All MBA applicants have a purpose. Some are scared; some are embarrassed; some are not sure if such deep introspection is required, but all of them would love to share their core story when the right person asks them.
This is one of the common reasons why a GMAT 750 or someone with an excellent GPA gets dinged. They don’t ask themselves, “What is my Purpose?”
I had clients who understood that working on the purpose is the most important part of the MBA application. They were not in a rush. They were curious to find out what they lacked in their volunteering, extra-curricular, or professional trajectory.
Storytelling can’t compensate for all your weaknesses. Use this strategy in parallel with mitigating any apparent profile weaknesses. For help, subscribe to F1GMAT’s Career Planning Service.
MBA Essay Purpose Question #1 – Why the Company Exists
I remember a conversation with a person working in Robotics where he went on and on about the technical specifications and the way in which the machine moved sacks of grains from the storage to the trucks. And the prioritization of the batch of grain was determined by the destination of the export. It sounded amazing for someone like me who has an Engineering background. But then I noticed that he stopped the conversation.
I asked, “But what is the purpose of this solution?”
That is when it occurred to him to mention the mission of the company. The founders were from an underprivileged background and noticed weaknesses in the supply chain that had a horrible impact on their community.
This was not a non-profit but a proper Silicon Valley venture. There was a larger story that the applicant could have easily associated with. But, the instinct to focus on the solution instead of the purpose can make any story into a technical narrative.
Why your company exists should be the first question you need to address before associating your personality traits with the success of a project.
MBA Essay Purpose Question #2 – What were my aha moments
I had two aha moments.
One was when I was sitting in a Computer Networking lecture in Engineering. The professor was a child actor in South India. And this professor was a really good actor. It was a cult classic in the early 90s. And like a monologue, he was using storytelling to explain subnets and a few other concepts in Computer Networking that he really knew. The person still got it.
He is a great storyteller. He should not be teaching Computer networks. He should be on some stage, acting and moving the audience just as he did when he was a child actor. And that lecture made me wonder whether I am in the right career. That was my first aha moment.
The second aha moment - I will not mention the names of the schools. But before pivoting to Consulting and Editing Services, we used to generate leads for schools. And these numbers were pretty impressive. And for them, we were just another platform. I had already become disenchanted with lead generation for schools. So I began editing application essays, and then the first client got into an M7 school. And the person wrote a heartfelt thank you letter that got me through so many tough moments in my life. And that matters. Because when you think about what is easy vs. what feels right, this moment was one of them. And I felt that I had a purpose now.
So, for you, you have to find that aha moment where your contribution was acknowledged in such a way that you felt that you found your life’s purpose. It need not be a problem that could easily be solved. It could be a hugely ambitious problem statement. But you felt good chasing this goal. That moment is what is lacking in most application essays.
The narrative is familiar and boring - I did this. I was good at that. Now, I feel I want to do an MBA. By the way, this works for schools outside the top 10 list.
It also works for all goals essays. That is all schools are expecting. But almost all top schools want to see you – the person.
Why are you chasing the post-MBA goals?
What is driving you?
I hope you understood the importance of having a purpose before quoting a goal for M7 or T10 schools.
To start a conversation on our consulting, profile evaluation, school selection, essay review, recommendation letter editing, interview preparation, and scholarship/fellowship application editing services, you can reach out to me through F1GMAT's Contact form. Or you can message me through Skype at F1GMAT.
