Moving on to the next step! You've taken the GMAT or GRE or will be soon and now you want to start writing your MBA essays or Masters cover letters. Should you just jump right in and start writing them? Probably not. One of the biggest problems that I've encountered with students is that they choose the wrong things to write about and then we have to start one or several essays over from scratch. So before you start writing your essays make sure that you've spent some time really thinking about your answers so that you highlight the stories that the programs are looking for. What are the business programs looking for you ask ? Generally, they look for several characteristics that make you special, intertwined with four main pillars:
1) Intelligence- Are you creative, academically talented, and a good learner ?
2) Leadership – Have you taken charge of a group of people or projects ? Have you gone above what is generally expected ?
3) Teamwork – Are you someone that other students would like to be working with at 3 am in the morning ? Do you bring positive attributes to the group ?
4) Maturity – Do you know what you want to do after your MBA / Masters program and does it make since with what the school offers ?
With those four ideas in mind, make sure that you answer the questions that are being asked (if they have given you explicit questions). If you're writing a cover letter and they haven't given you any direct questions to answer you should talk about a couple stories from the past that highlight the four points above, link these stories with what you want to do in the future, and then tie everything together by talking about how the school will help you achieve your goals and what you will do for the school in return. For some more advice on how to start you essays watch the video below
