2006 Great Application Essay for Business School Admissions Chat with Paul Bodine

Please feel free to let us know if you would like to be informed of future chats by sending e-mail to chat@accepted.com. We would also be interested in knowing if you would prefer a different format or different topics.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:01:03 PM)
Let's start.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:01:05 PM)
It is with special pleasure that I welcome you all to this chat with Paul Bodine, senior editor at Accepted.com, author of Great Application Essays for Business School, and valued colleague since 1997.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:01:14 PM)
Paul, thanks for coming today. You have participated many times in chats and assisted me, but this is your first time as the "special guest."

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:01:26 PM)
Thanks very much for having me.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:01:30 PM)
Thanks to everyone for joining.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:02:21 PM)
What is the biggest, most common mistake most people make in writing application essays?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:02:50 PM)
If you ask the schools, the adcom will probably tell you it's trying to tell them what they want to hear.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:02:59 PM)
Do you agree?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:03:20 PM)
Yes, I do, but I also think that a lack of details can be fatal.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:03:32 PM)
How should applicants handle weaknesses in their application?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:03:35 PM)
Most applicants don't "dig" deep enough to show how they're distinctive. The best way is to be strategic.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:04:00 PM)
How so?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:04:11 PM)
That is, create themes and deploy stories that counteract the weaknesses. For example, if you your quant score is low you can use your essays to create "evidence" that your quant skills are actually strong, backing it up with credible stories of course. If you think you have a weak leadership profile you can zero in on leadership stories in informal work settings or from your community experiences to counteract the weakness. If your weakness is something specific like bad grades or a criminal record (god forbid) you can use the optional essay to address it directly.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:06:35 PM)
How can applicants demonstrate fit with a particular program?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:07:09 PM)
They can demonstrate it by showing how much they know about the program i.e., referring to SPECIFICS about the program in the essays but also by talking about their personal interaction with the school, conversations with students, alumni etc. Show the schools that you have taken the extra step of seeking out people associated with their program and you'll be doing more than most applicants.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:08:42 PM)
What should applicants do before they start writing?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:08:49 PM)
Think. Think about your goals, reasons for needing the MBA, where your career has taken you, what your major accomplishments are. The key issue is having strong, defined reasons for the MBA; that's the most important question as far as the schools are concerned in my opinion.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:09:55 PM)
What's the best way to start an essay?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:10:05 PM)
By creating an outline. Structure your thoughts first and this will save you time in the end. Most essays consist of an introduction, body paragraphs containing examples (evidence of the claims you make), and a conclusion, of course. The heart of the essay are the examples in my opinion. So think about the 5-6 main stories (professional, community, personal) that you want the schools to know then look for the essay topics that will enable you to use those stories.

jt (Dec 20, 2005 5:12:44 PM)
Hi Paul - I had a small grammar mistake in an essay. Is that a big black mark or will content win out. Just for piece of mind. I think my stories were strong but of course I should have edited more:)

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:13:14 PM)
A small grammar mistake, is not fatal.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:13:15 PM)
Paul, do you recommend a balance of anecdote (or fact) and analysis?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:13:44 PM)
Yes, you need the anecdotes to make your story unique and credible. You need the analysis to show them that you can reflect on your experiences and that you are answering the questions they ask.

miluren (Dec 20, 2005 5:14:04 PM)
Paul, how can I address low writing ability? (AWA 3.5 twice 5) Should I write about this in the optional essay?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:14:26 PM)
Miluren: That depends. Do you have evidence you can provide that your writing skills are better than that score? Keep in mind that your essays themselves can be evidence that your writing skills are better than test scores If you can give evidence that you use writing skills constantly in your work then that may be an argument worth making.

Cnu (Dec 20, 2005 5:15:55 PM)
Should the essay be started with a quotation/description of an incident?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:16:17 PM)
Either a quotation or an incident description are good ways to start an essay but there are many other ways as well. You don't want a quotation that everyone uses

saga (Dec 20, 2005 5:16:39 PM)
Like what?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:16:46 PM)
"I took the road less traveled by."

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:17:14 PM)
You can also start the essay off by making a startling statement to grab the reader's interest. You can start the essay off in a direct theme-statement way if that fits your topic. Quotations tends to be overused. Vivid, imaginatively described scenes are much rarer and can be very effective!

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:17:23 PM)
You can start your essay with a description of a scene, startling statistic, a question.

Jaspal (Dec 20, 2005 5:18:25 PM)
Paul - should we use quotes in the body of the essay?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:19:07 PM)
Quoting some praise that a colleague or boss gave you is a nice way to underscore an accomplishment and make it credible. Not many applicants will go that far.

miluren (Dec 20, 2005 5:19:57 PM)
I am married and my wife is applying to the same b-schools. Do I have to write about it?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:20:44 PM)
Miluren: I don't think it's obligatory but it could improve your chances since schools are sensitive to those issues provided you're both qualified.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:20:50 PM)
Do you agree on that, Linda?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:21:03 PM)
Yes. But you do both have to apply as individuals. Also, you both have to have good reasons for wanting to attend the school without considering your spouse. Your spouse's presence would only strengthen what's already there.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 5:21:45 PM)
For essays that ask to describe a situation, is "storytelling" preferred to just recounting "I did this and that?"

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:21:55 PM)
I think the adcom is open to unusual distinctive people and situations in general. They tend to gravitate toward the distinctive. Yes, but stories don't have to be long flowery literary exercises.They can just be describing an event in three-part terms - Challenge, actions taken and results. That's a story or mini-accomplishment that supports your assertion "I did this" and makes it believable and particular to you. The details you provide not only back up your claims but help you stand out.

donna (Dec 20, 2005 5:23:24 PM)
Is it better to have a common theme for all essays or separate themes?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:24:02 PM)
If you want more of Paul's thoughts on the CAR approach, please see http://blog.accepted.com/acceptedcom_blog/2005/12/9/par-or-car-anyone.html.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:24:02 PM)
If you want your application as a whole to have several theme, such as marketing expert, church leader, guitarist, and international traveler then each essay can support those themes. Which themes get supported in which essays will depend on the question/topics the schools ask.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:24:24 PM)
I like the several themes for an entire application approach.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 5:25:03 PM)
If a school asks about goals and how doing an MBA at that school will help achieve those goals, should I still talk about how my professional experience helps me decide this goal?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:25:30 PM)
Saga, absolutely! Even when schools don't ask for "career progress" I always recommend that you provide it because it makes your goals seem grounded and because it gives you a chance to sneak in some accomplishments!

Jaspal (Dec 20, 2005 5:25:51 PM)
For a given school, with 4-5 essays, is it a good idea to start different essays with different catch sequences (one with a question, one with a scene, one with a quotation ... lest they all start with a question and seem monotonous) - Am I on the right track?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:26:41 PM)
Jaspal, yes, you are on the right track. Mix up it to keep it interesting but avoid being gimmicky.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:27:14 PM)
Your professional experience, by the way, does not have to be the same as your post-MBA goals but it has to *account for your interest in and show your knowledge of* your post-MBA career track.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:28:12 PM)
Paul, do you have any suggestions for handling an ethical challenge essay?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:28:43 PM)
Those are tricky because there is a temptation to look for a story that involves some huge choice like rejecting a bribe, etc. Actually, the adcom prefers ethical stories that are real "gray area" stories.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:30:04 PM)
Where the choices are equally difficult and you have to make a mature, nuanced decision. Those stories can be hard to find but it's almost better to find a story that shows you making a tough choice that involves a downside than a story that makes it sound like you a White Knight who never did anything wrong.

JC (Dec 20, 2005 5:31:03 PM)
Paul, is it a common mistake to use the same set of essays for multiple schools? How can you use the same ideas in the different essays of multiple schools?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:31:41 PM)
It's only a mistake if you reuse them without any changes whatsoever. You have to tweak the essays so they respond to the school's specific questions. Schools don't care if you re-use essays, in fact they assume you do, but you MUST tailor the essay to the wording of the question. For example, some schools will ask for an accomplishment and some will ask for an accomplishment and why you view it as such, so you have to change the essays to respond to the secondary question about the accomplishment's significance. Likewise, some schools will ask for a "failure" while other schools will ask for a failure or disappointment. A story that will work as a setback may not always work as an outright failure. You have to pay attention to the wording of the question.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 5:35:12 PM)
For an essay where I am being asked to talk about my family background and my childhood, do you have any suggestions as to what kind of things I should write about and what I shouldn't write about?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:36:01 PM)
Saga: you need to first focus on the aspects of your family and childhood that are distinctive and/or that most shaped who you are. You want to look at the 'defining moments' or 'obstacles overcome' or details that show what was unique about your upbringing or cultural background. Sometimes in asking that question schools are trying to find out if you are "deserving" of special consideration for the hardships you've faced. Sometimes just answering a family question with a real vivid, emotionally real description of your bond with your family can set you apart from other applicants. You want the values that you refer to when writing about your family and childhood to corroborate the values you are projecting across the whole application.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:38:59 PM)
Saga, I think of that question as a real attempt to meet you as a person in addition to Paul's point about hardships. Where are you from? What's your background?

Lynn (Dec 20, 2005 5:39:16 PM)
Do you have any suggestions for Kellogg's essay #3? Should it be a professional memo, a letter, etc?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:39:18 PM)
Yes, Linda, it can function as sort of a substitute interview.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:39:32 PM)
Lynn: The memo or letter approach can work but it has been done a lot. Perhaps do it as a dialogue between adcom members?

Vik (Dec 20, 2005 5:39:47 PM)
Paul, in leadership essays, will the adcom doubt your experience if you show that you got your supervisor and his supervisor demote? Will this reflect upon your work experience as being negative?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:40:31 PM)
It's not a good idea to show you got your boss demoted! Generally speaking, you want to accentuate the positive in your essays. If they were demoted for some malfeasance that you uncovered that might be interesting but you would have to handle it well.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 5:40:40 PM)
How do you incorporate info about a particular program into an essay, without sounding like you are just putting in details from the school's marketing materials?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:42:18 PM)
Lynn, Kellogg 3 poses one trapdoor hat should be avoided at all costs nd that's pretending that you have no negatives! You want to use Kellogg 3 to convince the adcom that your positives outweigh your negatives but you have to be upfront about the weaknesses so they know you have self-knowledge and can be objective.

Len (Dec 20, 2005 5:44:02 PM)
What about a more unconventional writing style? I feel my diction and writing tend to be influenced much by "new media," and it has drifted to almost a dialogue or blog-like prose than, say, proper standard English. Would that look bad? Would it be a bad approach? I can say that I feel more comfortable writing naturally like this, and it could be more captive for the audience, but having too many parentheticals and informally structured sentences might look weird, right?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:44:27 PM)
Len, the way you just now wrote seemed fine to me. You want to observe the rules of English grammar, but if you have the writing skills to pull it off with some more creative style then by all means give it a try.

donna (Dec 20, 2005 5:44:42 PM)
Sometimes essays can overlap, how do you handle that? For example, asking for both accomplishment and a failure that you changed to success, which could be your accomplishment.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:45:06 PM)
BTW, if you have a blog of your own you had better let the adcom know it somewhere in your application. But first of course make sure there's nothing on the blog that would embarrass you, like saying you prefer one school over another etc.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:46:17 PM)
Donna: I would never tell the same story twice in an essay set. I agree that a failure essay can be used as a springboard to work in an accomplishment. That's a good idea. Overlapping across essays is fine but I would search for discrete new stories to tell in each essay slot.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 5:46:45 PM)
For demonstrating interest in a school, is it important to mention the names of current students or alumni we have spoken to? Does this constitute as name dropping or do schools expect us to mention names?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:47:49 PM)
It could be construed as name dropping and schools do not "expect" you to do it but I think it's a smart way to show that you have done more than surf the school's website. You don't want to just drop the alumni's name; you want to say what they told you that influenced your attraction to their school. The name dropping has to be substantive.

SP (Dec 20, 2005 5:48:20 PM)
Do you have any advice regarding the leadership essays if you don't have any significant leadership experience to write about?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:48:33 PM)
SP, I bet you have some leadership experience somewhere maybe not at work that you can talk about. If you don't then frankly you may not be ready for B-school yet. Leadership is really important. Keep in mind that leadership can be different things - Initiative, consensus-building, mentoring, teaching, even effective team-play can be leadership. It doesn't have to be command and control situations.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 5:49:58 PM)
To add to bsa's question, what about using names of professors or admissions staff in your essays?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:51:30 PM)
IC, as long as you have some substantive reason for mentioning the professor or adcom, then I don't see why not.

Len (Dec 20, 2005 5:51:36 PM)
In terms of telling the adcom about your blog, let them know as it is a negative, like warn them about it or it's positive thing?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:52:02 PM)
I actually don't see that as mandatory.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:52:09 PM)
Len, a blog is a positive. A blog is good because it shows initiative and passion, technology savvy, and writing ability. It could backfire on applicants whose blog is about Satan worship.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:53:11 PM)
As long as it isn't too "out-there."

IC (Dec 20, 2005 5:53:34 PM)
Columbia has an essay that asks what you would do if you had a "free day that you could spend anywhere, in any way you choose." How far "outside the box" can we go with our response to such a question?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:54:15 PM)
I would say its OK to go far outside the box but stay within the bounds of good taste, don't discuss controversial topics, and don't get *too* personal. They are asking for a creative response so be creative. Some people think they are being creative but alas they aren't really. The adcoms have seen a lot.

linska (Dec 20, 2005 5:54:43 PM)
How should I answer questions on my short-term and long-term goals when I'm not sure exactly what they are? I have ideas, but I really wanted to use my b-school experience/internship to determine what those would be.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:55:39 PM)
Linska: That's a common situation so you don't need to be defensive about it in the essays but you really have to give them some ideas of some post-MBA paths you are interested in. In my opinion it's OK to sketch out two alternate paths but I would really recommend fleshing out those paths. Let's say you really don't know what you want to do post-MBA but if you can show that you've been out there doing informational interviews with people in certain fields and you talk about that process in your essays you will be showing that you are taking the post-MBA goal process seriously. It's vagueness and lack of due diligence that's bad in my opinion.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:56:15 PM)
Goals are as much a requirement in MBA admissions as your GMAT.

Vik (Dec 20, 2005 5:56:30 PM)
Wharton has an essays that asks --- Describe a time when you felt a strong sense of purpose in your life. What motivated you? What changes did you make personally and professionally to achieve that purpose? Can you talk about a relationship i.e. a breakup you went thru in your senior year in college and things u did to keep going, etc.?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:58:07 PM)
I would avoid relationship stories. Period. Everyone has them and they are "too personal."

dotted (Dec 20, 2005 5:58:15 PM)
I would like to clarify about alumni names dropping. I have been talking to two very close friends of mine that did media in UCLA and only because of their inspiration and information sharing, I am inspirited to go to UCLA. If I mention their names, will it be viewed as negative? Thanks. I didn't even think of names dropping aspect till this point.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:58:54 PM)
Dotted, I can't imagine how mentioning them could be viewed negatively. Linda, do you agree?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 5:59:03 PM)
I agree. To the contrary, you are better informed about the school, but as Paul said earlier, don't just drop the name, say what about your interactions impressed and appealed to you.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 5:59:40 PM)
You might want to ask them if it's OK to refer to them, but it really shows that you've personalized the school search process.

linska (Dec 20, 2005 5:59:45 PM)
I'm applying to a couple schools with an international focus. They both ask to describe my experiences with international travel. None of it has been for business (all vacation). I'm assuming bs-chools want to see the effect it had on me, but they are so numerous. What major areas do you think I should address? What would be clich?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:00:16 PM)
Linska, anything involving "sightseeing" would be clichd. You want to show that you engaged another culture on some substantive level. That could take many forms but going to tourist sites would not impress.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 6:01:03 PM)
Is it possible to have post-MBA goals that are too specific?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:01:29 PM)
IC, yes, I think that if you convey the impression that you want the MBA for one and only one reason, to advance in one and only one company for example. If you do this, you risk seeming like you are just getting your 'ticket punched' and aren't think dynamically about what an MBA can do.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 6:02:26 PM)
For Columbia, do you have any tips for Essay 3? Can identifying an opportunity be applied to a situation which did not necessarily have a direct monetary impact, but led to better efficiency?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:02:49 PM)
The question is - "In discussing Columbia Business School, Dean R. Glenn Hubbard remarked, "We have established the mindset that entrepreneurship is about everything you do." Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity. (recommended 500 word limit)."

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:03:18 PM)
BSA, yes, I think so, absolutely. "Opportunity" and "entrepreneurship" are broad terms that can be applied in non-new venture and in non-profit arenas.

donna (Dec 20, 2005 6:04:23 PM)
Would it be a good idea to mention "war" if your country was involved in one when you were growing up? I'm from Iran.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:04:23 PM)
This is more an accomplishment or leadership or impact essay than it is a "entrepreneurship" essay in my opinion. Linda, do you agree?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:04:48 PM)
Donna, yes, it could actually help set you apart if you can show how it impacted your development. Having experienced war is a form of "overcoming obstacles" and "challenges," which schools are always interested in hearing about.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:05:07 PM)
Yes. I agree that entrepreneurship in this question is not just about business, but more about a mind set or process.

dotted (Dec 20, 2005 6:05:48 PM)
I have been very busy the last 6 months, so I couldn't visit NYU and UCLA. But I want to submit applications for the Jan. 15th and Jan. 5th deadlines respectively as I am super informed about their media programs. Can I give excuses in my essays on why I haven't visited a school's campus yet? Or, can I put a forward looking statement on when I am planning to visit etc. I hope to make a trip in Feb or March but my application will be already under review then. Please advise. Thanks.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:06:17 PM)
Dotted, I vote for the forward-looking statement.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:06:30 PM)
Me too and I would keep it short. Focus more on how much you know about the schools in question.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 6:07:02 PM)
For UCLA, there is a question about how I have showed leadership and how does it demonstrate my managerial potential. Berkeley had a similar essay on "describe a situation when you have showed leadership." In the latter essay I have tried to show what are the different things I did, which essentially are management components. I was wondering if I could use this essay for UCLA, or do I have to explicitly put a paragraph rephrasing how it demonstrates my potential. In other words, I'm confused as to how direct the answer should be - very explicit or implicit?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:07:14 PM)
If you are applying from Uruguay or Tibet then you have a good excuse for not visiting, but people in the US should try to visit in my opinion.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:07:55 PM)
I definitely agree that visiting is a good idea, especially for US residents, but I don't think it is good to draw attention to the absence of a visit in the essays.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:08:14 PM)
Saga, I believe you have to directly address the "how does it demonstrate potential" part. It can't just be implicit. It doesn't have to be a huge paragraph but you have to directly address that question.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 6:09:17 PM)
If we visited a school and sat in on a lecture, can we talk briefly about what impressed us about that lecture or could this seem like "sucking up?"

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:09:40 PM)
Well, I think the schools expect you to be "sucking up" to them! You have to sound real though. If your answer sounds canned and going-through-the-motions then that hurt so ask yourself whether there really was anything about that class that impressed you!

saga (Dec 20, 2005 6:09:46 PM)
Thanks for answering that. Another related question to UCLA, they describe page limits, like 1 page or 2 pages double spaced, at least 12 font. I will stick to that, but I was wondering, if I could "cheat" by decreasing my margins in Word, so that I get some more space to write? I hope that is not considered unethical, any comments?

Vik (Dec 20, 2005 6:10:09 PM)
Linda, do you think Wharton likes people who want to pursue a PhD later in life. What about Harvard? I am interested in doing it later on. Should I mention it?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:10:35 PM)
I think Wharton's and Harvard's PhD programs love PhD candidates. I don't think that all MBA programs do.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:11:17 PM)
Saga, i don't think that's unethical. You can tweak the margins a bit in my opinion but not so it's too obvious you're cramming words in.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 6:11:20 PM)
I realize that an optional essay should be short and to the point, but if I have to mention a current unemployment position which does not fit anywhere with my career goal progression, can I devote about 250 words to demonstrate what I have been doing during my time off from work? What's the upper limit for this?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:11:34 PM)
Saga, it's been done before. A lot. I don't see any ethical problems with minor margin adjustments.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:12:14 PM)
The word limit on optional essays in my opinion is the average length of the other essays in that school's essay set.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 6:13:50 PM)
Ok, so I can reduce margins to 0.5 inches instead of 1.25 inches on all four sides; is that ok?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:14:18 PM)
If your unemployment has been brief then you don't necessarily have to devote an essay to it, unless you were let go for a cause. Unemployment is inherently a negative so if you focus on it in an essay you better be ready to handle it in a positive, substantive way. Linda, do you agree on this?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:14:50 PM)
Yes. I agree. On the other hand if you are applying while unemployed, you should probably address it and tell the adcom how you are using your time.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 6:15:48 PM)
Actually I have opted to take a break from work and am currently pursuing my personal interests. It will be about 5 months when I apply. I recently moved to another country and though I had an option to move to my earlier company's office here, I declined and opted to do some volunteer work instead.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:16:11 PM)
It's a question mark that they will notice and you don't want them to be left to come to their own conclusions because they may think the worst.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:16:38 PM)
BSA, I would vote for doing something bold then or something that has some major community impact.

linska (Dec 20, 2005 6:17:27 PM)
Most of the schools I'm applying to have an optional essay where you can explain weaknesses in your candidacy. I'm not sure where the balance is between bringing attention to something that may not be a big deal (like an average for that school GMAT score) or something that is (a bad couple of semesters), which I know I should explain. What would you recommend in general for approaching these questions?

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:18:31 PM)
bsa, I suspect this is individual enough of a situation where we probably would need to know the details to know how to advise you.

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:18:33 PM)
Linska, I think you should compare your GPA or GMAT to the school's medians and if they're in the ballpark then don't discuss it but if they're outside it then you may have to. There's very little you can say about GMATs that they'll listen to, but there can be many scenarios involving grades that need explaining.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:18:45 PM)
You could turn it into a big plus or it could be a negative. The details will make the difference.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 6:19:08 PM)
If we took time off from our career for an entrepreneurial experience (that wasn't successful), should we address this anywhere? What if it doesn't really fit in to any of the essay questions?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:19:49 PM)
IC, it depends on whether the entrepreneurship experience impacted your goals. Failure in a new venture need not be a negative. In fact, it can be a positive because you took a chance and presumably were in a senior position at your new venture and saw things that mere cubicle-dwellers don't see.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:20:21 PM)
IC, it may have been financially a failure and still highly educational.

IC (Dec 20, 2005 6:20:35 PM)
It wasn't really related to my goals; it was to help my father set up a business.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 6:21:06 PM)
I understand that. Anyway I can get further advise on this issue?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:21:08 PM)
If it doesn't fit in with your goals and none of the questions are relevant to it then maybe don't mention it. Just put it on your resume and leave it at that.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:22:24 PM)
bsa, just register at http://www.accepted.com/services/register.aspx and mention the chat in the comments box.

Vik (Dec 20, 2005 6:22:34 PM)
Paul: If you established a dot com in your college days, but you are now applying to b-school for social change i.e. projecting as a social worker, would mentioning the dot com be a bad idea?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:23:06 PM)
Vik, it would not be "bad," no, but it may not be relevant, especially if it was back in college. It depends on the quality of your other stories. Ideally, you will have stories since college that are stronger and more goal-relevant so you won't need to discuss a college business.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 6:24:15 PM)
I was just confirming my margins question - if I reduce margin to 0.5'' instead of default 1.25", is that ok (for all four sides)?

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:24:40 PM)
I think 0.5 is too narrow. I would never go wider than 0.75

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:24:43 PM)
Thank you again all for participating today. Special thanks to Paul Bodine.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:24:50 PM)
I was thinking .75.

saga (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:04 PM)
Thanks a lot.

bsa (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:05 PM)
Thanks to you both...

PaulBodine (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:16 PM)
Good luck to everyone!

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:43 PM)
And a last reminder: Accepted.com is selling Paul's book Great Application Essays for Business School. Click on this link to purchase Great Application Essays for Business School AND receive bonuses Accepted.com provides with Paul's great book.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:52 PM)
If you would like an Accepted.com editor to work with you on essays due in January, please contact us ASAP. We still have some availability for early January deadlines, but we are getting booked. For more information on our MBA admissions services, please visit http://www.accepted.com/services/mbaservices.aspx.

Linda Abraham (Dec 20, 2005 6:25:59 PM)
Good luck with your applications! Information about Accepted.com's consulting and Editing Services

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