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ISB Essays and essay tips 2006-2007:

ISB Essay 1 Tips

What, in your opinion, makes you distinct from other applicants to ISB? How will that add value to other students and ISB? (300 words max)

What is your USP (Unique Selling Proposition, but most B Schools call it “diversity”!), what makes you different, why should ISB bother talking to you when there are a hundred other applicants with a comparable GMAT score or work experience or whatever? Your job is to answer these questions in this essay.

This essay tells the admissions committee how desirable a candidate you are for ISB. This is where you “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 what sets 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.

Even while working out the first part of the essay you should have the second part in mind. The differentiation and the value to ISB both require you to have some knowledge of ISB and the average ISB student profile (research time!). Enough information is available on the web for you to start off with a good idea of both aspects.

In addition to integrating both the essay sections all you need to do (!) is to portray a convincing picture of a person who can add definite value to ISB. Put extra effort into this essay but don’t overdo it because we are only at the first essay in a series. Make sure that you leave enough room for the points mentioned in this essay to be buttressed by the other essays – especially Essay 2 (not difficult) and Essay 4 (difficult but very rewarding if done well).

ISB Essay 2 Tips

What are the three things about yourself that you would like to change? Why? (300 words max)

If you are thinking that this is yet another strengths=0, weakness=100 essay, remember that even a weakness essay does not have to be about weaknesses.

Once again the person most qualified to give you clues to this essay is the one you see in the mirror. Ask yourself what you consider to be your main areas of improvement. Look at personal and professional situations and find out which characteristics or qualities you most desired or lacked. You could refer a few past appraisal forms at work and pick some you felt were relevant.

And ensure that these weaknesses are those that you can eradicate or improve upon, and also that the weaknesses are not severely debilitating: the purpose of this essay is not to convince the ISB admissions committee that you are thoroughly unfit to be a part of the institution.

Perhaps you can tie in parts of Essay 1 into this essay to show the admissions committee that you are already improving in some areas. You can also use Essay 1 to emphasize areas where you passionately committed.

If you are confident (or have the guts) you can look at the question from an entirely different angle and talk not about changing your qualities or traits but about your history and your actions. You could consider revising an action on your part (how doing it differently might have changed your life) or a reaction to an event or even some occurrence. But be warned, this is a risky approach, and if not done extremely well, may end up taking attention from the main aspects.

ISB Essay 3 Tips

You are applying to your dream job after ISB. Please prepare a cover letter accompanying your CV. (300 words max)

This is a “what is your post-ISB goal” question packaged beautifully. So having a clear goal in terms of job profiles and companies for your first post-ISB job is imperative.

In fact it is preferred that you be very specific, both about the company and the designation, after all it’s your dream! So why don’t you make a good thing of a liability and really write that dream letter as if it were true (maybe it will be).

The purpose of any covering letter is to introduce you as a serious candidate for a particular job. Present your qualifications – experience, skills set, attitude, academics (including ISB) – that make you an ideal for your dream job.

Tell them why you want that job, how long you have wanted it (certainly even before you joined ISB!) and what (and how) you can achieve if given the job.

And last, but certainly not the least, let the cover letter talk about the ISB PGP and how it has been useful in preparing you for the job in question. If possible bring a hint of the difference between your pre-ISB and post-ISB selves.

ISB Essay 4 Tips

You are part of a team which has been assigned a project with a tight deadline that is not extendible. One of the team members fails to deliver on the part of the project assigned to him at the fag end of the project despite his assurance. All the other members of the team have performed flawlessly and completed their parts. There is no way that the project can now be completed even if all the team members provide their utmost help. Appropriate punishment has now to be meted out by the management. The team member is willing to own up his shortcoming and shoulder the responsibility. Should all the team members share the responsibility for failure equally or should they allow that particular team member to get all the blame and punishment? Take a firm position on the issue and support your stand with relevant arguments. (300 words max)

I love this essay question. But none (barred none) of the ISB applicants I know can even look at this essay without distaste, discomfort or sheer terror.

I admire this essay because it forces you to take a stand and there are few things more difficult than to take a call when it could easily swing either way.

But this essay can also be the ace in the essay package: it not only gives you a chance to talk about leadership, failure, teamwork and decision making, but also gives you a context to place them in.

Present your case as fits your personality and your convictions. Do not try to be facile: this is the easiest to be caught out in a false position (probably through a conflict in another essay or perhaps the recommendation letter).

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

Go for it!

ISB Optional Essay Tips

Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect consideration of your application to the PGP (300 words max) Optional

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.

ISB Scholarship Essay Tips

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

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

The scholarship essay can essentially take two approaches – merit based or need based.

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 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.

Present your ISB scholarship essay as a combination of the above two.

Go for it!