Got a great question recently that we thought others might benefit from the answer to*: Hi Snark, So the passion essays really give me a hard time. Maybe it’s because I have no passion? Do you have any thoughts about how one should approach this essay? I saw in one of your reviews that someone...
essay critique: an old one, for Haas, about music
August 31, 2012 by
This is from the archives. Some BSer will probably be cursing EssaySnark to the grave because we let this essay languish in our inbox so long – yes, we received this submission in 2011. You don’t believe us when we say that it might take awhile to respond to those requests for freebie help…? Well....
more on Columbia’s “life experience” essay
July 31, 2012 by
Last week we talked about an essay (that we didn’t post) written for Columbia’s “life experience” question. And we gave the Brave Supplicant a pass on talking about some experiences that happened at school, even though we typically advise that you steer clear of school-related topics for this particular essay. We also said that this...
quasi essay critique: Columbia’s “life experience” essay
July 17, 2012 by
Got this submitted to us recently, in part: Hi EssaySnark! My name is ______________. I have been stalking this blahg and reading all your fantastic posts! I have especially enjoyed going through the essay critiques over the years. Your commentary has been exceedingly helpful so far (though you may not agree that it has helped...
essay critique: Columbia essay 2 “life experience”
October 4, 2011 by
Describe a life experience that has shaped you. At a young age my father established a manufacturing unit that was growing successfully when a few family members deceived him and swindled his plant, leaving him with financial burdens and health challenges. Affected by the setback, he suffered his first heart attack two-months before my birth....
"My grandfather was an inspiration to me…"
September 22, 2011 by
Brave Supplicants, do not make your adcom reader yawn. We cannot tell you how many essays we’ve read over the years — or just in the past three weeks — that say “My grandpa/dad/uncle was an entrepreneur and he inspired me to get an MBA.” (At least make it a gramma. That’s a little more...
Tuck essay 4: “new perspectives” and “life experiences”
September 21, 2011 by
Poor Brave Supplicant prolly thinks we forgot about ‘im. Left a comment for us asking about Tuck 4 and we promised to do a full post on the question, and then left ‘im hanging. Well here it is, and even with time to spare before deadlines roll around. Tuck essay 4 states: Tuck seeks candidates...
essay critique: Columbia’s essay 2 (from last year, with advice for this year)
June 10, 2011 by
EssaySnark leaves you for the weekend with a quasi-outdated critique of last year’s Columbia “tell us about yourself” essay. The adcom tweaked the question this year, however we can imagine people still writing essays like the one below… which probably wouldn’t work. (Probably wouldn’t have worked last year. We’d be curious if our Last-Year-Brave-Supplicant is...
Columbia essay questions are out!
May 12, 2011 by
Here are the very new questions that Columbia is asking applicants to tackle this year. We have been predicting to our clients that the Columbia questions would be changing (some of them were chomping at the bit to start writing their essays, but we didn’t know what the questions were! Now we do. Go to...
TMI or not TMI? More on evaluating the personal stuff
November 4, 2010 by
EssaySnark recently covered some basics on what’s legit to include versus what’s TMI. Here’s something else to consider: If it’s an incident from a long time ago and all you did was grow up (meaning, you didn’t do anything to change the circumstances), you probably shouldn’t bother telling the adcom about it. This is what...
at risk of completely demotivating you…
November 3, 2010 by
EssaySnark knows, this is a bit of a double-edged sword. UCLA has posted real-life examples (presumably from real-life applicants who they accepted) of the audio/video essay question that they had the last few years, which they’ve since made “optional.” Go check these out. (link updated 12/18/10) Those are actual submissions from the 2009-’10 application season....
Overcoming Obstacles (the Yale Law way)
October 8, 2010 by
Taking the easy way out. It’s Friday. We just got through the first crush of deadlines. None of our clients had breakdowns and there were no tears this week. EssaySnark feels that is a major accomplishment. And so is taking a breather. Go read this post. About overcoming obstacles. By our new favorite blogger. Who...
“Personal Interest” essays
September 29, 2010 by
In response to yesterday’s post about the “background/personal interest” essay, some Brave Supplicant asked, “EssaySnark! Is it really that bad? What do people normally write? How do they usually answer this question? And if we’re not supposed to talk about our life story, what do we write?” You can write this essay without giving us...
Haas EWMBA main essay – personal background and interests – and that “passion” thing
September 28, 2010 by
Oh boy. Those “tell us about yourself” essays are real doosies (or is it “dooseys”? Hmm, have to think about that). It’s even worse when they’re long. And open-ended. Like this Haas EWMBA main essay nightmare. Just got through a veritable mess of a draft from a Brave Supplicant and the horror of it has...
Just. Be. You.
July 12, 2010 by
Sigh. It’s happening. Happening again, or already happening. EssaySnark knows not which. Maybe it’s always happening. EssaySnark gets essay after essay after essay that just makes us want to PUKE. Why, oh Brave Supplicant, why? Why the need to write in all this fancy schmancy language, throwing out million dollars words hither and yon? Why...
