Business School Personal Statement Guide

The Admissions Essay Prep Leader shares essay writing strategies and samples that will help you gain entrance to your first choice business school. For more free essay writing advice and for help with your admissions essay, visit EssayEdge.com.


Whoever first said that you should worry only about the things you can control was not helping to ease the concerns of the student writing his or her application essay. By that criterion, the student-writer should be very worried indeed. The scariest aspect of the admissions essay is that you have total control over it. With EssayEdge's help, however, you will learn to see the essay-writing process not as a daunting obstacle but as a stimulating opportunity. When you send out your application, you will--in theory--have nothing left to worry about, knowing that you have capitalized on all the means available to you.

Business school students face a uniquely difficult challenge, because most programs require a series of essays rather than a single, comprehensive personal statement. This fact alone should indicate the importance that business schools place on your written responses. Part of the reason for this extra required writing is that business schools also place a stronger emphasis on practical experience. Academic ability may still be the number-one factor, but it's not enough to get you into a school, just as it's not enough to guarantee your success in the business world. Business schools pay close attention to personal qualities, including your leadership, communication skills, initiative, vision, and many more. Grades and scores do not explain this side of you, and neither does a resume.

Thus your admission will depend largely on your ability to convey your experiences and goals in written form. Self-assessment is a significant part of this process, as is a careful review of both your life and what you have done professionally. Many successful professionals have simply never had to articulate their accomplishments before and now for the first time must communicate this information in a very clear, concise, powerful manner that is accessible to anyone, even without knowledge of their field. Being able to convey both the substance and significance of one's work life is crucial for all applicants.

These lessons will familiarize you with the most common questions on business school applications and explain some possible strategies for handling them. However, there is no single way to approach any of these questions, as they are often open-ended and leave a great deal of room for creativity. In fact, browsing a section for a question you don't have can still be useful,because you might discover a strategy that you can apply to an entirely different question.

Our goal is to focus on actual essays rather than make abstract suggestions, because you can learn more from illustrative examples than from principles that may not apply to your case. The insights we gain from analyzing these sample essays should inform rather than dictate the approach you choose to take.

The number-one mistake that writers make is to stick to formulas and, therefore, end up blending in with everyone else. The purpose of this guide is not to teach formulas but rather to give the necessary direction for you to create an original and effective essay.