Graduate programs, especially MBA programs value diversity of ideas and are extremely results-focused. There is no one ‘right’ type of background for MBA programs – in order to create an optimal learning environment the admissions committee aims to fill the class with students from a wide range of industries and countries. The admissions committee simply seeks students who are outstanding and the primary way applicants can to prove that they are outstanding is to provide clear explanations about some of their accomplishments. Stories about key accomplishments will be first delivered in essays and eventually in the admissions interview.
Many applicants struggle to identify and adequately explain their accomplishments. In many cases, applicants have had an experience with a great result, such as completing a project that helped their company save US$250,000 per year – but they fail to help the reader deeply understand why this accomplishment should be viewed as impressive. Other times, applicants fail to see that their stories could be viewed as impressive accomplishments, if explained in the right way.
Stories with an impressive result: Achieving an impressive final result is obviously a great reason to tell a story but there should be much more substance to the story than the final result. Providing an explanation of the challenges that you overcome to get to the result will give the reader some context into specific situation. Explaining challenges faced can also allow the applicant to showcase the creative thinking and skills they applied to find a solution. Most importantly, an explanation of challenges will heighten the drama in an essay and make the story more interesting – and more memorable in the mind of the reader.
Stories without a really impressive result: Even if a story does not have an amazing result (like helping your employer save US$250,000 in one year) it does not mean the story is not worth telling. Sometimes the result of our actions cannot be easily quantified. For example, perhaps you have had a volunteer experience teaching English to children and you created a unique learning method that the children really responded to and benefited from. It might not be possible to quantify exactly how much their English improved, but as long as you can explain that you felt your idea had a positive impact on the children, the volunteer organization, or yourself then it could still be a great story. Always look for ways to explain the impact on others, and also on yourself, such as something you learned or a skill (like leadership!) you improved.
By clearly presenting your accomplishments and the challenges you faced during the process you’ll be sure to help the admissions committee fully comprehend and value them. Of course, if you are having trouble clearly expressing your key stories and accomplishments in your essays, using our Essay Analysis & Editing service would probably pay dividends for your business school applications.