Q) How to start the opening line for an MBA or a Master's Essay?
The opening line could be approached in three ways:
1) Poetic
If you have the inclination to write clever turns of phrases or capture the essence of a memory in an interesting manner, then a poetic style as the opening line would work for you.
Be careful not to romanticize a tragedy or misfortune in the opening line. It should be something uplifting.
A common mistake I have seen applicants make while using a poetic opening line strategy is that they quote writers or famous persons in the opener.
9 out of 10 times, it doesn’t connect with the rest of the narrative.
One, they tend to have no connection with your journey.
Two, the applicant could be a 'fan' of the writer but has no connecting life events or thoughts with the writer apart from an admiration of the person's writing style.
Third, there is a risk that the person you quote has a politics that might not connect with the reviewer. In our modern partisan world, where tribes exist first on politics over religion or nationality or ethnicity or language, starting with the thoughts of a political ideologue can jeopardize your admission chances.
So avoid using quotes from famous 'personalities' in the opener.
The only exception I have seen that works is if you are working full-time in a non-profit.
Most of the time, there is one person who motivated the applicant to traverse a non-traditional career. If you have such a career path, I encourage quoting your role model in the opener. Ideally, not a famous person.
For the rest of the applicants, poetic should be about a routine, an interaction, or a moment in your life that has stood the test of time.
2) Memory from Childhood
Some of the unique opening lines I have read involve a memory from childhood. It could be a field trip with your friends, or an expedition, or an exploration into an unknown terrain, or anything that requires overcoming physical limitations reads really well for the opening line.
It could also be a memory associated with a caregiver – grandparent, parent, uncle, or aunt – an encouragement they offered that became a passion for you.
For Example, one of my clients’ interests in aviation began because her uncle was an Air Force pilot.
He taught her the fundamentals of flying, operating the machine, and built an overall plan to develop the skills in flying skills.
But the opening line was not about the interaction. It was about the moment she felt gravity while on her first solo flight.
She could cleverly connect that moment with the lessons her uncle taught her when she was 7 years old.
Ideally, think about an extracurricular activity that you are passionate about. It should be a continuous involvement. You should not mention an experience that you were involved in for just 2 or 3 months. Again, exceptions exist.
One such exception is if you were part of a unique group like a mountaineering team that climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, an Olympic team, a scientific achievement that was publicized in popular media, or part of an elite team that was in the top 1% in sports, public performance, or in creating a patented technology.
The accolade, basking in the appreciation of the crowd, and a feeling of ‘purpose’ all put the reader into a positive frame of mind – essential to bring the ‘w-pattern’ narrative structure into the essay.
3) Value or Personality
When you cite the value that matters most to you or the personality trait that defines you as the opener, think deeply.
It could be used against you if you contradict yourself in the Essay about leadership or if your recommenders include examples that mention otherwise.
The theme of your opener should match the theme of your profile.
Are you an entrepreneurial applicant? Then, a start-up experience in school as the opener works.
If you are an extrovert known for team building, an experience organizing the country or the city’s or the school’s largest event, coordinating with over 7+ teams, 30+ vendors, and an itinerary where none of the events were out of schedule would bring authenticity to your story.
Read through your finalized 1-page resume.
Can you see what makes you unique?
Focus on that ‘one-trait’ as the opening line.
If you feel empowered while empowering others, then a leadership mindset could be used as an opener.
Contact F1GMAT for brainstorming ideas for the Essay Opening Line
