Your MBA essay should strike a balance between professional and personal information.
One of the most important steps you will take on your quest for an MBA is writing a strong admissions essay. When the committee at your desired school reads your essay, they want to know information beyond that which they can find on your college transcripts and resume. While you want to be honest and share a bit about your personal goals and achievements in your MBA essay, a good essay will still be well-crafted and use formal language and tone.
Instructions
1. Research the specific MBA essay requirements of your school. Some schools have a specific question that must be answered in your essay, and if you fail to address that question your essay will not be successful no matter how well-written it is.
2. Brainstorm a list of ideas, goals and accomplishments that you feel might be relevant for your essay and that you can use later when you begin to write the first draft. Because most good MBA essays focus on the future, this list should concentrate on your goals. If you do include past achievements or skills, make sure that they are relevant to how you will accomplish those goals.
3. Write down your answers to the following two questions: Why do you want an MBA? Why do you want to earn your MBA at this particular school? As you draft your essay, you will need to work in the answers to these questions.
4. Write your outline. Begin with a statement that summarizes your introduction, each paragraph of the body, and your conclusion. Your MBA essay can, but does not have to, flow in a chronological order. If you are unsure as to what order you wish to present your information in, write one idea for each paragraph on a separate index card. Line the cards up horizontally on a table, jotting down notes on any as you think of ideas or points that you want to make. Rearrange the cards until you find an order that you feel flows well, then write your outline based on that order.
5. Write your first draft. Develop each statement from your outline and support those statements with facts about your education and experience thus far, as well as emotion and personal anecdotes. If you are struggling for ideas, refer to your research and lists from Steps 1 and 2. Keep the essay focused on the specific program for which you are applying, and make sure that every point you make is backed by your reasons for wanting an MBA from this school.
6. Revise your draft for grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. Read your essay aloud as if you were reading a speech, and if possible, record yourself. Listen critically to see if your ideas flow well from one to the next, and revise as necessary.
