• Business School
    • Admissions Help
    • MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • MBA Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
    • EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
  • Medical School
    • Admissions Help
    • Med School Admissions 101
    • Secondary Essay Tips (by School)
    • Student Interviews
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • Law School
    • Admissions Help
    • Law School Admissions 101
    • Selectivity Index
    • Free Guides
    • Podcast
    • Video Tips
  • Graduate School
    • Admissions Help
    • Grad School Admissions 101
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
  • College
    • Admissions Help
    • Free Guides
    • Supplemental Essay Tips
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
Accepted

1 (310) 815-9553

Blog HomePodcastContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

January 3, 2013

Reading Time: 2 minutes

MBA Admissions A-Z: P is for Proofreading

Proofreading Your MBA EssaysYou want to make sure your MBA application essay has no errors, so you run spell check on your computer, get rid of all those squiggly red and green lines, save your essay as FINAL, and then submit.

But wait! Your essay isn’t really complete until you do a solid job proofreading…with your eyes and ears. Your word processor’s spelling and grammar editor is excellent for catching obvious errors (the ones you’d catch anyways), but it is less than perfect (and in some cases a lot less than perfect) at finding the more obscure mistakes.

The best way to proof an essay is to print it out, move to a different chair or desk, and read it aloud slowly with a pencil handy so you can write in corrections that you will later enter on the computer. Reading aloud will slow you down and allow your ear to catch what your glassy eyes will miss. As you give your essay its final proofread, stay on the lookout for the following:

  1. Check for the proper school name. There are few things worse than submitting an essay to HBS that begins with the words “I want to go to Wharton because” (and that’s putting aside the fact that an essay opening like that is pretty bland). Not only does it show the adcom that you didn’t do a good job proofing your essay, but it also shows that you sloppily lifted your Wharton essay, without writing a new essay specifically geared toward HBS. Actually, here is a trade secret: Before you get to the proofreading stage, use your computer’s “Find” function (Control-F for PCs) and search for “Wharton” – make sure you replace each one with “Harvard.” And then, since you should never rely on your computer alone, your read aloud proof will serve as a double check .
  2. Check spelling and usage. Your computer’s spell checker may catch obviously misspelled words, but it won’t catch words that are spelled correctly but that are used incorrectly. “Illicit feedback” isn’t the same thing as “elicit feedback” (which is probably what you meant). Your computer – amazing as it is – can’t read your mind!
  3. Check grammar and style. I recommend turning off your computer’s grammar checker and instead relying on your own eyes and, and in this case, EARS as well. Grammar errors are often easier to identify when you hear them read aloud. Something may look right, but if it doesn’t SOUND right, then it probably isn’t. Before submitting your essays, do a final read through and LISTEN for mistakes and awkward phrasing.

You may also find that now, during the final proofreading stage of your MBA essays, is a good time to recruit a friend, family member, colleague, or professional editor to read through your essay. After looking at your essay 4,557 times, you may simply gloss right over errors, reading what SHOULD be written rather than what IS actually written. A fresh pair of eyes and ears can catch what your exhausted and biased eyes and ears missed.

Explore Accepted’s professional MBA essay editing options. You’re a professional applying to a professional program. Have seasoned pros edit your critical MBA essays. They’re simply too important for you to rely on anyone else.









Accepted.comAccepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

Article by Accepted / MBA Admissions / MBA Admissions A-Z

Get Accepted!

Choose your desired degree and then the service that best meets your needs.

Which program are you applying to?

What do you need help with?

Join the informed applicants who read Accepted's blog!

8 Popular Posts

1. 7 Simple Steps to Writing an Excellent Diversity Essay

2. How to Write About Your Research Interests

3. 4 Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future

4. When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?

5. How to Write a Goal Statement for Graduate School

6. Sample Essays from Admitted HBS Students

7. Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement [Plus Sample Essay]

8. Acing the PsyD Interview: The 3-P Plan

Recent Posts

  • How to Save 100’s of Hours Studying: Making a Medical School Schedule That Makes Sense
  • MBA Admissions: Application Advice for IT Applicants
  • Don’t Let an Increase in Applicants Derail Your Med School Dreams
  • Heads Up: Price Increase Ahead!
  • What to Expect From the MBA Experience at Cambridge Judge Business School [Episode 407]
This Site is Featured on GMATClub

Home Page Services and Prices MBA Med School Law School Grad School College

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog
Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553
© 2021 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2021 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in