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by Sundas Ali
All original essays have a unique theme, and it can take time and careful thought to identify what yours should be. If you go back to the essays we examined in the previous post in this series, you will see that the public health program applicant opened her essay by cleverly presenting her theme in the form …
by Kelly Wilson
For most people, career advancement is the primary motivation for pursuing an MBA. If this is true for you, writing your career goals essay demands laser-like focus. Your essay must demonstrate a clear understanding of how you plan to leverage the MBA to achieve your professional aspirations. Presenting a well-thought-out, realistic plan to reach your …
by Kelly Wilson
Too many times, as an admissions officer, I read applications from candidates who shared career goals that didn’t quite make sense. Whether there was no connection between their target position and what they had been doing or no explanation of how they would successfully pivot to their desired role, I was left wondering how much …
When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – candidates often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most applicants want to showcase their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful community …
by Kelly Wilson
If you’re a strong applicant who has no weaknesses, low stats, or application inconsistencies to explain, then you might be able to skip the optional essay. But the optional essay is not an option in the following two cases: 1. There is a weakness or inconsistency in your application. Suppose your grades plummeted during your …
by Kelly Wilson
Schools are looking for individuals who will engage with and actively contribute not only to their student/alumni communities but also to community and society more broadly. Many applications include an essay question with some variation of “What would you contribute to your future campus community?” or “How will you contribute to our program?” If you …
by Sundas Ali
The personal statement is your opportunity to stand out and make a lasting impression on your target school’s adcom. How can you make your essay original? How much should you tell? And at what point are you crossing the line into TMI? When I applied to college, I wrote a personal statement describing some challenging …
by Kelly Wilson
When I led business school admissions, I enjoyed reading applications. I looked forward to learning about individuals who might be joining our community each year. However, not every application submitted was perfect – after all, candidates are humans, and humans make mistakes. When I ran into a mistake in a person’s application, I would categorize …
by Sundas Ali
Teamwork – and its close cousin, leadership – are highly prized by graduate programs and universities. But if you haven’t worked in a team on any regular basis, don’t worry! You’ve probably got a number of examples of teamwork in your back pocket that you didn’t even realize were there. Consider the following four ideas when you …
by Sundas Ali
One of the most important pieces of advice you’ll ever get regarding your personal statements and application essays is this: Show, don’t tell. It’s a classic writing lesson, and you’ve probably heard it before, but how do you actually “show, not tell,” in your essays? Simply “telling” is ineffective, because it usually involves boastful claims such …
by Kelly Wilson
As admissions consultants, we often hear college and graduate school applicants ask, “I’m applying to multiple schools, and each one requires essays/personal statements. Can I use the same essay for different schools?” Understandably, applicants want to maintain the quality of their essays and avoid burnout when having to write so many drafts. We can sympathize. Even …
In today’s world, where everything moves at lightning speed, we’re constantly making fast decisions. This applies to admissions committees, too. The pressure of their job forces them to make very quick decisions about whose applications they will invest more time in and whose will merit only an obligatory but cursory review before being set aside. …
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