C. Answer the Questions

Admissions officers spend a lot of time and energy determining exactly which questions they want to include in the applications every year. They want to know certain things about each applicant; about his experiences and achievements; about his personality and ethics. If they don't get the answers they want, they don't admit the applicant. It's as simple as that. At schools where they interview candidates who are on the bubble, the interview is designed to elicit answers not supplied by the applicant in the application. Why not supply those answers?

Of course the adcoms create their own problems when they design unwieldy questions. Witness a doozy from Michigan: "When and how should personal or social values influence the decisions of business leaders? Please explain how personal or social values have influenced a business decision in which you were involved. Alternatively, evaluate a recent decision of a business leader and how it aligns with your own personal and social values."

This compound question, including an opening "theme" and then two choices for the applicant, may be intended to screen out lazy or inattentive applicants. Even if it was not designed for that purpose, it will have that effect. Just look at it. Are you supposed to answer the first question? Not exactly. And what does it mean exactly? How do personal or social values influence business decisions? What are personal or social values? And then, the first statement following that question. What do they mean by "a business decision in which you were involved"? Is it a decision that you made or that you were affected by? Probably it is best to choose to answer that question/statement combination, as it elicits a response based on personal experience, whereas the second choice is more impersonal.

Luckily, most questions are much simpler, if still difficult to answer. The most common question is akin to Stanford's "What are your short-term and long-term career aspirations? How will an MBA education further your development? Why does the academic experience offered at GSB appeal to you?" In other words--why the MBA? Why now? Why here? The answers to all of these questions are crucial to your chances of admittance. In the case of Stanford, you must include answers to all of these questions in one long essay. At Chicago GSB, it is split into two questions.

A typical response to this question would go something like this. "Here is how my career has been progressing. Here is where I am right now. This is where I want to be in five years. This is where I want to be in the longer term. I have the following gaps in my skills/talents/knowledge/ability that will keep me from my goals and I need the MBA to close those gaps. It will close the gaps in the following ways. Stanford, in particular, has these features that make it more likely that I will be able to pursue those goals." The challenge is to discuss your "gaps" while still making it clear that you are mature enough for the MBA experience; that you are bringing something to the table; that your peers will also learn from you.

Another difficult question, from Columbia: "If you could change one decision you've made, what would it be and why?" The adcom is attempting to understand a couple of things about you: how you've made career decisions (i.e., how will you make career decisions in the future) and whether you have the maturity to evaluate your past thoughtfully. The difficulty is that a lot of applicants haven't really made any major career-oriented mistakes yet, and if they have, they are loathe to talk of them. This leads a lot of applicants to approach the question from a personal angle, which then runs the risk of seeming too inconsequential. "That is the one decision you wouldn't have made?? What's the big deal?" The weak responses are those that are too vague (e.g., "I would change my decision to not become more involved in the community") or too personal ("I would have ended my long-distance relationship with my ex-girlfriend a lot sooner"). It is better to come up with something having to do with your career-and also better to pick something specific. "I got off to a rocky start with my boss. I would change how I initiated that relationship." Or "I wish I had pursued a transfer to the home office after my 2nd year, because it would have allowed me to do X, Y, & Z." You should have valid reasons for making the original decision, too. I don't envy your having to answer this question…

If I had space here to speak to all of the challenging questions in this year's applications, I would, but here are a few brief thoughts on some of the biggies.

Harvard #3 (similar to Wharton #4, Kellogg #4C, among others): Describe a situation when you questioned your values and/or beliefs.

Many applicants wrack their brains trying to remember any situation where their values were thrown into question. Plus, no one wants to admit even considering flouting ethical standards or core values. One good approach is if you can come up with an example where two important values came into conflict--maybe career and family; or friendship and loyalty to an employer; or loyalty to boss vs. career advancement (to his detriment). Applicants should hesitate to take this question in an overtly political or religious direction, though it is possible to create a good essay with those themes. No matter the topic, it is important to give the adcom a real sense for your internal struggles and what you learned from the situation.

Wharton #4: Please identify and explain what you would consider the weakest area of your application.

You can read this broadly to mean "weakest area of your case," or narrowly as "weakest area of the physical application." I think the broad reading is more appropriate and allows for more choices and introspection. The mistake many applicants make with questions like this is when they attempt to couch a strength as a weakness. The admissions officer who reads your application will probably already know what your weaknesses are--so you aren't giving anything away by pointing to one. They are looking for maturity and self-awareness. It would be appropriate to address your biggest weakness head on, instead of trying to hide from it. If it is your GMAT score, talk about it and your struggles to improve it. If you have only worked for two years, write about what you may be lacking, but also write about how you have tried to compensate for that lack of experience-about what else you are bringing to the table. Be honest and straight-forward on this question, or THIS ESSAY will be the weakest part of your application (and don't respond "This essay is the weakest part of my application"--that's a juvenile response).

Chicago #3: If you could be present at any event in time, what would it be and why?

A lot of applicants think that they would have a unique answer if they mention something happening in the future. Sorry, but this is not original. You can take that tack, but you still have to nail it. The important thing here is to be specific. Pick a specific event, whether it is in the past or future, and then involve yourself in it. Don't make the essay about the event, but instead make it about your interaction with that event. Are you an actor or are you just impacted by it? The admissions committee is just trying to get to know you better. They are interested in what you consider to be important. You can feel free to make this a fun essay about a fun event--like the invention of champagne by those monks in France, or the "invasion" of America by the Beatles. But then don't turn that fun event into a dry, banal essay. Be creative. "I'd put myself on the Shuttle team three months before the Challenger explosion to try to fix the problem." Or, "I would ride around Illinois watching every Lincoln-Douglas debate." Or, "I would witness the landing of Charles Lindbergh in Paris in 1927."

MIT #1: Please give an example of an impact you have had on a person, group, or organization.

This is actually a question that a lot of schools want answered, even if they don't ask it directly. You can talk about work, you can talk about community involvement, or you can talk about one individual whom you have mentored or helped in a significant way. Start by setting up the situation. Describe the person, group, or organization, in the absence of your involvement. Then, how did you become engaged? And what was the impact--is it quantifiable? If it is just qualitative, make sure to give the reader a real feel for the effect of your actions.

Stanford #1 (like Columbia #4A, Haas #1): What matters most to you, and why?

This is probably the most difficult question for many applicants, because it is so wide open. What does matter most to you? The best responses to this question are focused and personal. The other Stanford question asks you to discuss your career and professional life, so it isn't necessary to go in a professional direction with this question (though if what truly matters to you most is that you live up to your potential in your career, so be it). I would recommend spending maybe 750 words on this question, if you can remained focused. What does "focus" mean in this context? Maybe instead of "family" it is "remaining close to my extended family, even as my career takes me further away from them and from their world." Maybe it is "engaging in the community constantly and consistently on one or two key issues," as opposed to "being active in the community." Or it could be "maintaining a commitment towards learning and intellectual growth in my personal and professional life." A good start for the "intellectual growth" essay would be to talk about a recent class you've taken in your free time and then discussing the difficulty in finding the time to read, study, and think, given your work schedule and family constraints. Then tell why it is important to you to keep trying--what is it you get from that personal growth? Why does it satisfy you? How will you balance your life to make sure you continue to improve your intellectual life? Of any question, this is one that requires you to give some thought to its structure before you start to write.

These questions, like many others, require a great deal of thought. What do they mean? What do they want to hear? But don't forget to tell them what you want to tell them. You have a story to tell. You have accomplishments and achievements. You have been a leader and a team player. You have had an impact. They want to know about these things. Remember when you had a U.S. History test in high school and were asked a question like "Describe Patton's greatest battle in World War II?" and you didn't know the answer, but you did know lots about Patton, so you wrote an answer that just talked about Patton. This was better than nothing, but your teacher probably didn't give you many points. Admissions officers are a bit more forgiving. They really want to know about you and your abilities. If their question does not directly address one of your achievements, acknowledge their question but shift it a bit towards the answer you really want to give. It will be okay!

Once you've got the content in place, you must turn to the language itself. Grammar, syntax, diction, and flow are all critical components of good writing. While admissions officers may not be consciously looking for errors, they will subconsciously be affected by them. Some will be turned off by one grammatical mistake. You must get this right--a typo may not kill you, but why take the chance? Taking a pass through your own work is important, but you must get some help. Writers miss their own mistakes, even where they might catch the same mistakes in the work of others.

But it's not just about correcting mistakes--it's about making the essay better through choice of words and flow. This is where your default editor--maybe your work colleague or spouse--will probably fall short. You can also consider getting professional help from an advisor who has experience improving the work of even the most talented writers.

In the best of all possible worlds, you would have a true thought partner from the beginning with whom you can discuss ideas and share drafts; this person can help bring out the best in you. This is where Brody Admissions can make a big difference in the quality of your application. Let us know if we can be of help.

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