Please Follow the Word Limit! - 工管

Please Follow the Word Limit!

In the past, MBA application essays did not have word limits and applicants
could write 2,000+ word essays if they pleased. But as MBA applications
exploded in the 21st century admissions committees were forced to limit the
length of essays. The current trend is that MBA admissions essays are
getting shorter and shorter, (for example, Wharton has reduced their essays
from a total of 2,200 words in 2010-2011 to 1,500 words in 2011-2012)
challenging applicants to explain how multidimensional, talented and
interesting they are in a limited amount of space.

Many MBA applicants, full of ideas and enthusiasm, struggle mightily to
squeeze their arguments and experiences into the essays and often feel that
they must exceed the word limit in order to persuasively tell their story.

My advice on this issue is simple: NEVER EXCEED THE WORD LIMIT.

Anyone who is considering whether they should exceed the word limit on their
MBA essays should consider the following points:

- Submitting essays that are over the word limit is a sign of carelessness

Adcom members have the exhausting job of reading hundreds of essays each day
during the busy application season and want to fairly allocate adequate time
to each application. Your goal is to make a connection with them and create
a memorable profile. By exceeding the word limit, you take a serious risk of
creating the impression that you are unprofessional, careless and cannot
follow simple directions. After spending months preparing for GMAT and TOEFL
and paying expensive application fees is the risk really worth it?

- The essays are a test of your logical reasoning and communication skills

You will need to communicate clearly and precisely to be an effective
business leader and the essays test your ability to focus on an issue, and
lay out your analysis in a direct and persuasive way. The reason many people
struggle to meet word limits is because they have included irrelevant
information that has nothing to do with the question and does not reinforce
key points. Remember, higher word volume will not make the essay better - but
crafting clear, concise and direct arguments will.

- The essays are a chance to market yourself

The MBA application process is like a job recruiting process; you have to
demonstrate to Adcom that you know how to market yourself effectively.
To do so, you must express your core value and explain why you are a perfect
fit for the program. By taking the time to craft a careful message within
the word limit, you show Adcom that you clearly understand your value and
will likely be a strong employment candidate in the future.


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David Johnston
[email protected]
www.transcendadmissions.com
phone: 027042118


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