Write a winning MBA admissions essay!

Composing an essay which tells concisely and clearly why you are interested in one particular MBA course is not easy. Brutus Lo gives guidance every second week

A compelling admissions essay should be one of the most significant parts of your MBA application package. It must clearly convey something of your personality, motivation and why you want to study your chosen course. A great essay will make an immediate impact but not everyone takes the time or trouble they should to produce their very best.

In his highly-regarded reference work, 88 Great MBA Application Tips and Strategies, Brandon Royal, one of the leading GMAT preparation programme instructors at the Kaplan Educational Center Hong Kong, gives some tips on how to be sure of success.

He suggests that, to write effectively, you should set down an outline of your essay in point form. If writing a "who are you?" essay, you should give a few examples of the people, events or situations that have influenced you the most. Places you have visited or lived in, the traits that best describe you, personal strengths and weaknesses and hobbies or interests are also important. Obviously, the key is to give an idea of what lies beneath the surface and reveal your true motivations. It is also recommended that you cite no more than four examples in each category.

Avoiding vagueness and sticking to the point are hallmarks of good writing. Imprecise statements such as "Growing up in both the East and West, I have experienced both Asian and Western points of view," or "Not only did I develop important operational skills in running a business, but I experienced and witnessed the challenges that entrepreneurs face on a daily basis," should always be avoided. Assessors will just ask: "What are Asian and Western points of view?" or "What were these challenges?" Mr Royal suggests that placing "for example" immediately after what you have written will lead you to think clearly about the points you are making.

One tip encapsulates everything. "Focus your writing. Try not to discuss too many things at one time." Do we not all make this mistake? Admissions officers look for depth more than breadth in an essay, so do not try to capture your whole life, world-view and value system in one essay. As Royal says, "it is better to do a lot with a little than a little with a lot."

At the end of the day, we need to write an essay that addresses the given topic. As Laurie Stewart, director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon's Graduate School of Industrial Administration, puts it on the school's website, "We want straightforward answers. Make sure that what you write really addresses the question... We're looking not for a long essay, but for a clear picture of why this person is interested in the MBA, and why the Carnegie Mellon programme appeals to them."

Acknowledgement Brutus Lo is the MD of Kaplan Educational Center (HK) Ltd, an affiliate of Kaplan, Inc. which helped hundreds of Hong Kong students to further their studies in the US and all over the world over the last 12 years. He worked in Silicon Valley and earned his MBA from the Kellogg (Northwestern)-HKUST programme. Email: brutus.lo@kaplanhongkong.com.hk Website: www.kaplanhongkong.com.hk

Taken from Career Times 2003/09/26