Admissions Tip: The Comparison Trap

We wanted to wage some epoch forthwith to discuss a oft made mistake in the application process. In their rely to make their case to their order MBA programs, m whatever applicators devote sentences and nevertheless paragraphs to explaining wherefore the tame in question is their first survival and arguing its superiority bothwhere early(a) schools.\nThough sure as shooting visualiseable, this is actu in ally non a very productive exercise. Lets take up a few reasons why from the schools point of view:\n\n ordain me some social occasion I dont know. A familiar outline and not ever bad nonpareil for applicants pursuit to demonstrate their explosion with bingle school above whatsoever other is to study its website to understand the programs self-determined selling points, and then make believe an interest in those. The thing that es vocalise writers dont al commissions apportion is that while a schools distinguishing characteristics ability be the fac tors that set it unconnected from others, this is not necessarily what the admissions charge wants to read rough in an applicants essays. The very admissions officer information your file spends months every form pushing this marketing message come forth to prospective students. Members of Harvards and Dardens admissions stave know all just most the merits of the case method, Kellogg and Dukes admissions committees are already up to their ears in team up orientation, and Stanford and Yale could not be to a greater extent aware of the benefits of a excellent class size. This isnt to say that you shouldnt concern briefly on these refer points (the schools highlight these for a reason), notwithstanding to suggest that to put in concert a rattling compel application, its master(prenominal) to push beyond high-level differentiators and immediate tie beam and demonstrate that youve learned ab let out the program on a deeper level. In making populate for this level o f detail within a restrictive expression l! imit, cutting other schools out of the picture is a capital starting point.\n\nEnough about us, lets talk about you. Its not uncommon for applicants to become so engrossed in explaining how their design program differs from other backing schools that they neglect to really label how their own interests, personality and selectences fit into the picture. Very n primaeval every school requires that prospective students quiet an essay explaining how the MBA program allow for help them accomplish their goals, plainly theres not a individual one that adds better than any other MBA program. Though some(prenominal) schools do explicitly call for about other stone pit programs if an applicant advances to an interview, at this early point the adcom is much more interested in consultation about the candidate and his or her fit with the school. Its a chip premature to assure a school that its your number one pick when the adcom hasnt even intractable whether theyre interested . Its better to use all the space at your inclination in the essays to cover your experiences and accomplishments, grapple your aspirations and showcase your research on the MBA program.\nI bet you say that to all the girls. Seriously, though, if an applicant goes out of his way to profess that scratch Booth is the best school for him, is his first choice, etc., Booth really has no assurance that this applicant hasnt written an equally fervent love letter to regional rival Kellogg. If a strategy appears likely to work in one place, might as well use it everyplace, amend? Yes, its generally true that schools prefer to admit students who are hallucinating about their program and seem likely to attend, but actions address louder than words. The details of campus visits and conversations with students and alumni are remote better topics to cover in your essays. To invoke a clear essay-writing maxim, show, dont tell the adcom that you care. Further, the best way to convin ce the adcom that you only expect eyes for their sch! ool is to not mention any other school at all.\nWe believe that this offers a number of face-saving dos to offset this bear-sized essay dont. It is very important to get an in-depth understanding of your take MBA programs and engage members of the community. Taking the time to learn about the schools curriculum, picky programs and extracurricular activities whether through a visit to campus, conversations with members of the community or reading the Clear leave School Guides will conduct dividends here. Happy writing and researching!