Maria was a pediatric oncology nurse who tenderly promised each child she cared for that she would always tell them the truth about what was about to happen to them in the hospital. Ben was an army captain who joined his troops cleaning bathrooms in the punishing heat of Iraq. Amy was a social worker…
Admissions Tip: Thanksgiving Appreciation
I could write now about the aspects of my life I am thankful for: my husband, five healthy children, two delightful, adorable grandchildren, my daughter’s recent engagement, a thriving business, work that I enjoy, and good health. I have done so in the past as I wished you a Happy Thanksgiving, a US holiday that…
Athletic Appeal in Admissions
Long before Gabby Douglas flew through her floor exercise and Michael Phelps dominated the pool, admissions directors have been impressed by athletes. From stories about the perfect basket, goal, spike or serve, athletes have wonderful stories that display their endurance, strength, leadership and team skills. Fascinated by the applicant who used his marathon run as…
MBA Admissions A-Z: E is for Essay
Next up in our MBA Admissions A-Z series is E for Essay, a topic on which we could very easily write an entire book. (Hey – we DID write an entire book. Scroll down for details.) Here we are going to focus on 4 critical MBA admission essay mistakes. Make sure that your essays DON’T…
Epidemic Among Applicants!
Your personal statements, application essays, and statements of purpose are suffering. It’s serious. And could be fatal to your application. This latest epidemic of vacuous, declarative sentences that either state the obvious or make non-credible claims has reached epic proportions in applicant essays, personal statements, and statements of purpose. The cure? Substance and specifics. Stories…
How to Edit Your Application Essays
In an exclusive interview with… well, herself, Linda Abraham shares some advice that she’s learned over the course of almost two decades of application essay editing. Listen to the full recording of this excellent episode to learn concrete steps you can take right now to ensure that your essays are working for –and not against…
MBA Admissions A-Z: E is for Essay
Next up in our MBA Admissions A-Z series is E for Essay, a topic on which we could very easily write an entire book. (Hey – we DID write an entire book. Scroll down for details.) Here we are going to focus on 4 critical MBA admission essay mistakes. Make sure that your essays DON’T…
MBA Admissions A-Z: J is for Jigsaw Puzzle
Let’s take a look at all the elements that go into creating an MBA application: There’s your GPA, your transcripts, your GMAT, a resume, your letters of recommendation, all those boxes and forms on the actual application page, and finally, your MBA application essays. Creating Your Unique Puzzle One way we like to view all…
MBA Admissions A-Z: D is for Distinctive Writing
We’ve touched upon ways in which to highlight your uniqueness in “Be Yourself” (B in our MBA Admissions A-Z series). There we talked about the importance of expressing what you’re truly passionate about rather than simply enumerating those things that you think the adcom want to hear. Writing about your passions, as well as your…
Save $100 On B-School Editing & Consulting Services – LIMITED TIME OFFER!
B-School Applicants: Get your $100 off coupon here! Through August 31, 2012, you can save $100 on all non-rush MBA editing and consulting services (minimum order $1000) with coupon code MBA100! How’s that for some motivation to jumpstart those applications? Some services that may be of interest to you include: MBA Essay Editing Application Packages…
Darden 2010 MBA Essay Questions, Deadlines
UPDATE: The tips for the 2011 UVA Darden MBA Application are now available online. Please post questions or comments to the new post. 2009-2010 MBA Application Essay Questions 1.How have the changes in the global economy over the last 18 months affected you and your plan for the future? (400 words) 2.What will you contribute…
How to Write Bold & Brilliant MBA Essays
More and more schools are releasing their 2010 essay questions. The round one deadlines are moving earlier. And you need to start writing those essays. But how? Find out during our next free webinar “The Roadmap to Bold and Brilliant Essays” on Tuesday July 14 at 10:00 AM PST / 1:00 PM EST / 5:00…
Approaching the Ethics Essay
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: History vs. Memory
Over the weekend I went to a talk focused on the difference between history and memory. The two are clearly related, but not the same. History is what you read in an encyclopedia or newspaper timeline. It is facts, dates, statistics, and data, impersonal and frequently very dry in isolation. Memory consists of vignettes, stories,…