Harvard MBA Essay Tips
Of the 9,524 people who applied for Harvard's MBA program for the class of 2012, only 903 were accepted, according to Harvard's class statistics. The 11-percent admissions rate of applicants means that the prospective students must have high test scores and exceptional essays. Because of these high odds against acceptance, creating a strategy for writing your essays is vital.
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Follow the Instructions
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Answer the question. Do not include information that does not apply to the specific question you are being asked to answer. Make sure you fully explore the question, but make your answers concise. Harvard wants to understand how you work, what kind of person and leader you are and how you process things. Mind the word limits. Exceeding the limits by even 100 words can be detrimental. Be specific, and avoid generalizations. Talk about your talents, including languages you speak.
Mandatory Essays
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Harvard requires every student to write two specific essays. One will be a 400-word essay and the other is a 600-word essay. These essays will ask about your accomplishments and mistakes. The essays are about you, so don't bury yourself behind facts and statistics. Discuss experiences that made an impact, demonstrated leadership or achieved goals. Focus on professional accomplishments, but insert unique personal accomplishments if they apply and are significant. How did these experiences help you grow? Choose genuine mistakes, not trivial ones. Never use essays to explore your insecurities, and take responsibility for all of your mistakes. Explore what you leaned.
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Essay Choices
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Two of your essays will be chosen from a group of four additional essay topics. These topics will include your undergraduate experiences, your career vision, a disappointing event in your life and how you will introduce yourself to your classmates. Choose the essays in which you can share positive experiences. Explore how the MBA program at Harvard fits into your plans or helps you achieve your goals. Keep your details brief. If you are answering a question about frustrations, state the frustration and then move to how the situation was solved and what you learned. Focus on your audience. If you are introducing yourself, what about your life would interest your classmates?
Writing
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When you are writing your essay, insert headings to distinguish your individual essays and to restrict your discussion to the specific topic. Avoid using contractions, but don't make your writing too stuffy. It should be professional, but insert your personal style and personality. Avoid slang and jargon, and don't make your essay like a conversation. Although the admissions essays are focused on content, do not ignore grammar. Edit your essays several times to see if you can combine sentences and remove words. If you encounter an optional essay, don't use it unless it is absolutely necessary to give the admissions reviewer vital information about you.
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References
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