All the hard work on the narrative can be undone with last minute edits. I am not talking about edits on sentence structure but changes in story and motivations. Even unnecessary edits on the carefully chosen phrase can affect the flow of the narrative and eventually the cumulative impact.
Two assumptions stand in the way of rewriting an essay. One - storytelling is a mash up of flowery phrases. Two - complex sentences and narratives with jargons are required to prove your expertise. When you combine flowery phrases with jargon-filled complex sentences, the results can be an eyesore for a reviewer.
The first draft of the essay should be a free flow of your inner thoughts, beliefs, and narrative excesses (blog-like). The real work starts at the Second draft. One common mistake that I have seen applicants make is taking the shortcut and directly writing with a tone that is similar to a second draft. They all sound the same with no uniquely identifiable attributes.
I saw the Harvard MBA Admissions Director asking applicants to be genuine and the INSEAD MBA Managing Director recommending not to polish the Essay too much; hints that the edited version of the essays tends to be devoid of any personality or genuineness.
As you might have experienced by now, switching styles is not easy in MBA Application Essays. We tend to overdo the blog part with self-references, slangs, or try our hand at humor. Essays have no place for any. But with recent edits in our review service, one part that has helped my clients is the Art of Pillaring. I have included a chapter on it in Winning MBA Essay Guide. The idea is to break the expected series of events. Do parallel storytelling or jumble the sequence to such a degree that you find the perfect balance in narrative and a standard essay.
The imperfections don't matter. Just talk, answer the question, and record it. Transcribe your answer. Read what you have said. I can guarantee you that you will find at least 30-40% unique phrases that are unlikely to be found on any sample essays.
From the hundreds of essays we have edited, only a few had unique phrases and expressions. Most of them were a rehash of sample essays or modified memos with no personal touch. A few that tried, changed the essay to narrative filled with dialogues. Maintaining a unique voice is tough but with these six guidelines, translating your uniqueness to words will be much easier.
How to Manage the MBA Essay Writing Process
Not all your life experiences can be turned into tales of trials & tribulations or a journey of the leader. Some events have no particular meaning. They were you doing work to get that paycheck. Don’t be fooled by the process of “Essay Writing” and spin any and every event as stories for your essay. The reviewer can see the spin from a mile away.
5 Common MBA Application Essay Errors
I noticed one stark difference between North American and Asian applicants. The Cultural notion of managing time and the impact of their contribution was hidden beneath project schedules and the microscopic responsibilities. From the smaller responsibility, the North American applicant was trying to find meaning while the Asian applicants were already familiar with the whole and the parts of the project.
American vs. Asian Culture: MBA Application Essay Narrative