The Words Behind Those Admission Essay Questions

My opinion on this essay prompt is that you really must use a style that is uniquely yours. No one else should be able to tell your story, both because of the content and the style. You have creative license, but you are stuck with deciding how formal YOU want to be.

I took major creative license with my essays because that’s my style. In my life I share openly and honestly. I just find it easy to lay things out there, so when developing my essays I showed that side of myself. So it was no surprise that my Kellogg essay about “personal moments” meandered the streets of Spain and my parents’ divorce. It was personal and (hopefully) a compelling story that gave some flavor to who I am. Meanwhile K’s second prompt about my leadership experiences was completely professional. Even though the wording indicated it can be personal, the choice of “impact” to me is quite formal. I took this as a cue that they wanted me to be open in a way that was more insightful than emotional. I have a professional side (duh) and it was obvious to me that they wanted to see that side of me as well.

I could probably ramble for hours about my process (we writers think we’re sooooo special), but the gist of it is that I took a really long time figuring out what the question was asking and HOW they question was asked.

Good luck with your applications!

Sassafras is a 30-year-old MBA applicant who works for a San Francisco-based non-profit organization with a primary focus on youth development and education. With a 730 GMAT and a 3.4 grade point average from a highly ranked liberal arts college, he currently blogs at MBA: My Break Away? His previous posts for Poets&Quants:

A Non-Traditional Candidate Reflects On Why He Wants An MBA

The Round One Days Dwindle Down To A Precious Few

Common Questions From The Helpless, Hapless & Hopeless

The Business School Waiting Game

Cultivating Great Leaders or Great Changers: The Mission of Business Schools

Undoing My Scarcity Paradigm

A Partner’s Perspective On The MBA Application Journey

My Round Two Strategy

Rejection From Stanford–An Acceptance From Yale

An Acceptance From Kellogg Leads To Some Soul Searching

Weighing Kellogg vs. Yale: Which School Would You Choose?

Now Into The Next Stage Of His B-School Path: The Network

Why I’ve Decided To Pass On A Higher Ranked School & Go To Yale

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