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 Interviewing Guide
    • Getting Off the Waitlist
    • Applying in Round 3 mini-guide
    • Applying to European Business Schools
    • School-Specific MBA Application Guides
      • Columbia 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Harvard 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • Kellogg 2020 MBA Strategy Guide
      • MIT Sloan 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

($) More on the finance-guy (or gal) candidate applying to business school

November 20, 2019 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Picking up on our thread about the warnings to the MBA-typical candidate like those coming especially from financial services or consulting.

There are two main issues that may implicitly be working against you.

One is that if you’re in financial services, you pursued that path because it was safe, because you could go along with the herd, because it involved little risk, and because you could make lots of money.

Nothing wrong with that, and we’re not trying to say that you didn’t also have to work seriously hard. Finance is totally challenging, both in terms of the skills you need to develop, and also the competitive environment.

But it’s a proven track through the woods. If that’s what you went for, then you just had to follow the instructions laid out for success and go do it.

Again, not trying to minimize the accomplishment that this is.

The thing is though that lots and lots of others have done exactly that thing, and it does not show us evidence of built-in creativity, risk-taking, or following your heart.

We rarely come across a BSer who is able to say with a straight face that they went into finance because they love it so much. (You may love the money, but…. yeah.)

So when we see a finance-typical resume, it just makes us say, “Okay, great. Now show us who you are.”

That’s one reason why the schools place all this emphasis on values and principles.

The second problem is that it’s expected that those on your track are going to go for an MBA at this stage of your life. So unless you can come across as motivated, enthusiastic, and actually interested in this specific education and what opportunities are available for you in school, then it’s likely your pitch will simply come across flat. The common term for this issue is that when the MBA is an expected next step for a particular industry, then applicants from that industry can seem like they just want to get their ticket punched. They may not seem to be intrinsically motivated. Sometimes they read as if they don’t really care.

You need to show that you have some skin in the game.

Add these elements to the mere fact of the data, that there are so many others with near-identical paths, who are saying near-identical things, who have the same core stats of GMAT and GPA, then yeah, there’s a lot working against you.

But!

Knowing this also means there’s a lot of opportunity!

Once you recognize these issues, then that means you’re empowered to do it differently. You can choose to dig deep and come up with personal reasons. You can choose to do in-depth research and fully understand the programs to which you apply.

You can work extra hard – and then extra harder – on those essays, to make sure they are depicting the YOU behind them as completely as humanly possible.

If you don’t do that, you run the risk of just being one of a herd.

That may be fine if you want to wander off out to pasture and be safe in numbers among your fellow cattle.

It’s not as fine if you want to be a star of a rodeo.

 

 

ok sorry we’ll stop with the painful mixed metaphors

And, if your resume is not optimized for the process of applying to bschool, and is instead optimized for the process of getting an analyst job, then it’s a double-whammy of difficulty.

Filed Under: school fit

« Previous: ($) Using those MBA employment reports (international applicant edition)
Next: ($) The simplest guide to MBA career goals. Courtesy of Berkeley Haas. »

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 Jan '22 Intake Rd 2
    in 1 month, 2 weeks, 1 day, 1 hour
  • (expected) HBS Class of 2024 app requirements released
    in 1 month, 4 weeks, 1 day, 2 hours
  • (expected) Columbia J-Term/ED app to open
    in 2 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, 2 hours
  • INSEAD Jan '22 Intake Rd 3
    in 3 months, 1 week, 3 days, 1 hour
   
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


Feb 11, 2021
by hopeful on MBA Interview Prep: Custom Practice Questions
Helpful

Just wanted to say thank you for these questions! A lot of them were really tailored to my profile, ... Read more

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






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: "What should I do with my summer?"
  • 2019: ($) Got a glitch with your grades? TAKE ACTION NOW!
  • 2018: Should you care who the dean is?
  • 2018: Does it matter who the dean is? 2018 edition
  • 2017: Prediction: Which schools will change their essay questions for Class of 2020?
  • 2016: Another little quiz
  • 2016: ($) When your safety school is actually a stretch school.
  • 2015: ($) Deciding on a school: Does location matter?
  • 2013: Success Story! "It's complicated..."
  • 2012: "School X, or School Y with $$$?" (Part who knows)
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