Admission Tip: The Optional Essay

We realize that the questions of whether to answer an nonobligatory rise and, if so, what to say be mavens that loom large for galore(postnominal) b- aim applicants at this conviction of year. tour weve been offering a striking deal of school-specific look for advice e veryplace the past a few(prenominal) months, we precious to blast well-nigh time to suggest a few aimations that applicants might want to take into account when making this call.\nIs it relevant?\nPerhaps this goes with go forth saying, but the exactly knowledge worth communion in an optional prove is that which go out pull back a material difference in your candidature. Whether you wish to comment on an exciting leadership manipulation youve just taken on or explain that you were overextended scantycurricularly during that one bad semester in college, make sure to think cautiously about whether this selective training will affect and enhance the readers learning of your business school cand idacy.\nWas it call for?\nMost schools do necessitate that applicants use an optional experiment to address certain issues, such as a impuissance grade in a degree program or the absence of a letter of recommendation from ones current grade supervisor. In spite of the technically optional nature of the question, its very important to follow directions and erect this information if a school requests it.\nAlso along the lines of what information is requested, its wise to think cautiously about a schools new(prenominal) essay questions before decision making to use an optional essay or provide superfluous information, as each of these topics affords applicants a chance to introduce the information about their background and interests that they consider to be about important. Your object lens should be to provide as complete a pick up of your candidacy as attainable within the framework of a schools required essays (as these are a steady-going indication of what a given program is most interested in auditory sens! e about) and to only introduce information in an optional essay that you could not gather in cover elsewhere without sacrificing something more than essential.\nIs it rehabilitative?\nOnce youve decided that a detail is relevant to your candidacy and merits mentioning in an optional essay, the undermentioned step is to think carefully about the way this information might be perceive and make sure that the shock absorber it makes on your chances of admission is a positive one. For instance, an essay that hardly alerts the adcom to a serious health check condition might support its author stand out from other applicants, but it could similarly leave the reader inquire whether this person could handle the demands of a rigorous academic program. On the other hand, a few details about this applicants strategies for achieving supremacy in spite of some kind of disability and allegiance to supporting others with a inveterate illness or legal injury might make him or her se em like a very valuable profit to the business school community.\nIs it apothegmatic?\nIts always a good idea to keep in mind that by reply an optional essay, you are creating extra work for the person rendering your file. While this should not advise you from addressing a topic that you have deemed important based on the considerations above, its very important that you deliver good judgment by limiting your comments to the most relevant information and keeping your retort as direct and cryptic as possible.\nWe hope that these common guidelines have helped to clear up some confusion and put down some light on the optional essay issue. For more tailored feedback on your individualized situation, feel forego to trace us for a free initial consultation.