How to Answer Open Ended Admissions Essays

If you're applying for a top mba, one of the most annoying things can be answering essay questions like Harvard's open ended essay what else do you want us to know about? You can be really difficult to know what to say, but if you use these tips, I promise you'll write a killer essay. I'm Ellen and I'm here to share all of the best kept secrets you need to get into a top mba. First thing you want to do is reflect on what the school already knows about you. The essays are here to share additional information, so think about what you've mentioned in your cv, your letters of recommendation, and other things like the online form. Then use your essays to share what you haven't said already to give additional data about what makes you unique. Speaking of unique, the next thing you want to do is share information about yourself in the form of a story. So beyond just thinking about work achievements or leadership skills, think about the challenges in life or other experiences that you've had that make you a really interesting person, that show your motivations, your passions at play, ways you've gotten involved in the community and share those because it's going to show how you can contribute to the class in a way that nobody else will. The last thing I would say is do not use this space to retell your CV in narrative form. These are super boring essays. We already have your CV and it doesn't really add anything we don't know. So avoid the temptation to just kind of rehash your resume. Tell us stories that make you unique, share what makes you an interesting candidate and nail the prompt. By following these tips, I guarantee you'll be ready to shine and nail a spot at a top mba. And I think that's a secret worth sharing.