essay types

Super Secret SnarkStrategy: How to write a multidimensional essay

August 5, 2022 by EssaySnark

The most sophisticated essays are ones where the reader reveals information about herself through the way she tells a story. Here’s an example: In a “mistake” essay, the Brave Supplicant is trying to explain to the reader how she screwed up on a project, and she inserts the line “One reason that I was rushed...

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Interested in moving from engineering to business?

August 2, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Or basically any independent contributor role, where you’re giving specific parts of the project to go off and execute, and someone else is responsible for the big-picture view, and for communicating with everyone across the team and department, up and down the chain of the organization? If so, we invite you to go read this […]

($) MBA app strategies: Making excuses for low GPA in college

August 1, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Err, actually, that title is inaccurate; making excuses is never a “strategy.” We need to talk about what works, and what doesn’t help at all, when dealing with a low-grades situation when you’re applying for a top MBA. Premium content starts here… ———– ———– Premium content ends. An optional essay about grades should […]

($) Essays about passion

July 15, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

What do you think might be the most important element of an essay that professes to talk about your “passion”? Hmmmm. EssaySnark sees misguided uses of this word “passion” so many times. It’s just, ugh. Premium content starts here… If you’re reading this in email, click through to get the full ‘Snark! ———– ———– […]

($) “Halp! What do I do with all these stories?” aka how to identify your theme – especially for HBS!

July 1, 2022 by EssaySnark - Discusses Harvard Leave a Comment

We worked with a Brave Supplicant recently who was having a tough time implementing some of the feedback we were offering on their Harvard essay. They were trying to write about their professional experiences but things weren’t coming together cohesively. In case you need a reminder, the prompt for Harvard Business School is: “As we […]

($) Already have a Master’s degree? Why do you also need an MBA now?

June 30, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Some schools don’t really focus on this issue but a few of them do – including Tuck in particular, who in the past wouldn’t even consider a candidate with a prior MBA or MBA-similar degree, like the PGP from India. They are (somewhat?) loosening those restrictions in the new admissions climate but even if you […]

($) What you’re optimizing for

June 15, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

Today’s post is to elaborate on a question we recently received from a Brave Supplicant who’s trying to figure out next steps in career, education, and life. This person wanted our input on whether a particular job change they were considering would make it easier for them to get into a top MBA program in […]

($) How do you write about diversity on your MBA application?

May 20, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

We began the discussion of diversity in MBA applications while back by talking about candidate profiles and individual elements of identity that might contribute to a school’s “diversity.” Some schools are emphasizing this more than others, including Berkeley Haas. Stanford has had questions asking for discussions of how “your background influenced your participation” which is […]

($) “My test score is not reflective of my abilities.”

May 17, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

To this statement, we say “Uh-oh.” We see nearly this exact statement in lots and lots of optional essays submitted with MBA applications. Brave Supplicants know that their test performance wasn’t in range of what the “best” candidates are presenting, based on the averages published at their target school, and they want to say something […]

($) When informing the adcom about a new GMAT score (waitlist, optional essay)

May 2, 2022 by EssaySnark Leave a Comment

If you’re just starting the process of applying to bschool for the first time, this post is not for you. Today we’re mostly talking to those who are either still on the waitlist, or who will be reapplicants, and who will be informing the adcom about an updated GMAT score either in a waitlist update […]