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The Unlucky 13 MBA Essay Pitfalls
to Avoid
If you want your application essays to succeed, make
sure to avoid the following mistakes:
1. Don�t mess with the truth
Don�t stretch, twist, or otherwise change the facts.
Admissions officers and essay readers are paid to sniff
out overblown claims and unconvincing use of evidence.
2. Don�t suck up
Don�t talk about the reputation of the university,
wisdom of the faculty, beauty of grounds, |size of
endowment, power of alumni network, etc. Talk about the
benefit you will add.
3. Don't make excuses
Don�t excuse weak grades, poor GMAT, lack of
volunteering, job-hopping, etc. It focuses the eye where
you don�t want it. If you have a fix, state it.
Otherwise just move on.
4. Don�t try to be someone else
It�s natural to want to fit in with the business school
type, but business schools seek a broad mix of
backgrounds and experiences and opinions. Be who you
are. It�s enough.
5. Don�t be generic
You must differentiate yourself in a valuable way. When
is a statement generic? If it could come up in the next
person�s file. If it could only have been said by you,
it�s specific.
6. Don�t stereotype yourself
Force the reader to go beyond the stereotypes of
background, ethnicity and job definition that may be
associated with your profile, to reach the layer where
you are unique.
7. Don�t try to be over-competent
Not only is nobody perfect, but as an MBA student-to-be
you are by definition still a work in progress. Be
upfront about what you still need to learn.
8. Don�t repeat material presented elsewhere
The reader will have your complete file, so any
repetition of its contents in the essays is a waste. If
you want to highlight a point, take care to reframe or
cast a new light on it.
9. Don�t try to say too much
It is better to focus on a small piece of your story and
chew it thoroughly than to bite off too much and choke
on it. Narrow your horizons but deepen your analysis.
10. Don�t make lists
A prose summary of your activities and
accomplishments bores the reader. It also says you have
no idea what�s important in your profile, or you can�t
be bothered to extract it.
11. Don�t add stray facts and events
Facts not interpreted or integrated into the story are
just frustrating �noise� the reader has to filter out.
Stay on message. Don�t make the reader work harder than
s/he has to.
12. Don�t blame or point fingers
If you say anything negative about anyone, or any group,
or nationality, or company, or anything at all, the only
one who will be hurt is you. Extract the learning and
move on.
13. Don�t get onto controversial topics
Stay clear of religion, politics, abortion, the war on
drugs, 9/11, the Middle East, or social or ideological
opinions of any kind. Your reader may hold the opposite
view.
What should you do?
Find and highlight the key interesting, attractive,
relevant things about yourself and describe them clearly
in a unified message with purpose and passion, while
taking care to answer the questions exactly as stated.
Need help? Professional writers here at The MBA
Admissions
Studio can work with you to develop your profile,
organize your material around key themes, and
compellingly communicate your value.
Copyright � MBA Studio. All rights reserved. No part of
this document may be published without written
permission.
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