Winning the MBA essay game

Before you start Here's what I've been seeing lately: a lot of clients who start on their essays with preconceived ideas of what an essay "should" be. Somewhere along the way -- elementary school, college, but most likely high school -- a teacher convinced them that an essay needed a particular structure, for example, the Five Paragraph Essay. You may have needed that structure to get an A in high school, but you are no longer in high school, and the MBA essay is unlike any writing you have done for school or work. So try to let go of all the rules that were drilled into you at a tender age. Reading the prompt Every word of every prompt is there for a reason, and was no doubt chosen after hours (days/weeks) of discussion and debate among adcom staff and various deans. It's a good idea to read the prompt carefully, making notes as you do. Then come back to the prompt later and ...