Ellen, an MBA consultant, identifies the most common mistake in MBA essays: trying too hard to sound impressive instead of answering the actual question. She explains how balancing content with creativity and staying aligned to the prompt separates strong applications from weak ones.
Even if you're writing the most interesting MBA essays, if you're making this mistake, you're not going to get in. I'm Ellen, and after a decade as a top MBA consultant, I've uncovered a lot of application secrets. This is one of the best ones when writing an MBA admissions essay, it's essential that you strike a good balance between content and creativity. You want to share star format stories that establish a track record of professional success while also mixing in creative elements that make your essays unique and interesting and and show how you'll contribute to the unique diversity of the class. But you have to make sure that your essay meets the prompt. For example, if the prompt asks you for a time that you failed, and you share an example where you showed resilience during a layoff, your essay is going to miss the mark. So think critically about what the essay is asking you to share, and select stories and themes that perfectly align with that prompt. By doing so, your stellar essay will connect with the admissions committee and ensure you get a spot at a top school. And that's a secret worth sharing.