Dear iamcste,

Thanks for your post!

Your questions center on a key component of the MBA application process: effectively conveying one's message in the essays. Candidates who can do this will find greater success in their quest to gain entry to business school.

In terms of the first example you cite (showcasing your communications skills), you seem to be more or less on the right track. By highlighting the times that you've been placed in client-facing roles or charged with training others you will invariably showcase your communications skills. The key here is to show not tell. Also, keep in mind that in many respects your communications skills will be related to your writing itself - since the schools assess both written and oral communications skills (the latter typically as part of the interview and/or recommendation letters). As such, the caliber of your writing will say a lot about this area in particular.

In summary, if you do a nice job of crafting the essays and bringing the stories to life, you will not need to explicitly state that you have strong communications skills, strong motivation, leadership, etc - as these aspects should all come across.

While I'd love to offer more specific advice and address each of the areas you highlight in your post, I'm afraid that without seeing the essays themselves, this is very difficult to do. This is actually the chief reason that applicants sign up to work with Clear Admit - to have the sort of in-depth feedback and advice you've requested in your post. Feel free to reach out to us directly if you'd like further assistance. You can email your resume to [email protected] to get the process started with a free phone session.

Best of luck,

Graham