EssaySnark

  • about
  • contact
  • help
  • sign up
  • login
CLICK FOR MORE!
  • Essay Questions
    • Harvard
    • Stanford
    • Wharton
    • Chicago Booth
    • Kellogg
    • MIT Sloan
    • Tuck
    • NYU Stern
    • Columbia
    • Yale SOM
    • Berkeley Haas
    • UVA Darden
    • Duke Fuqua
    • Michigan Ross
    • UCLA Anderson
    • Cornell
  • Strategy Guides
    • MBA Reapplicant Guide
    • Pitching Entrepreneurship as Your Post-MBA Career
    • Applying to European Business Schools
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2022 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts

“You guys are mean…”

May 2, 2013 by EssaySnark 5 Comments

We got an excited email from a BSer recently telling us about an admit to a Very. Good. School, with lots of thanks and gratitude for our help. We always appreciate those emails of course, and we most definitely are happy to know that this BSer is headed to their MBA! The note contained this line which we thought was kinda funny:

“I’ll admit – you guys are mean, but I needed some tough love for me to understand the hard work necessary to write the essays.”

“Tough love”? Yes, we’ll accept that characterization. But “mean”? Sorry but no.

First of all, “snarky” is not the same as “mean” – at least, we try never to cross that line. And anyway, we are rarely even all that snarky in our one-on-ones with clients. We reserve the bulk of the snark for the postings here on the blahg. But “mean”? No.

  • “Mean” would be correcting a grammar mistake here and there and passing the essay back.
  • “Mean” would be telling you “These essays are great! You’re definitely going to make it in.”
  • “Mean” would be taking your money and shining you on about your chances for success.

It is not “mean” for us to say it like it is — and believe it or not, we try to say it in as nice a way as possible. (If you’re rude to us or the team, then we don’t waste quite so much time sugarcoating our words back to you.) We know that it’s tough to get the direct feedback that what you thought was your best work is kinda crappy. It’s never a personal attack on you – that would be mean. We only critique the profile, and the presentation, not the person.

Just for the record, here’s an excerpt of one of the critiques we offered back to this BSer – this was the “meanest” one we could find from the many many reviews we did of the submitted materials:

Bottom line: While this career path maybe is in the “believable” category for you, we are not convinced that it is “achievable” — there’s just too much outside your control. This plan doesn’t show you taking control of your destiny in any way; it leaves way too much up to other factors and fate. We think you need to have a more buttoned-up approach. The adcom will want to see your aspirations, and they’ll want to see evidence that you’ve given this a lot of thought and planning and you have some contingencies mapped out. None of that is really here yet.

“Mean” is letting the adcom’s rejection communicate to you that your pitch sucks. It is not mean to tell you that it sucks when you still have a chance to fix it. Obviously that’s what we did (in nicer words than just “it sucks”!), and that’s what this BSer did.

So congratulations to this BSer STBBS! You did a lot of hard work on your app and that’s why you’re in this great place. And if it took a little tough love to get there, so be it.


ETA 2/28/14: If you want to see “mean” then check out these responses to two different inquiries that were sent to a woman in Cleveland who runs a job bank for marketing professionals: Mean Response #1 and Mean Response #2. Full article is here.

Filed Under: EssaySnark products & services, general snark

« Previous: ($) “What are my chances at Stanford?”
Next: Guest Post! “My Thoughts on the Career Goals Essay” from a military candidate »

So who the heck is EssaySnark, anyway?!

We're the snarky experts in MBA admissions!

Sometimes amused and often appalled by what candidates write in their MBA applications to top bschools, EssaySnark created this little blahg to share common mistakes. Learn from them and avoid making admissions directors laugh (or want to hurl) when they read your essays. If you are hoping to have your essay reviewed anonymously on the blahg for free, submit it for consideration.

Want EssaySnark's personal assistance with your MBA applications? Start with our menu of consulting services and please read the Help FAQ to learn how we operate. Still have questions after doing all that? Email Team EssaySnark at gethelpnow at essaysnark dot com.

Good luck on your apps, Brave Supplicant!

Here's what others have said about this:

  1. Bschool2013 says

    May 2, 2013 at 1:36 pm

    Reply
    • Bschool2013 says

      May 2, 2013 at 1:36 pm

      Dammit. I guess I can’t imbed images.

      Reply
      • essaysnark says

        May 2, 2013 at 4:24 pm

        We’re not quite sure what you’re trying to say with that, but we fixed the image. 😉

        Reply
        • Bschool2013 says

          May 2, 2013 at 6:51 pm

          Just that you guys are “mean.” …and I thought it be fun to throw up a picture of Lindsay Lohan before her life went of the railroad tracks at the ripe old age of 20.

          Reply
  2. highwyre237 says

    May 2, 2013 at 3:25 pm

    When you ask the snark for help, you should know what you’re getting yourself into.

    Your will receive REAL advice. It wont be sugar coated or fluffy (but it will be pretty humorous at times). If you ask the snark for help, you’ll end up with a stronger understanding about where you stand, and how to come out on the other side with a success story (and maybe even a free T-shirt)

    Reply

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 1 week
  • INSEAD Jan '24 Intake Rd 3
    in 4 weeks
  • INSEAD Jan '24 Intake Rd 4
    in 2 months, 1 week
  • Harvard Round 1: Sept. 6
    in 3 months, 1 week
  • Harvard Round 1: Sept. 6
    in 3 months, 1 week
  • Stanford Rd 1: Sept. 12
    in 3 months, 2 weeks
  • Columbia J-Term: Sept 13
    in 3 months, 2 weeks
  • Wharton Round 2
    in 7 months, 0 weeks
  • Harvard Round 2 (FINAL HBS RD!)
    in 7 months, 0 weeks
  • Stanford Round 2
    in 7 months, 1 week
   
   

CLASS OF 2025 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

From a former BSer:
"love the guide books!"




    The 2022 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2025
   
    The 2022 Harvard MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2025!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
  The 2022 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with clear guidance for the 2022 essays!
   
  The 2022-2023 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2022-2023 applications
   
    The 2022 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video, plus the new optional short-answer question on "the world you come from" -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2025!
   
    The 2022 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values'
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - revised for 2022!
   
    The 2022 UVA Darden MBA Application Guide gives insights on the essays, Early Action, the possibility of a test waiver, and everything else going on here!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Darden MBA - updated for the Class of 2025 requirements!
   
   
The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2025 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2022
   
    The 2022 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2025 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2022-2023 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the essays, the EQ Endorsement and test strategies!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2025 essays!
       
   

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2023 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy