Blindly reusing the brilliant turn of phrases for all top MBA programs or about New York’s brilliance for Stern’s goals and Columbia’s NYU essay rarely works although anecdotally the testimonial from those who successfully implemented such strategy are shared the most in social media and forums.
If you have worked in the host City to establish a partnership, met key influencers in Finance, Media or Technology, or implemented a project with a formidable client in the region, mention the experience. The narrative should construct the city as a central character. Most applicants from Finance seamlessly do that by highlighting access to some of the industry experts in PE/VC and the deal-making that happens through Uber rides and chance encounters in parties. Again, the believability of your story is essential. If you are stretching the background information with your imaginative spin, the narrative will come back to bite you in interviews when the admission team cross-questions the details.
Many of you might have experienced New York City/London/Paris as an undergraduate student during the internship or for a short-duration project. The experience might not be comparable with someone who had a recent project in the city but that doesn’t leave you from connecting the dots and sharing an insight about the city that offered you a unique advantage in growing and gaining exposure in an industry unique to the city (NYC – Finance, Paris – Fashion, London – FinTech). Most seeds of interest begin in school and are reinforced in college. Travel offers a significant contribution towards shaping the initial impression. Share them with the right tone and context.
With titles after titles propagating about introverts dominating the world, many MBA applicants confuse mild mannerism with introversion. Extroverts are not all loud and self-promotional in nature. They know when to talk and open up about what their company is offering. Without the ‘nature’ to ‘talk’ and ‘connect’, opportunities in the city would have no impact on an average applicant.
Working in Mumbai, London or New York have many similarities. The back-bending nature of the commute, the value that professionals put on time and the cross-section of people from different cultures, language and religions working under one roof – are the common thread connecting the city dwellers.
