mba application essays

How Effective MBA Application Essays Affect Your Marketability as an MBA Student

How well you respond to the essay questions that a business school requires for admission figures greatly on your acceptance chances.  The essays are designed to let admission officials get to know the candidate better and determine whether he or she is the right fit for their program.  Aside from that, essays also test the candidate’s ability to follow instructions and provide the best output set by the essay parameters and limitations.  Thus, writing an effective essay shows how well you grasp the purpose of the essay and presents how you provide the best output with those in mind.

Plan carefully what you want to write

First, plan what you want to put down on paper.  But even before you go to this stage, you should be clear on why you wanted an MBA in the first place.  You should know the reasons why you think having an MBA will help your career and yourself as a person, and how you can contribute to your organization and community.  Once you have these all thought of, it would be easier to answer the personal MBA application essays as you already have a foundation of beliefs and goals to rely on.  If you haven’t set your head straight on the reasons for wanting an MBA, you would not be able to express yourself more clearly and have an effective essay.

Answer the questions truthfully

As mentioned earlier, the MBA application essay is a way for admission officials to gauge your personality.  If you answer the essays using run-of-the-mill answers just to be safe, you won’t get far.  The best answers are those that come from the heart.  It may sound cheesy, but it’s true nonetheless.  In a more practical sense, you should answer the questions based on your experiences, abilities, and personal goal.

Keep it concise and stick to the word limit

Keeping your essays short and concise shows that you have consideration for your readers, good writing skills, and effective communication skills.  Doing so in your essay shows that you know what to say and how to say it.  Though some may think being long-winded look impressive, it really isn’t.  One has to remember that admission officials read hundreds of these essays every day and using long expressions won’t get them excited or interested in your essay.  So, do them a favor and keep it short.

If you really have a good message, a short simple expression that captures the whole idea is better than a long one that appears like showing off.  And do stick to the word count.  Admission officials have tons of these essays to go through, thus the word limits.  And another thing, keeping to the word count shows that you respect the instructions given in the essay.

An effective essay will benefit you a lot in your MBA application. Being effective in the essay is not that difficult to manage. It’s all a matter of knowing what to say, how to say it, saying it from the heart, and sticking to the limits.

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Discussing Your Preferred Specialization in Your MBA Application Essays

Regardless of the essay question, discussing your preferred specialization in your MBA essay is a good idea.  As long as you keep your discussion related to the essay question or topic, you show that you have a pretty good concept of why you’re taking an MBA, where you want to be, and how you are a right fit for the school that you’re applying to.

Writing about your goals

When you talk about your planned specialization, you can show more about your character, your particular goals, and the reasons why you chose that field.  Since these essays are meant to let admission officials get a better feel of your personality, discussing your specialization plans on the essay will give them plenty of that.  You may discuss particular events, achievements, and skills that you have to further make your case as to why you think your chosen specialization fits your abilities and talents.

But one should also remember to keep the discussion relevant to the essay question or topic.  Find ways to establish a close relation to the topic and avoid digressing.  By keeping to the topic, you also avoid making a litany of your qualifications, but instead, you can use those qualifications in a more meaningful and concrete way in helping you answer the essay question.  This also shows a lot about your writing and communication skills.  Since you’re able to relate your preferred specialization to the topic at hand, you illustrate your ability to relate and organize ideas in a way that will showcase your skills and personality without getting off track.  For good examples, you can check out sample MBA application essays to get an idea on how it’s done.

Also, you can further explain your reasons why you chose their school to apply to.  This shows that you selected their school after much thought and consideration, and that you think that their institution can help you achieve those goals.  This would send a good message as it shows that you did your homework on researching the MBA school and determining whether it would be a right fit for your career path.

And the best case that you can make for yourself when discussing your preferred specialization is that you show you’re a person of vision.  You illustrate that you have a clear concept of what you want to be in the future, and have a good idea on how to get there.  This is not just selfish promotion on your part, it can also be construed as having foresight and a plan for the future—qualities that any leader should have.  As such, you also present a case for yourself as having leadership qualities.

One may be afraid to discuss specialization plans as it seems as if it’s being cheeky or too assuming.  But that is not the case. Discussing your preferred specialization shows a lot about your character and your seriousness in pursuing your MBA. And these are things that should be present in your MBA application essay should you want to get accepted.

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Business Jargon You Should Avoid Using in Your MBA Application Essays

One of the mistakes that MBA applicants make in their admission essays is that they include jargon in the mix, whether intentionally or unintentionally.  When done willfully, people think that jargon can make them look more professional and knowledgeable about their fields.  When done unwillingly, these people just forget themselves and write like how they would when communicating with people in their workplace.   Whatever the case, it spells out carelessness, lack of preparation, and poor communication skills on their essays.

As you know, getting to an MBA school means you want to learn managing a business in a specific field.  Basically, you’re gunning for a leadership position.  And when it’s about leadership, it’s necessary that the qualities of good communication skills and forethought are present in a leader.  If you use jargon intentionally, that shows that you can’t express yourself in other words besides jargon.  It also shows a lack of creativity and originality when you rely on jargon to get your message across.

So instead of making you look smart, using jargon just makes you look as if you’re using technical words to hide your poor communication skills and to intimidate your readers into believing you’re an expert in your field.  If you’re a real expert on a subject, then you can find ways of explaining yourself in a clearer way.  For those who use jargon unwittingly or just through daily use, it shows that one is not fully aware of the purpose of the essay.  You display inconsideration to the reader and use your language haphazardly.  Now these are hardly the qualities that you would look for in a leader, much less from an MBA applicant.

Here are some jargons that you should avoid in making your mba application essays:

•  Acronyms, especially the ones that are known only to your organization
•  Industry-specific technical terms
•  High-sounding but vague terms (for example, online enterprise development, human resources utilization)
•  Clichés. Though these belong to a different category, they can stand as jargon for the business language.  You always hear terms like “best of breed” and “value chain” in your organization.  They may sound nice, but they also sound rundown.

How to avoid jargon

Whether you’re writing for an MBA essay or your high school essay, the elements of good writing are the same.  You need to be clear yourself on what you want to express, work on the right expression, and get feedback on what you wrote.

1.  Make an outline before you write.
2.  Remember the purpose of the essay and your readers.
3.  Watch your jargon.
4.  Consult sample MBA application essays for some tips and mistakes to avoid.
5.  Read and edit your work thoroughly.
6.  Have someone non-technical read your essay and get feedback if it is an easy read.
7.  Read and edit again for jargons and cliché.

If you have good communication skills, you don’t need to use jargon to make you look smart.  You’d even look smarter if you get your message across without relying on technical terms.  By doing so, you show your confidence in your communication skills.

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If you’re planning to take your career to the next level, get into the best business schools that can give you top-notch education. Here are three of the best MBA schools in the US for 2008.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business

An illustrious institution that has produced the likes of Kraft, Nabisco, Gillette and Oscar Mayer top honcho James Kilts is located in the heart of good old Windy City. Founded in 1898, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business takes pride in instilling effective guidelines and innovative approaches to business in its students. These students have then went on to become the greatest professionals in the business arena, and some have even become Nobel laureates. Check out the official website of Chicago Booth and choose among the full-time and part-time schedules and executive, Ph.D and MBA course offerings.

Harvard Business School

One of the more famous and top-ranked business schools in the country has churned out approximately 42, 012 living alumni, most of whom are respected leaders in their industries. Founded in 1908, the Harvard Business School (HBS) is best known for the quality education and training that it gives to its students. Its students have gone on to become renowned businessmen and leaders of trade, while some even went back to share their knowledge in the academe such as World Bank Senior Advisor John. H. McArthur and Ford Foundation Director of Investment and Financial Policies and current HBS Dean Jay O. Light. Visit the HBS website to check out the school’s MBA programs and schedules.

Kellogg School of Management (Northwestern University)

Set your sights on one of the exceptional business schools in Chicago, the Kellogg School of Management of the Northwestern University. Established in 1908, the Kellogg School of Management is famous for instilling values such as teamwork and leadership among its students. Excellent instruction regarding business and trade strategies are taught in the MBA programs of Kellogg School of Management. Check out the school’s website for requirements such as MBA application essays and other requisites per program. Students can either take classes on a full-time or part-time basis.

The 2008 BusinessWeek MBA Schools List ranks Leonard N. Stern School of Business, Anderson School, and Kelly School of Business in the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth spots. If you plan on going to these schools, check out the brief profiles of each school below.

Leonard N. Stern School of Business (New York University)

Though NYU may be better known for its academic prowess in the arts, it is also becoming notable for its academic exploits in the business and trade side through the NYU Stern School of Business. NYU initially established Stern as the NYU undergraduate School of Commerce, Accounts, and Finance in 1900. In 1916, the school eventually offered graduate studies to individuals looking to pursue higher and specialized studies. The school was renamed the Leonard N. Stern School of Business in 1988 following the philanthropist and alumnus’ generous donation to the school. Check out the school’s official website for more details on class schedules and types of programs offered.

Anderson School (University of California–Los Angeles)

Seventy years ago saw the birth of one of UCLA’s business schools, the Anderson School of Management. Aside from the usual MBA, PHD, and executive MBA programs, Anderson also offers the Master of Financial Engineering. Other notable distinctions offered in Anderson are the UCLA-NUS Global Executive MBA program, Riordan programs, and Management Communications programs among others. Pay a visit to the schools’ official website to find out the requirements such as MBA application essays and other requisites for each program.

Kelley School of Business (Indiana University)

Indiana University established its School of Commerce and Finance in 1920, where students got to focus on trade and business strategies. In 1997, the school was renamed the Kelley School of Business when E.W. Kelly donated $23 million dollars to the institution. Despite the various changes in names, the Kelly School of Business still retains the quality education taught by impressive faculty to students pursuing undergraduate, MBA, and doctoral degrees. Kelley also offers full-time, online, and specialized MBA programs to its students. Check out the school’s official website to apply online.

Darden Graduate School of Business, Kenan-Flagler Business School, and Cox School of Business have been ranked as the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth placers in the Best MBA Program ranking of BusinessWeek for 2008. Take a peek into each school as short profiles are listed below.

Darden Graduate School of Business (University of Virginia)

Darden Graduate School of Business is just one of the many departments of the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson, the University’s founder, wanted to educate people in different aspects such as the arts, sciences, law, medicine, and business. Darden was inaugurated in 1954 to serve the needs of students who wanted to focus on the trade and business sector.  This institution is famous for implementing a two-year MBA program on a case-based method, similar to the program instilled by Harvard. Check out the school’s website to get the gist on the application process and requirements.

Kenan-Flagler Business School (University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill)

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill initially established the Department of Commerce in its College of Arts in 1919. Through the years, the facilities expanded but it was in 1991 that the school received a generation that bolstered the institution even more. Because of the donation made by  Mary Lily Kenan-Flagler and Henry Morrison Flagler, the school changed its name into its present label. UNC Kenan-Flagler offers MBA and executive programs as well as undergraduate degrees in Business Administration. Log on to their website to check for requirements such as MBA application essays and other requisites.

Cox School of Business (Southern Methodist University)

Considered by the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek among others as one of the most excellent business schools in the world, Cox School offers superb education in trade and business strategies. Founded in 1920, this institution has been able to produce notable alumni who have gone on to be the best leaders in each of their own ventures. Cox offers undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs as well as MBAs. Pay a visit to the school’s website for more information on the application process and guidelines.

One of the most coveted lists of the top MBA schools for 2008 slate Columbia, Fuqua School of Business, and MIT Sloan in the seventh, eighth, and ninth spots respectively. If you’re planning to take up an MBA or a business course in any of these schools, check out the profiles below for an overview of each school.

Columbia Business School

One of the big names in the academe is Columbia University. It’s MBA degree-granting body, the Columbia Business School, was established in 1916 and has given rise to many of the country’s best professionals in the field of business. At present, Columbia Business School has a diverse student body,  made up of individuals who are of different national and ethnic backgrounds. Outstanding curricula are taught in the MBA, doctorate, and executive programs in Columbia by a stellar faculty comprised of experienced individuals and talented leaders of trade and business. For more information and a detailed application guideline, check out the school’s official website.

Fuqua School of Business (Duke University)

The Fuqua School of Business of Duke University is a fairly young institution compared to its contemporaries, having only been established in 1969. However, as with all schools under the Duke University system, Fuqua has greatly prospered and has helped many  business-minded individuals strike it rich. Cross-continent and joint degree programs are just a few of the programs offered in Fuqua that equip students with the proper knowledge and the most effective business strategies. Pay a visit to the school’s official website to learn more about what this institution can offer and for application guidelines and requirements such as MBA application essays.

MIT Sloan School of Management

Though MIT is more famous for being a premiere institution for science and engineering in the US, its MIT-Sloan School of Management brings in a different yet equally excellent program of study. Established in 1914, the MIT Sloan emerged from what was then just the MIT Department of Economics and Statistics. Currently, MIT Sloan lists programs for MBA, Master of Finance, and doctoral degrees for students interested in honing their business acumen. Drop by their admissions office or visit the school’s official website for detailed application guidelines.

People pursue MBA degrees to increase their marketability. Others do so to make themselves eligible for executive and top management positions. Enrolling yourself in a brick-and-mortar graduate business school will also earn you the chance of building your own social and professional network.

Why is networking important when you’re in an MBA school?

When you enroll in a brick-and-mortar university, it is very likely that you will have classmates who come from all walks of life. Some of them might even be professionals in the business industry.

If you want to expand your career opportunities, use this particular setup to your advantage. The alliance you can form with your classmates may be invaluable in the near future. Your classmates can even share you tips and pieces of advice regarding the management of businesses. Interacting with them will give you the opportunity to learn from their experiences.

Treat you classmates as peers who can be your future employee, employer or business partners. Remember that establishing ties with them while you are still MBA students will be very beneficial for you in the future.

How can you create a network while you’re in MBA school?

Creating a social and professional network while you’re still pursuing your MBA degree is a challenging task. First, you have to talk with your classmates. Just remember not to overdo it. Remember that small talks can lead to friendship. So, don’t hesitate to approach your classmates.

Joining various school organizations will also allow you to create a network. You and your co-members can enjoy doing the same activities together. Doing these things will allow you and your friends to introduce one another’s personality. Affiliations can also bring a positive review to your resumes. Membership in school organizations will also allow you to hone your leadership skills. It can also be a place where you can apply the things you’ve learned in your MBA courses.

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Have you decided on pursuing an MBA program? Then why not find ways to increase your admission chances? Remember that even if you do not have an exceptional school transcript, you still have a fighting chance in getting admitted to a top MBA school. Try to apply for different MBA programs. Doing so will ensure that you have several chances of getting to the graduate business school that you like. To make sure that you double your admission chances, be serious in writing your MBA application essays. You can also try to approach the alumni of the MBA programs you have applied for.

What are the different ways of approaching alumni of MBA programs?

There are a lot of ways by which you can approach alumni of the MBA program you are applying for. Ask for friends or relative or coworkers who already have an MBA degree. Ask them about the MBA admission process. It is very likely that they can share you tips on how you can ace your MBA application essays and admission interviews. You can also search for MBA alumni on the Internet. Online forums have MBA alumni who are willing to help MBA applicants like you.

What help should you get from MBA Alumni?

First and foremost, ask them advice on how you can write standout MBA application essays. If you aren’t sure about the things you will write in your application essays, seek their opinion. Because they have through the same admission process, it is very likely that they know what they are talking about. Ask them what they think are the criterion in evaluating MBA applications. Doing so will give you an idea of how you will prepare your MBA admission requirements. You can also ask MBA alumni some of the types of questions that interviewer asks in admission interviews. If you think that you can’t handle interviews, heed the advice of MBA alumni. They might be able to share you some tips on how they have gotten over their nervousness during their admission interview.

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Having an MBA degree can really provide you with great career opportunities. It is for this reason that more and more people are pursuing this particular graduate studies program. But before you take the plunge with them, remember that you need to acquire certain skills before pursuing an MBA degree. Certain skills will not just help you survive your MBA degree but they will also come in handy in your career plans. To give you an idea, here are just some of the skills you will need to succeed in MBA programs:

>Analytical skills

The curricula of the different MBA programs are generally focused on honing your analytical skills. Such focus is given priority because we all know that the business world needs people who have the ability to solve issues and problems. An MBA program will teach you how to effectively analyze data and reports. Try practicing your analytical skills before you enroll in an MBA program. Doing so will ensure that you won’t have a hard time on different case studies that this course requires.

>Mathematical skills

Businesses always involve calculations. To help you get ready for this, MBA programs also have intensive courses in Mathematics. Such courses will have you dealing with spreadsheets and financial documents. The intensive Mathematic courses for MBA students will also assist you in understanding complex mathematical equations.

>Communication skills

Good communication skills are a requirement for both MBA degrees and in the real world. Enrolling in a brick-and-mortar graduate business school will surely help you hone your interpersonal skills. Remember that in the business industry, you have to be both a good team member and a good team leader. Aside from this, good interpersonal skills will give you the chance to talk with your classmates. You can also use this particular skill to build your own social and professional network.

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