Accepted! 50 Successful Business School Admission Essays

by Gen Tanabe, Kelly Tanabe

Overview

Prospective MBA students will find everything they need to prepare successful admission essays in this book. Containing 50 real essays students have written to gain admission to top business schools, this guide details the strengths of each essay, the inspiration of the student who wrote it, and what makes it a winner. The essays represent a diverse group of students and include those with traditional consulting and business backgrounds, as well as those with nontraditional backgrounds in areas such as public service, the military, and culinary arts. Crucial insights are included from business school admission officers who reveal what they are looking for in applicants, and successful applicants describe what worked for them and the mistakes they made that future applicants should avoid. Also included are strategies for the entire admission process, such as how to research the type of students that each school is seeking, ace the interview, and get powerful recommendations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781617600760
Publisher:	SuperCollege LLC
Publication date:	07/14/2015
Edition description:	Fourth Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Gen and Kelly Tanabe are the authors of 14 books including The Ultimate Guide to America's Best Colleges, The Ultimate Scholarship Book, and How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay. They tour the country as speakers on college planning and live in Northern California.

Read an Excerpt

Your first business school marketing test will not take place in a classroom. It will be wherever you are when you sit down to do your business school applications. Getting into business school takes a lot more than good grades and GMAT scores. While you have many strengths, so do the eight other applicants who are vying for that single spot on the admit list. How will you make your application rise to the top? How will you convince the admission officers that you are the best candidate for admission?

In most cases you’ll do it through your admission essays.

Business school admission essays make a big difference in whether or not you get accepted. Yet, you can be the greatest writer in the world or have years of impressive work experience and still fail to capture the attention of the admission officers in your essays.

Writing a successful business school admission essay is not about being a good writer. Nor is it about cataloging all of your work experience in 500 words. The reality is that writing a successful admission essay is a unique blend of art and science. There are some traits that every successful essay shares. You’ll learn what these are by reading the sample essays in this book as well as the interviews with business school admission officers. But each essay is also a unique reflection of the writer. We’ll show you how to find an original essay topic that captures and highlights your unique strengths and personality. We’ll also share with you the 25 most common essay writing mistakes that you must avoid.

Why are admission essays so important to getting into business school? At their most basic level, admission officers use your essays to understand who you are, why you feel that business school is your next logical step and how you will add value to their campus. While admission officers can surmise whether you can handle the academic rigors of business school by evaluating your grades and GMAT scores and they can get a sense of what other people think about you through recommendations, the essays provide the only way they can judge how your background, talents, experience and personal strengths come together to make you the best candidate for their school.

For you, the admission essays offer the best opportunity to market yourself to the business school. You start with a blank sheet of paper and through careful selection, analysis and writing, you create a picture of yourself to impress the admission officers and make them want you for their school.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 The Admission Essay: Your First Marketing Test 9

Marketing yourself in your essay 11

How this book helps you write successful essays 12

Essays do make a difference 14

Chapter 2 Executive Summary: The Application 17

Getting into business school 19

Application overview 19

How many schools do I apply to? 21

What happens inside the admission office 21

Why you should apply early 22

Be a smart shopper 24

Chapter 3 Admission Officer Roundtable: The Admission Process 25

Inside the admission process 27

What qualities do you look for when selecting students? 27

What common mistakes do students make with recommendations? 32

What are students surprised to learn about the admission process? 33

Interview mistakes 34

What advice do you have for students applying to business school? 36

Will gimmicks give you an edge? 37

Chapter 4 The Essay Writing Workshop 39

Finding the perfect topic 41

Brainstorming a topic begins with you 42

Keep asking why 44

Eliminating bad topics 45

Like a fine wine, let your applications age over time 45

Share your ideas with a friend 47

Aim to be unique 47

For good or bad news, use the optional essay 48

Use the thumb test 49

Take the passion test 50

Time to write 50

Chapter 5 Admission Officer Roundtable: The Essay 51

What makes an essay successful 53

How important is the essay in the business school admission process? 53

What are the qualities of a good business school admission essay? 55

What common mistakes do students often make on the essay? 58

What are students surprised to learn about what you are looking for? 60

What advice do you have for students writing their essays? 62

What are some of the essay topics that just don't work? 64

Chapter 6 The 25 Most Common Essay Writing Mistakes 65

Chapter 7 Essays: Why Do you Want an MBA? 75

Chapter 8 Essays: Why Attend Our School? 94

Chapter 9 Essays: What Do You Offer? 109

Chapter 10 Essays: Leadership 121

Chapter 11 Essays: Achievements 133

Chapter 12 Essays: Overcoming Obstacles 151

Chapter 13 Essays: Teamwork 161

Chapter 14 Essays: A Day-In-Your-Life 169

Chapter 15 Essays: Cross-Cultural Experiences 175

Chapter 16 Essays: Extracurricular Activities 183

Chapter 17 Essays: Most Valuable Possession 189

Chapter 18 Essays: Defining People and Moments 193

Chapter 19 Essays: Passions 201

Chapter 20 Essays: The Optional Essay 205

Chapter 21 Finishing Touches 213

Finding three types of editors 215

Recycling 216

Parting words 216

Business school is more than an education 217

Contributors and Organizations 218

About the Authors 224

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

About Authors Gen and Kelly Tanabe

“As admission officers look for more subtle ways to make fine distinctions among so many qualified applicants, the personal statement, or college essay assumes growing importance. This book can help students gain the necessary edge that will make their applications stand out. Gen and Kelly Tanabe are nationally recognized experts in every facet of the college application process. They have written several books on the topic and blend humor, organization and specific real life examples with a highly readable style to assure your success.”
—David Miller, Director of College Counseling, Stevenson School

“I would like to extend my greatest appreciation to your “Accepted” publication. I recently applied to Cornell University. I read your book from cover to back, wrote an essay about “Snorkeling in Okinawa” (which most people criticized), and got ACCEPTED to Cornell. Thank you very much for your help, and I’ll be sure to refer this book to anyone applying to college.”
—Jason Clemmey

“If you’re struggling with your essays, the Tanabes offer some encouragement.”
—College Bound Magazine

Editorial Reviews

About Authors Gen and Kelly Tanabe

“As admission officers look for more subtle ways to make fine distinctions among so many qualified applicants, the personal statement, or college essay assumes growing importance. This book can help students gain the necessary edge that will make their applications stand out. Gen and Kelly Tanabe are nationally recognized experts in every facet of the college application process. They have written several books on the topic and blend humor, organization and specific real life examples with a highly readable style to assure your success.”
—David Miller, Director of College Counseling, Stevenson School

“I would like to extend my greatest appreciation to your “Accepted” publication. I recently applied to Cornell University. I read your book from cover to back, wrote an essay about “Snorkeling in Okinawa” (which most people criticized), and got ACCEPTED to Cornell. Thank you very much for your help, and I’ll be sure to refer this book to anyone applying to college.”
—Jason Clemmey

“If you’re struggling with your essays, the Tanabes offer some encouragement.”
—College Bound Magazine

From the Publisher