Yay another success story to share with you! Here’s some tips from a BSer Who Went Before – with some real truths to offer!!
GMAT
I won’t spend too much time on this other than to say it is painful, takes time and sacrifice but there is no way around it. Honestly, if an MBA is what you truly want to do then you simply have to make the GMAT “happen”. There has been plenty written out about effective studying, how long you probably need to budget etc. online on the various forums and the blagh. Read it and work out what works best for you – no one approach is “correct”.
As confident as you are off your abilities, I would also budget for taking the test twice. I spent longer preparing because I only wanted to sit it once. Unforuntalely, it didn’t quite work that way and I had to spend another month to re-sit. Be aware of this and you should be fine.
Essays
Writing essays take a lot of time.
Seriously.
I read this on the blagh numerous times, and I simply thought that I would be ok. I would be different to everyone else. No…not the case. Far from it.
So without sounding all knowing, I would again simply say that writing the essays (to a high standard) will take time.
It’s not as simple as sitting down and punching out 500 words. Writing without fluff is something I don’t think I had ever done (not properly at least). At university you could always go over the word limit here and there, or simply “pad out” essays. Similarly at work, there’s a lot of vague, broad brush writing/statements. Making sure your essays are not only succinct, but hard hitting and clearly communicating your achievements is a lot harder than I thought.
In my opinion this is where EssaySnark’s services stand out. It is extremely hard not to get attached to something you have written and spent a bit of time on. There are going to be phrases/comments/ideas that you are particularly proud of that don’t add anything at best, and detract from your message at worst. Having an independent, third party point those out to you is invaluable. Just be prepared to listen.
My CBS third essay is a case in point. The draft I submitted to EssaySnark, in my opinion, was not only well written, but funny, witty and sad all rolled into one. A fantastic piece of writing. Unfortunately EssaySnark did not feel the same. He/she pushed me to start from scratch again and try a different idea. My revised essay was specifically mentioned by the admissions team – they quoted certain parts of it and said they had loved reading it. I would never have written it if I had not had opinion and urging of EssaySnark. At the time I thought he/she was wrong. In hindsight, my original writing was simply poor. Nothing beats an honest, independent critique. You just need to listen and incorporate the feedback.
My top tips
- Do the legwork before you start writing (know your career goals, know why a particular school, know which courses you want to take, which clubs to participate in, speak to current/past students). Not only will this help come essay writing time, but will mean you are well on your way for being ready to interview.
- Take your time in writing essays. Do a little each day rather than trying to write 500 words a day. Maybe I’m slower than most (highly likely) but on some days I only wrote a paragraph.
- Don’t get attached. Some points you think are important are not.
- Be open minded. As foolish as this sounds, whenever I submitted work to EssaySnark a part of me simply wanted validation…”this is an awesome essay, you rock, HBS here you come”. It’s hard seeing your work critiqued. You’ll get angry. Just make sure you get over it. You are lucky enough to get feedback from someone far more experienced than you, who has been there, done that.
The honesty there (in that last part especially) is refreshing! Yes, the essay writing process is not an easy one. However, this Brave Supplicant had the right attitude and they made it into multiple great schools, and then had a tough decision to make – but we think they chose wisely and they’re headed into an awesome adventure in the coming months! Our hopes are that you shall follow in their footsteps in the current application season. Take these tips to heart, Brave Supplicant, and know that EssaySnark is here to help you make it happen!
levieillard says
Ditto everything this BSer wrote. They have a great attitude, which is critical, and it definitely pays to put in the effort for the GMAT the essays. By the time you decide to apply, these are usually the biggest variables you can control.
PS – I was cleaning out my room today and threw away 5 spiral notebooks with 200 pages each of GMAT practice problems. But boy didn’t that hard work pay off!