No b-school application essay may be harder to write than the ethics essay. For most applicants, one challenge is simply identifying an appropriate story. Many applicants assume that the ethics essay is designed to put their morals to some stringent litmus test. They brainstorm for examples that show them proudly refusing bribes, pointedly excusing themselves…
Personal Statement Tip: Setting Scenes
To write a compelling personal statement or application essay, you need to draw readers into your experience without much set-up. You have to get to the heart of the matter quickly and at the same time make the reader care to read on. Visualizing a particular moment from a situation that disappointed or thrilled you…
Before you write: some tips for getting the most out of your pre-writing process
It’s nearly July, and many business schools are already starting to release their new or revised essay topics for the coming admissions season. During this pre-season warm-up period, many applicants seem to feel a strong temptation to grab those questions as soon as they come out, paste them into a Word file and just start…
Writing Effective Wait-List Letters: A Quiz
Think you know how to write an effective wait-list letter? Test your knowledge with the following quiz: 1. Wait-list letters may be three or more single-spaced pages long: (a) when the applicant has a lot of accomplishments to talk about, (b) they should never exceed two pages, (c) only for law school wait-list letters, (d)…
Kelley School of Business
I recently attended the MBA Experience Event at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Management. The school-sponsored visit introduced several of us admissions counselors to faculty and students, and gave us the opportunity to attend a class and talk with those in career services and admissions. Kelley is located in Bloomington, Indiana, about an hour south…
