Even before the writing of the first word in your MBA application essay, there is something important that needs to be done- the outline. Having an outline gives a number of benefits to the applicant.
The importance of an outline for your essay for admission
An outline for the admission essay is like the overall gameplan of a sports team. From this outline, you could begin the writing process with confidence, since you have a map to be used and you would not be winging it. With an outline, your thoughts would be structured, logical, and coherent. This would also show you in a glance (it should just be a page ordinarily) what your areas of focus would be. Also, you could immediately see if there are loopholes in the arguments or if one aspect of the essay has been saturated. Be flexible though, since an outline could and should be corrected as you go along; it is not a tabled commandment that could not be altered.
Tips when preparing an outline for your admission essay
In the essay paragraphs, indicate on the outline how you plan to go about it. As much as possible, every paragraph should have elements of your own and researched data. Assuming the paragraph talks of a life experience, then no research is necessary. But still, a logical sequence of events should be narrated.
Indicate how long (two paragraphs?) or short (just 3 lines?) your conclusion would be. It is a summary of all the high points of your essay, and gives a satisfying closure to the essay question (prompt).
At the end of the day, it would boil down to organization. Having a good outline would make sure that you would not go in circles and that unnecessary facts would be omitted. Don’t neglect doing an outline, as it would be the foundation of the whole essay.
Related questions:
1. What are the reasons for creating an outline for the application essay?
2. Should research possibilities be noted down on the outline?
3. What should the outline indicate regarding the essay’s conclusion?
