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QUESTION: I believe most b-school applicants intend to land a different job (either in another industry or in another position, or both) after they get their MBA. But I’ve heard you say that adcoms don’t like career-switchers. So how do I deliver an essay that speaks my mind and is honest, and, at the same time, convinces the adcom? ANSWER: It’s easy, dude. Don’t talk about career changes in your essays for the adcom. I know that doesn’t seem to …
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QUESTION: I am working on the third essay for MIT application: Please describe a time when you had to make a decision without having all the information you needed. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page). For this kind of topic, it is OK to write something not work-related, but purely personal? Like a life decision, etc? Will this kind of topic fit in with the application, or is should all essays be focused on work and business? ANSWER:  …
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Not unlike The Transformers, there’s more than meets the eye in explaining your responsibilities for work experiences. What you tell your friends or colleagues is not the same info the AdCom needs to read about. You’re not passing info from one side of the table to the other, you are promoting yourself. It’s a pitch. And that pitch needs to be carefully crafted. And exact. And very, very specific. Let’s look at an example that’s not so hot: Responsible for …
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We’ve got quite a team of MBA admissions experts here at PE, full to the brim with helpful advice for applicants. Rather than keep it to themselves (that wouldn’t be very fair, would it?), they are going to share their tips and tricks right here, every month. This month they’re talking about pitfalls, obstacles and hurdles in MBA applications…and what you need to do to overcome them. So, what are those obstacles? And how can you get past them? DAMON: …
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Look, there are a lot of people out there competing for the exact same spots in MBA programs as you. And, not to be a Debbie Downer here, but contrary to what you might think, many come from very similar backgrounds as you. So how do you set yourself apart from the crowd? How do you show the man or woman reading your application that you’re not just like everyone else they’re going to see in that overwhelming stack of …
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Oh, MBA admissions committees. Always wanting applicants to show the love. To prove that their school is the best and there is nowhere anyone would rather be. Makes sense. No one wants to be second best, not even the world’s top MBA programs. And if you’re spending the time and money to apply, you should want to be there, right? Right. Yet this question trips up tons of folks. How do you…do it? Well, it’s easy. Sorta. The key to a …
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Got a question about those MBA applications? Stuck on an essay? Need a little clarity? Chances are, you’re not the only one. Thankfully, Precision Essay founder and Harvard MBA Jon Frank has an answer… for everything admissions-related. And he’s going to share all of his answers with you, right here, every Tuesday. And on this lovely Tuesday, we’re going to talk about essays. More specifically, finding the perfect balance between personal and professional. Here goes: QUESTION: “What’s the best way to …
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THE TEMPTATION: “If I use fancy industry terms, they’ll be impressed because I’ll come across smaaaaart.” THE RESULT: “What on Earth is this kid talking about? I am lost… and bored to tears.” THE TRUTH: There are so many types of businesses and jobs and skills and terms to describe them all. Let’s just assume there’s too much to know, and therefore, no real need to know any of them (at least while I read your 500-word essay). Let’s, instead, …
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