Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Michigan Ross 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

Introduce yourself to your future Ross classmates in 100 words or less.
  • This is your elevator pitch.  The best advice I can offer here is – KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Give your reader a few clear signals to remember you by – “he’s the Peace Corps guy from NC”, or “he’s the marathon runner from McKinsey” or “she’s the professional dancer from India”, or “she’s the Indonesia Govt emissary..”.  You get the message.
  • Keep your “change the world” ambitions out of this one – how would you really introduce yourself to other classmates?  Where you’re from, where you grew up, what your professional experiences have been, what your goals are, what your interests and hobbies are – that’s it!
Describe your career goals. How will an MBA from Ross help you to achieve those goals? (300 word maximum)
  • Spend about 250 words describing your short term and long term career goals, including post-MBA next steps and your career vision; use the rest to answer how the MBA from Ross will help you, and how you will help the Ross community
  • You may have to describe your past experiences when you start this essay to set the context – it’s okay to do this, but don’t use up too many words doing this
Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed. What advice would you give to a colleague who was dealing with a similar situation? (500 word maximum)
  • Please, try to avoid blaming someone else through this essay – a large number of candidates will write about a co-worker who let them down or a horrible boss – remember, this is an essay about you, not them!
  • A lot of candidates also think “what you learned from the experience” actually means “how did you fix the problem” – please don’t fall for this trap.  It’s okay just to describe a setback or challenge, and what you took away from it – you don’t have to describe how much better you were the next time you faced the same issue or how you resolved it.
What are you most passionate about and why? How will this passion positively impact Ross (300 word maximum)
  • Can be a cause, a hobby, a sport, a professional objective, a personal goal, etc.
  • If you don’t have a passion, it’s okay.  A lot of people don’t.  Don’t force one, think of a strong interest that you have that you can bring to Ross.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Cambridge Judge 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

What did you learn from your most spectacular failure? (200 words)
  • The choice of the word spectacular is intentional; it is designed to invoke your most embarrassing or high-stakes failure
  • 200 words is tight – describe the failure in a sentence or two, and then quickly get into what you learned from it
What are your short and long term career objectives? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them? What do you hope to gain from the degree and how do you feel it will help you achieve the career objectives you have? (please do not exceed 500 words)
  • You can start by describing what you’ve done so far, where your strengths lie and how they will help you achieve your goals
  • A little writing trick for this essay –  first, write this essay without the second half (why the degree?).  Write your career objectives, and as you read them (or a reviewer reads them), it should be plainly obvious what your needs are.  Those needs should then be articulated in a few sentences for why Judge, why the degree, but those sentences should be a natural conclusion to your first half.
  • The important thing is for the reader to be able to read your current assessment and the degree as a bridge to your goals as a coherent and persuasive story
If you could change one thing about your current organisation, what would you make different? How would you overcome obstacles to this change, and what impact would this change have in the short-term and long-term? (300 words)
  • Be cautious - do not whine and complain about others in your company or specific people or policies
  • Write on a positive note - what are some small quick wins and transformative changes that you'd like to see in the company?
  • Remember to think through both the pluses and minuses of your ideas and acknowledge them

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Stanford GSB 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

What matters most to you, and why?
  • Could be a person or a group of people, a hobby or interest, an event that occurred or might occur in the future, or a situation that you’re in
  • This essay needs to be pretty introspective – and it needs to be about you.  If you are going to say “eradicating poverty or hunger” or “spreading literacy”, take care to not make this essay about the cause – it must be about why it matters to you.
  • The essay isn’t just about stating why something or someone matters to you – it’s about explaining the deep relationships or connections that make this so important in your life.
What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?
  • The guidelines for this essay clearly state that you shouldn’t repeat and reiterate your accomplishments from your resume or other essays – it must be forward looking.
  • Career aspirations can be simply stated – i.e., “be a CEO of a Fortune 50 company” – but you should explain in very pragmatic terms the path leading to it and how the MBA fits into that path
  • The “why Stanford” piece should follow naturally from your career goals – and remember, this is not an essay about Stanford – this is about how what they offer fits into your goals.
Tell us about a time in the last three years when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
  • The most important part of this essay is that it should be clear to the reader what the expectations were of your team – because without this baseline understanding, it is challenging to prove how you went over and beyond
  • “built and developed” – for candidates in consulting, make note that you often don’t build and develop short-lived teams; so don’t forget to address this piece – how did you coach the people on your team?  how did you attract and retain talent?
  • The most engaging responses to this question respect the idea that building and developing a good team is extremely challenging.
Tell us about a time in the last three years when you identified and pursued an opportunity to improve an organization.
  • If you work in a large multi-national company, this is not an easy question to answer in that setting; unless you are confident that your actions really made a sustainable impact on your company, avoid using this question
  • Candidates will often rely on their own characteristics to answer this question – e.g,. “as a woman… ” or “as the youngest Manager..” – if you are going to do this, be very careful not to slight others that don’t share the same characteristic as you – and remember again, the impact must be sustainable and organization-wide.
Tell us about a time in the last three years when you went beyond what was defined or established.
  • This is a good question to take on, because it is fairly individualistic, so it is easier to relate why you did something and how you changed what was defined
  • Again, pick a practice such that it is obvious to the reader and seems natural why things were established or defined a certain way – so that your efforts jump out as something that was “over and beyond”

Friday, July 27, 2012

Columbia Business School 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

Words of wisdom on the CBS essays from our alumni reviewer...


Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career, and how do you plan to achieve your immediate and long term post-MBA professional goals? (Maximum 500 words)
  • Begin by briefly describing where you are in your career and where you'd like to be -- note that if you are describing a career shift, you must explain why and what your passions are that drove you to choose this new career
  • For the why CBS part, be sure to tie in CBS’s offerings with your own background – this part should be very specific to CBS culture and community, not just any business school in general.
  • When an essay is this long, the biggest challenge is keeping the reader engaged and wrapped up in your story – transitions, grammar, and a tight storyline are even more important in longer essays than others
Describe a personal experience and how it has influenced who you are today. This essay should have a personal rather than a professional focus. (Maximum 500 words)
  • First, an experience that has influenced you could be a happy experience, a tough challenge, a big change, a move, or a tragic or traumatic situation – anything that had a meaningful impact on you and your personality
  • A lot of people who are naturally introverted find it very difficult to articulate personal situations - but push yourself, and write as though no one is going to read to isolate yourself from the feeling of being in the spotlight
  • Please do not include any professional experiences or details in this question – bring out your personality, your character, and tell your story!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tuck 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you, and what will you uniquely contribute to the community?
  • Very similar to many other school’s goal essays – set the context with your background, explain your goals in a meaningful, substantive manner, and then integrate Tuck’s offerings into your vision
  • Remember, this is an essay about you, not about Tuck – so anything that you mention about the school must be tied into your story and your goals
  • Don't forget to discuss exactly where you will fit in and how you will contribute - you want the AdCom to be able to see you on campus very easily
Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?
  • Describe just one experience – it can be a challenging opportunity that came your way, a career milestone, or a personal or community experience
  • A leadership experience doesn’t have to be one where you came out a winner – it can be a situation in which you experienced a very big challenge, part of which you were able to overcome, with other parts that didn’t go so well – that is why the question asks both for your strengths and weaknesses
  • Please, do not use spun-around-strengths like “perfectionism” or “taking too much work on my plate” in the weaknesses section.
Describe a circumstance in your life in which you faced adversity, failure, or setback. What actions did you take as a result and what did you learn from this experience?
  • A failure or setback or adversity essay must expose you – and your vulnerabilities.  This is not about how you created a problem and then owned up to it or fixed it.
  • It can be a bad situation that was dealt to you, or something that you did that resulted in a failure or setback, or a time when you chased something that you just weren’t good enough for
  • To answer the “actions” piece, don’t try to recreate the situation and explain what you did the next time around; what the reader wants to know is, after the failure, what did you do because of it – did you try again?  Did you make amends?  Did you apologize or forgive someone or give up on something?
  • Please, do not try to show anyone else in a negative light in this essay – e.g., someone stepped on your toes or acted politically etc. – this just reflects immaturity on your part

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Yale SOM 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

What prompted your decision to get an MBA?  When did you realize that this was a step you wanted – or needed – to take? (150 words maximum)
  • This question is challenging because (a) 150 words and (b) most people don't really have a "moment of truth" when they realized the MBA is necessary
  • Having said that, it's important to briefly discuss at least 1 - 3 triggers that pushed you to realize you needed an MBA
  • Since there's not a lot of room to describe elaborate situations, you have to describe the triggers as succinctly as possible so as to leave enough room for why you need it now
Describe a difficult professional decision you had to make.  What were the consequences, and what, if anything, did you learn?  Would you make the same decision again? (300 words maximum)
  • This is a difficult question – and most people struggle with it – it’s not easy to come up with a past decision you made, and even less to recreate it in your current situation
  • A good idea for this question is to come up with 2 or 3 situations, write them up in draft, and this will give you a good idea of which one to move forward with
  • The question we get from a lot of candidates for this is – do I have to answer “no” to the last part of the question – i.e., would you make the same decision today?  No – you don’t have to – it’s perfectly okay to say that you would make the same decision today
  • It’s important to articulate the thought process behind your decision – this is the meat of the question – what were the elements of your decision?  What was most important to you?  If you are going to say that you would not make the same decision today, explain why – candidates can use this to highlight their growth and evolution
The Yale School of Management provides a leadership education characterized by broad-minded and intellectually curious students with diverse backgrounds, a distinctive integrated curriculum, connections to one of the great research universities in the world, and the broad reach of an innovative and expanding global network of top business schools.  What will you contribute to the Yale SOM community, and how will being part of it help you extend your professional vision? (300 words maximum)
  • This question is a mouthful – but piece it apart, and it’ll seem less challenging.  The question is really asking what key experiences have shaped and developed your leadership skills?  How will you apply those skills to Yale SOM?
  • This question is open ended – gives you a great chance to pick some experiences you want to describe that have helped you become either a professional or community leader
  • Remember to tie in what you discuss to your professional vision - your leadership contributions at Yale should seem like a bridge to your goals
What do you consider to be your most significant accomplishment?  Why? (300 words maximum)
  • Pick only one accomplishment – can be personal or professional – describe why you think it is your most significant accomplishment
  • To the extent possible, try and qualify and/or quantify the impact of what you did so that a reader can relate to it more easily — this is especially true if you are picking a professional situation

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

INSEAD 2012 - 2013 Essay Tips

Briefly summarise your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/ products and results achieved. (250 words maximum); Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words maximum)
  • Questions 1 & 2 go together; between the two, they should cover the breadth of your professional experiences, as well as be an articulate point-in-time snapshot of your career as it stands today
  • Regardless of whether you are an individual contributor, or the manager of a small or large team, be candid about your day-to-day; the AdCom really wants to understand what you do
  • Re-read your answer to confirm that it would make sense to someone who knows little about your industry or function; start at the top and provide some context if necessary
  • In Q2, it's even more important to (a) provide context about your industry, function, role and (b) avoid technical jargon, especially if it comes across forced.
If you are currently not working, what are you doing and what do you plan to do until you start the MBA programme if applicable? (250 words maximum)
  • Even if you don't have very structured plans, try to address this question as thoughtfully as possible - they want to see that applicants are fully productive and making good use of their time even if they aren't employed
  • If you are working currently, no need to answer this question
Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (600 words maximum)
  • Try to limit to two strengths and two weaknesses
  • The best essays will have a coherent description of your personality – supported by some examples – where the strengths and weaknesses will jump out to the reader without being called out explicitly.
  • It’s important that all of these attributes come together to describe you!  Avoid sounding bipolar or schizo as you describe it
Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date (if possible specify one personal and one professional), explaining why you view them as such. (400 words maximum)
  • The best advice we got for this essay was to first write it as though it were two separate accomplishment essays (in as many words as you need) and then edit it down to approximately 200 words each - it becomes much less daunting this way
  • A lot of applicants will have a central theme woven into both the accomplishments - this is great if there is a legitimate theme that applies to both accomplishments, but it's better to have no theme than to force one into your essay
  • This one is obvious, but try to showcase accomplishments that highlight different aspects of your experiences - the template most suggest and use is one each of professional, personal and/or community
Describe a situation taken from your personal or professional life where you failed. Discuss what you learned. (400 words maximum)
  • The most strong applicants have invariably been through a number of high-stakes setbacks in their lives, so this is a great question to ask of everyone
  • A failure could be not getting selected for an opportunity that you wanted, or not being recognized for something as you expected - it is, in most cases, a deviation from your expectations of an outcome
  • Describe how you dealt with the failure - show your mental strength and how you recovered from it.
  • This can often be the most painful essay to read and edit - why?  Because 80% of candidates try to mask achievements or strengths as setbacks - PLEASE DON'T DO THIS.   Remember: it's not as important that you lost in the major leagues as much as that you played in them!
Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum) and b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum)
  • Three parts – describe the path that you’re on, what skills you need to add to your repertoire, and tie it in to INSEAD’s offerings
  • Especially if your career goals include high-buzz areas like “micro-finance”, “renewable energy”, or a high-tech entrepreneurial project, a word of caution:  please make sure it’s clear how your path so far, and future goals are tied together – a LOT of people have similar goals, so it’s important to distinguish yourself!
Have you ever experienced culture shock? What insights did you gain? (250 words maximum)
  • Why do schools ask this culture shock question?  They do it to understand what you’ve adapted to you in your past – so it doesn’t have to be moving to a new country – it could be a new job in a very different industry, a new culture, etc.
Describe the ways in which a foreigner in your country might experience culture shock. (250 words maximum)
  • Great question – regardless of what country you’re from!  Strongly recommend that you answer this – your opportunity to make your country sound welcoming, exciting and warmly embracing.  Think of how you’d project it to a classmate – and you’ll get great results!