MBA Admissions Strategy Guidebook: From Profile Building to Essay Writing »

A.V. Gordon, MBA, is the director of The MBA Admissions Studio (www.mbastudio.net) a specialist admissions coaching and essay editing practice for MBA and executive MBA applicants. He has been the resident expert on MBA admissions essays with The World MBA Tour. He writes and consults in various aspects of business coaching and communication strategy.

"I would definitely buy this book if I were applying again."—Rodney Bryant, Macquarie Bank, Australia, formerly of Morgan Stanley, New York

Learn all about MBA admissions techniques and skills from an expert!

MBA Admissions Strategy guides candidates through the four most important aspects of a successful, competitive business school application:

• Competitive Strategy
• Profile Development
• Essay Management and
• Writing Technique

This lively and accessible new book takes you step-by-step through the process of producing a successful MBA application, with primary emphasis on the essays.

The book outlines a system for candidates to identify the competitive value of their past and construct an application profile and compelling message from this. The book then deals with the typical essay questions that applicants face and shows candidates how to fit their profile message to each question: how to know what to write, which essay to write it in, and how to write it well. Along with specific templates and solutions for improving expression, the book shows readers how to avoid common essay pitfalls. An essential must-read for all those considering applying for a MBA.

Introduction

SECTION ONE: STRATEGY FOR THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS

1. Marketing to Adcom

Getting elected. Seeing the world through Adcom’s eyes. “People people.” The reward system for admission officers. Business schools compete too.

2. What Satisfies the Admissions Committee?

The key attributes. Summary: A CEO in waiting. It’s your future not your past that counts. The four attribute dimensions. A four-part interlocking profile. Class balance. Highlighting diversity contribution. A two-way fit. Understanding the school’s market positioning. Start with your needs.

3. Strategy Fundamentals

Researching and choosing schools. Dig behind the websites and glossy brochures.

Visiting the campus. How many schools? Gmat strategy. Managing references and referees. Priming referees. Referee fatigue. Interview strategy. Understanding behavioral questioning. International applicants. Foreigners for US schools. Americans for foreign programs.

4. What Goes On After You Hand In Your Application

The committee meeting. Application timing issues. A basic timeline. The role of the essays. Fine-tuning selection. Rewarding strengths outside the classroom. Communication skills. Meeting the essay requirements.

SECTION TWO: PROFILE-BUILDING TECHNIQUES

5. The Profiling Project

Profiling: Why do it? Creating an alternative basis for essay responses. Preparing for behavioral questioning . Brainstorming methodology. Shadowing the essay process. Finding and developing stories. Subjective realities and formative events.

6. Personal Profile Analysis

Personal features and attributes. Activities. Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and strengths. Difficulties, failures, and weaknesses. Leadership. Major influences: people. Major influences: culture and environment. Life-changing events and experiences. Diversity and contribution. Values and philosophy. Personal goals.

7. Professional Profile Analysis

Characteristics and qualities. Activities. Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and Strengths. Difficulties and failures. Weaknesses and inexperience. Leadership. Influences. Change and growth experiences. Difference and diversity. Values and philosophy. Professional goals.

8. Positioning, Messaging, and Mapping

Reducing complexity. Selecting and grouping. Extracting themes. Which themes to choose? Theme example. The application message. Applying marketing principles. Message techniques. Mapping your message to the essay questions. Towards the question archetypes.

SECTION THREE: ESSAY MANAGEMENT

9. The MBA Question Archetypes

Message Mapping. "Why an MBA?" Strengths, success, and achievement. Weaknesses and failure. Leadership. Contribution. Ethics and values. Teamwork. Key influences, mentors and role models. Direct personal inquiry. Creativity and innovation. Community service, self review, and the optional essay. Multiple archetypes in one essay.

10. Mapping Approaches

Balancing the essay set as a whole. Category approach. Theme approach. Plugging the holes. Mapping Essay Set One. Archetype analysis and mapping. Assessing gaps and openings. Revised mapping.

SECTION FOUR: WRITING TOOLS & METHODS

11. Principles of Better Writing

Relevance and importance. Passing the “so what” test. Perils of “the written word”. Deleting the bits that readers skip. Choosing and managing human-interest stories. Show, don’t tell. Specific, detailed and concrete prose. The 13 essay pitfalls to avoid.

12. Idea Discipline: Outline and Structure

Persuasive writing. Classic structures. Outlining. Signposting. Thesis statement.

13. Writing a First Draft

The introduction, body & conclusion. Summary: the “take-home” message

The first draft and essay revisions. Where do I start? The cooling period

Further drafts: revising and re-rewriting. Reusing material for other applications.

14: Improving expression: Word and Sentence Strategies

Techniques of writing clarity and simplicity. Brevity. Everyday language. Active voice. Keeping subject, verb, and object together. Using more and better verbs. Handling conjunctions and pronouns.

15: Conclusion

Appendix A. Essay Revision Checklist

A.V. Gordon, MBA, is the director of The MBA Admissions Studio (www.mbastudio.net) a specialist admissions coaching and essay editing practice for MBA and executive MBA applicants. He has been the resident expert on MBA admissions essays with The World MBA Tour. He writes and consults in various aspects of business coaching and communication strategy.