Essays
I have been writing and re-writing my essays, discarding multiple drafts, and pruning my essays to the hilt. Given my disinclination to essay writing, I always thought writing 600 words would be a tall order - How would I fill so much space? Now, the problem is the reverse and I am struggling to fit my life into the tiny canvas provided by the various schools.
Some thoughts
1. Critical readers: Make sure you identify people who can review your essays and give you critical honest feedback. Of course, preferably, such people should have been to business schools or should know the essay process thoroughly; But if you don't have access to such people identify intelligent and well-meaning friends.
I am lucky to have graduated from a school in India where my friends are not just critical but brutal. From the very first year of college, we have destroyed each other at every given chance only to see everyone emerge as better persons. So, I don't have a problem in the department of recruiting "critical" readers; I hope you don't have any problem too.
2. Making every word count: Never will you have to make each word count as in your business school essays. The canvas being so tiny, not just each stroke bu each pixel matters. Fluff words have no place. If you think you are having to resort to fluff to fill up space, go back to the drawing board and introspect further. Redundancies are completely forbidden.
3. Personalization: It is important that a majority of the sentences that you use be "personalized"; This means that every sentence should be such that only you could have written it and no one else - Generalizations if necessary must be back up evidence.
4. Outline: Make sure you write an outline before starting an essay. My steps have been as follows:
a. Introspect and write down all possible events, anecdotes, thoughs on an essay. Then choose the best.
b. Create an outline of the essay - 3-4 lines per paragraph
c. Expand on the outline in a brief manner to capture essential thoughts.
d. Write your heart our for each outline
e. Prune ruthlessly
f. Adjust for style and grammer
g. Finalize and send for review.
h. Repeat from step a or b or ... or f as per review.
Fourth School
I have decided to drop the idea of applying to a fourth school in Round 1. I do have time but it will be a little tight as I have not started working on my 3rd priority school yet whose deadline is first week of October.
It just does not make sense to turn in a half-hearted application. I am not completely "into" my fourth school and onwards whereas I am right now passionate about the first three schools. Therefore, I am going to put my heart and soul into the first three and worry about others later.
Recommenders
I have not been managing my recommenders too well till now. I did recruit them quite early and got them invested in this process and provided them with general tips, samples, essays, etc. I feel I will need to be more proactive and get the recommendations finished in time.
The need to proactively manage recommenders is another reason why I am dropping the fourth school.
---------
Whew, that was a lot. Cheers to all !
I have been writing and re-writing my essays, discarding multiple drafts, and pruning my essays to the hilt. Given my disinclination to essay writing, I always thought writing 600 words would be a tall order - How would I fill so much space? Now, the problem is the reverse and I am struggling to fit my life into the tiny canvas provided by the various schools.
Some thoughts
1. Critical readers: Make sure you identify people who can review your essays and give you critical honest feedback. Of course, preferably, such people should have been to business schools or should know the essay process thoroughly; But if you don't have access to such people identify intelligent and well-meaning friends.
I am lucky to have graduated from a school in India where my friends are not just critical but brutal. From the very first year of college, we have destroyed each other at every given chance only to see everyone emerge as better persons. So, I don't have a problem in the department of recruiting "critical" readers; I hope you don't have any problem too.
2. Making every word count: Never will you have to make each word count as in your business school essays. The canvas being so tiny, not just each stroke bu each pixel matters. Fluff words have no place. If you think you are having to resort to fluff to fill up space, go back to the drawing board and introspect further. Redundancies are completely forbidden.
3. Personalization: It is important that a majority of the sentences that you use be "personalized"; This means that every sentence should be such that only you could have written it and no one else - Generalizations if necessary must be back up evidence.
4. Outline: Make sure you write an outline before starting an essay. My steps have been as follows:
a. Introspect and write down all possible events, anecdotes, thoughs on an essay. Then choose the best.
b. Create an outline of the essay - 3-4 lines per paragraph
c. Expand on the outline in a brief manner to capture essential thoughts.
d. Write your heart our for each outline
e. Prune ruthlessly
f. Adjust for style and grammer
g. Finalize and send for review.
h. Repeat from step a or b or ... or f as per review.
Fourth School
I have decided to drop the idea of applying to a fourth school in Round 1. I do have time but it will be a little tight as I have not started working on my 3rd priority school yet whose deadline is first week of October.
It just does not make sense to turn in a half-hearted application. I am not completely "into" my fourth school and onwards whereas I am right now passionate about the first three schools. Therefore, I am going to put my heart and soul into the first three and worry about others later.
Recommenders
I have not been managing my recommenders too well till now. I did recruit them quite early and got them invested in this process and provided them with general tips, samples, essays, etc. I feel I will need to be more proactive and get the recommendations finished in time.
The need to proactively manage recommenders is another reason why I am dropping the fourth school.
---------
Whew, that was a lot. Cheers to all !
Cool post. I am still struggling to complete my first two. All the best for your apps.
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