Congratulations to some, Don't lose hope to others..

It is always mixed emotions for us when decisions go out.  Kellogg and Booth released their Round 1 decisions this week, and while we are thrilled to have represented so many successful candidates at both these schools this year, our hearts go out to the folks that weren't accepted.

Congratulations to those who have been accepted, and to those who have been waitlisted or denied, don't lose hope, there's still a few schools (and other rounds) to go.

And for those waiting for Wharton, HBS, and other schools next week, sit tight and good luck :-)  Our fingers are crossed for you too!

Yes, working through the holidays! :)

We receive at least 2 or 3 emails a day from readers asking if we will be reviewing essays through the holidays - yes, we will be, and we will be honoring all of our turnaround times as well.

Good luck with the writing!

Chicago Booth Powerpoint Essay - Slide Presentation

For some reason, this essay question is a PITA (pain-in-the-a) for all candidates.  Most don't have powerpoint skills, and the ones who do (consultants?) are never happy with what they end up with.  So, here are some tips to help you out: 

• Lots of pictures.  The whole point of being given the allowance to send in a PDF or PPT is that you can be creative and include pictures of you doing things, instead of writing about it. We strongly recommend including at least 5 - 8 pictures in the deck. 

• Creative art / cartoons:  Candidates often complain about not having enough pictures that are presentable.  Then mock it up!  Use a creative illustrator and create some art that can showcase the fun side of you. 

• Required: Fun!  This essay is supposed to be mostly addressed to your future classmates.  Please reserve your professional accomplishments for your written essays, and use this one to show your fun side.  If you don't have a fun side (ahem), at least display your personal attributes - pictures of your family, of you growing up, doing silly things, etc.  Good way to show that you can laugh at yourself!

• Themes: If you are completely out of ideas, use a theme that defines you for each page.  E.g., "Family Man", "Adventurer", "Researcher", "Athlete", etc. 

• Tell a story!  The easiest thing to understand is a chronological story, from when you grew up to where you are now.  An easy format that has been leveraged nicely by many candidates. 

• Other ideas: "day in my life", flash card format, letter format, etc. 

Good luck!


(Update on 12/16: Congratulations to everyone who has been accepted into Booth in Round 1!   We are so thrilled to have worked with some of you) ;)

Hello Round 2 Early birds!

The Round 2 essays are rolling in fast and furious - kudos to you earlybirds!  For those who are still a few drafts away from a final version, worry not!  We are working through the holidays this year, as every year, and will be accepting essays for review throughout the holiday season.

Good luck with the writing!

MBA Essay Editing Tips - as the Round 1 deadlines get closer!

Hey everyone,

A lot of folks have been asking us for basic essay editing tips, so we're publishing a list of things that we look for when we review essays.  By the way, we've said this before, but let me just reiterate:  PLEASE get your essays reviewed by someone you don't know!   It doesn't have to be us (but we'll be happy if it is).  :-)  Remember, AdCom doesn't know you, so it's really important to get your essays read by at least one independent reader who doesn't know you at all, and ask for their candid opinion on your package.

Here are the editing tips:

• Remove all redundant words.  A lot of qualifying adjectives are redundant - e.g., "very dire circumstances", or "significantly high volumes", etc.  You don't need "very" and "significant". 
• Quantify.  When you say something is more, or higher, or has increased, please say by how much.  This makes your essay more believable, relate-able, and real. 
• Stay within word limits:  There is no reason to go beyond.  No. Reason. 
• Keep your sentences short:  The most beautiful essays are the ones in which sentences are short and succinct.  Winding sentences make essays very difficult to read. 
• Stay chronological, as far as possible:  Essays that are not chronological can be very confusing - I've had to read some essays twice to make sense of what happened when. 
• Emotion is good, drama is not:  When you write about a situation, it's great to explain how you felt and why.  But please, this is not a movie script.
• Don't state the obvious:  In 80% of the essays we review, we're able to free up about 40 - 50 words because of this.  If you've explained something already, no need to state it again. 
• Finally, whatever you do, DO NOT blame someone else:  There is NO excuse for this.  Don't even indirectly slight someone else for what they did.  Victor Lee, from the Wharton school admissions office, agreed with us in our S2S post on this topic, and called it the "kiss of death"

Good luck folks!  If you're interested in getting your essays reviewed by us, email us at essaycritique@gmail.com or use the form on this page. 

Round 1 or Round 2? Low GMAT Score?

Hi everyone,

We're seeing a number of questions in our inbox from candidates who are thinking of postponing their applications to Round 2 because their essays don't feel "ready" or because they have a low GMAT score.

We asked one of our essay reviewers, a Wharton alum, to write about her experiences with past candidates and their GMAT scores:

• If you have a GMAT score of 700+, please don't worry about being disqualified for your score - you will be fine, even at the top schools, as long as your essays are strong
• Similarly, if you have a GMAT score of 750+, please don't think that you are a shoo-in to any school - also know that your your essays need to show all aspects of your personality even more because the GMAT already emphasizes your analytical skills
• Now, if you have a score of less than 700:
• If your score is below 650, it doesn't mean that you can't get in to a top school - BUT it does mean that your essays and other contributions need to be absolutely kickass. 
• If you had a particularly bad day, the day of your GMAT, and were doing much better in earlier practice tests, you should absolutely think about taking it again and wait until Round 2 to apply. 
• We don't usually make commercial recommendations in this blog, but taking the Kaplan ultimate practice test in the actual test center gave me a huge advantage with nerves on the day of the actual test
• If your score in your practice tests was in that 600 - 650 range anyway, and you feel like you gave it your everything, it's okay - really.  Just put in everything you got into your essays and the rest of your application and put your best foot forward. 
• If you have a score in the 650 - 700 range, mostly the same rules apply:
• If you had a particularly bad day and were scoring 700+ on practice tests, or if you feel like you didn't really give it your 100% the first time around, take it once more
• We've had plenty of candidates get in to really great schools in the past (and many of our classmates too) with GMAT scores in this range - so if you feel like you gave it everything, and the score was aligned with your practice tests, don't fret
• Note - you don't have to explain your GMAT score in the "optional essay" if you are in this bracket - this is a good score. 

Finally, I just want to add here:  we've seen folks with scores in the 600 - 780 range get in - but I can tell you that the big differentiators have not really been their academic transcripts or their GMAT scores.  Thousands of people with strong GMATs and grades apply every year.  Your differentiator is your unique voice - your essays, and the rest of your application.  Don't short cut even the short answer questions - they can make a big difference sometimes. 

If you have other questions, email us at essaycritique@gmail.com.   We're thick in the middle of reviewing essays for Round 1, but happy to answer pressing questions from some candidates.