• Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)
Background Information: The most common narrative for US military applicants is to quote 9/11 and the reaction your immediate family had while watching the events unfold. The horrifying moment is captured as a motivation to join the Military. On digging deeper, most applicants would share that their motivations were diverse.
Curiosity: Career Choice
Curiosity (Explained): Breaking away from family legacy or finding an unconventional career path is tougher for applicants whose parents have a legacy of achieving incredible milestones in the military, entrepreneurship, or creative industries. The curiosity narrative for the essay is about capturing the epiphany event. Without negatively writing about the military that has offered the applicant orientation and purpose, the applicant sensitively captures the potential to serve another industry.
MBA Essay Strategy: I wanted to quickly highlight that the applicant had the choice of entering any industry. One achievement to demonstrate his curiosity that I shared in the first half is the invention of a game. Since the game is mentioned in the resume and verifiable through search, I didn’t quote the name. By clearly highlighting the person’s curiosity and career options, the family legacy is used as a factor in joining the military.
Theme: Career Choice
Theme (Explained): Candidates joining the military have a broad range of motivations - some had a sense of alienation from the US (immigrants). The Military was a guaranteed avenue to gain respect from society – north and south, black and white, rich and poor, and potential employers of all sizes. Some were adrenaline junkies who had no purpose and would have easily lost in gang wars and the aimlessness of their generation.
Some wanted to take control of their future and immerse themselves in the discipline and goal orientation of military life.
For the essay, I wanted to highlight one value – “analysis of weaknesses and strategic errors” after each mission and use it to transition into the feasibility of career switch into healthcare.
Profile: Military
Industry: Military, Healthcare
Opener: The opener clearly establishes the applicant’s prodigy status so that when I narrate the influence of family legacy in choosing a military career, the whole narrative will look authentic.
Sample Harvard MBA Curiosity and Growth Essay – Military and the search for IMPACT (244 Words)
My curiosity as a child drove the invention of a new game and opened my world to machines, math, science, and leadership in sports.
In an inter-school baseball tournament when I struggled to motivate my team, my father – a veteran of the Iraq War, advised to build camaraderie before leading. We met every day and took on ..
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