10 Most Common Business School Essay Writing Mistakes

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One of the most daunting prospects of getting into business school is the essay writing portion of the application. Instead of looking upon the essay section with dread, consider it an opportunity to show off your accomplishments, hopes, dreams, and even your failures. When writing your essay, keep the following tips in mind:

Don’t write without a thesis

Writing a paper without a thesis is like going on a trip without a destination; you don’t know where you want to go or how you are going to get there. Without a thesis, your paper has no focus and is essentially just a bunch of words on a page.

Don’t use big words

You don’t need to prove how smart you are by using obscure terms; it just makes you sound pompous and takes away from the meaning of your paper. So put the thesaurus away and use easy-to-understand terms.

Spellcheck

Some people are just horrible spellers, and most business schools understand this. What they do expect, however, is that you turn in a paper that doesn’t contain spelling errors. Remember to hit that spell check before you send in your essay.

Own your failures

Although it’s tempting, don’t make yourself sound perfect; the admissions officer will see right through this. Instead, discuss at time when you failed and what you learned from the experience. This shows an admissions officer that you are not only self-aware, but you also take the opportunity to learn from mistakes.

Own your successes

Business schools want students that take initiative and get things done. Talk about a few of your awards or honors, but don’t pat yourself on the back too much or you’ll sound like a narcissist.

Elaborate on why you chose their school

You want the admissions officer to think that you are choosing their school for a reason, so try to mention a few aspects of the school that appeal to you. Don’t go overboard with the compliments, but make sure that they know why you are applying with them. If you can, relate an aspect of the program or recent paper written by a faculty member that is aligned with your interests.

Make your essay stand out

The admissions officer is likely reading hundreds of essays, many of which use the same cliched terms and buzzwords; over time, this causes all the essays to “blend together.” Make yourself stand out from the crowd by avoiding overused phrases.

Don’t make jokes

Writing a funny story is difficult, and there is always the chance the reader won’t understand your sense of humor; besides, you should be taking your business school application seriously. Avoid sounding foolish by writing a serious essay. This isn’t a comedy club, it’s a business school.

Write a professional essay

Business writing is succinct and to the point. No CEO has the time to read a flowery essay about something that could have been summarized in two sentences. Your essay should reflect this; if you want to write long, flowing sentences, apply to a creative arts program, not a business school.

Don’t regurgitate information you read on the internet or in school brochures

The school already knows what it puts on its website, so don’t waste time telling them the things you read there. No matter how well you reword it, the admissions officer will pick up on the fact that you are just spewing promotional information out. Instead, write from the heart and tell the reader what you know about the school and why you want to go there.

This article is written by Tim Sandle, a freelance writer from Freelancehouse a Reliable and secure UK based academic paper delivery. Tim holds a master’s degree and is the author of “Guide to Cleanrooms” and several other essays.

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