• Business School
    • Admissions Help
    • MBA Essay Tips
    • Executive MBA Essay Tips
    • Admissions Calendar
    • Free Guides
    • Video Tips
    • Podcast
    • Selectivity Index
  • 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 HomePodcastShopping CartContact Us

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

October 20, 2015

Reading Time: 2 minutes

MBA Admissions A-Z: S is for Story

FacebookTweetPinEmail

S is for Story in MBA AdmissionsAll You Need is a Story

You’re writing an application essay that you hope will grab the attention of your admissions readers and convince them that you are top b-school material.

Which of the following do you think is the most effective MBA essay strategy?

  1. Construct a theoretical analysis of the importance of leadership.
  2. Create a detailed list of your skills, accomplishments, and talents.
  3. Compose a story that illustrates your originality, ingenuity, and innovation.

Let’s look at each of our options.

1.  Construct a theoretical analysis of the importance of leadership.

Wrong. This could be the basis for a very interesting dissertation, but it’s not the material of an MBA essay. The admissions readers want to learn about who you are as an applicant, a professional, and an individual. An essay that explores the intricacies of…well, of anything…will detract from your singular purpose: of introducing the reader to YOU.

2.  Create a detailed list of your skills, accomplishments, and talents.

Wrong again. You’re including an MBA resume along with the rest of your application, right? Don’t regurgitate that same material here. Sure it’ll tell your readers about who you are, but there’s one word for an essay like that: BOOOORING.

3.  Compose a story that illustrates originality, ingenuity, and innovation.

Correct! The best way to grab your reader’s attention is to tell a representative, transformational story – based on a moment, object, or event – that personalizes who you are, where you’ve been, and what you plan on doing moving forward. A good story will connect the dots between the past, present, and future and will reveal your strengths, talents, and passions in a much more compelling way than any resume or theoretical exploration can do.

Some basic storytelling tips:

  • Use succinct, sensory language and vivid details to grab – and then keep! – the attention of your reader.
  • Choose a plot or a moment in time that can easily be retold in full in the limited space you’re given. You don’t want your reader left with questions about who someone is or what happened next or, worst of all, why this story is of importance at all.
  • Avoid buzzwords and clichés like “perseverance,” “actionable,” “growth opportunity,” or “at the end of the day.” They only make you look shallow, not smart.

For more valuable tips on how to compose your winning MBA application story, please view Essays that Stick, a FREE 45-minute webinar that will teach you six memorable techniques for creating a memorable MBA essay.

Accepted.comAccepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best

 

New Call-to-action

FacebookTweetPinEmail

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. Approaching the Diversity Essay Question

2. How to Write About Your Research Interests

3. Sample Essay from Admitted HBS Student

4. The Personal Statement That Got Me a Large Scholarship to Cambridge

5. Tips for Answering the Yale University Short Answer and Supplemental Essay Prompts [2019 – 2020]

6. 4 Must Haves in a Med School Letter of Interest

7. Writing Your Physician Assistant (PA) Personal Statement

8. Toronto Rotman MBA: The Spike Factor [Episode 299]

Recent Posts

  • How to Write a Perfect Postbac Admissions Essay
  • Kellogg MBA Class of 2021 Profile
  • Yale School of Management Receives Its Largest Gift Ever of $100 Million
  • Cornell EMBA Application Essay Tips & Deadlines [2019 – 2020]
  • Predoc & Premed Summer Undergraduate Research Programs
The Economist Preferred Admissions Consultant

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
© 2018 Accepted

BBB A+ RatingStamp of AIGAC Excellence

Copyright © 2019 · Education Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Share this Article

Email sent!