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($) The most important technique you need to learn to write a good MBA admissions essay

June 17, 2019 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

What we’re going to cover today is what we cover over and over again on this here snarkolicious blahg – and it’s one of the slipperiest techniques to master. It’s also perhaps the most sophisticated, and while we cannot say that if you write your essays using this technique, that you’re guaranteed to be accepted, we can say that it’ll get you way further than almost anyone you know. You have the chance of truly standing out if you do this.

Will it be easy? Heck no. Will it be worth it if you struggle through the learning curve? Almost undoubtedly.

When an admissions person says that the essays don’t really matter that much, they mean, “The average-quality essay that we see from the majority of candidates.”

Time and again, we’ve watched candidates with very “average” stats pull in super impressive outcomes at the end of the process, when the essays they submitted were superlative.

So how do you write superlative essays?

First, you devote time to the process. Good essays are born through the rewrite.

Your first drafts will be crap. That’s why God designed first drafts. Make your first drafts as good as you can make them, but understand: THEY WILL BE CRAP.

For whatever reason, when you’re creating something, you need to go through the crappy first drafts process before you can get to anything good.

Pro Tip: The people who come up short write one draft and polish it and submit it.

Your first draft should never be submitted — not to the adcoms, and not even to EssaySnark.

If you’re using our Essay Decimator essay review service, then we exhort you to go back and rewrite and even possibly totally restructure and redo your essay before you send it in for first review. Your final product will be gobs better that way!

Next, regardless of what the essay question is, regardless of what topic you choose to write about: You need to DEMONSTRATE why the answer you’re giving is true. You can’t just make a bald assertion that it is.

This means, talking in SPECIFICS. Using EXAMPLES.

Not generic, generalized statements.

Pro Tip: If you’re new to this essay-writing stuff, then almost guaranteed, what you write in your first few drafts will be generic!

Here’s what we mean.

It’s the difference between:

“I like to travel to strange cities so that I can learn more about new places.”

and:

“Last summer I went to Naples Italy by myself and left my map and phone in my hotel room. I got in a taxi and asked the driver to take me to the most interesting neighborhood he knew of, at least 25 miles from my hotel, and drop me off. I had to find my way back without knowing any Italian. Along the way, I did X, and met Y, and had ABC experiences. I learned from this that…..”

See the difference?

 
 

Finally, you need to ANSWER THE QUESTION.

“Ha,” you are now saying. “EssaySnark. Your advice is ridiculous. Of course I’m answering the question!! Gosh, you think I’m a dummy?”

Pro Tip: Almost everyone who writes a first draft thinks they’re answering the question!

You can see what we mean in this hopefully very clear example. 🙂

 
 

Wow. You got a three-fer today! We promised the most important technique, and we gave you three!

The tl;dr is, Show, don’t tell.

THAT is the most important technique.

You’ll need to study this, probably for way longer than you would like to, and work at it, probably way harder than you expect, for it to click in your wee little brain.

Filed Under: "show don't tell", writing essays

« Previous: The Stages of Learning: Why getting help on your essays is so useful
Next: No, you don’t need to work for a big company to get into a top school. But there is one advantage. »

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!

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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
   
   

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