What Business schools and MBA programs want:

· Students who will be successes in their schools
· Students who will be successful in their chosen careers
· Students who show leadership and management potential
· Students who have good decision-making skills
· Students who have a track record of success
· Students who are good communicators.

Quite a tall order, yet these are the criteria by which every prospective MBA student is measured, as schools try to pick their pool of acceptable students by trying to figure out who those students really are.

Mosaic

Much of the mosaic of who you are as a person, and whether you are a worthy applicant, can be gleaned from your general application--GPA, test scores, GMAT, types of work experience, college courses taken, etc.--but these yardsticks alone do not fill in the complete mosaic of who you are. To complete that picture, Business schools look to the MBA personal statement or the application essay.

Preparation Strategies:

Before you start writing your personal statement, strategize about your approach. First of all, most schools request several personal statements, which means you must decide which part of the mosaic you want to present in each individual essay. This is important since you don’t want all of the essays looking and sounding the same. However, all of them together should complete the mosaic—or present a unified, compelling picture of you.

Easier Said Than Done, Right!

Yes and No! Yes, if you start off without some type of overall plan. No, if you spend some time developing a strategy that will present you as an interesting person, or at least a person with interesting life experiences. Sure! You might say; the problem is I’m a boring person, with a humdrum, not too exciting life.

Wrong! You are a unique individual and in that uniqueness you will find the stuff of an interesting personal MBA personal statement.

Is there a Formula for writing such a personal statement?

No!

Beware of the one-size-fits-all approach, because an essay based on such a strategy, will end up sounding stiff, contrived and phony an instead if it being a formula for success, it will be a formula for failure. In this respect, beware of clichés, and by all means, avoid the latest jargon (popular, academic or business) that on the surface gives the impression that you are hip, knowledgeable and sophisticated, but in reality paints you as a caricature.

There is a Road Map, however, that you can follow and if you stick to it, you will end up with a powerful, credible personal statement. Follow the path of your own uniqueness. Seize on the individual experiences you’ve had in life that set you apart and made you different from others.

Vive La Difference! That’s the key. Now where will you find those differences? In your childhood; your job history; road trips you’ve taken; volunteer work; your high school or college experiences, your relationships,(be careful of that one),etc., etc. The list is endless.

Another way of putting this is, that difference runs through your life like a vein of gold. Mine that vein for all it’s worth, because in it you will find the golden nuggets, the raw material for a compelling MBA personal statement.

Writing Tips:

Did you know that the wrong song or music selection accounts for over 80% of audition rejections. It doesn't mean that the artists can't sing or play; it means they picked the wrong song or music piece that buried their talent instead of showcasing it. There is a lesson to be learned here: your essay is your audition piece; it must present you in a positive interesting, attention-grabbing way. You will have problems if your essay does any of the following:

• Conceals or muddles your personality or talents
• Presents you as shallow, sloppy or indifferent
• Reveals you to be disorganized and/or without goals
• shows you to be lacking self-awareness or focus

Your essays should:

• Have an overall theme or focus
• Address the questions asked
• Use details and examples
• Avoid implied meanings--spell it out; the readers don't have the time or interest to figure out obscure writing
• Start with a catchy opening or hook: quotes or anecdotes usually are attention grabbers
• Avoid exaggeration, grandiose words or phrases; you are trying to come across as authentic, not phony
• By all means, have someone else read your essay(s) before you submit it

Check out our writing tip sheet for additional writing suggestions.

EssayPlus Service: Our editors will do the following:

• Perform a full, comprehensive edit of your essay, paying special attention to appropriate word choice, sentence fluency, structural clarity, tone and presentation style.

• A full-essay diagnostic to determine the effectiveness of the response to the question asked.

• Major rewrites and structural adjustments where appropriate to present the writer in the most positive light while remaining true to the writer's voice and original ideas.

• Sidebar commentary on the overall strengths and weaknesses of the personal statement providing rationale for changes made in the body of the essay.

• Phone contact with an EssayPlus editor for further advice and consultation.
  

We provide a comprehensive range of services to help you write a personal statement that showcases your talents and potential.

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Colin