Top Three Essay Mistakes To Avoid

One of the most common mistakes applicants make when writing their MBA essays is not addressing the essay question to the point. Many students get caught up in telling their life stories or highlighting achievements that may not align with the question. But, MBA programs seek specific qualities in candidates, and each question evaluates different aspects of potential, such as leadership, problem-solving, or career vision. In this blog, we will highlight top three MBA essay mistakes that students commonly make along with tips to avoid those errors.

Common Ways Students Make Mistakes in their Essays

1. Over-sharing personal stories: 

While personal experiences can add depth, they should always be related to the question asked and should reflect your mentioned qualities. Keep it short and simple.

Tips for Staying on Track

1. Break the asked question into smaller questions to understand what is being asked. 
2. Before diving into the essay, create a brief outline. This ensures that you stick to the question throughout your writing.

2. Lack of Clarity and Structure

Lack of clarity and structure is the most common essay mistakes. A clear and well-organized essay can make a powerful impression on the admissions board. It is often seen that students lose clarity in the middle of their essays while trying to club up many points. Do not try to beat around the bush.

How to Achieve Better Structure

1. Use a Standard Essay Format: Begin with an introduction that presents your thesis or main argument. Follow with body paragraphs that each focus on a single point, supported by examples. End with a conclusion that ties everything together.
2. Outline Before Writing: Make a draft outline before you start writing the final essay. This shall help you to stay within your point of focus.
3. Be Intentional with Transitions: Use transition words and phrases like to connect ideas smoothly.

Practical Tips for Clarity

• Use Simple Language: While complex vocabulary might seem fancy, admissions officers are more impressed by simple language.
• Get a Second Opinion: Having someone else read your essay can reveal areas where your argument or structure is unclear.
• Edit: After writing your first draft, make sure to edit it to make it more polished. Focus on making every word count.

3. Overuse of Clichés

MBA admissions committees read thousands of essays each year, and one of the quickest ways to lose their interest is by using clichés. Clichés like “I want to change the world” or “I’ve always been passionate about business” don’t reveal anything unique about you as an applicant. These are admissions officers want to understand your personal journey, what drives you, and how you can contribute to their program. Generic statements can make your essay blend in with the rest, rather than stand out.

Common Clichés in MBA Essays

• “I’m passionate about…”
• “I want to be a leader in my field”
• “I want to give back to society”

Tips to Avoid Clichés

1. Make your essay specific to you. For example, instead of saying, “I’m passionate about entrepreneurship,” describe a moment when you took an entrepreneurial risk and how that experience shaped your career goals.
2. Support your statements with evidence from your experiences. If you want to demonstrate leadership, highlight a project where you led a team to success, using real metrics and outcomes.
3. Describe your experiences in your own words. This reflects your ability to communicate clearly and originally.

By avoiding clichés, you allow your unique voice and story to come through, making your essay far more compelling to the admissions committee.

Conclusion

An essay is the tool that can confirm your MBA seat. Writing a successful MBA essay is about telling your story that aligns with the values and expectations of top MBA programs. Every section of your essay reflects your potential as a future business leader.

We help our applicants with all kinds of MBA essay assistance during the application process. If you want tailored advice, feel free to hop on a 1:1 profile evaluation call with our experts, where we’ll dive deep into your profile and help you craft a winning MBA essay.