Blog: Archive for the “Essays” Category

In the past, we have discussed how challenging competing against a faceless mass of fellow applicants can be and how disadvantaged people can feel if they do not seize every opportunity to do so. Although we want you to make the most of every possible chance to set yourself apart, you also need to be … Read More  

The University of Southern California (USC) Marshall School of Business takes a somewhat traditional approach to its application essays. For the first required essay, applicants must detail their short-term and long-term career goals and explain Marshall’s role in achieving them—though without much elaboration, given the submission’s mere 400-word limit. The second required essay is also … Read More  

The one required application essay for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University gives candidates the opportunity to provide a little context, detail, and depth to complement the statistics and other basic data conveyed in the rest of the application. The essay is essentially a rather traditional career goals statement, allowing candidates … Read More  

Applicants to the HEC Paris’s MBA program have their work cut out for them as far as writing application essays goes. Candidates must submit a total of five essays (and may add a sixth, if they wish) that cover a wide range of topics. One submission is a fairly standard personal statement, but then applicants … Read More  

Many business school candidates take a straightforward, historical approach in their personal statement essays. Although this can be an easy way to organize an essay, it may deprive applicants of an opportunity to deliver a more focused and gripping introduction. Nothing is fundamentally wrong with taking a historical approach, of course, but an anecdotal approach … Read More