Completing A Brag Sheet For Your Business School Application

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Feb 12, 2011

When we work with individuals and their business school applications, we start by asking them to fill out a Brag Sheet. This not only helps the person remember their prior accomplishments, but it also helps our clients realize that their hobbies, travels and personal stories can serve as great material for their essays and application. Business School admissions committees are interested in applicants who have experienced life, pursued passions, and achieved as much outside of their career as within it.

We created the Brag Sheet exercise so that these parts of our clients' stories did not go withheld. In many situations, we would be almost finished with an essay when a client would bring up a story of their non-profit experience in Asia. There was nothing we could do at that point but throw away the essay we had been working on and start back from the beginning. Hopefully, the Brag Sheet will remind you of your prior experience and spur your imagination so that you dont ignore unique achievements and talents that you might have overlooked otherwise.

Brag Sheet Example Questions:

List countries and interesting places you have visited including within your native country.

Where have you traveled and/or lived?

List all institutions with which you have done volunteer work.

List all of your passions and hobbies.

List all extra-curricular involvement during your time at your undergraduate university, regardless of how brief the involvement.

List all awards that you have received.

List three work projects that have been meaningful to you.

Describe a time when you failed.

Describe at least one defining moment in your life

Have you had to overcome any significant hardships?

Have you done any public speaking?

Have you ever been promoted at work? If so, detail the experience.

Have you ever managed another person?

For more robust guidance on your MBA application essays, check out the Stacy Blackman Consulting Essay Guide Series school specific guides with essay tips, sample essays, information on what your target schools value and more.

Visit http://www.stacyblackman.com/essay-guides/ to learn more.