The good news is that the school has limited the maximum word limit to 900 words. That is close to 2 pages. Most of the time, when I brainstorm with clients on editing their essays, so many sections are so sacred that suggestions to remove them are met with resistance. I know that feeling. When you write freely, there are lines, phrases, or paragraphs that are so beautiful that you feel that they would help you stand out. On literary metrics, that might be the case, but essays for Business Schools are not just a creative exercise. It is also a branding tool.
Finding the balance is tricky. So here are some quick hacks to keep you going.
1) Start with a random event
This event might not be the opener or even be part of the essay, but to write freely, you have to let go of any illusion of structure and flow in the first draft. I know it is an anti-thesis of the structure I am selling with the essay guide. Free-flowing phrases, lines, and thoughts can capture your voice. One thing that an expert editor or an AI Writing Tool can't replicate is an original voice. They can create narratives that are unique and interesting, but the voice - you must find it.
To relax and free your mind for an open-ended essay, write about your favorite memory. Describe the scenery. What made you happy? It could be the silliest reason. Doesn't matter. Capture them.
2) Find the moment
I reached out to a client to find the reasons for a crucial career decision. He just couldn't articulate the reasons even after nudging, and finally fed up, I put a blank on the section that was the transitioning line. Understanding my intent, he finally opened up. It was a sweet and honest moment. We are talking about a high-achieving Type A candidate. But the moment that led him to Finance was so original that the admissions team had no other choice but to pay attention.
We all have that one moment. I vividly remember a lecture series from a former child actor. Not that he didn't knew his concepts, but he was far too good a storyteller to be giving lectures in an Engineering School. I remembered, "would I want to be another mediocre engineer" or a storyteller who has the potential to change people's life. It took me some years to figure out how to apply my skills, but we all have that one moment.
Find that moment.
3) Beyond Resume and Application
We have broken down the Harvard MBA Application, not just the essay. What you will see is that there are opportunities to highlight your unique journey if you are among the first generation in your family to attend college and you are from the military. Every applicant will also get to cite the post-MBA goals. So before you go into any in-depth narrative on career goals, make sure that it matches the goals section in the application.
Now that I have recruited a small team, some insights from my experience will help you understand how the admissions team thinks.
Two months back - I recruited a person. The person fits the job description. A+ grade, knowledge in the domain that I was seeking expertise in, and passed all three rounds. The person said all the right things in the interview, but for us, there is no essay.
I wonder why essays have become such an integral part of admissions.
Here is why.
In a week, I realized that the person didn't have a great work ethic. The person just couldn't take ownership of the task. Eventually, we had to part ways. I wondered whether a small essay is needed in recruitment.
The open-ended nature forces the applicant to find vulnerable moments from their life they might hide if the question had any direction.
Our vulnerable moments reveal who we are. Our fears. Our values. Our Strengths. Our weaknesses.
I have captured 20 Applicants' Journey - their fear, their values, their strengths, and their weaknesses in F1GMAT's Harvard MBA Essay Guide.
20 Narratives for Harvard MBA Essay
1) The Power of Community
Theme: Values that transcend from personal to professional life.
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – The Power of Community (781 Words)
2) Entrepreneurship as an Identify and Supporting Minority Entrepreneurs
Theme: Entrepreneurship as an identity and failure as a guiding force to systemic change
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Entrepreneurship as an Identity and supporting minority Entrepreneurs (664 Words)
3) Following Passion and consciously challenging oneself
Theme: Starting in an Unconventional career before choosing traditional pre-MBA careers.
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Following Passion and consciously challenging oneself (711 Words)
4) Life Starts at No
Theme: ‘No’ as a motivator to Persist and overcome setbacks and weaknesses
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Life Starts at No (618 Words)
5) Volunteering for a passion project
Theme: Power of mentorship in overcoming systemic challenges and giving back to the community
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Establishing a Cooperative and Transforming Rural Telecom (695 Words)
6) Small Business Values
Theme: Small Business Relationships in a Digital World
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Small Business Values during COVID crisis (852 Words)
7) Military and the search for IMPACT
Theme: Legacy outside the Military
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Military and the search for IMPACT (826 Words)
8) Numbers to Healthcare Entrepreneurship
Theme: Risk Averseness to Accidental Entrepreneur
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Numbers to Healthcare Entrepreneurship (820 Words)
9) The American Dream and Harvard’s Peers
Theme: American culture of Risk-Taking and Harvard MBA
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – The American Dream and Harvard’s Peers (662 Words)
10) Marketing in Volunteering
Theme: Resourcefulness to maximize the reach of underfunded non-profits
Sample Harvard MBA Essay - Volunteering (Marketing in Volunteering) (758 Words)
11) Stoic Disregard for Setbacks and value of Freedom
Theme: Life’s unpredictability and the power of Freedom
Sample Harvard MBA Essay - Stoic Disregard for Setbacks and value of Freedom (636 Words)
12) Consulting vs. the Power of Data
Theme: Safe Job in Consulting to the Lure of Technology
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Consulting vs. the Power of Data (535 Words)
13) Guilt of working in the Oil and Gas industry
Theme: Non-renewable to human’s biggest transition event
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Guilt of working in the Oil & Gas Industry (592 Words)
14) Breaking Away from Family Business
Theme: Learning from the family business and finding one’s voice
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Breaking Away from Family Business (607 Words)
15) Trauma, Healing and Finding Authentic Self
Theme: Trauma from War and sharing one’s peace with the underprivileged children
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Trauma, Healing and Finding Authentic Self (843 Words)
16) Crypto – As a Tool for Good
Theme: Crypto as a Tool for Good
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Crypto As a Tool for Good (687 Words)
17) Finding Creative Solution to Scarcity
Theme: Finding Creative Solutions in a resource-scarce educational ecosystem
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Finding Creative Solution in Scarcity (834 Words)
18) Passion vs. Talent
Theme: Passion vs. Talent – Finding true calling through Harvard MBA
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Passion vs. Talent (882 Words)
19) War and Starting Over Again
Theme: War and Starting Over Again
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Starting Over Again (861 Words)
20) Gaming for Good
Theme: Addiction, Gaming for Good and Transforming African American Communities
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Gaming for Good (840 Words)
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