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Why Our MBA Essays
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SanjayGolf
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How much knowledge and familiarity with the program is necessary for the Why Our School part of the essay? Obviously some research is required but is it imperative that I have a working understanding of the program or is the information provided by each program on their website enough to satisfy reasoning on choosing that program?
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Kaneisha Grayson
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In writing the "Why our school?" essays, here are some ways to make your essay meaningful and not like you just spent 15 minutes browsing the website and regurgitating a few phrases you stumbled upon.
You could mention some (not ALL) of the following:
* the clubs you want to join and why
* what role you want to hold in a club/how you want to contribute in a student club
* the research centers you want to engage with and why
* the classes you want to take (name 1-2 core classes and 1-2 electives)
* the "treks" or career-focused student- or school-organized trips you want to take or help organize
* why the size of the graduating class works for you
* why you like the class size (whether small or large. For example, I loved the diversity of opinion found in a large class size of 90 students in a classroom at HBS after coming from Pomona, a tiny liberal arts college)
There's all kinds of other things you can mention. The more specific you are, the more compelling your essay will be. You can find all of these things out by about 30 minutes of searching on the school's website beyond the main admissions part of the website or speaking briefly with an alum about some of their favorite parts of their experience.
Best of luck with your applications!
Kaneisha
You could mention some (not ALL) of the following:
* the clubs you want to join and why
* what role you want to hold in a club/how you want to contribute in a student club
* the research centers you want to engage with and why
* the classes you want to take (name 1-2 core classes and 1-2 electives)
* the "treks" or career-focused student- or school-organized trips you want to take or help organize
* why the size of the graduating class works for you
* why you like the class size (whether small or large. For example, I loved the diversity of opinion found in a large class size of 90 students in a classroom at HBS after coming from Pomona, a tiny liberal arts college)
There's all kinds of other things you can mention. The more specific you are, the more compelling your essay will be. You can find all of these things out by about 30 minutes of searching on the school's website beyond the main admissions part of the website or speaking briefly with an alum about some of their favorite parts of their experience.
Best of luck with your applications!
Kaneisha
Harvard Business School MBA 2010, Harvard Kennedy School MPA 2010
Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com
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Founder, The Art of Applying
Admissions Consulting for MBA, MPP, Joint Degrees, and Fellowships
https://theartofapplying.com
Want free advice that actually works? Sign up for my weekly MBA, MPP, and JD newsletter here: https://theartofapplying.com/newsletter/
My clients have earned over $3.1 million in fellowships from Harvard and other top MBA, MPP, and JD programs since 2010.
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CriticalSquareMBA
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Hey there,
Kaneisha has written some great points down to help you - so I won't repeat that!
I will, however, say this. Think of it this way. Let's say someone has reached out to you and they really want to meet you. They love the industry or job you're in and want to learn as much as they can from you. Now let's say they come to meet you with a cursory review of your LinkedIn profile. They'll know some things about you but nothing particularly special per se. You won't think they're coming to the table empty handed but they won't wow you either.
Now, imagine they reviewed the profile AND spoke to some people who knew you or looked you up on a variety of sources. They'd come to you with a thorough understanding of what you had done and how you worked as a person. You'd be blown away! It would also make it easier for YOU to connect with THEM because, in showing what they knew of you, they would have selected those things that resonated with them and it gives you both something to go from.
I hope that helps you understand why stumbling around on their website for 10 minutes isn't enough. If you're applying to a top MBA program, think like a top MBA student. They don't cut corners and neither should you.
Good luck!
Bhavik
Kaneisha has written some great points down to help you - so I won't repeat that!
I will, however, say this. Think of it this way. Let's say someone has reached out to you and they really want to meet you. They love the industry or job you're in and want to learn as much as they can from you. Now let's say they come to meet you with a cursory review of your LinkedIn profile. They'll know some things about you but nothing particularly special per se. You won't think they're coming to the table empty handed but they won't wow you either.
Now, imagine they reviewed the profile AND spoke to some people who knew you or looked you up on a variety of sources. They'd come to you with a thorough understanding of what you had done and how you worked as a person. You'd be blown away! It would also make it easier for YOU to connect with THEM because, in showing what they knew of you, they would have selected those things that resonated with them and it gives you both something to go from.
I hope that helps you understand why stumbling around on their website for 10 minutes isn't enough. If you're applying to a top MBA program, think like a top MBA student. They don't cut corners and neither should you.
Good luck!
Bhavik
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