Making a good application essay

An application essay also referred to as the statement of purpose is an important admission requirement for most international programmes. The statement of purpose is sometimes also expected as part of a job application. Here in India most domestic management institutes do not ask for an SOP or an application essay with the exception of the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad and Mohali. How important is this application essay? It is extremely critical if you hope to get into a good management programme.  There have been instances where a candidate with excellent academic records did not make it into a coveted management programme because of poorly written essays. Most colleges ask for more than one personal essay. These essay topics or questions are usually announced on the college website in the admissions section.  At ISB, applicants have to submit three essays which are part of the application form.

What purpose does it serve?
According to the various admissions departments across b schools the purpose of the essays is to understand the candidate as an individual. To learn about the other characteristics that is part of the personality and to understand the applicant’s interest areas and motivation levels. Most essay topics or questions revolve around areas such as ambition, interest areas, initiative, personal goals, the MBA decision and examples of leadership through experiences at work etc.

Most institutes discourage applicants to project a false self through their essays. Do not package yourself to please the institute, such attempts may not be accepted and your application can be rejected. Give the essay credibility by illustrating an experience to support it. But keep in mind that what you write should be to the point and clear in its focus. Avoid beating around the bush. It is always good to work with several drafts so that final work is polished without errors.

Most institutes suggest the required length of the essay and also the style and formatting that is accepted; make sure all the instructions are duly understood prior to the submission.  Here are a few examples of questions or topics that have been asked by some of the top international b schools for the new admission cycle.

Candidates intending on applying for the 2014 MBA batch at Harvard Business School are expected to hand in four essays on the following questions; “Tell us about three of your accomplishments (600 words), Tell us three setbacks you have faced (600 words) ,Why do you want an MBA? (400 words), Answer a question you wish we'd asked. (400 words)”. At Stanford Graduate School of Business applicants have to attempt four essays of which two topics are to be chosen from four other questions. The two compulsory questions include; “What matters most to you, and why? And what do you want to do—really---and why Stanford?” Two topics can be chosen from the following four; a. Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations, b. Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization, c. Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative, d. Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined or established. All the application essays in this case must not exceed 1800 words and other formatting specifications are also mentioned with the instructions.

Columbia Business School also expects its applicant to write four essays. Three of the total topics for the essay do not come with options to choose from.  The questions relate to your post-MBA and long term professional goals and so why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Apart from that why is Columbia Business School a good fit for you?  The third essay topic is more personal in nature, “Describe a life experience that has shaped you.” They do not expect you to state a professional experience in this case.

In all these instances you need to have accomplished a lot of prior research about the school, the programmes, how well they complement your professional and personal goals etc. Application essays cannot be written in a short span, they need a lot of time, attention and contemplation.  It is also wise to have a second or third opinion from people who can give unbiased feedback on the essays.