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($) “But EssaySnark. I hear X from other consultants about how to write the essay for [name your school].”

August 26, 2019 by EssaySnark - Discusses Harvard Leave a Comment

This post is actually going to be more specific to Harvard, but it applies universally. This was captured in a recent exchange with a BSer, but we had a near-identical exchange with a different BSer about a week ago, so we figured we’d toss this out to all of you!

The question comes in many forms, but it’s essentially, “Hey, there’s this other consultant dude who says the opposite of what you say about how to get in!”

Let’s walk through the known facts about admission to HBS, shall we?

1. People get into HBS for all sorts of reasons — and there certainly is not one formula for how to approach the Harvard essay. We stand by what we state in our Harvard strategy guide and elsewhere on the blahg: The Harvard essay is not a test of your writing abilities. It’s testing how you THINK.

2. In our experience working with so many clients over the years, the advice that we lay out in that Harvard guide, which in a nutshell is to focus on professional achievement as a means of differentiation, tends to be reasonably easy for them to follow, in a way that allows them to execute a draft that HBS will respond to. In other words: EssaySnark’s approach is proven. It’s not that other approaches won’t work, only that ours tends to be super straightforward, and definitely leads to results for candidates who are qualified and work hard to prove it.

3. Can personal stories work for Harvard? Well sure – because see #1. But personal stories, as you may discover if you get to read essays from students who were accepted to Harvard, often a) sound like they were written for Stanford, which can be offputting to a Harvard admissions person; b) are typically REALLY hard to execute on well. Can they work? Sure. Are they harder? Almost always. Are they more likely to get the attention of the reviewer at Harvard than essays that showcase achievement and leadership? Definitely not.

4. Please never forget: YOU ARE THE ONE WHO IS APPLYING. It’s your essay and your strategy. Yes, listen to others, snarky folks and otherwise. Do your research. (We don’t personally believe that reading “sample essays” is in your own best interest but we know it’s like a siren call to want to do that.) In all things, you need to follow your gut, or your heart, or your instincts, or your head, or whichever thing in your life that guides you in a way that you can trust. We have seen people do essays on personal topics and sail straight into HBS. And, clearly, there’s literally no way of knowing. We cannot do A/B tests on this (errr, well that’s not entirely true – we often work with people who were rejected from HBS the prior year, but then they work with us and make it in).

If HBS likes the entirety of your profile, a mediocre or non-optimized essay won’t stand in the way of an admit. If you do a personal story, and HBS likes your profile, then the personal story will get you in. Or more accurately, an application that has an essay that happens to talk about something personal is accepted.

Which is why those books and websites touting HBS essays have so many personal stories in them. 🙂

However, we also have seen applicants whose profile did not scream “Harvard material!” and they presented an essay following EssaySnark’s methodology, and they got the interview in the first batch. Which is a clear sign that the essay had power in that decision.

Remember, the point of your essay is to earn an interview. From there, your task will be to earn an admit but for now, you need to be focusing on winning the first stage only. A great essay with a Harvard-acceptable profile can totally tip the scales. If your profile is already superlative, it kind of won’t matter what your essay says. As long as it’s not riddled with typos and grammar errors and shows you can put thoughts together on the page. This is about optimizing your situation. If you feel you’re Harvard material, then heck, just write anything! Harvard used to allow you to apply without submitting anything in the essay at all. That’s how unimportant the essay may be. They are looking at the entirety of everything else that you submit. The essay is therefore a crucial opportunity. When used strategically, it can absolutely tip the scales on an otherwise ho-hum situation.

We know there are many differing opinions out there and seemingly conflicting advice, and we can’t say they’re wrong – but we believe that possibly we’re more right. 😉

Want help with Harvard? It’s not too late to get our take on your strategy! Please start with our Harvard MBA Application Guide as a logical first step. Then sign up for our Harvard Essay Decimator and we’ll see what you’ve got!

Filed Under: writing essays Bschools: Harvard

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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.

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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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