Don't Ask Everyone for Feedback on Your MBA Essay

Writing admissions essays can be tough, and getting feedback is a great idea. However, you have to avoid the too many cooks in the kitchen phenomenon. I'm Ellen, and after 10 years as an MBA consultant, I've uncovered a lot of MBA application secrets. This is one of the best ones. I guarantee you that if you share your essay with 20 people, all of them will have very different opinions about it. Something that one person hates and says you have to change immediately will be something that somebody else says is the strongest point of your essay and that they absolutely love. So instead of letting your anxiety get the better of you, choose two to three trusted allies to get feedback from. This could be your boss, a colleague who attended the program you're applying to, or even an MBA consultant who knows exactly what the program's like to see. By narrowing your scope, you're much more likely to get actionable, focused feedback that will allow you to actually improve your essays. And that is a secret worth sharing.