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December 10, 2011

Authenticity, the Real You, and the MBA Application

Filed under: Application ideas,Berkeley Haas,Essays,Harvard Business School,Stanford GSB — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:32 pm

self-exploration or self-excavation?

Here's how to get into your top-choice business school: be yourself. If you are struggling with MBA essays, the last thing you want to hear are those two words, but that's the secret. I know it seems like a cliché, but admissions officers say over and over that they want to get to know YOU in the essays. Allison Davis, Associate Director of Admissions at Stanford Graduate School of Business wrote those very words in a blog post, even calling them “corny, but true.”

Get Real
The only way for you to do that is to show your authentic self. Not the person you think the committee wants to read about. I guarantee this one fact: YOU are more interesting than that mythical person. They want to read about your successes and foibles. I recall an admissions officer from Berkeley’s Haas School of Business remark that he loved reading the stories where people learn from mistakes or failure. Those stories show a lot about a person’s true character. Remember, every business school class is made up of human beings, and the more you show who you really are, the more you will stand out from the crowd of generic applicants. No kidding.

Dawna Clarke, Director of Admissions at Tuck, blogs about the importance of showing the “real you.”  She reminds applicants that the admissions process is designed to facilitate self-reflection and should help you to genuinely understand yourself—something you take with you regardless of where you get in.  Clarke writes:

Perhaps the most important thing to keep in mind is to be yourself. It goes without saying that the best thing you can do is walk away from your business school application experience knowing you put your best in front of the admissions committee for consideration. Regardless of the decision outcome, you'll have no regrets and, hopefully, you have learned a little about yourself along the way.

When your authentic voice comes through, it makes your application credible and demonstrates confidence.  Says the Stanford Graduate School of Business admissions website (look under the heading “Personal Qualities and Contributions”):

In a world that often rewards conformity, the Stanford community thrives only when you share your individual experiences and perspectives.  As a result, the strongest applications we see are those in which your thoughts and voice remain intact.

To understand how you will contribute to and benefit from the Business School community, we want to know about you: your experiences, beliefs, your passions, your dreams, your goals…most Stanford MBA students have excelled by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. It is what you make of an experience that matters to us, not simply the experience itself.

You may be thinking, oh, I am just another cookie-cutter engineer/investment analyst/consultant/IT specialist.  But you aren’t. You are you, the real you. The more authentic “you” that shows in your application, the better your chances. Promise.

November 14, 2011

Finding the Right Fit in a Business School

Filed under: Application ideas,Berkeley Haas,Chicago Booth,Essays,Inspiration — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 5:25 pm

Lots of angles (and curves) to measure

There's a lot of talk about finding the "right fit" when it comes to selecting a business school.  But as is the case with many words du jour, "fit" is often thrown around without much explanation of what it means.  What exactly is a "right fit," and how is this relevant to applying to b-school?

Self-knowledge is the secret

Fit is so popular that I've written about it myself , but more importantly so have some of the top business schools. Some schools are more specific than others, but the general message is more or less the same: Know yourself.  Understand the cultures of the schools to which you are applying.  Be able to explain exactly how you would strengthen these cultures.

Before you can even think about what schools fit you best, you have to really look at yourself.  You need to know yourself very, very well.  Your level of self-reflection will absolutely show through in your application, and helps admissions officers understand you and how you could fit into the life of their school.  Soojin Kwon Koh, Director of Admissions at Michigan’s Ross School of Business, writes in her blog, "Our ability to evaluate your fit with Ross depends on how well you know and tell us about yourself.”  So know thyself!

Common culture with the school

Rose Martinelli, then Associate Dean of Admissions at Chicago Booth, stressed the importance of fit in an admissions chat, “… it all boils down to fit. The ability of the applicant to communicate path and plan, and why Chicago is a good match for them professionally and personally.”  It’s not just about who you are at work.  It’s also about who you are as a son or daughter, friend, and community member.

Berkeley-Haas, in the “Essays” section of its admissions page, goes so far as to say that it seeks applicants “who demonstrate a strong cultural fit with our program and defining principles.”  This does not mean that everyone at Berkeley shares the same opinions and experiences—quite the opposite.  It does mean, however, that students at Haas share a common culture, as outlined in the school’s Defining Principles; students question the status quo, have confidence without attitude, are lifelong learners, and think beyond themselves.

While Stanford’s Graduate School of Business doesn’t explicitly mention “fit” or “match” on its website, it does outline its “Core Values”: intellectual engagement, respect, integrity, striving for “something great,” and owning your actions.  To be a good fit for Stanford, you need to be able to demonstrate your alignment with these values.

Cornell’s Johnson Graduate School of Management touches on fit in its third essay question, “What legacy would you hope to leave as a Johnson graduate?”  The question explains that “the adcom wants you to really evaluate what ‘fit’ means to you for Johnson.  ‘Fit’ is different for everyone, so we want to see how authentic and purposeful you are about applying.”

-- Researched and written with help from the great Alice Woodman-Russell

November 9, 2011

Wrestling with MBA Application Essays

Filed under: Essays — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — admin @ 7:23 pm

You are thinner, of course

If you know anyone who is applying to business school for the class of 2014, you may have heard them muttering to themselves, “What does matter most to me and why?” (Stanford GSB) or  “Have I ever learned anything from a setback?”  (Harvard Business School) They may be victims of an energy-draining syndrome that shows itself every year about this time called MBA essay nightmare.  It’s a regular sinkhole of drafting, pondering, redrafting, questioning, redrafting, wondering if it is getting better or worse, redrafting, and whining.

The essays matter.  Of course the GMAT does too, and, but the real differentiator is the answer to the question behind all those questions, “Why should we admit you to our business school?”

Your answer is going to be as unique as your own DNA. But getting there is quite the chore. You could watch this MBA Podcaster video on YouTube regarding essays (in which I feature with admissions reps from Wharton and Columbia Business School), or you could read on.

I’m going to tell you a secret.  Writing isn’t easy for anyone.  Oh, every so often, someone will tell you that they whipped up their essays the night before the deadline and were accepted everywhere they applied.   Fine.  That person is in the minority.

If you are finding that you are writing and rewriting, and rewriting again, and then stumbling, and rewriting, you are not alone.  Ernest Hemingway was said to have rewritten the ending of “For Whom the Bell Tolls” 39 times. That’s just the ending.  That means he already struggled with getting words down on paper for the first time.  Remember the movie “Adaptation,” where the character played by Nicholas Cage nearly drives himself crazy from writers block?   That should remind you that lots of people have faced down a blank page.

To write those essays, you have to start somewhere, and believe me, your first try doesn’t have to be perfect.  In fact, it can be terrible. Annie Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, a wonderful book on the writing process, life, and everything else, says it is ok to write whatever comes into your mind. “For me and most of the other writers I know, writing is not rapturous," she says. "In fact, the only way I can get anything written at all is to write really, really shitty first drafts.”

Death by Rewriting

Or what if you are looking at an essay that you’ve rewritten two or three times, and it still isn’t going anywhere?  It feels like it is getting worse word by word. Don’t be afraid to stop writing.  Read it first thing in the morning if you are an early person, or right before you go to bed if you are a late person. Or both. Keep your computer or a pen and a printout of the draft by your bed.  Print it out, walk around with it.

If you hate it, talk the essay over with a friend, confidant, or advisor.  Tell them the story without worrying about the words on the paper.  Does it makes sense? Are you excited by it? If not, go back and forth with this other person: have them tell you when they feel your energy.  If they don’t feel your energy at all when you tell them your story, believe me, the admissions officer won’t feel it either.  You may have to start all over.

These are just some quick ideas to remind you that it is perfectly OK for you to feel stuck. This is really, really normal.  Just don’t be afraid to rewrite, revise, and reconsider your own assumptions.  You probably don’t have to go around 39 times, but give yourself permission to work it until it's right.

August 22, 2011

A Reminder: Answer the Question

Filed under: Application ideas,Essays,Harvard Business School,Northwestern Kellogg — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 2:09 pm

With Round 1 deadlines a little over a month away, countless business school aspirants are staring at essay prompts taped to bathroom mirrors and refrigerator doors.  And I have three words of advice: Answer the question.  Advice so simple it barely seems worth mentioning.

At a recent school panel, a Yale School of Management admissions officer underscored just how much she and her colleagues pay attention to those answers. That’s because business schools craft their essay questions deliberately. They really do care. To put it in modern business jargon, a rep from UVA’s Darden School of Business encouraged audience members to “take ownership” of each school’s questions.  She’s right. Let them be a chance for earnest self-reflection; let them guide you through a process that not only gets you into business school, and leaves you with a deeper self-understanding regardless of the end result.

A lofty goal, and it’s a little too easy to get cynical, so try not to.  I’ve written about this subject before, but it never gets old.  That’s because the questions are deceptively simple and designed to get you to answer the question behind the question.  You are given a prompt, for example, “Why do you want an MBA” (Harvard Business School, among dozens of others) . That’s pretty straightforward, so answer it.  You want to be as unambiguous as you can. I want to be an entrepreneur, or I want to change the way health care is delivered around the world, or I want to use private equity to support clean tech investments. There are as many answers are there are people applying, because your answer will be unique to you. But you have to do one thing: answer clearly, and preferably, answer up front. And don’t forget to answer the questions behind the question: why you?  Or, more precisely, what is it about you that puts the very special you at your computer writing an application to business school right here, right now.

Here’s another one that’s fun: “Why would you and your peers select you for admission, and what impact would you make as a member of the Kellogg community?” You can still be humble and compelling in your answer. Say, for example, you want to offer as one of your reasons that you will add to the classroom debate. Support the statement, just as you would in a business problem or a pitch for angel investor money. You might add to the debate because you were raised speaking three languages, or because you were one of 12 children, or because you are passionate about number theory. Whatever you decide to write about is up to you. But you have to frame your response so it answers the question, and support that response.

Finally, just a little admonishment from another one of the panelists at the outreach program last week. Resist the urge to force answers to one school’s essay questions into answers to another school’s questions.  The message to your evaluators is that you don’t care enough about the school or are too lazy to take the time to write a genuine, unique response.  I absolutely positively know for sure that you are not lazy, so be forewarned.

That’s all. Just remember that the writers of those questions write them that way because they wanted them answered. And remember, it’s no different from a business assignment. You’d answer your boss’ question, wouldn’t you?

August 4, 2011

Authenticity and Admissions Consultants in the MBA World

Filed under: Essays,Ethics — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 12:10 pm

As a board member of AIGAC, the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants, I feel especially motivated to uphold and spread the word of our mission, which is to promote high ethical standards and professional development amongst graduate admissions consultants, increase public understanding of graduate admissions consulting, and enhance channels of communication with complementary organizations and entities.

Ethics and open communication is a big deal. Not just in business school applications, but in business and life. The Director of Admissions at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business recently addressed the issue of the admissions consulting business in her recent blog. It's an articulate and cogent argument for "buyer beware" when looking to use a consultant. I've posted it below in its entirety, because I think more people should read what she has to say.

As a member of the admissions consulting profession, I do not believe everyone would benefit from working with one of us. And we are not all equal. I think it's a decision one should make, like choosing whether to go to business school at all, with care.

Authenticity and Admissions Consultants

Dir. of Admissions at Ross School of Business Soojin Kwon Koh

Business schools are well aware that many applicants pay hired guns to assist them with the application process. Candidates may think that admissions directors categorically view admissions consultants as a negative element in the admissions process. Not true. If consultants have relationships with schools, they can help disseminate information about each school’s programs and their application processes. For that reason, I, along with admissions directors at other top schools, participated in a conference organized by the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC), as mentioned in Poets and Quants last year. The conference provided admissions directors and admissions consultants an opportunity to exchange insights about the MBA market and our schools.

My occasional concern is that applicants will feel like they need to pay admissions consultants to get the “inside scoop” on what Admissions Committees are looking for. The best source of that information is the schools themselves – through our blogs, newsletters, info sessions and application workshops. As Ross applicants from previous years know, I try to make our process transparent to minimize the mystery and stress. Often, the advice may sound broad and general, but that’s because there is truly no “formula” for admission. There is a wide range of candidate profiles, stories and stats that have been successful in the admissions process, so to prescribe a certain approach or a certain profile to portray would be misguided. And if anyone tries to convince you that they know what it takes to be admitted to a school, they must have a crystal ball that admissions directors don’t have. Even I can’t perfectly predict where I will land on an applicant.

Some admissions consultants can be helpful in guiding candidates through their application journey. I met with a few while I was in Brazil a couple weeks ago – to learn about how they assist their clients, to hear their perspectives on the MBA applicant market in Brazil, and to exchange insights on candidates that would be a good fit at Ross. I was pleased to learn that they approach the relationship with applicants as that of a coach. They clearly knew each of their candidates well and were very selective about whom they were willing to advise. They remembered not only their names, but also their life stories, priorities and circumstances.

If you choose to go the consultant route, here are some things to be mindful of:

1. Consultants who claim to have “inside” knowledge of the MBA process or to have reengineered a school’s admissions process are almost certainly overstating the case. Putting aside the question of the accuracy of such claims, schools regularly re-evaluate and revise their admissions and evaluation processes. So someone who worked at a school in the past is unlikely to have current insight into a school’s processes.
2. Run away from consultants who offer to write or heavily edit your essays for you. If there’s any hint of an application not being your own work, your chances of admission are doomed.
3. Similarly, steer clear of consultants who provide you with a template for essays that have been successful in the past. If they’re offering it to you, they’re offering it to other applicants. An off-the-shelf approach to essays is a sure way to distinguish yourself – in a negative way.
4. Beware of admissions consultants who inflate or falsify their credentials (e.g., their title, length of employment, responsibilities or all of the above). If they’re willing to bend the truth about themselves, they may lead you down a similar, less-than-truthful path. Like many schools, we verify admitted students’ credentials to ensure that our students have done what they say they’ve done. If a consultant’s credentials are part of the appeal of a particular consultant, you would be well-served to do some due diligence before hiring him/her.

All that said, the majority of applicants don’t use consultants. And you don’t need to use a consultant to be successful in the admissions process. I give more credit to an applicant who submits a self-produced account of their experiences, goals and perspectives than an applicant who submits a perfectly packaged version that reflects someone else’s thoughts, capabilities and work. Can we always tell the difference? No. But if a person’s true capabilities don’t undo them during the admissions process, it will certainly catch up with them during business school or beyond.


April 7, 2011

Advice from a Recently-Admitted Wharton MBA

Filed under: Application ideas,Essays,Inspiration,Interviews,Wharton — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 6:56 pm

A student I worked with, let's call her Jennifer, was recently admitted to Wharton (really) and waitlisted at her first-choice school, let's call it Kellogg. While waiting, she agreed to offer advice from the trenches, of one who succeeded in the process. She discusses four issues: staying committed to the goal, receiving feedback, waiting (lists), and financial matters. This is very useful stuff!

STAYING COMMITTED
I am so glad that I reapplied. I was rejected from the four top business school programs I applied to three years ago (all without an interview). While it stung to get so little traction in the business school process, I did not take it as a sign that I wasn't "meant" for business school. Instead I tried to understand the weaknesses in my application and knew that I would try again and do it better. I have learned so much in the application process and am very happy I have even more experience that I can bring to business school when I attend.

RECEIVING FEEDBACK
Get feedback! Make sure the people you are asking have something valuable to add to the process and take the time to listen -- better to find two people who will give you great feedback than send your materials to 10 people and listen to no one.

Also, be strategic in your decisions about who you want to use for help in the application process, and seek out those people early on. Make sure you really WANT someone's feedback before asking for it; I have been on both sides of the equation. Recently, a friend asked for feedback on his essays. I spent a lot of time on his essays and when I returned them it seemed that he hardly looked at my suggestions. He was giving me the essays because he thought that was what you were supposed to do, but had little interest in following up on the suggestions or incorporating feedback.

WAITING FOR DECISIONS AND THE WAITLIST
In terms of my advice for people who have been waitlisted or general feedback for students after they have applied: the most valuable thing I've done in my application process is turn every moment I have been frustrated into an opportunity to do something. When I found myself going crazy waiting for one program to get back to me while another waited on my decision, I brainstormed a list of all the things I had accomplished since I applied and wrote a letter to the school where I was waitlisted explaining those accomplishments. I created a campaign fueled by waiting and (sometimes) panic and created something productive. I am so glad I did this, because the time you spend sitting anxiously waiting and checking MBA chat forums is, in the end, not useful (though I did that too).

FINANCIAL ISSUES
Given the calculus course I am taking and other requirements, I have completely neglected to begin financial planning and thinking about the costs and consequences of my decision. I wish I had done this in a systematic way earlier, not only so that I would be better prepared and informed about my choices and responsibilities, but also because finances are an important part of my final decision (for instance, I am trying to make a decision about two programs that cost vastly different amounts of money). Now I am finding myself overwhelmed at the process of tackling everything right now. If I had to do it again, I would start planning and filling out financial aid information earlier and getting the advice of students, faculty, family and others about their tips on going through the process.

December 20, 2010

Advice from Warren Buffett on, yes, MBA essays

Filed under: Application ideas,Essays,Inspiration — Tags: , , , , , , , — admin @ 4:39 pm

Imagine this: an admissions interviewer has read hundreds of essays, maybe thousands, by eager students trying to gain admission to their school. Many of those essays are written by those who are fully qualified, but just put down a laundry list of their accomplishments, like a resume in prose.  And they will be dinged.

Admissions committee members spend a long time writing questions that they believe will bring out the best in a candidate.  They leave those questions deliberately open ended so that the student can write about whatever he or she wants, but there are some rules of engagement.  The first is to answer the question; something I’ve blogged about in the past.  Always worth remembering.

The second is to write in plain English, that is, English free of jargon. Most people think that those who speak English as a second language have a hard time writing essays. It’s true that those who haven’t grown up writing English may have to take more time and get a native speaker to proof their essays. But the most cringe-worthy essays are those written by students who have spoken only English all their lives, but write in stilted prose or gobbledygook.  Writers fall into passive so that nobody knows who is writing the essay, they let nouns become verbs (e.g., incentivize), or they use their limited word budget to educate the committee about some arcane subject. The reader is either bored silly or has no idea of the point of the essay!

Consider Your Audience

Plain English is simple, straightforward writing. You’d think it was only championed by high school English teachers everywhere, but one of Plain English’s greatest fans is one of the most influential investors in the world: Warren Buffett. Claiming that “stilted jargon and complex construction” often hinder good communication, Buffett may channeling the admissions officer when he writes, “I’ve been unable to decipher just what is being said or, worse yet, had to conclude that nothing was being said.”

Buffett is no comedian. His advice is sound.  His wisdom in writing his famed investment reports holds true for those writing an admissions essay: consider the audience.  Think of the person who is reading your words.  Not a blank admissions committee, but a specific person.  You may have even met that individual at an MBA outreach event, on a school tour, or an admissions panel.

She has a name (the reader is often, but not always, female), and wants you to win her over.

But don’t take my word for it.  Here’s what the “oracle of Omaha” says:

One unoriginal but useful tip: Write with a specific person in mind. When writing Berkshire Hathaway's annual report, I pretend that I'm talking to my sisters. I have no trouble picturing them: Though highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English, but jargon may puzzle them. My goal is simply to give them the information I would wish them to supply me if our positions were reversed. To succeed, I don't need to be Shakespeare; I must, though, have a sincere desire to inform. No siblings to write to? Borrow mine: Just begin with "Dear Doris and Bertie."

Actually, some of your readers may be experts in accounting and finance, but they are not experts in the subject of the essay, which is YOU.  It’s not dumbing down, it’s making your writing, and your story, accessible.

As for interesting…well, it’s about you isn’t it? How could it be otherwise?

December 3, 2010

The Road to be Travelled

Filed under: Application ideas,Essays,Harvard Business School — Tags: , , , , , — admin @ 5:21 pm

My friend Hillary Schubach, a graduate of Harvard Business School like me, has also found her calling in helping students with their business school applications. We met several years ago at the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) annual conference, and I can say I have learned a lot from her. She recently published a blog post on "The Dreaded Career Essay."  It's so good, I'd like to republish it here. And as she says so elegantly, carpe diem MBA class of 201

What are your career aspirations and why?   Why do you want your MBA (at our school)?

It’s causing you angst to no end.  Of course you don’t know 100% what you’re going to do after you graduate.  Even if you think you do, you probably don’t.  There’s a whole professional world out there to explore…isn’t that part of why you’re going to business school?

Let me take the pressure off you:  the admissions committee knows this too.  And the good news is, no one will ever withhold your diploma in the end–cross-referencing your career plans with your application essays, making sure you stuck to your plan.  Unfortunately though,  in the admissions process, there’s nothing less attractive than someone who doesn’t have a clear sense of direction.  “Soul searchers” are sadly not a recognized attribute of future business leaders.  So, you just need to take a leap of faith based on everything you know today—and make the best case for your chance to explore tomorrow at the schools of your choice.

Where to Start

Think down the road, maybe 7-10 years.   Whose role could you see yourself in?  Is there anyone at your company whose position you’d like to have over one day?   Anyone in your industry?  Among your extended network?   Does the job even exist, or would you be creating  it from scratch?  Would you want to build it for yourself, or would you want to infuse it into an existing organization?

Then, pick a viable path for yourself.  A path that, as of right now, you can be truly excited about—and get others excited about it for you.  Then go with it. Research it to death.  Know the lingo, the career progression, and what it takes to succeed.  Know what experiences you’ll need to get there, and how business school fits into the plan.  Show some openness and flexibility.  Then, put a stake in the ground and hammer it in.   Be confident.  Have direction.  And  by all means, be genuine.

From there, the future is yours to define.  Carpe diem, class of 2013.

If you would like some additional tips on essays or on strategizing for your MBA future, please feel free to contact Betsy at Master Admissions. One of the early members of 85 Broads (and even worked for Goldman Sachs when it was at 85 Broad Street), Betsy gets at the heart of what makes you unique, and helps you tell that story in the most compelling way possible.

October 18, 2010

Diana Prince, Peter Parker, Clark Kent and You

Filed under: Essays,Northwestern Kellogg — Tags: , , , , , , , , — admin @ 9:01 pm

It’s been a few weeks since I have posted, and for that I apologize; the mad rush of applications for the first round of business school deadlines got the best of me. I’ve tried to encourage my applicants to start early (as I have recommended time and time again, for example, in this blog post , but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the applicant will end early. There’s nothing I can say to those who have already submitted except, good luck! I will cross my fingers and pray to the heavens for all of you.

So this part is for those who are going to apply in Round 2 or Round 3. (And yes, I do know several people at the very best schools who have been admitted in Round 3. I just learned of a case of someone who was admitted in Harvard Business School’s Round 3 for the following year, so there’s always a possibility).

NO Cookie Cutters
Still, I always learn something from going through an admissions cycle. This year I still found people having difficulty answering the question . Perhaps it is because of the tendency to cut and paste, students are still not reading the prompts in the questions to get it right. Other students tend to understate their small, but unique accomplishments. Most people are worried because they haven’t started their own company or won a Nobel Prize, but that’s not the problem.

One balmy Palo Alto September evening, a first-year student at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and I were trying to figure out the “secret sauce.” Indeed, in a class of 390 out of over 7000 applicants, how did they gather such a unique and interesting bunch? Her answer: “no cookie cutters.” And she may be right. Most of the people walking around that unique campus broke some kind of mold.

In some ways, the fix is in – if you are wildly atypical, and you have great grades and scores, then you will get a second look (and the rest is up to you to execute). But not everyone looks wildly unique. Kellogg even prompts the student to go into that unusual side. One of that school’s optional questions begins…. “People may be surprised to learn that I…..” I believe the spirit of that question is to get behind that Clark Kent, Peter Parker or Diana Prince.

The Question behind the Question
Some applications don’t ask the question so explicitly, for example, University of Chicago now allows you to literally fill in the blank. (Note, I like the explanation, “Knowing that there is not a right or even a preferred answer allows you to demonstrate to the committee your ability to navigate ambiguity and provide information that you believe will support your candidacy for Chicago Booth.”) NYU also offers the chance to show your suprising side, for example, their well-known personal expression essay.

All of these prompts are there so that you can answer that question behind the question, “What Makes You Special?” So, as you get ready to start drafting your answers – get a little crazy. You can always dial it back. I’ve always said that you want to get in touch with your Inner Rock Star.

Now’s your chance.

September 21, 2010

What have you learned from a mistake?

Filed under: Essays — Tags: , , , , , , — admin @ 8:36 am

The MBA essay that asks about learning from a mistake scares almost everyone. This is a question that, in various forms, can be found on many applications, notably that of Harvard Business School.

For those of you who are petrified of writing the “mistake” essay, take heart: it is ok to make mistakes. Why? Because you learn from them.

MBA essay question writers are smart. They know that learning from a mistake is a good thing. In fact, if you make mistakes, and admit you make mistakes, you learn more.

Google the two words together “mistake” and “learning” and you get 20 million hits. Research shows that making mistakes is one of the best ways to get continuous feedback on your learning. Mistakes are well known to be a critical part of the learning process.

Learning from Giants
Imagine that: learning from mistakes – it seems like a backwards way to build confidence, but it works. For example, Michael Jordan didn’t even make the varsity team in high school after attending a summer basketball camp. But he learned from being corrected, and then repeated those corrections over and over. He got better— much better—by continually improving the weakest part of his game. In a powerful Nike ad on YouTube, you can watch his inspirational message:

I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career.
I’ve lost almost 300 games.
Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot.
And missed.
I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.
And that is why
I succeed.

How Do You Pick?
So , you might think, I’ve made so many mistakes, how can I pick just one? I suggest you back into it by picking something you have appreciated learning. For me, I appreciate having learned how to slow down and think. I’m not very good at it all the time, but I can relate tale after tale of putting my foot in my mouth because I wasn’t thinking of anything other than being witty or sassy, or having people be impressed with me. Some of my mistakes are cringe-worthy, but I’ve learned, slowly, and imperfectly, to pace myself.

Neither you nor I are Michael Jordan, but hey, we’re on our way.

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