Blog Archive Multidimensional Brainstorming for Your MBA Application Essays

Blog Archive Multidimensional Brainstorming for Your MBA Application Essays We at mbaMission often tell candidates, “You cannot turn a bad idea into a good essay.” We insist on taking our clients through a lengthy brainstorming processâ€"starting with a thorough questionnaireâ€"to discover the stories that make them distinct. As you uncover your stories, consider each one from as many different angles as possible. Doing so will not only help ensure you understand the various “weapons in your arsenal” but also provide you with maximum flexibility, considering that MBA admissions committees ask questions that vary dramatically from school to school. For example, an experience coaching a baseball team at an underfunded high school may have multiple dimensions, such as the following: Creatively motivating an underachieving team and changing attitudes, despite losses Initiating and leading fund-raising efforts so that each player could afford proper equipment Mentoring a struggling player and seeing an improvement in his/her on-field performance Helping a player deal with a family issue off the field Recruiting other coaches and then working to improve a team’s on-field performance These are just a few of the stories that could be gleaned through brainstorming, proving that considering your experiences from various angles can help you discover multiple unique approaches to your essays. In addition, many MBA candidatesâ€"whether they work as bankers or  lawyers, in internal corporate finance or corporate strategyâ€"feel they must tell a “deal story” in their application essays. Although discussing a deal can be a good idea, what is vital is showing your distinct impact on the deal in questionâ€"you  are the central character, not the deal. A straightforward story about how you dutifully completed your work and steadily supported  others as a deal became a reality will not likely be very compelling. Further, the important thing is that the admissions committee experience  your  personality, not your spreadsheets. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure your story is truly about  you: What did you do that was beyond expectations for your role? Did you grow into additional responsibilities at a crucial time? Did any particular interactions take place in which you used your personality to change the dynamic, thereby ensuring the deal’s progress or success? Did you need to take a principled stand at any moment or speak out on behalf of a needful party? Did you help others overcome any corporate or international cultural barriers? These questions can get you started, but the point remains: do not simply offer  any  deal; instead, provide insight  into  your  deal. Share ThisTweet Essays Blog Archive Multidimensional Brainstorming for Your MBA Application Essays We at mbaMission always tell candidates, “You cannot turn a bad idea into a good essay.” We insist on taking our clients through a lengthy brainstorming processâ€"starting with a thorough questionnaireâ€"to discover the stories that make them distinct. As you uncover your stories, you should consider them from as many different angles as possible. Doing so will not only help ensure that you understand the various “weapons in your arsenal,” but will also provide you with maximum flexibility, considering that MBA admissions committees ask questions that vary dramatically from school to school. For example, an experience coaching a baseball team at an underfunded high school may have multiple dimensions, such as the following: Creatively motivating an underachieving team and changing attitudes, despite losses Initiating and leading fund-raising efforts so that each player could afford proper equipment Mentoring a struggling player and seeing an improvement in his or her on-field performance Helping a player deal with a family issue off the field Recruiting other coaches and then working to improve a team’s on-field performance These are just a few of the stories that could be gleaned through brainstorming, proving that considering your experiences from various angles is beneficial and will help you discover multiple unique approaches to your essays. In addition, many MBA candidatesâ€"whether they are working as bankers or  lawyers, in internal corporate finance or corporate strategyâ€"feel they must tell a “deal story” in their application essays. Although discussing a deal can be a good idea, showing your distinct impact on the deal is what is vitalâ€"you  are the central character, not the deal. A straightforward story about how you dutifully completed your work and steadily supported  others as a deal became a reality is not likely to be very compelling. Further, the important thing is that the admissions committee experience  your  personality, not your spreadsheets. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure that your story is truly about  you: What did you do that was beyond expectations for your role? Did you grow into additional responsibilities at a crucial time? Did any particular interactions take place in which you used your personality to change the dynamic, thereby ensuring the deal’s progress or success? Did you need to take a principled stand at any moment or speak out on behalf of a needful party? Did you help others overcome any corporate or international cultural barriers? These are just a few questions to get you started, but the point remains: do not simply offer  any  deal, but instead provide insight  into  your  deal. Share ThisTweet Essays Blog Archive Multidimensional Brainstorming for Your MBA Application Essays We at mbaMission often tell candidates, “You cannot turn a bad idea into a good essay.” We insist on taking our clients through a lengthy brainstorming processâ€"starting with a thorough questionnaireâ€"to discover the stories that make them distinct. As you uncover your stories, you should consider them from as many different angles as possible. Doing so will not only help ensure that you understand the various “weapons in your arsenal,” but will also provide you with maximum flexibility, considering that MBA admissions committees ask questions that vary dramatically from school to school. For example, an experience coaching a baseball team at an underfunded high school may have multiple dimensions, such as the following: Creatively motivating an underachieving team and changing attitudes, despite losses Initiating and leading fund-raising efforts so that each player could afford proper equipment Mentoring a struggling player and seeing an improvement in his or her on-field performance Helping a player deal with a family issue off the field Recruiting other coaches and then working to improve a team’s on-field performance These are just a few of the stories that could be gleaned through brainstorming, proving that considering your experiences from various angles is beneficial and will help you discover multiple unique approaches to your essays. In addition, many MBA candidatesâ€"whether they are working as bankers or  lawyers, in internal corporate finance or corporate strategyâ€"feel they must tell a “deal story” in their application essays. Although discussing a deal can be a good idea, showing your distinct impact on the deal is what is vitalâ€"you  are the central character, not the deal. A straightforward story about how you dutifully completed your work and steadily supported  others as a deal became a reality is not likely to be very compelling. Further, the important thing is that the admissions committee experience  your  personality, not your spreadsheets. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure that your story is truly about  you: What did you do that was beyond expectations for your role? Did you grow into additional responsibilities at a crucial time? Did any particular interactions take place in which you used your personality to change the dynamic, thereby ensuring the deal’s progress or success? Did you need to take a principled stand at any moment or speak out on behalf of a needful party? Did you help others overcome any corporate or international cultural barriers? These are just a few questions to get you started, but the point remains: do not simply offer  any  deal, but instead provide insight  into  your  deal. Share ThisTweet Essays Blog Archive Multidimensional Brainstorming for Your MBA Application Essays We at mbaMission often tell candidates, “You cannot turn a bad idea into a good essay.” We insist on taking our clients through a lengthy brainstorming processâ€"starting with a thorough questionnaireâ€"to discover the stories that make them distinct. As you uncover your stories, consider each one from as many different angles as possible. Doing so will not only help ensure you understand the various “weapons in your arsenal” but also provide you with maximum flexibility, considering that MBA admissions committees ask questions that vary dramatically from school to school. For example, an experience coaching a baseball team at an underfunded high school may have multiple dimensions, such as the following: Creatively motivating an underachieving team and changing attitudes, despite losses Initiating and leading fund-raising efforts so that each player could afford proper equipment Mentoring a struggling player and seeing an improvement in his/her on-field performance Helping a player deal with a family issue off the field Recruiting other coaches and then working to improve a team’s on-field performance These are just a few of the stories that could be gleaned through brainstorming, proving that considering your experiences from various angles can help you discover multiple unique approaches to your essays. In addition, many MBA candidatesâ€"whether they work as bankers or  lawyers, in internal corporate finance or corporate strategyâ€"feel they must tell a “deal story” in their application essays. Although discussing a deal can be a good idea, what is vital is showing your distinct impact on the deal in questionâ€"you  are the central character, not the deal. A straightforward story about how you dutifully completed your work and steadily supported  others as a deal became a reality will not likely be very compelling. Further, the important thing is that the admissions committee experience  your  personality, not your spreadsheets. Ask yourself the following questions to ensure your story is truly about  you: What did you do that was beyond expectations for your role? Did you grow into additional responsibilities at a crucial time? Did any particular interactions take place in which you used your personality to change the dynamic, thereby ensuring the deal’s progress or success? Did you need to take a principled stand at any moment or speak out on behalf of a needful party? Did you help others overcome any corporate or international cultural barriers? These questions can get you started, but the point remains: do not simply offer  any  deal; instead, provide insight  into  your  deal. Share ThisTweet Essays