the school write you a recommendation. Do not,however, choose someone solely on this basis.

Educate Them

It is entirely up to you to educate the recommenders about the recommendation process and what youwill need from them in a recommendation. Your job does not end when the person agrees to write yourrecommendationit has only just begun. You need to give the recommender an idea of your applicationstrategy. In all likelihood, the person writing the recommendation can address numerous things aboutyou, in many different ways. Obviously, some things will complement your application more than others.Unless you let the person know, you wont have any idea how or if the recommendation will fit into yourapplication. Without question, youll need to provide your recommender with a copy of your rsum. Butthats probably not enough. Give them a list of the schools to which you are applying. Consider providingcopies or drafts of your application essays. Also, make a list of your relevant accomplishments. Forexample, if your supervisor is writing you a recommendation, chances are, they will not recall all of youraccomplishments or their details. Compile a list, with brief synopses of each item, so that therecommender can use it to jog their memory. Sure, you did the work for them, under their supervision,but give them the hints theyll need to write a vivid recommendation. Finally, explain to the recommenderwhat you are seeking in the recommendation. Do you need them to address your analytical skills,integrity, and work ethic? Or do they need to reinforce your direction and career goals? Dont leave it tochance, and besides, the recommender will appreciate your guidanceit only makes their job easier.

Practical ConcernsMake It Easy

You know that you have to educate your recommenders about the process and what you need fromthem. This makes their job easier. But you also need to take care of some practical matters. Dontexpect the person to run around looking for stamps, or to call you for your social security number thatshould have been filled in at the top of the recommendation form. Your recommenders are probably busyindividuals. Make the whole process as easy as possible for them. First, be sure to allow them enoughtimedont show up and ask for a recommendation by the end of the week. Second, take care of all ofthe paperwork. Get the forms in order, and fill out all that you can. Keep copies of the blank forms incase the recommender loses them. Third, sign the waiver that forfeits your right to read therecommendationshow the recommender that you trust them. Fourth, let the recommender know thedeadlines for having the completed recommendations to the admissions offices. Fifth, supply envelopesthat have been addressed to each school, with postage already attached. Finally, make sure that therecommender has all of your contact information, in case they need to reach you with questions.

Recommendation Check List

Dont be lax about your recommendations. You cant control the final outcome of the recommendation,but you can definitely influence it. Use this checklist to ensure that youve done everything in your power

to get the best recommendations possible.

CHOOSING YOUR RECOMMENDERS

1) Review your application strategy

Before you ask anyone to write you a recommendation, you need to have an overall strategy for yourapplication. Your recommendations should fit into your strategy.


11/49



2) Whats missing?

Take a look at the big picture. Whats missing from your application? What needs emphasis andreinforcement? Will your recommendations help?

3) Read the directions

Schools have different rules about recommendations. The number of recommendations required mayvary from one application to the next. Also, there are sometimes certain types of recommendationsrequired, e.g. academic, professional, etc.

4) Give it some thought

Remember, your recommendations should fit into the big picture. Also, your recommendations need tobe written by people that know you, or at least your work, well. Choose your recommenders carefully.

EDUCATE YOUR RECOMMENDERS

1) Explain the process

Perhaps the person writing your recommendation has written others in the past. But maybe yourrecommender is a recommendation novice. Find out how much the person knows, and fill in the gaps forthem. Let them know how the application process works, and emphasize that the recommendations arevery important.

2) Let them know your plan

You should update the recommender on your future plans for two reasons. First, out of courtesy, sincetheyve agreed to help you. Second, your future plans are directly relevant to the recommendation. Therecommender needs to know your direction and objectives.

3) Tell them what you need

You need your recommendations to accomplish certain objectives in your application strategy. Let therecommender know what you need. Explain your application to them, and where you see therecommendations fitting in.

4) Provide a rsum

Give the recommender some help with remembering your background.

5) Provide your essays

If you have drafts available, let your recommenders have a look. This will help them better understandyour application strategy.

6) Provide a list of accomplishments

Help the recommender recall the details of your mutual experience. Remind them of the specifics of thework you did for them, or under their supervision. This will jog their memory and help them write a vividrecommendation.


12/49



DO THE GRUNT WORK

1) Give fair warning

Most people dont live to write your recommendationsthey have lives of their own. Give them time towrite the recommendation. Budget at least a month to allow ample time for their writing the

recommendations.

2) Fill out the forms

The student can and should fill out a lot of the basic information on recommendation forms.

3) Provide addressed and stamped envelopes

Cmon. This is a no-brainer. Make their job as easy as possibleand make sure that yourrecommendation gets there.

4) Provide a list of deadlines

Sure, your recommender will know that they have to write recommendations for you by a certain date, butgive them a list to help them keep track of all the deadlines.

5) Make copies

Recommenders are often busy people. Sometimes they might misplace the recommendation forms.Keep copies so that you dont have to wait for them to clean their office.

6) Follow upAs the deadline approaches, check in with your recommenders. See if they need anything from you, andsubtly remind them of the deadline. Once you learn that the recommendations have been sent out, sendthank you notes to your recommenders.

Guide to Interviews

The interview can be the most intimidating aspect of your business school application. The discomfortposed by an interview for business school is similar to the nerves you might feel in a job interview. But asa business school applicant, chances are that you have some experience dealing with clients, customers,or superiors in a formal business setting. On the job, your preparedness leads to confidence. Yourinterview should be the same. With the myEssay.com Guide to Interviews you have what it takes to makethe right impression.

Some schools offer interviews to candidates, but do not require them. If offered an interview, you shouldaccept the invitation. Refusal to interview if invited screams IM NOT INTERESTED. If logisticalcircumstances prohibit a face-to-face meeting with the admissions committee, try to negotiate an alumni

interview, and if that fails, a phone interview.

THE BASICS

You should recognize that interview policies vary according to school. However, most schools follow oneof the following four procedures:

All applicants are interviewed, regardless of qualifications or the content of the application


13/49



Only those applicants that meet certain preliminary requirements such as a minimumundergraduate GPA, and/or GMAT score are interviewed

Only candidates with borderline credentials are interviewed. The interview is used as a decidingfactor for applicants that are on the line between acceptance and rejection

No applicants are interviewed. The admissions committed makes a decision based on theapplication materials alone

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

The secret to success in a business school interview is preparation. With the myEssay.com Guide toInterviews, youll have the guidance you need to succeed.

Know everything you can about the school and the program.

Be intimately familiar with the schools admissions publications. Know what make the program unique.This knowledge base is the bare minimum you should have before the interview. This can be achievedby reading the website of the particular school, or requesting an information packet from the admissionsoffice. You can supplement your knowledge of the school by turning to independent publications, such asbooks and periodicals, which discuss the school. If you have access to graduates, faculty, or currentstudents, speak with them about their experiences at the school. The more you know about the school,the better off you will be in the interview.

Know the questions that the interviewer will most likely ask.

Some questions might catch you off-guard no matter how much you prepare for your interview. However,you can predict a number of questions that will arise, and you should be able to prepare for all of thetopics that will be discussed, even if you cant predict the exact questions. The sections below will helpyou identify the questions you are most likely to face.

Know why youre pursuing an MBA, why youre a good fit at the school, and be able to articulateit.

You probably know why youre pursuing an MBA (if you dont, why put yourself through the hassles of theapplication process?). Its harder to figure out why youre a good fit at a particular school. Its harder stillto articulate these things. The following sections will get you thinking and put you on the right track toverbalizing the answers to the toughest questions.

Know several intelligent questions to ask the interviewer.

An interview will include more than your responses to the interviewers questions. You will have anopportunity to ask questions of your own. Use this opportunity wisely.


14/49



WHAT TO EXPECT

Your interview will probably follow a standard format. Heres what you can expect:

Introductions

Get off to a good start. Some people are slow to warm up, but you only get one shot at theinterview. Be confident from the start, introduce yourself, and expect some low key chit chat toget things rolling. Remember, your interview is essentially a conversation. Granted, theinterviewer has the upper hand, and youre the one in the hot-seat, but the objective is for theschool to learn more about you. Get comfortable and relax.

The Questions

Chances are, the interviewer will have your rsum in hand. The interview is in full-swing whenthe conversation turns to your rsum. Often, the interviewer will pose questions that follow thechronology of your resume, e.g., Why did you choose to attend school X instead of school Y?The interview will then progress forward to the present moment, and the question So, why dowant an MBA? See the next two sections, Focus on the Big Questions and More Questions, for

an in depth discussion of questions that the interviewer may ask.

Your Turn

Dont think youre off the hook when you no longer have to field questions. Youll have yourchance to return fire and you should have some questions for the interviewer. Often, applicantstreat this component of the interview without the respect it deserves. Dont write off youropportunity to quiz the intervieweryou should realize that your questions, like your answers inthe previous phase of the interview, will be scrutinized by the interviewer.

Good-Byes

Make a gracious exit. Regardless of how you feel about the interviewer or about your

performance in the interview, be sure to thank the interviewer for taking the time to meet with you.Make certain that you have the contact information for your interviewer; you may need to contactthem in the future. You should also send a thank you note in which you reiterate your interest inthe school.

FOCUS ON THE BIG QUESTIONS

You may be asked these exact questions, or very similar variations. However, even if these questions donot come up, the topics will. You should be able to articulate answers to the following questions:

Why do you want an MBA?

In that the training is similar and the final degree identical for all those going to business school,there are a limited number of responses to this question. Everyone going to business schoolexpects to hone their management skills, learn new economic or business related material, andmake contacts. Your motivation for desiring these skills may vary from other applicants, but formost of the people pursuing an MBA, motivations and objectives will be similar. If possible, try tothink of a unique reason for pursuing an MBA. Think about your personal motivations and goals.Regardless of how unique you motivations are, make sure that you can articulate why in factyou do want an MBA. You ability to express your motivations may be the primary thing that setsyou apart from other candidates.


15/49



Why do you want to attend this school?

By some accounts, this is the most important question that your interviewer asks. There arethree main reasons why schools view this as an important question. First, there is ego at work.Every school wants to be the top choice of all candidates. Second, by forcing you to explainwhy you prefer one school to the next, you will have to know a fair amount about the schools towhich you are applying. Your ability to answer this question well indicates that you have put a lotof effort and thought into the decision to pursue an MBA. Third, it does matter to the school howmuch you want to be there. Beyond all of the ego at work, business schools, like all schools, arenot just admitting a class, but are building a community. Your answer to this question helps theschool evaluate what place you might fill in the class. This question may be difficult for you toanswer because the school interviewing you may not be your first choice. If the school is yourfirst choice, let them know. If its your safety school, dont tell them that. Be as enthusiastic asyou can. Let the interviewer know that you really want to attend the school. Some applicantsadopt the policy of telling every school that its their first choice. This tactic may get you intotrouble if you dont come across as genuine. Make sure that whatever you tell your interviewer,youre convincing. Above all else, you should have some very good reasons why you want toattend the specific school for which you are interviewing.

Why do you want to pursue an MBA now?

It is likely that you have answered this exact question, or a very similar one, in your writtenapplication. Thus, you have probably already put some thought into an answer. Nonetheless,make sure you are prepared to articulate an answer in an interview setting. It is an importantinterview question.

What are your career goals?

Your ability to articulate future goals in a convincing manner will underscore, or undermine, youranswers to the previous questions. Without clear-cut goals for the future, your motivation toobtain an MBA may fall suspect. Presumably, youre not just going to business school to killsome time and rack up debtlet the interviewer know that an MBA is the next logical step on

your career path. In your answer to this question, incorporate why the MBA will be useful, evennecessary, in order to achieve your goals. You may also want to use this question to discuss youpast accomplishments, how they lead to your career goals, and why the MBA comes next.

Tell me about yourself.

This question is almost a sure bet to come up in your interview. It is also the question for whichyou arguably have the most latitude in how you choose to answer. It is easy to answer thisquestion, but not as easy to answer it well. Anyone can ramble on about what they have doneand what they hope to do. This question is an open ended opportunity for you to presentyourselfmaybe the only one you will have at any time throughout the application process. Howdo you want to present yourself? You can focus on your professional career. You may want tofocus on your academic career. Perhaps your personal life will add valuable insight to your

application. Probably, you will want to include a number of things in this open-ended question.However, as with your essays, you dont want to verbalize your rsum by inserting sentencesbetween each listing; your interviewer already has your rsum! If you dont think about thisquestion before the interview, you probably will end up spitting out some version of your rsum.Be prepared. Use some creativity. Do you have an interesting or funny story to tell aboutyourself or your experience? Can you incorporate everything you want to say into the frameworkof the story? Perhaps you love travel, highly value family, want to earn a lot of money, are fluentin French, and frequently spend your weekends square-dancing. Give some thought to whythings are important to you. How do they all fit together? This question is really an opportunity toset yourself apart from other candidates. When answering this question, your objective should


16/49



not be to have the most novel approach or to wow your interviewer with your creativity, but keepin mind that the how you say it is as important as the what you say.

What value will you add to the incoming class?

This is a very tough question. It requires that you assess your own strengths and weaknesses,and then compare them to the strengths and weaknesses of your future classmates. Its a trickygame. But the best way for you to approach this question, is to be prepared. Spend some timethinking about your own strengths and weaknesses. Also think about the value you add to thethings which occupy your timeboth work and personal endeavors.

Do you have any questions for me?

Capitalize on the opportunity to ask your interviewer questions. You may want to begin yourquestions by probing the background of the interviewer. How did they get to where they are?Have some questions about the program. Remember, the questions you ask will say a lot aboutyou. Asking no questions also says a lot about you. Imagine you are about to invest a large sumof money in a company. Youve done your research, but now youre given a rare opportunity tosit down with the CEO. Presumably, you would have some questions. Your business schoolinterview is similar; you are about to make a substantial commitment, with your money and time,

to pursuing an MBA. Make sure you have the answers you need to make the right investment.

MORE QUESTIONS

Below are a number of questions you might hear. Use them as guidesthe questions might not be thesame in your interview, but the topics will be.

Why did you choose to attend the college that you attended? (personal reasons, academicreasons, athletic reasons?)

Why did you choose your major in college? Are you glad that you went to your college? Why?

Are you happy with your choice of major? Why? Are your grades an accurate reflection of your academic ability? If you could go back to senior year in high school, what would you change about your college

years? What was your favorite course in college? Why? What was your least favorite course in college?

Why? What were your main extracurricular activities and why did you choose them? How did you pay for college? Why did you choose your profession? Why did you choose your firm? Describe a typical work day. How much do you work? What is the best thing about your current job? Why? What is the worst thing about your current

job? Why? What has been your greatest accomplishment at the firm? What has been your greatest failure at

the firm? Describe the challenges you face on the job. Include managerial, operational, financial, technical,

and personal challenges What are your strengths in your current position? What are your weaknesses? If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be?


17/49



Describe your salary progression. Does this match the rate at which you were promoted? Howquickly did you move up in the company compared to the others who joined at the same time youdid?

Describe yourself in 5 years. 10 years. 25 years. What is your ultimate career goal? How will you respond if you are rejected from all the top schools?

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Remember, this is an interview for BUSINESS school. You should wear proper business attire. When indoubt, err on the conservative side. Your objective is not to wow the committee with your clothing. Youwant the interviewer to concentrate on your message, not your flashy suit.

Below are some recommendations for your interview attire.

For men:

A conservative charcoal gray or navy blue suit (with or without pinstripes.) A white long-sleeve dress shirt with either a button down or straight collar that has been recently

cleaned and starched by a professional A conservative tie that matches your outfit and extends to your belt buckle A pair of black dress shoes and black dress socks with a belt that matches your shoes

For women:

A conservative navy blue or black skirt suit. Skirt should hang to about the knee. An alternativewould be a navy blue or black pant suit.

A dress blouse

Pantyhose, no matter what! No flat shoes. In general you will be safe with inch to 2 inch heel shoes that match your outfit A modest amount of tasteful jewelry (no nose rings or earrings anywhere except the lobe),

makeup, and a very small amount of perfume, if any.


18/49



Business School Essay Guide

Essay Overview

The essays are the most difficult part of the business school application. Most applications requiremultiple essays. Some of the essays are very shortas few as 300 words. Others are longover 1,000words. Regardless of the length, you need to devote your full attention to each essay. Furthermore,every school seems to add their own twist to at least one essay, meaning that you cannot recycle thesame essays for all of your applications. At times, the magnitude of the work can be discouraging andwill tempt you to cut corners. The secret to great business school essays is hard work. If youre willing toput in the effort, there is nothing to keep your essays from being top-notch. Budget yourself plenty oftime, and get an early start. Youre going to write a few drafts of each essay if you really want them to beof the highest caliber.

The myEssay.com Essay Guide will help you write your best essays by telling you all you need to knowand consider. The Essay Guide is your best bet for making the most of your essay opportunity. And theessays are an opportunitymake sure you capitalize on it.

THINGS TO CONSIDER

The importance of your essays cannot be overstated. Your essays have the potential to set youapart from the restor leave you undifferentiated from the pack.

Experience, grades, and scores matter, but admissions officers arent reading thousands ofessays just for fun. Dont misunderstandexperience, grades, and scores matter a lot, butessays are a vital component of any application.

Admissions officers willread your essays. In fact, you can expect that from one to five people willread your essays. The essays are the only opportunity that admissions committees have to hear

your voiceand its your only opportunity to present yourself on your own terms.

While there are no right answers to the essay questions, there are specific things thatadmissions officers want to see in your essays.

STRATEGY

What they want

Business schools are looking for five attributes in candidates. You are applying to a school, so it onlystands to reason that admissions officers want to see intellectin an applicant. Your intellect assuresthem that you will succeed in a school environment, but business schools also want candidates who willbecome successful graduates, which is why yourpotential is evaluated. Admissions officers are buildinga community, not just admitting a class, so yourcharacter is important as well. It is expected that you willhave proven that you possess the aforementioned qualities and have attained a level of maturity throughyourexperience. Finally, business schools want to see that you have directionits not enough to bemerely talented and accomplished. Business schools want to see that you have career goals and that anMBA is a logical step to attain them.


19/49



What you need

Before you can devise your essay strategy you need to determine your overall applicationstrategy. In order to do this, you will need to put a lot of thought into why you want an MBA, why

you want it at this school, how it fits into your stated career objectives, and your competition for aspot in the class. See the myEssay.com Business School Application Guide for a detaileddiscussion of the overall application strategy.

You need to devise a clear strategy. Writing a number of good essays is not what youre after.You want to write a number of good essays that work together to make a complete argument infavor of your acceptance to a specific school.

In order to craft the best application, your essays need to complement each other. The businessschool application is a study in efficiency. You need to include as much valuable information aspossible, without overlap, within the limits defined by the application. This means that every wordin your application should add value. Dont waste words on things covered in other parts of yourapplication.

Know the school. Each MBA program is different from the next. Have reasons why each schoolis a good place for you. Somewhere in one of your essays you will probably need to articulateyour reasons.

Make it happen

Rely on experience, not abstractions, in your essays. For example, it is not very convincing tosay in an essay, I am a hard worker. You need to show, not tell. Tell the story about the gamewinning hit you had in your softball gamethe game you relished as a break between your usualday job and the long hours you put in at night trying to get your own Internet company off theground.

There is one sure-fire way to bore the admissions staff out of their mindsand many applicantsdo this every year. Admissions officers have a copy of your rsumyou dont need to make itinto an essay. Often, applicants string together the various components of their rsum and passit off as an essay. The admissions committee will read your rsum, so dont waste your time (ortheirs) with an awful rsum essay. You must find the stories in your life that demonstrate thefive qualitiesintellect, character, potential, and directionthat the admissions office seeks.Primarily, you will be relying on your professional experience, but you will also draw on youracademic and personal experiences throughout the application process. Your rsum is only thebeginning when it comes to conveying your experience to the admissions committee. Tell abouta specific eventyour entire life is too much to fit into an application essay. The trick is to givethe admissions committee an accurate idea of what you are like by providing them with a seriesof snapshotsyou cant provide them with the full-length video of your life from birth to the

present.

Tailor your essays to the schools. Schools need to know that you are actually interested in theirprogram, not just in any program.

The bottom line

The purpose of the entire application, including the essays, can be boiled down to a single demand fromthe admissions officer: Tell me about yourself. The latitude allowed in how you go about telling about


20/49



yourself will vary with each application. Some schools will ask you specific questions about yourexperience. Others might ask about how you will fit in at their school, or why you are interested in theirschool. The questions certainly are looking for answers, but the objective is still for you to tell theadmissions officer about yourself. How do you want to present yourself? Within the framework of thequestions you answer, you must incorporate the details of your life. Make your essays come alivedontput the admissions officer to sleep with a boring essay. You can focus on your professional career. Youmay want to focus on your academic career. Perhaps your personal life will add valuable insight to yourapplication. Remember, the admissions committee only knows what you tell them. Youve provided themwith a rsum, now you need to provide the details and fill the gaps. Use some creativity. You dont wantto turn to novelty or gimmicks, but do use creativity to write a compelling piece. Do you have aninteresting or funny story to tell about yourself or your experience? Can you incorporate everything youwant to say into the framework of the story? Your essays are your best opportunity to set yourself apartfrom other candidates.

WRITING THE ESSAYS

As far as practical matters of writing go, the essays can be difficult for a number of reasons. There are

many ways you can go about writing an essay, but youll need to keep certain things in mind while writingyour essay.

Getting Started

This can be the hardest part of your essay. First, think about your general application strategythat incorporates your reasons for pursuing an MBA, your reasons for choosing this school, andthe ways in which you are unique compared to your competition. Next, consider the questionsposed in the application. With both your strategy and the questions in mind, begin to generatelists. You should make two lists. The first should contain all of the qualities and characteristicsyou want to emphasize in your application. The second should be a list of your important andrelevant experiences and accomplishments. Then, see which events naturally correspond to

which qualities. Begin thinking about how you can tell the story of the event in a way thatemphasizes the pertinent qualities.

Sit down and write. Write about anything and everything. Try to stay on the subject of businessschool, but dont worry if you stray. Youll end up throwing most of what you write into the trash,but you may hit on something thats worth developing into an essay.

For cutting edge interactive help in generating essay ideas, visit www.myEssay.com and utilizethe myEssay.com Brainstormer.

Keep in mind

Always be sure to answer the question. You are free to answer the question in any manner you

see fit, and in as roundabout manner as you like. They are, however, asking a question becausethey want an answer.

Since writing these admissions essays requires that you consider so many large, overarchingissues, you may let the little things slide. Always be sure to check and re-check your essay forspelling and grammar mistakesyour final essays should be flawless.


21/49



For a successful essay, showdont tell. Your essay should demonstrate, not dictate. Youraccomplishments must permeate your application. You need specific, personal, and detailedanecdotes to present yourself to the admissions committee.

Essays take work. This means draftsprobably three or fourto get your essay to where itneeds to be. Even great writers need to edit and revise. Dont try to finish your essays in a single

sitting. Quality takes time.

FOCUS ON THE QUESTIONS

We could never cover all of the questions that might appear in an MBA application. Most questions,however, are variations on similar themes. The key to all essay questions, is figuring out what theadmissions officers are really after. Once you do that, its much easier to answer in a productive manner.Most questions or topics fall into one of four categories. Some questions combine aspects of multiplecategories.

Career goals

This type of essay asks you to answer questions such as: Why an MBA? Why now? What are yourcareer goals? What will you do if you are not accepted? Schools want to see that you have a plan andthat an MBA is a logical step. This is the most important essay. You need to understand the questionsand be able to articulate what you want and why. Also, this category of question is often combined withquestions from other categories. Work on this essay first. Dont fall into the trap of listing the advantagesyou will reap by acquiring an MBA, such as increased opportunity, increased pay, etc. Tell theadmissions office where you want to go with your career and explain why an MBA is essential. Oneapproach is to use a specific story in which your reasons became clear to you, or the first time yourealized that an MBA is what you need.

School-specific

This type of essay asks you to answer questions such as: Why have you applied to this school? Otherschools? School-specific questions are after two things. First, they want to see that you have put somethought into the processthis is one way of confirming how serious you are about getting an MBA.These types of questions are also another way for schools to get at the types of questions from theCareer goals category of questions. For these types of questions, your objective is similar to the Careergoals objective, but with a slightly different focus: explain why specific facets of the school to which youare applying will help you achieve your career goals. Again, the use of specific stories will serve you well.Dont fill your essay with hollow praise for the schools. You need to have personal and substantivereasons for wanting and MBA, and wanting it from the specific school.

Personal Focus

This type of essay asks you to answer questions such as: What would you contribute to this school?What are your strengths and weaknesses? Describe a time that you have not succeeded. This essaypresents a dilemma. You need to talk about yourself and the great things you have done, but you dontwant to sound arrogant. The question also presents another difficulty: Schools want to know how you areunique from other applicants, but at the same time want you to explain why you will fit in at their school.Whatever you do, dont list standard qualities that the school expects of every applicant. Youre expectedto be an intelligent, hard working, team player with solid experience. For this type of essay you really


22/49



need to focus on your application strategy. What is it that makes you valuable as compared to thecompetition you face? Again, find the stories and experiences that demonstrate the qualities you want toemphasize.

Focus on Experience

This type of essay asks you to answer questions such as: Describe your work experience. Describe atypical work day. Describe your job. How would you change it? There are many ways to tackle thesequestions. Before you begin with the essay, make a list of the characteristics and responsibilities youhave had in your experience. For instancemanaging a budget, participating in a team, analyzingsystems, etc. Pick the qualities that you think are important to describe for the admissions officers. Next,list some specific stories that demonstrate the qualities. Can any of them be developed into an essay?You dont need to tell them everything youve done. You do want to cover the important skills you have.Tell a story about yourself. Whatever you do, do NOT write a rsum essay.

Guide to Introductions

You cannot underestimate the importance of the opening to your essays. If your first few sentences donot captivate the admissions officer, you will have missed an important opportunity. Admissions officersread hundreds, sometimes thousands, of application essays each year. Most essays are relatively short;you cant afford a slow start. Grab the readers attention!

How can you do this? Here are 10 techniques with examples to consider:

10 INTRODUCTION TECHNIQUES

1. Make an enigmatic statement

A little mystery will prompt the readers curiosity. Let the reader wonder what you meanbut dont keepthem guessing for too long.

Example: It starts the same as it always has. I shudder in the December winds and stareout at the wall that divides Central Park from the craziness that is Manhattan.The other people waiting with me seem nice enough, and theyre all devoted.One seems slightly strange, but as usual, I cant put my finger on it. Then theyshow up. I get excited, and suddenly it dawns on me why Ive been feeling funny.But, as always, its too late, and Mark David Chapman plugs five bullets into JohnLennon. And, as always, thats when I wake up.

2. Ask a question

The use of questions in an introduction can be effective because it piques the readers curiosity. To usethis effectively, be sure to 1) provide answers in the body of your essay for any questions that you poseand 2) limit the number of questions to two or three. If you ask more, you run the risk of becomingrepetitive and boring.

Example: Why do I work at McDonalds? Certainly, I need the money. But, why do I insiston hosting birthday parties instead of just flipping burgers all the time? I likeworking with kids.


23/49



3. Tell a narrative

The best essays are well told stories. Everyone enjoys a story. Write a compelling narrative and youressay will probably be a success.

Example: Every Tuesday and Thursday winter morning, I used to walk into Mrs. Pittskindergarten class with my stomach churning and my eyes full of worry. On thoseicy mornings, I would push aside my pink comforter and reluctantly allow thechilly air to come inside my toasty bed. That frosty air woke me up to the colddread of the upcoming day. Those afternoons, unlike my other classmates whowould go home to milk, cookies, and a blissful nap, I would go to the LakelandHills YMCA.

4. Make a reference to a familiar occasion

Your readers are likely to perk up when you mention an occasion or incident they recognize. The trickwith this technique is to draw the reader in with familiarity, but surprise them with the originality thatprompted the familiar.

Example: My friends dream about playing in the National Basketball Association. It is a

dream my more down-to-earth parents choose to eschew and I prefer toembrace. For it is my dream as well.

5. Give facts or details

When details or facts are interesting they can do a good job of grabbing your readers attention. Keep inmind, however, that too many facts or details can bore your readers or make them grow impatient as theywait for you to show how the facts relate to the main point of your essay

Example: On April 15, 1947, a man strode out to first base at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, ablack man wearing Dodger blue. This was Jackie Robinson, a significant figurefor a number of reasons, but the one that made him so special was his absoluteinequality. The inequity of his position in the arena of race set him apart, and his

superior abilities as a ball player placed him a rung above his contemporaries.

6. Start with a paradox or irony

Paradoxes and ironies are intriguing. In order to reconcile the paradox or irony, the reader must keepreading.

Example: It is ironic that my toughest academic challenge arose as a direct result of mymost significant academic achievement.

7. Start with a quote

If you can find an appropriate quotation to illustrate or lead into the main point of your essay, a quotation

can be an effective opening. Unfortunately, students pick quotes that are either unrelated to their topic orjust plain trite. Avoid popular quotations and quotations from famous people.

Example: Que barbaridad! he exclaimed in the Spaniards quintessential expression ofdisgust. I had braced myself for the forthcoming harangue as soon as O.J.simage flashed onto the television screen. I had become attuned to Pedrosmental process. How could the acknowledged leaders of the modern world allowtheir own legal system to be so blatantly compromised? The jury system? Thecourtroom cameras? I could see the words coming forth on his lips. He knewthat I had no answers and that he had finally trounced me.


24/49



8. Make a confession

Allow the reader to feel as though you are sharing a secret. This creates an intimacy and rapport with thereader. But remember, the content of your confession should be appropriate for an essay.

Example: Going to the museum is not a routine part of my schedule. I am a man ofreason, and extreme logic. It is, generally, my belief that life should be based onnecessity, and utility. However, I sometimes wish that I could learn to appreciatebeauty, and decided one day that the Fine Arts Museum would be the perfect tolearn. I learned a little about beauty, but I learned a little more about life.

9. Make a gross generalization

By opening with a broad generalization, your reader will be interested to see 1) what prompts such asweeping statement, and 2) how you qualify your statement. Dont wait too long to explain yourself or thereader may misinterpret or misunderstand you.

Example: Women will never succeed in the business world. At least, that is what peopleusedto say to my mother.

10. Make an overly obvious statement

By starting off with a ridiculously obvious statement, you entice the reader to give you the benefit of thedoubtwhy would anyone say something so obvious? The reader assumes that you must be goingsomewhere with this.

Example: Runway models are beautiful people. But Liz didnt think that about herself. Lizwas a model for Donna Karan and someone who, two years ago, was admittedinto the same anorexia and bulimia rehabilitation clinic as I was.

Guide to Conclusions

Many applicants think that an essay has an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Theyre rightbutonly about expository essays. For your application, you are not writing an academic or expository essay.Your essay is the part of the application where admissions officers get a sense of what you are really like.The structure of the essay is up to you. Think of it more as a story or narrative. A good story has anending, not a conclusion.

If you write a good essay, you probably wont need a conclusion. Application essays are short. You dontneed to summarize at the end, because the end is so close to the beginning!

If you really think that your essay needs a conclusion, take another look at it. Does the essay reallywork? How can you better tell your story, so that it doesnt need a conclusion? If you get to the end of

your essay and it needs a conclusion, you may need to put some more work into the essaynot into aconclusion. Remember, throughout your application the objective is to demonstrate and illustrate, not tomerely tell. Present your experiences in a way that lets them speak for themselvesdont rely on aconclusion to convey the entirety of your message.

FINISHING THE ESSAY

In order to wrap up your essay, you need to consider three things:


25/49



1. Does the essay have a sense of closure or reconciliation?

Dont leave the reader hanging. Your application is not a television serialyou cant finish the story-linenext week. This is a feature film, with no sequels.

2. Have I answered all of the questions?

Essays that ask a question are looking for an answer. Do you provide one? Do you raise other questionsof your own? You should resolve all outstanding questions by the close of your essay.

3. Do I finish on a positive note?

The topic of your essay need not be happy-go-lucky. In fact it can be as serious, and as sad as you thinkappropriate. But colleges are looking for young adults who recognize that most of their lives still lieaheadbe an optimist! Whatever you write about, find the glimmer of hope, or positive lesson.

Final Touches Checklist

Now that youve written the essay, make sure that its ready to send out with the rest of your application.Use the myEssay.com Final Touches Checklist to make sure that your essay is ready to go.

1. How does it read?

You dont want a choppy essay. Make sure that one sentence leads to the next, and that one paragraphflows into the following paragraph. Look carefully at your transition sentences.

2. Does it fit in with my application strategy?

Make sure that your essays fulfill their objectives within your application strategy. Writing a good essay isnot enoughit has to fit in with the rest of your application.

3. How does it sound?

Sound-test the essay. Is the tone appropriate? Be careful that you dont sound arrogantits a commonpitfall in applications.

4. Grammar counts

Make sure youre using the proper grammar throughout your essay. While youre at it, dont forget tocheck your spelling!

5. Ready. Set. Action!

Impress the reader with your thoughts and accomplishments. To do this you need to be activeand so

does your writing. Avoid using to be verbs (is, are, am, etc.) to convey action or events. Use verbs thathelp tell your story.

6. Vary your style

Sometimes applicants use the same sentence structureeven the same wordsthroughout the essay.Mix things up a little. Circle the first and last word of each sentence to see if you are repeating yourbeginnings and endings.


26/49



7. What are you talking about?

Circle every pronoun and then determine if it is absolutely clear that the reader will know what the it, he,she, they, them, him, her, or us actually refer to without having to read back more than a few phrases.

8. Dont bite off more than you can chew

Dont tackle too big of a subject. Dont try to tell your whole life story. Youre not writing a book. Youonly have a couple of pagesuse them well.

9. Youre the star

Be sure the essay is about you. If it's about someone else or an idea that doesn't relate to yourexperience, trash it and start again. This doesnt mean that you cant write about another person. It doesmean that you need to demonstrate why the person is important to you. Good essays that are aboutsomeone else manage to tell the reader a lot about the writer by either incorporating personal details intothe essay, or by the tone and emotion of the essay.

10. Fresh eyes

After working on a piece of writing for a while, its hard to recognize mistakes. Find someone with fresheyes to look at your work. Have a skilled editor read the essay and check it for theme and content,spelling, and punctuation.

11. The Big Picture

Take a step back from your essay. Whats it about? This should be an easy question to answer. If itsnot, get back to work.

12. Tangents are bad

You dont have a lot of space to dawdle. Make sure you stick to the point.

13. Show your colors

This isnt academic or business writing. Your essay should have feeling and emotion. Are you letting yourpersonality show?

14. Be specific

A good essay uses telling details. Be vivid and descriptive. Use examples to demonstrate what youmean.

15. Are you funny, or just trying to be?

If you're trying to be funny, have you tried your essay on someone else? If he or she doesn't laugh,

neither will the admissions officers.

16. Name and Number

Put your full name on each page. Also, number the pages.

17. Follow the guidelines

Schools are serious about length guidelines. Dont worry if you exceed the limit by a little, but you reallyshould try to keep within the limits described in the application.


27/49



18. Final proofread

Once youve made all of your revisions, get someone to read your essay one last time.

10 Sample Essays

FIVE ESSAYS WITH COMMENTS

ESSAY 1

The opening of this essay is awful. Its awkward and unoriginal. This essay does, however, manage tokeep the reader interested. The writers accomplishments are impressive in-and-of-themselves, if notparticularly unique. The introduction of a serious and difficult problem in the candidates professional

career comes as a shock. The shock value works and piques the readers interest. But the authorcapitalizes and follows through by presenting a mature, honest, and thorough description of a difficultsituation and the course of action he chose to deal with it. The candidate demonstrates a number ofvaluable qualities in this essay: work ethic, maturity, valuable experience, and character. The subjectmatter chosen here perfectly addresses the questions asked. Luckily the substance of the essay isenough to carry the candidate, because he is not a very good writer. Sentences are often awkward andthere are numerous grammatical mistakes. This essay could be dramatically better, without much work.

School: MichiganStatus: Accepted

Question: What has been your most significant professional achievement? Whathas been your toughest professional challenge and how did you address it?

Growing Hamilton Management Resources, an entrepreneurial start-up, from under$60,000 in revenues to over $700,000 in a year, then navigating through thecomplications resulting from the founders personal trouble stands as both my mostsignificant professional accomplishment and toughest professional challenge to date.Hamilton Management Resources created a software package that managed multipleaspects of special education programming, planning, and reporting. Given myentrepreneurial interests, I jumped at the chance to become Hamiltons first employee.

I spent the first couple of months standardizing Hamiltons operating procedures,developing new marketing materials, and learning about special education. Shortlythereafter, I began conducting sales presentations and software training workshops. InJanuary of 1998, I sent a one-page marketing letter to 400 special education directors in

New Jersey. From that letter, we received over 100 legitimate leads. Realizing the needto rapidly ramp up the organization, I retained a consulting firm and, with their assistance,wrote a business plan, performed a capital needs assessment, and mapped out theensuing 36 months. In closing 26 of the leads we developed over the next six months, Ihelped fund our move to new offices and provide the necessary credibility to raiseadditional capital.

I was thrilled! I was running the entire operation and planning its long-term growth. Thisincluded orientating and managing eight new employees, outsourcing the re-engineering


28/49



of our software so that it would be accessible through the Internet, planning a regional-national expansion, and cultivating potential investors. The entrepreneurial venture I hadbeen searching for had come to fruition!In July of 1998, the founder pulled me aside to tell me he was going to be out of the officefor a few months due to a personal matter. I pressed him for more information, thenaccepted his expression that it was nothing of consequence and he would return shortly.

In early November, I was shocked to learn that he had been found guilty of molesting twochildren. This presented formidable professional and personal challenges. Should Iignore the conviction because of our professional relationship and his continuedprofession of innocence? Should I leave immediately? How would a continuingprofessional association with him affect my professional reputation and credibility? Isought advice from friends, family, and professionals, in addition to researchingpedophilia. Although I had no way of unequivocally knowing whether he committed thecrime or not, I was compelled to proceed based on the jurys verdict.

I concluded that it would be prudent to continue on as the companys operational leaderon a temporary basis and negotiate to buy out the founders interest in Hamilton. Iresolved that for me to continue in any capacity with Hamilton, I would have to be able tohonestly represent myself as having no further professional relationship with him. Upon

procuring the assistance of an attorney, an accountant, a consultant, and a publicrelations firm and lining up the necessary financial resources, we reached an informalagreement for the transfer of 100% of Hamiltons assets to a limited liability company Ihad formed. After a month of 100-hour workweeks and endless negotiations, Hamiltonsfounder returned to the bargaining table demanding a 30% gross royalty in perpetuity.Since this would create a formal, perpetual relationship with him, and in effect constitutedan equity arrangement, it was untenable. Hence, the agreement fell apart and we begannegotiating his buyout of my accrued interest.

My circle of advisors has emphasized to me that my experiences at Hamilton allowed meto mature in ways that would be otherwise impossible. After getting over the emotionalletdown of the deal falling through, I have come to realize how much I had learned in arelatively short period of time. I d

Myessay Business eBook

Documents

Transcript of Myessay Business eBook