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 Career Goals in Entrepreneurship
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Stanford 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Wharton 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Chicago Booth 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • *MORE SCHOOL-SPECIFIC GUIDES HERE*
  • MBA Consulting
    • Free essay reviews
    • What stage are you in?
    • Military MBA
    • BIPOC Program
    • Testimonials & Reviews
    • Guest Posts
  • My SnarkCenter
    • My Strategy Guides
    • My Favorite Posts
    • Discounts & Offers

($) “Lessons learned” in MBA essays

September 26, 2018 by EssaySnark - Discusses Columbia Leave a Comment

Columbia has an essay this year that asks you to discuss a team failure, and then says: “If given a second chance, what would you do differently?” That’s basically a different form of a “lessons learned” kind of question — and as we’ve written before, “lessons learned” are difficult to handle in an MBA essay.

Why are they so difficult?

Well, not only do you have to offer something insightful, that allows you to show growth (which Kellogg explicitly wants to hear about in their essay 2), but it also has to fit the question.

This is where pondering your experiences and reflecting on Life comes into the process.

You can have the best story in the world about failing with a team, or about how you had this intense life experience that forced you to grow or change into a better person, but if you can’t figure out something more to say beyond “I learned not to do it that way again” then you don’t have a very strong ending.

The thing is, when you’re presenting the mistake that you made or the omissions that led to the failure (if we’re still talking about Columbia Essay 3) — and you’re doing a good job of it — then that alone will be self-evident. You don’t need to say anything more about the mistake. You’ve already said it, in capturing the story for the reader.

Instead, you need to take your analysis and assessment of the problem deeper.

So there was a mistake made and the paperwork wasn’t submitted on time. So you missed the deadline, and then there were XYZ consequences with the client, or somebody had to pay a fine, or whatever.

Your “lessons learned” or the “second chance” answer obviously isn’t going to be as basic as, “I learned that I need to track deadlines better, so now I enter them into my calendar when the project is first assigned.” Sure, you can say that if you want, but that’s really rudimentary. That doesn’t capture learning. That captures proficiency in managing a task on a job. But what ELSE can you say?

We already offered a treasure trove of ideas on Columbia Essay 3 in particular just a few weeks ago, so starting with that post would be wise. However for any essay that wants a “lessons learned” angle — and also for the stories you are thinking through as possible interview topics as well — you want to go beyond the basics, and investigate YOURSELF.

The best way to demonstrate growth is to, well, demonstrate growth.

If your essay is about missing an important deadline, then think more macro about that.

If someone misses a deadline, then that means…. what?

They’re careless? Inattentive? Sloppy?

Maybe. If that’s a part of your personality make-up, then obviosly you don’t want to totally admit it to the adcom (at least, not in those terms) but there might be something you could say about how this experience really hit home for you, and it made you realize this deficiency you have, and recognize that you need to take steps to prevent it from happening again. And then you can talk about the process you put in place in your life or some new change you’ve made to help you counter this weakness.

Or what else could you infer about someone who misses a deadline?

That they’re overbooked? Too busy? Overwhelmed?

At least those are semi-positive traits, in this cult of productivity culture we live in. Better to be so busy that you miss things, than being a slouch who can’t manage to get out of bed!

So if you’re too busy, and that’s why a deadline was dropped, then what else can you uncover about that?

Because being too busy, or being sloppy or inattentive, these things are not the root cause. They are more symptoms; they’re still at least one layer of veneer on top of the real issue.

If you want to do an incredible job of answering a “lessons learned” part of a question, you’ll dig deeper.

“I’m so busy that I let this important deadline slip. Okay, so then WHY am I so busy?”

The answers are not likely to come easily. You may have to really force yourself to THINK. Like, not allow yourself to be slippery and dodge it.

Because this type of inquiry is personal!

You’re investigating yourSELF and trying to figure out why you’re wired a certain way.

Other people in your shoes wouldn’t have let the deadline get missed.

But YOU did. Based on something about YOU.

Whatever the something is that lets you get too overbooked or too busy.

Maybe it’s….. something about how you take on too much? That you never say ‘no’ even though you know that you should?

OK, so why is it that you do THAT?

Maybe it’s….. because you’re always wanting to earn a gold star, and impress everyone with your competence?

Now we’re getting closer to the truth.

Or maybe it’s that you’ve got imposter syndrome (which pretty much everyone who’s ever accomplished anything has) and you don’t want to let on that you’re in over your head?

Maybe it’s because you didn’t want to ask for help because you didn’t want to appear weak, or you’re worried that your boss will see you as incapable?

Etc.

What you can do is, start with the bare-bones fact of what happened. This mistake was X.

Then figure out WHY X happened.

And then figure out why it happened TO YOU.

Because you’re the one who messed this thing up or who had the issue in this situation.

So take the facts of that situation, and move backwards.

Find the root cause.

Sometimes, sh!t happens, and it’s nobody’s fault.

But any mistake or failure story that will be truly meaningful for an adcom to hear about in your MBA essay will be one where there was actually a cause for the mistake, and where that cause was YOU.

This is not the only way to handle a “lessons learned” part of an essay prompt. But going as far into the investigation as you can as to why YOU are the one who caused it is where pure essay gold will be found.

 
 

More on the Columbia essays can be found here!
 
 

EssaySnark's Strategy Guide to the Columbia MBA Essays and Application


Filed Under: "failure" essays Tagged With: lessons learned Bschools: Columbia

« Previous: MBA with no bachelor’s?
Next: Quote of the Day »

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!

Tell us what you think. Cancel reply

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

Sign up for the 'Snark via email

Enter your address to get weekday blahg posts by email.

UPCOMING MBA APP DEADLINES

  • INSEAD Round 4
    in 1 month, 0 weeks, 4 days, 16 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 intake Rd 1
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 0 days, 16 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 3 months, 0 weeks, 1 day, 16 hours
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 3 months, 2 weeks, 1 day, 17 hours
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 4 months, 1 week, 6 days, 17 hours
   
From a BSer January 2020:
"love the guide books!"


CLASS OF 2023 MBA APPLICATION STRATEGY GUIDES

     
    The 2020 Berkeley-Haas MBA Application Guide - updated for the Class of 2023 application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Berkeley Haas - refreshed and updated, with brainstorming exercises and structured maps to help you focus your stories!
   
    The 2020-2021 NYU Stern MBA Application Guide that covers the main essay, the EQ Endorsement and Pick Six!
SnarkStrategies Guide for NYU - discusses your requirements for the Class of 2023 essays!
   
    The 2020-2021 Columbia MBA Application Guide
SnarkStrategies Guide for Columbia Business School for 2020-2021 applications
   
    The 2020 Harvard MBA Application Guide - completely overhauled and updated for the coronavirus era!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Harvard Business School!
   
    The 2020-2021 Duke Essay Guide - covers the 25 Random Things essay and all the rest too!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Duke Fuqua - up to date for the current season!
   
    The 2020-2021 MIT Essay Guide covers the org chart, the contacts for two references, and additional tips for the cover letter and 'introduce yourself' video -- and everything else you need to know!
SnarkStrategies Guide for MIT Sloan MBA - totally revised for the Class of 2023!
   
    The 2020-2021 Tuck Essay Guide has been refreshed with latest insights and advice for your essays about "investing generously" and "why Tuck"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for the Dartmouth Tuck MBA - completely overhauled for 2020, to help you demonstrate how you are nice, aware, etc stuff!
   
    The Yale SOM MBA Application Guide for Class of 2023 candidates!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Yale SOM - updated for 2020-2021
   
    The 2020-2021 Chicago Booth MBA Application Guide - ready to go to support your Class of 2023 essay strategy!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Chicago Booth for this year's MBA app!
   
    The 2020 Wharton MBA Application Guide - even more advice on how to get to a win with those essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for The Wharton School - with new tips for 2020!
   
    The 2020 Kellogg Essay Guide - with a full methodology to identify your 'lasting impact' and your 'values' -- plus tips on 2020 world events and applicability to your essays!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Kellogg MBA - updated and revised for the new realities of 2020!    
      The 2020 Stanford MBA Application Guide - for "what matters most" in your MBA application!
SnarkStrategies Guide for Stanford GSB for the Class of 2023
   
    The 2020-2021 UCLA Anderson MBA Application Guide - updated for Class of 2023 on "impact"!
SnarkStrategies Guide for 
UCLA
   
   

Brave Supplicants' latest reviews on The 'Snark


Apr 10, 2020
by George on EssaySnark
Great Starting Point

I thought getting over the GRE/GMAT hurdle was fairly straightforward--disciplined study then test execution... Read more

Apr 10, 2020
by George on Single Shot Express MBA Essay Review
Worth Every Penny

I used the Single Shot Express to decimate essay #1 at my first-choice school. Paired with the school... Read more

Feb 9, 2020
by KA on Waitlist Assist
Committed

You continue to blow me away with your commitment to us BSers! Thanks again for everything. It's been... Read more






Not sure where to begin with EssaySnark?
Our Snark Selector
will tell you!



What were we snarking about at this time in past years?

  • 2020: ($) Deciding on a school: Qualitative factors
  • 2020: ($) Updating the admissions office on changes to your profile post-submit: GMAT/GRE/classes
  • 2019: ($) If you got into a top bschool and now you're thinking you're not going to go
  • 2019: Harvard Business School is....
  • 2018: Quote of the Day
  • 2018: If you really want to start a company...
  • 2017: The problem with lying.
  • 2016: ($) Admitted Applicant Problems! Bschool and significant others
  • 2016: Success Stories that never materialized
  • 2015: Another quiz!
My Tweets

See the Top U.S. Business Schools on a Map!


EssaySnark is currently available! We're accepting new clients! Standard turnarounds apply. If you're in a hurry, Speedy Review is available!

EssaySnark® is a registered trademark. All content copyright © 2010–2021 Snarkolicious Press · Privacy Policy

Where should you start with EssaySnark?

Which EssaySnark service is right for you? Answer a few questions to find out!

This field must be set to Everyone - then in the Settings -> HTML -> After Fields screen there's JavaScript to hide it.
Sending