Archive of ISB YLP MBA Essays, Tips, Analysis

First get the basic principles of mba essay writing right and then move on to the ISB YLP Stage-1 and Stage-2 2010-2011 essay tips.

For the young, relatively inexperienced target group, the essays are apt. Very similar to the ISB PGP essays targeting candidates with half decade of experience, I had a feeling that the 3 Stage-2 essays as well as the Stage-1 video might be a little too much for the youngsters. Surprisingly most of the essays and videos that I have seen so far show commendable maturity and poise. So that's a good start! While I feel that the ISB PGP essays are limited in scope for people with work experience, the ISB YLP application essay package offers enough scope students who have yet to enter the business world. While all the essays are standard issue MBA essay prompts, together with the video, the candidate can give an excellent account of herself/himself. Use an early start to clarify your thoughts and grab this timely opportunity.

ISB YLP Stage-1 Essays

ISB YLP Stage-1 Essay 1

If we were to admit one more student to this YLP batch, make a compelling argument as to why that student should be you? (300 words max)

ISB YLP Stage-1 Essay 1 Tips

The real question that is asked here is - why should the Indian School of Business Hyderabad bother with you when there are hundreds of other young applicants with excellent academics or diverse extra curricular activities or whatever? The ISB is seeking your Unique Selling Proposition in this essay. Your primary aim in this essay will be to explain to the ISB Adcom the factors that make you different, unique and distinct.

Since differentiating yourself within the context of the applicant pool will be critical to your candidature, ask yourself what genuinely sets you apart. What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest achievements? What are the characteristics that you believe will differentiate you in a group of high-potential students? What are the qualities that have aided most in your past personal/academic accomplishments? Choose from your achievements, your hobbies, your academics, your personality traits, your passions, your life experiences, your attitude. Market whatever you feel can sell well - and credibly. Whether you want to go with a single theme or multiple reasons - be clear, concise (300 words cannot support long stories) and completely credible.

To write credibly about the differentiation you bring, the value you add to the Indian School of Business and where/why you fit in at the ISB you will require some knowledge of the ISB and the ISB student profile. Create a word picture of a person who can add definite value to the Indian School: not just with who you are today but also visualizing the person who joins the ISB in 3-4 years time.

Give short examples whenever possible. To build the information base 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 you best will always be the one you see in the mirror.

As always, remember that this essay is part of a bigger package and write accordingly. Please take a look at the Stage-2 essays to ensure that the strengths/stories mentioned in this essay can be complemented by you if/when you are shortlisted. Also, try to avoid overlap with the video.

Go for it!

ISB YLP Stage-1 Video

Based on your strengths, how would you add value to your peers in your joining class at the ISB? You could site examples to substantiate your response. (90 seconds)

ISB YLP Stage-1 Video Tips

While your potential might be a critical factor in your admit decision, that potential has to be substantiated by your past and present. Your task here is a make a short audio-visual that compellingly portrays your huge potential through your strengths, past actions and future contribution to the ISB class you may join.

Now that is quite a lot for a 90 seconds video. So focus on your strengths and show apt examples to substantiate them, with the ISB link coming in simply as a conclusion to each strength/example or even as a 10 seconds finale for the video.

Before you start this exercise it will be useful to reiterate to yourself that this is not a short-film making competition. Despite all the "creative" elements of the video - the fundamental aim is still to portray yourself as a credible and attractive candidature to the ISB.

Visuals are a great medium: use them to establish a rapport with the ISB admissions committee. Voice is a great medium too: ensure that your voice modulation is clear and personable.

And don't forget to have some fun!

Go for it!

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essays

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 1

Give a candid description of yourself, stressing on the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses, giving examples when necessary. (300 words max)

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 1 Tips

Make a word portrait of what you are, highlight it with your particular strengths and weaknesses and substantiate them with appropriate examples. That's all we need to do here.

Look back on your life, visualize key events and unearth those characteristics or qualities which you most obviously exhibit (or lack). Ask yourself which characteristics aided or hindered you. Which qualities define you? What are the strengths that your family, friends and classmates admire? What do they/you dislike? Since the greater focus should be on the strengths, focus more on your successes.

Since this is a short essay examples need to be short as well. However examples hugely enhance the impact of any essay - so keep them short, without going into details. Present your qualities, strengths, characteristics in such a way as to make your candidature attractive to the ISB.

Weaknesses: Generally stick to weaknesses you can eradicate or improve upon - after all the purpose of mentioning weaknesses is not to convince the ISB admissions committee that you are thoroughly unfit to be a part of the institution!

Please ensure that the strengths, examples and weaknesses mentioned in this essay are complemented by the content in the other essays. Study each point in this essay in relation to the rest of the essays in your ISB application; your application should be a single unified package without any internal contradictions. For example, we were specifically asked to base the Stage-1 video on our strengths - check if the video complements this essay.

Go for it!

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 2

What is your career aspiration immediately after graduating from ISB? (300 words max)

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 2 Tips

The simplicity of this essay prompt is deceptive. Identifying your future career path when you have yet to start your career can be extremely challenging.

As a first step reflect deeply (if you have not already) on your post-ISB short term and long term goals. What are your dreams? What do you aspire to be? Having understood that, try to isolate practical steps and the career path will you need to take to realize that dream. If working in a sector or a particular function is your dream, clarify why that is the case. Always demonstrate knowledge of that you aim at. Research the goal you seek: read articles, job descriptions and industry reports to keep yourself informed, and to show that you are informed. Of course, any part time work or internship that supports your aspirations will strengthen your claims.

The post-ISB job or a future career goal is why you are taking all this trouble applying to the ISB in the first place. So it is essential that you be totally realistic and as specific as possible while detailing your post-ISB goals. Try to display passion and knowledge about the industry and/or role you are seeking. If your goals are more than ordinarily ambitious write credibly about those qualities, skills or ideas that qualify you to make those goals a reality. The most critical aspect of this section might be to convincingly show that with your skills, intelligence, attitude and aptitude you can make your dreams come true. While credibility, logic and realism are critical the magic element that will transform your essay from a statement into a pledge would be - passion.

This Goals Essay will have to be completed in just 300 words. So be stingy with words.

Go get 'em!

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 3

Please provide additional information, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. (300 words)

ISB YLP Stage-2 Essay 3 Tips

This is an open ended essay that be handled in almost any way you want. That freedom makes it a great opportunity and an immense challenge.

Your first challenge would be to identify a suitable theme for this essay that complements and enhances the two earlier essays. Strong candidates for themes are: Personal Credo and Vision Statement. The first would talk about your philosophy of life and what makes you special (with apt examples). This would be a thematic presentation of YOU Unplugged - credo, tastes, passions, hobbies - uncovering you as an impressive human being. A Vision Statement is welcome if you have a credible, impressive longer term goal that begs further elaboration. Go ahead and detail your long term goals; but only if they are ambitious enough.

Rephrasing the Essay 1 question and highlighting other strengths or even similar strengths with different examples/achievements is yet another approach.

Of course, lacking a specific theme we could also simply list the main accomplishments, qualities and make a collage of key aspects we missed out in the first two essays; that however would not be ideal.

These are just a few of the themes I have jotted down. Please do your own homework to uncover the theme/s that best fit your achievements, life and goals. Shortlist the options and go for the best!

Once you have done this, consider if there are other aspects of your candidature - negative or positive - that might need a mention here. You can address aspects potentially detrimental to your ISB candidature. Areas of underperformance or concern (academic or personal or GMAT) can be commented on if you have an explanation that is intelligent, interesting and credible.

Go for it!