MBA Application Tips: Essays

[MUSIC PLAYING] Hi everyone.

In this video, I'll walk you through the essays section of the application.

We ask you to respond to three short essays in an effort to learn more about your passion for business, leadership, and growth.

This is your opportunity to share meaningful or formative experiences that are important to you.

The best advice I can give you for the essay portion is to give yourself some time and some space to really reflect.

Don't rush the process.

Use your best judgment, and be as clear and precise in your writing as possible.

And remember, answer the prompt directly.

The most helpful essays are additive.

They build on the rest of the written application or share new information.

Sometimes we receive essays that are basically a paragraph version of your resume.

This just doesn't add much to your application.

Another tip is to make sure the essays are about you.

After you've written an essay, ask yourself, could this essay also describe someone else?

If so, your responses are likely not personal enough to add to your overall application and you likely need to do some more introspection.

Be authentic.

Be yourself.

One final thought-- we know it can be tempting to write, rewrite, and rewrite again.

Just be careful in all that refining that you don't edit out your personality.

And remember, your essays are just one element that we consider in the context of the overall application.

For more information, visit our Application Process page or follow us on Instagram, @HBSadmissions.

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