EssaySnark

10 Really Bad Ideas (that won’t go away)

by EssaySnark

Note: This post was written in 2011 - but yeah, most of these ideas still haven't gone away...!

Apparently this is a week of “don’ts.” Swear we’ve told all of yous not to be doing these things. Yet we kept getting hit up with ’em. “Hey EssaySnark! I’m gonna do XYZ blankety-blank. Whatchya think?” Like, if you ask us directly, one on one in a real nice email, then we’ll give you a…

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Here's what others have said about this:

  1. Dear EssaySnark (great name btw – nonsense rhyme ironically fits in with application essays)

    Just wanted to ask your opinion on 1 point – what happens if you have extensive extensive extracurriculars? and that spills over to the second page. What do you do then?

    Get rid of the extracurriculars and condense the resume into 1 page or risk the wrath of the ad comm and submit a 2 page essay.

    And in cases of schools which necessarily require a 1 page cv, what should get priority and what should go?

    If you would be kind enough to let me know how much the review of a 2 page cv would cost me and how long it would take (wharton and LBS are 4th and 5th), i would be happy to immediately wire the money over.

    thanks a ton for all the advise.

  2. Hi, I have a GMAT Score of 660 (Q46 V35) . . . which would be balanced per se, albeit how "dicey" would that be in terms of application chances (MIT, Kelloggs or ecen Said) given that I have 6+ years of work experience? . . . I just prepared by myself for only 45 days starting from a scratch and feel can improve my scores if I reappear. Again, am not keen to reappear if the existing score be deemed reasonable in light of my work ex.

  3. Hate to break it to you, Anonymous: There is literally NO relationship btwn GMAT and work exp. Your work exp does not factor into the evaluation of your GMAT score in any way whatsoever.

    A 660 is definitely low for any top school – we STRONGLY encourage you to retest if you're serious about an app to the schools on your list.

  4. Thanks for your prompt response, Even I thought so … While I have tested the waters with my first attempt, guess its time now to wade deeper . . . Will take a fair bit of time this time around, prepare properly, retake and ensure I score as per potential. Thanks Again !

  5. @sidgmat, sorry but there's really no situation that justifies a 2-pg bschool resume. Some schools might accept a 2-pg resume but it won't help you to submit one, since a 1-pg version is expected (and VASTLY preferred).

    ECs are not that important. You will have to make some judgment calls about which ones help demonstrate your strengths. That's what YOU need to figure out, in your process of self-assessment and reflection. This may help: https://essaysnark.com/2010/09/what-should-not-be-on-resume/ but beyond what we've got on this blahg, EssaySnark can't (won't) do that for you.

    This is the main reason behind our review service only being offered for 1-pg resumes. It's not our job to do the thinking, it's yours. 🙂

    Yes, we are still taking on new assignments, crazily enough, so anyone interested can click that orange button above and make it happen.