How to Approach Essay-Writing: Don’t Sweat It, Write It!

by Stacy Blackman Consulting, Sep 26, 2010

Once you know your deadlines and have mapped out a timeline, once you have planned and researched and made important decisions and once the essay questions are posted, you will finally be faced with the fact that you need to take the plunge and start writing your essays.

As my clients crank out their initial essay drafts, many of them contact me a bit upset over the word limits being imposed on them. They insist that they are not even halfway finished, but they have completely run out of words. Its just not possible to describe my three most substantial experiences in only 600 words is a common feeling amongst applicants. My advice is to forget about word count and just write the essay. Focus on getting your content together and making sure that it is very strong. Too much analysis leads to paralysis. I say you should just start typing, not worry about how everything comes out, and not let yourself stop until you have answered a question. Once your content is there, you would be surprised how easy it is to cut words. Most of us tend to be extremely verbose. You can frequently keep every important point, but just articulate it with far fewer words (or to repeat this sentence with 50% word count: articulate more concisely).

You may also be forced to consider which pieces of your story are truly pertinent to answering the question. It is very easy to start telling your story and ramble off topic. Carefully examine each piece of your essay and make sure that it is really, truly relevant, as opposed to miscellaneous background information.

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.