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ISB MBA Essay Tips (2007-2008)

First get the basic principles right and then move on to the ISB essay tips for 2007-2008.

ISB Essay 1 Tips

The ISB culture stresses on a diverse mix of students; life at the ISB is a unique experience for the students. How will your candidature contribute to this culture at the ISB? (300 words max)

Every leading Business School looks for the factors that make you different, that make you unique, that make you distinct. In fact the primary purpose of the MBA essays is exactly that - to uncover your USP (Unique Selling Proposition, but most B Schools call it “diversity”!) and understand what makes you different.

The question that is asked here is - why should Indian School of Business Hyderabad bother talking to you when there are a hundred other applicants with a comparable GMAT score or work experience or academics or whatever? Your task in the ISB Essay 1 is to answer this question.

Attempt in this essay to “bring in an authentic differentiation, present a genuine face” and then give the admissions committee some solid reasons for wishing to see you. Give short (300 words cannot support long stories) example if possible. To get info for the essay you should not mind knocking at many doors. Your friends, colleagues and family are excellent sources for giving you obvious answers which you might have easily overlooked. But the person who knows most is always going to be yourself; so think about you at work, play and studies, especially team situations, and uncover the salient points that set you apart. Your achievements, your hobbies, your academics, your personality traits, your passions, your work experiences, your life experiences, your language, your attitudes – sell whatever you feel can sell well.

This essay tells the admissions committee how desirable a candidate you are for ISB. The differentiation and the value to ISB both require you to have some knowledge of ISB and the average ISB student profile (research time!). Perhaps your extensive research on Indian School of Business before your decision to apply, will come in really handy now. If you do not know enough building some knowledge about ISB would be in order. Enough information is available on the web for you to start off with a good idea of both aspects. Alumni are another excellent source of information.

As usual keep in mind that this essay is part of a bigger package and write accordingly. While you are trying to convincingly portray a picture of a person who can add definite value to ISB do not overdo it because we are only at our first essay. Make sure that you leave enough room for the points mentioned in this essay to be buttressed by the other essays – most specifically Essay 3 which requires another portrait of your self.

ISB Essay 2 Tips

A million dollars or knighthood: what would you choose and why? (300 words max)

ISB has a penchant for putting in one question each year simply to terrorize the applicants! Last year it was a decision making question on leadership and accountability. This year the ISB application has another decision making and choice question pitching knighthood versus a million dollars.

But this essay can also be the ace in your essay package. There are very few questions in any MBA essay package that most applicants will get almost completely wrong. Each such question gives you the opportunity to create a well-defined advantage for yourself. This ISB essay is undeniably one such as it is so easy to write a aimless, wandering essay here, that goes nowhere.

By the way, just so knew it, ISB is not really interested in your fictional million dollars or illusory knighthood. Here too, the essay is all about your most favorite subject in the whole world - YOU. So choose what you are going to focus on. Apart from presenting your own attitude and outlook towards ethics, ambition, career and/or society, thus essay, more than in any other area of the ISB application, allows you scope to exhibit your "depth of analysis" and "unique perspective".

Present your case as fits your personality and your convictions. Present it with passion. Do not try to be facile. Be honest, and seem honest.

And what should your decision be? YOU DECIDE – why should I have all the fun?

ISB Essay 3 Tips

You have a new manager who has just joined your organisation. As a part of the handover, the outgoing manager is describing each person reporting to him. How do you think the outgoing manager will describe you to the incoming manager? (300 words max)

Take Essay 1 and put a professional/career face to it, and you have Essay 3. Once more the person most qualified to give you clues to this essay is the one you see in the mirror.

Ask yourself what you genuinely consider to be your main characteristics as a professional. Search for past professional situations to identify qualities that you would like to write about. You can actually go up to your manager (outgoing or not!) and ask him to describe your work, attitude and strengths.

Go ahead and scour the archives for old appraisal forms and pick out points that are relevant and useful. Since ISB Essay 1 looks at the same person, albeit from a different perspective, how you blend these two essays is critical to getting an interesting, non-repetitive essay package ready.

Perhaps for the first ISB is actually laying emphasis on your current job. So concentrating on the recent past is advisable, assuming you have enough to write about. At the same time, let your best qualities and traits as a professional come through in the essays, and try to complete the picture by tying them in with your past professional record.

Make maximum use of stories and incidents that link you to professional achievements or awards. Just tell them why you are good - now what could be easier.

Go for it!

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ISB Optional Essay Tips

Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. Please do not repeat information which has already been stated elsewhere in the application. You may use this to clarify any breaks in education/work, inform about any other item which you think has not been covered elsewhere etc. (300 words max)

Ah.. the optional essay: the essay that you need to work on even if you don’t write it. The main question in any optional essay is to decide whether you need to write it at all. And ISB is quite emphatic that they do not want their time wasted with repetitive information or insignificant details.

In the ISB application, attempt the optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and material strength of your application. Do not submit your ISB optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays. Do not submit your optional essay because you feel the quality of your earlier essays is improvable – in which case redouble your efforts in the earlier essays and leave the optional essay alone.

Use the optional essay to explain shortfalls in your ISB application which you feel are truly detrimental to your candidature. Areas of underperformance (academic or professional or GMAT) or events which stick out (gaps in your resumes or second MBA) or application issues (reapplications) can be commented on if you have an explanation that is intelligent, interesting and credible.

One other situation when the optional essay is acceptable is when you need to describe at length an extraordinarily positive information that CANNOT be accommodated anywhere else in ISB application. In case you find any of the above applicable, note down the options and then consider again if the optional essay is a strong constructive addition to your candidacy. If yes, then start working on the essay.

This year ISB has just 3 essays on which your candidature will be judged. So contrary to my usual position, and notwithstanding all that is mentioned above, I would encourage you to look for really (I mean truly) enhancing perspectives or information that might make a difference to your application.

ISB Scholarship Essay Tips

Why do you think that the ISB Scholarship Committee should consider you for scholarship? (300 words max)

ISB Scholarship Essay Tips

While applying for a scholarship is almost always advisable (you have little to lose and something to gain), writing the Scholarship essay is not. If you cannot write a scholarship essay that ties in perfectly with your application and essay package, and adds some value to it, it is advisable that you don’t attempt it. After all, if you don’t get the admit, you won’t need the scholarship.

Groan! OK, the secret’s out! I do not enjoy writing scholarship essays.

The ISB scholarship essay can essentially take two approaches – merit based or need based. Though merit based ISB scholarships are automatically considered, the base of the need based essay would still need merit

The merit based approach can explain why and how your candidacy is superior to the average ISB candidate’s. It might be a recap of parts of Essay 1 and Essay 3 with additional points which might tie in with ISB’s stated aims. The summary you present here can repeat some information from the mandatory essays because the scholarship decision is separate from your admission decision. The need based approach reviews your financial position and explains the strain that the ISB fees would be on you and your immediate family. If you have more ideas I am waiting to hear them!

Go for it!

2007 ISB essays and tips

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