Things move quickly in the world of business; customers and managers are busy and impatient and need to digest information — whether it is an email, proposal, report or follow-up question — in a clear and concise way. Since this is a key skill required to succeed in business settings, it is no surprise that business school admission teams want to evaluate the ability of MBA applicants to make their points succinctly. It’s becoming increasingly common for business schools to ask one or more shorter essay question of 300 words or less.
Here are a few actionable tips that will help you take a strategic approach to writing short essays.
- Make sure you understand the question.
Since short-form essays leave absolutely no space for needless ideas, you must grasp the essence of the question and dedicate every available word to answering it. This sounds obvious, but a striking number of applicants miss the point of or fail to answer a key part of the question and give a disappointing or incomplete answer. Before you start writing, slow down, closely read the question, and highlight key words. To make sure your answer speaks to the point of the question it is important to note if the question has a single focus or if it is asking for multiple pieces of information.
Consider this question:
What might you contribute to the program, both as a student and afterwards?
This question’s focus is what the applicant will add to the program/community as a student and as an alumnus. In an essay of 300 words or less, you’ll want to make room to talk about how you will add value as a student – by participating in social clubs, for example – as well as after you graduate – possibly by hosting networking events or mentoring younger alumni.
- Make your point.
Short essays leave little room for creative writing or overly descriptive language, so it’s wise to identify the central takeaway you want the reader to get from your writing. If possible, this should be a single sentence that answers the question directly. In many cases, it’s advisable to start your short essay with this sentence. By leading with a direct answer to the question, you’re leaving no room for the reader to misunderstand or miss the point of your answer. Clearly stating your answer at the outset also sets up the opportunity to write clear supporting points.
For the question above, a strong first topic sentence might look something like this:
As a person whose career has benefited greatly from the connections I’ve made, I look forward to setting up networking events on campus and later acting as a mentor for younger members of the alumni community.
- Select the right supporting points.
Because space is limited, each word and each sentence must be as impactful as possible. After you have broken down the question and decided on a central takeaway, make a list of concepts and ideas that match it. The supporting points should persuade the reader of the quality of your main takeaway. You will probably have too many ideas at first; consider which ideas speak to the point of the question and your key takeaway most directly. Eliminate those that are tangential to your story or point and stay highly focused. Statistics, quantitative or monetary values, leadership or event planning experience, and working for social causes are just a few examples of supporting info you may want to draw on, depending on the point you are trying to make.
Again referring to the example from #1 above, your supporting information might focus on a club you started as an undergraduate student and a great growth experience you’ve had as a mentee.
- Wrap it up.
Short essays don’t offer much of a chance to create a story arc that includes an introduction and a conclusion, but there still must be a final statement. There is often an opportunity to close the essay with a future-looking statement that helps to express your goals, values, and/or fit for the program. To wrap up using our example above, you might refer to a school’s already world-famous alumni network or note that you intend to work in partnership with the university’s career center for your mentoring.
[Conclusion]
Short essays are particularly challenging because they offer limited space to explain little but meaningful details or use narrative flourishes. But by following these tips, anyone can write concise, effective essays. In closing, take the time to understand the question clearly, settle on a main idea, and then express that idea in a purposeful way and support it with pertinent, persuasive facts and details.