10 Scenarios where you should Rewrite MBA Application Essays

As we had recommended in the Essay Writing process, in a 3-week schedule, 1 week should be dedicated for rewriting the essay. Applicants depend on consultants and editors to rewrite the essay, at least to kick start the process. Ideally, avoid borrowing phrases from consultants, but include your unique voice and rewrite the essay for these ten scenarios:

1) Style Mismatch

A formal or a conversational style throughout the essay would be counterproductive. Mixing and matching the two would have a better impact. Phrases and sentences synthesized from multiple levels of consciousness - creative and routine, or widely separated writing sessions can lead to inconsistent style for the narrative. Each paragraph should look like it came from the same author. A free flowing first draft or an iterative essay writing process will prevent style mismatch. Read Winning MBA Essay Guide to learn how.

2) Flow Mismatch

It doesn’t matter whether you are using Pillaring technique or found a method of your own. A flow of a paragraph is the frequency of the pronouns, nouns, and verbs, intermingled in a sequence that hooks you to the sentence. A great writer effortlessly finds the right frequency and takes the reader to the core of the idea, instead of making them aware of the prose. Everybody has a flow. You will find one after the first or perhaps the third or fourth draft. Once you get it, reviewers can easily find the difference between paragraphs that have been rewritten and made better, and the paragraph you left untouched, for the worst. Find the right reviewer to point out the flow mismatch. It is extremely tough to critique our own writing.

3) Poor Opening

As copywriters would advise, the idea of writing a memorable opening is to motivate the consumer to read the next sentence. A positive anxiety is healthy in the review process. The Admission team also feels loss aversion. They don’t want to miss out on a great candidate. How will they know that you are an interesting candidate?

The opening line should be a hint. It should force the reviewer to the next line. We have noticed opening lines with clichés that highlight an applicant’s greatest achievement, or goals that have been written to death or dialogues that look out of place. The ones that hooked us to the essay used phrases or sentences that we rarely read in any other essay. They were based on personal values or the dynamics of a relationship or the vision for a future that inspired us to read the next line. How you phrase the first sentence has a huge influence over your candidacy. Instead of obsessing over what to write in the opener, write your first draft and start the rewrite process with the opening line.

4) No Proper Middle in the Essay

Writing and rewriting require an active awareness about the process. Most applicants are highly motivated when we reveal the process, but the challenges of work deadlines, take them away from writing, and when they come back, the flow is missing. Maintaining a high energy and motivation towards writing and rewriting should come from knowing that most movies, articles, and books become mediocre when the middle part of the narrative lacks a coherent connection with the first or last half of the creation.

A forced writing to meet the deadline or the word limits might have pushed the applicant to skip the transitionary middle, essential to keep the Admission team’s interest in your candidacy. The middle is the exact point where the Essay reviewer asks to herself – “Should I continue?”

One way to counter the loss of engagement is by considering the 2nd paragraph as the first and use a good opener again. Write the complete paragraph, and then rewrite the first line of the second paragraph to connect with the idea from the first. Most applicants struggle to use the transitionary words – moreover, however, in addition etc. Maybe, you don’t have to use any transitionary words. Go directly to the idea by connecting one sentence from the first paragraph. That is all we need to know that the 2nd paragraph is related to the first.

5) Concluding too Soon

Writing is not fun even for established writers. Larry David, who made millions writing for the 90s hit show - Seinfeld, while accepting the Paddy Chayefsky Award, shared, "I hate writing. Nothing puts me to sleep faster than picking up a pen. I hate all kinds of writing – recommendation letters, thank you notes, condolence letters, excusing my daughter from school…" When you start the writing process as a job to do, it will reflect in your essays. Even when I was writing these 10 scenarios, I was procrastinating for a couple of days, before a surge of motivation, transcended me into a 6-hour, writing, and rewriting zone. My motivation – at least some of you will take the rewriting process seriously and see it as an essential part of writing. Don’t conclude too soon. You will be able to fit your essay into the recommended word limit, but don’t let that thought hinder your writing process.

Submit your Essays here or contact us to learn more about F1GMAT’s Essay Review/Editing Services.

For hands-on Essay writing tips, use Winning MBA Essay Guide.

6) Poor Conclusions

The ambiguous ending works in movies where the director wants the moviegoers to keep the conversation going by posting theories in forums, blogs and sharing them on social media. The audience is doing the marketing for the Producers. In MBA Admissions, you are trying to capture the attention of the Essay Reviewer away from an equally competitive, perhaps even more qualified applicant. Conclude by reiterating your motivation. Keep the focus of the essay on that one idea – “Why you want to do an MBA.” All the manipulation of phrases and hooking the reader to your narrative is for this one last conclusion. We have seen applicants writing brilliant narrative, and concluding with a half-hearted motivation or information that has nothing to do with the question. You have the freedom to phrase the conclusion, but always end with your motivation when the question is a slight variation of “Why MBA,” or “Why MBA now.”

7) No Supporting Data

Quantifying results to the right degree is tricky. Applicants overdo the IMPACT part with a string of numbers with little emphasis on narrative or write at great length about how great they are without using numbers to offer any context.

Data should directly support the example you are constructing. Don’t use revenue per employee when the narrative is about “how being part of a great company culture” influenced your decision to pursue an MBA program.

Context is the key. Data should directly support your argument without making all your action converted into dollar terms. When it is all dollar talk, the attention of the essay moves away from you as a person to the question, “Does the number add up?” Your story should inspire the Admission team, not force them to be critical of the data. We have shown how you can use narrative mixed with the right numbers for a lasting impression (Download Winning MBA Essay Guide to know more)

8) Clichéd Motivation

The majority of motivations are clichéd. Joining as a consultant post-MBA, switching career from Technology, or citing strong Quant skills as the reason for entering Investment banking are a few we have seen getting repeated again and again. The number of feasible industry and job functions are limited but you can find specialization within the industry or job function, and use them strategically in your narrative. Not many applicants bother to explore the details. Your attention to the nitty gritty won’t be just a line in your essay, but a value that is demonstrated throughout your application.

9) Uninspiring

The volume goal of the admission team takes the joy out of the review process. They are reading the work of amateurs. Only 3 in 10 understand the power of narratives, the value of quantifying results and turning mundane words into memorable phrases. Most common reason for rejection is an uninspiring story. Either the applicants feel that there is a template to follow or they have done mediocre work. Most applicants fall in between the two extremes. Quite a large number of applicants underestimate their life journey as devoid of any major twists and turns. Without confidence in your life story, it is hard to search for turning points that defined who you are. Plotting those moments, and defining a story arc is essential to building an inspiring Essay. We have demonstrated the storytelling technique in Winning MBA Essay Guide.

10) Mismatch between motivation and Post-MBA Goals

MBA is not a get me out of jail card. Feasibility for switching careers depends on what the Alumni have achieved over the past 10 years. The Employment report is a useful tool to analyze what is possible and what is not. If the majority of the alumni have entered Consulting and Finance, with say 3% in Technology, your plan to get into Technology would look less persuasive. The Admission team is aware of the numbers. Unless you had a clear career progression and influence in Technology, the words and intent wouldn’t matter.

An MBA is an opportunity to bridge the skill gap, and find influencers. Empty promises and outrageous career path won’t find any takers. For the admission team, the essay measures your potential contribution in the class. Your motivation should cite experiences where your skills in fundraising, marketing, creative problem solving, or collaboration had an impact on your Employers or the non-profits you volunteered.

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