Filed under: Essays — admin @ 9:57 am

HBS essays are out and it isn’t even Memorial Day yet. This is great for applicants, especially those applying round one–you have a full four months to really reflect and bask in any introspection necessary to create great essays. No excuses!

The two required essays, Accomplishments and Mistakes remain the same. They offer insight into your achievements, what you value, and your judgment. Last year, you had five questions from which you were to select two. This year, you have four questions and have the option to select two essays. Some of the questions have changed. The two new questions about professional frustration and how you would introduce yourself should make for some interesting self reflection.

HBS Essays:

• What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
• What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
• Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):
  1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?
  2. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?
  3. Tell us about a time in your professional experience when you were frustrated or disappointed.
  4. When you join the HBS Class of 2013, how will you introduce yourself to your new classmates?

Joint degree applicants:

• How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400-word limit

Filed under: Essays, Uncategorized — admin @ 9:06 am

Without a doubt, the essay remains a critical part of the application process. Applicants have to find creative ways of sharing their brand but schools are also becoming creative with the types of essay questions they are asking.

But they are not stopping there. Applicants now have the option to write a cover letter as one of the essays at Harvard Business School. Chicago has for the past few years required applicants to provide 4 slides to showcase who they are. UCLA’s Anderson program with its audio essay question has definitely raised the bar for applicants. What’s next? Applicants have to turn in a short video of themselves answering an admission question? That may not be too far away. In any case, what applicants need to focus on is knowing their brand and effectively communicating it to the admission board, regardless of the questions they face or the mode of presentation