houri

The MIT Cover Letter
Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

Ah, the ol MIT cover letter.

Before we crack this sucker, let’s take a super brief glimpse at the content portion:

• Accomplishments

• Examples of how you had an impact on a group or organization.

Fairly straightforward. But as usual… context is everything here. If the question had said “Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization,” and they gave you 500 words, your approach would be COMPLETELY different.

It’s all about context. All about the medium.

If you’re a magician, and you’ve been thrown into a GIGANTIC Las Vegas venue… you’re not gonna do sleight of hand. It’s wrong for the medium.

If you’re a mime, you’re not gonna perform your greatest act… on the radio. Wrong for the medium.

What’s the right approach for a cover letter then? Well, let’s think about it. What are cover letters used for? More often than not—-> Getting Job Interviews.

They are sales pitches of yourself to get that phone call that goes, “Yeah, we wanna know more.” You’re gonna say JUST the right amount of stuff (not too much, not too little) to get them leaning forward with interest. A great cover letter contains the following elements:

• conveys an authentic passion for “the job/organization”

• conveys clarity in argument for how the applicant FITS with the job/organization

• brandishes confidence… confidence… confidence

• in case I forgot to mention confidence, let me say it now—> great cover letters drrrrrrip with confidence

There are some twists with this one, of course. 500 words? Eeep. That’s a LOT. But we’ll dance. You’re applying to MIT. Not for bschool, not as part of an application, wipe that. You’re applying to MIT, Inc. They have a limited number of seats, you want one. It’s THAT simple. Why should they call you in for an interview?

Go.

This should sound like a starter pistol’s shot. You need to make a pitch for why you are worthy of one of their seats. But not in a desperate way; rather… through a confident, compelling, and engaging pitch. Every company has a THING. If you’re applying to Google, you’re not gonna talk about how you don’t like to think outside the box. If you’re applying to NASA you’re not gonna center your argument around your greatest passion being your stamp collection. Think about what THEY (the companies) are after, right? In this case MIT is a company that’s gonna hire you to perform a job. That job is to get really good. At something. Eventually, you’re gonna leave MIT and make a lot of money. Or innovate in some field, somehow. And either give the school a lot of money as an alum, or do a lot of free advertising through your success everytime it comes up that you went to a little place called MIT for your MBA.

What does that all mean in terms of what you need to write about?

You need to convince them that YOU = FUTURE SUCCESS.

Goals. Dreams. Aspirations…. and some proof that you can pull it off. Hence, the accomplishments request. Now, they want to SEE you in action, so they want to walk them through the way you had an impact on an organization. This is all about what you DID—in terms of actions. Not just bullet points off your resume. Remember, this is NOT your resume right? The descriptions here should be full of action words, easy to picture for the reader.

Hit them with a nice clear, intriguing pitch for your future goals. Talk briefly about a key accomplishment or two. Illustrate your style and impact in an example. Then, as you close, if you’ve done your job correctly… they’re fairly convinced, and now you can cinch it by revealing your passion for the place. This is where I want to be and here’s why. Do NOT do that boring thing of “this class will help me blahh, and this will help me that.” No, make a crisp and EARNEST pitch for why you’re all about Sloan.

Format should be boring and conform to standard, professional business cover letter convention. But the content should make them wet for an interview.

Jon Frank

houri

Booth Essay #1 Analysis – 2010
The flavor-du-jour is Booth’s essay questions released for 2010, specifically question #1. [Be sure to stay tuned as we roll out analysis for all of em, as well as other schools.]

Now let’s dig.

1. The Admissions Committee is interested in learning more about you on both a personal and professional level. Please answer the following (maximum of 300 words for each section):

a. Why are you pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life?
b. Define your short and long term career goals post MBA.
c. What is it about Chicago Booth that is going to help you reach your goals?
d. RE-APPLICANTS ONLY: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application?

We wanna draw your attention to three words:

1. Personal
2. And
3. Professional

Thaaaaaaat’s right. All three. The balancing act is crucial. They wouldn’t have used the words “personal” or “and” if they didn’t mean it. “Professional” they’re gonna get through your resume. That’s a given. Anything impressive you’ve done professionaly will be documented there. [If not, fix it.] Sure, in your essays you’ll be able to put some flesh on the bones to add dimension to your resume bulletpoints, but schools are interested in PEOPLE, not PROFILES. And there are more amazing profiles than there are seats available. Picking cool, interesting, spicy people is where the wheat is separated from the chaff.

What, then, is “personal”? Attitude. Preference. Behavioral tendencies. Personality. We should be able to make predictions about your behavior based on your essays. A guy who succeeds in closing X deal, improving sales by Y%, scores 750 on his GMAT… these are all CRUCIAL pieces of information. But we can’t predict what this guy is like as a person based on those facts.

But… someone who reveals his dreams, exposes a compelling source for his passion, explains the WHY behind his goals, let’s his personality ooze into his writing style… that is someone we can picture. We can make a guess about whether that guy prefers beer or wine. Whether he’s a sports car or sedan kinda guy. Whether he is conservative or liberal. Etc etc.

a.  Why are you pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life?

“At this point in your life” is the operative phrase here. Let’s unravel the assumption. It is assumed that you NEED to achieve something, let’s call it “C.” And that you are currently at position “A.” And furthermore that in order to achieve C, you need to pass through “B” (business school/MBA). We need to know NOT just your reasons for pursuing an MBA… we chose those letters consciously.

We need to see the logic that CONNECTS A to B to C. This is subtle, and most folks MISS this. Without those connections, your 300 word piece will be lacking. Doesn’t mean you need to deliver it in chronological order from A to B to C. Could be that you lead off with C (the vision), then show where you are now (A) and then prove that B is the necessary connector between A and C. But… you have to connect ‘em. In connecting them, you will automatically reveal “purpose” behind your goals… and therefore a window into what you’re all about. See that? Magic.

These cats at Booth are so clever, they’re splitting up the question in this way to make your job easier. Don’t squeeze other essays into this section. You’ll be shooting yourself in the foot.

Connect the dots, gang.

b. Define your short and long term career goals post MBA.

Do NOT try to out-think this section. They want two things. Be direct. Be clear. This is an opportunity to reveal something about who you are simply by watching your ability to deliver these two things simply, and clearly. Sounds easy? It isn’t. Part of what trips people up is the desire to cram stuff in (past work experience, past achievements, the origin story of the goal) — that stuff is all cruuuucial. But Booth is splitting this questions up into bite-sized pieces for a reason. To keep you on track. So do it.

c.  What is it about Chicago Booth that is going to help you reach your goals?

Okay. This section tends to be an unmitigated disaster. The instinct to name-drop is just… epic. And so, so wrong. Hence, the tweaked wording. Booth is doing everything RIGHT in trying to shoehorn you guys into a much more targeted and meaningful response. Think about the wording for a second. What quality/aspect of Booth will help you reach YOUR goals? Not what aspect of Booth contributes to its stellar reputation. There are many. And they are all probably central in terms of why you want to ATTEND Booth, but have nothing to do with how this particular environment will help you get from A to C. It’s NOT why you like Booth. That’s valid and important too, but tells them nothing about what their value is with respect to helping to make you a success.

Start with this assumption:

“I cannot fully realize my goals at the present time.”

Now introduce this assumption:

“I’ve been accepted to Stanford, Harvard, Wharton, and Booth.”

Think about that. You can’t justify that by saying how great Booth is. Stanford isn’t? HBS isn’t? You can’t say that you picked Booth because they have this great class on Finance or Marketing. The others don’t?

Dispense with the sense of what’s better or worse. Focus instead simply on the HOW. How will Booth take you from (1) unable to achieve your goals to (2) able to achieve your goals. Just map out that chemical reaction. Don’t overthink it. Booth will not only appreciate it, they’ll likely be inclined to want to GIVE you that opportunity, WHEN they can see what that opportunity is. Again, most applicants SHANK this!

d. RE-APPLICANTS ONLY: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application?

For re-applicants, change is paramount. Without serious change, there isn’t a great reason to expect a new outcome. The decision to re-apply is PREDICATED on change. It’s not, “let me give it a second shot, maybe I’ll get a different reader.” It’s that “this 2.0 version of me is virtually unrecognizable from the kid who applied last year. And now let me prove it to you.”

The key to this piece is cutting straight to the moment or moments that created that tidal shift in your perspective. Much will be the same. Your appreciation of how great Booth is will be the same. Your career path will likely MOSTLY be the same. Your work experience will be the same. What might change is the urgency of the MBA. Or your readiness for it. Or the extent to which you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunity, given what’s happened since your last applied. Or your sense of how you’re gonna be able to succeed.

Remember, don’t just give us the new take—bring us into HOW it evolved. You’ll kill two birds with one stone that way.

Jon Frank

houri

What Matters Most to You and Why?
Stanford. The famous essay.

This question is awesome. Because it really tees you up to flex several important muscles all at once:

1. Your Soul. That’s the most important one. This question wants to know what matters to you? what makes a difference? if you were to take this one thing away, what would happen, and why is that bad, according to you? — It reveals something very inner-core. While all your essays–everywhere–should address this issue in some way (usually indirectly) this one just ask you, straight up.


2. Your Intellectual Might. At some point, you’re going to need to wax-philosophical. The question wants to know not only what matters to you, but why that’s the case. This couldn’t be a better example of WHAT you say matters less than HOW you say it. You could write your essay on how what matters most is that people pick up after themselves, period. Pretty uncompelling on its own, yes? But, if the WAY your mind goes from A to B to C is interesting and fascinating and it becomes clear that your reasons are genuine, it could be a homerun. Anything can be a homerun. But it’s the deep ruminations this question demands — the intellectual rigor — that are KEY to unearth. Probably you’ll need to spend more time THINKING about this one than any other.


3. There Are Dimensions To You Other Than Business-ness. I know, the temptation is almost unbearable to somehow rope it all into how the thing that matters most to you will make for a more efficient operation. Or yield the highest profits. Or help save humanity, blah blah blah. Rest easy. This is a tremendous opportunity to not even ALLUDE to things-business. Sure, the things that you’re talking about can affect all that, but it should at BEST be implied. This question is far more philosophical in nature than most others. They wanna know what’s important to you? When you strip the world of all the unessential things, what’s the really essential stuff you simply can’t do without? Why? Do not rope business into this, unless it’s central to your theme.

Jon Frank

houri

Why MBA, Why School X, etc. – Part 1

This could easily make for a giant chapter in a book on tackling bschool application essays: how to navigate through the various permutations of:

- Why pursue an MBA at this point in your career?

- How will your education at School X help you achieve you achieve your goals?

- Elaborate on your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at School Y

- What are your reasons for pursuing an MBA?

These are just 4 examples. There are countless others, but mostly they look like that. Now, the most common mistake we see is in the blanket assumption that these questions are all more or less the same. They are, of course, not. Let’s pull it apart and simplify the whole thing……. to expose the complexity. First, I wanna BOIL these down to their core. The four basic categories are:

1. Why do you want an MBA….. AT ALL?

2. Why do you want an MBA….. AT THIS EXACT MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

3. How will OUR SCHOOL…. help………. YOU?

4. Of all the bschools on earth, why are you interested in US?

This is gonna be Part I of a 4-part breakdown of these badboys, identifying the nuance of each, step-by-step. Stay tuned in the days to come for follow-up posts.

First batter:

(1) Why do you want an MBA…… AT ALL?

Frankly, this is something you should ALL know the answer to backwards and forwards. You have goals, you have a solid education, you have work experience. Why BOTHER with this insane expense, and two-year outlay?

Well, there’s the obvious surface nonsense about classes and faculty and networking and blah. But all that stuff is true for everyone. To borrow the words of Max from the Mission Impossible (1996) film… “We’re asking about you.”

Suppose the MBA degree didn’t exist. All schools vaporize tomorrow. MBA bye bye. Further, assume that employers won’t differentiate between MBAs and non-MBAs. Now what? Do your dreams go out the window? No, of course not. You’re still committed to them right? Well, without this 2 year incubator thing, what do you DO to pursue your goals? There’s an answer to it, figure it out. Picture it. Get it straight in your head.

<pause>

Got it? Okay…. Abracadabra. Wallah, MBA programs just came back and are available to you, and now you DO have that option. Compared to your “alternate” plan that you just figured out, why is the MBA degree a much BETTTTERRRRR plan?

Of the two scenarios, the MBA version is BETTER. Explain why. What is it about this degree, this compressed and abstracted form of education, this exposure to other like-minded enterprising peers, this… THING….. that makes for a smart career decision for you?

That whole “imagine if the MBA program vanished” idea is the KIND of device which can be hugely beneficial. Exercises like this can be helpful in moving you away from generalized answers, and more toward crisp, focused… bullseyes.

Stay tuned, and we’ll dig into the remaining three, one by one.

Jon Frank

houri

Yale SOM Essay Analysis

A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership—leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way—is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion? [500 words]
First of all, let me just say that I couldn’t have said it better myself. “Necessarily personal.” Well played, Yale. Any MBA applicant should familiarize him or herself with this paragraph. It is… exactly correct.
Let me take it one baby step further by saying that when MBA applicants can tap into their passions and communicate them clearly on paper—-all sorts of good things will happen, “admissions chances-wise.”
The first important thing is this: you will sound like a living breathing human being. And not just a cog with boilerplate aspirations.
Second, you may just get someone ELSE hot and bothered about your passions because–guess what–passion is contagious. Like it or not. When people get fired up about stuff, others tend to as well. Just by being AROUND it. Think about people who are dubbed great “orators.” Part of it is eloquence, but a bigger part is charisma. Lighting it up. When you tap into your passion, it should be the case that you can’t HELP but get caught up in the whole thing because you’re so fired up about it. Get fired up, and let loose.
Third, we’ll believe you. By making it personal, and drawing a picture of how and where you developed this passion, we will BELIEVE you when you say “when I grow up I want to… blah.”
Those three things are, in a word. good. Do it. But the hardest part in all this, is to unclench… and let yourself get lost in the passion part. Here’s what *I* do, it may or may not work for you. I tune everything out for a little while–I’ll even toss in some earplugs (which I highly recommend… ahh the bliss of shutting out the outside world). Set yourself up in a nice comfy chair with a laptop or some such device. And just———> GO.
Write about what it is you love. And break it all down. Talk to yourself. Ask questions. Write informally. Curse. Do whatever it takes to unlock your normal (formal) writing habits. Stream of consciousness is a phrase I don’t love, but what I’m suggesting is something close to that. Just write about what you love. Keep it focused to the extent that you try to cut to the CORE of what it is you actually LOVE… but beyond that, cut loose. See what happens. You may end up (as I do) with tens of pages of senseless singe-spaced notes. But the exercise itself will almost always unlock SOMETHING vital. And steer your brain to a place of excitement that will end up paying off BIG TIME when it comes time to either write up formal drafts, or if you’re lucky, make sense of whatever it was you dumped in that session.
And now, obviously, time to talk about sex.
When you think about the most passionate moment you’ve ever shared with someone—-how much of it was programmed and formally laid out? And how much of it was spontaneous and writing itself through an energy of its own?
If you’ve ever had BOTH kinds of experiences, you’ll know immediately how different they can be. Think about that good version. That same spark is what these essays can aspire to… if you LET them.
Good luck everyone--as always!!

Jon Frank

houri

Why MBA, Why School X, etc. – Part 2

Part II of the 4-part breakdown of this topic (by no means comprehensive—just a 4-part slice is all). Today we zero in on #2.

1. Why do you want an MBA….. AT ALL?

2. Why do you want an MBA….. AT THIS EXACT MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

3. How will OUR SCHOOL…. help………. YOU?

4. Of all the bschools on earth, why are you interested in US?

In Part I, we discussed why you’re gunning for an MBA degree versus… no degree, or… “another” degree. Why. MBA. Period.

Today, we’re adding a twist that you’ll often see: Why MBA NOW. Why is an MBA appropriate at THIS moment in your career.

Notice, they’re not asking about your interest in their school. There is PLENTY of meat to deliver here, and we see it far to often, folks load this section up with stuff about why they’re attracted to the school. Missed opportunity, friends.

The answer to this question, when done right, can tell us a LOT about what you’re all about.

Two KEY points to communicate here:

1. If you were a fruit, now is the moment when you are at your “ripest”

2. You have thought through you career in a logical way

Let’s go one by one.

#1. Ripeness.

One of the best things you can do here is play out three scenarios. (And when I say three… I don’t just mean nod and say, sure that makes sense… I’m actually suggesting that you close your eyes and play each one out.)

Scenario 1 — Imagine you’d applied to your MBA two to three years ago. Then imagine where (and how) your career would have evolved.

Scenario 2 — Imagine you put away the application and remained at your job for another two to three YEARS. And THEN apply to an MBA program. You’re now (a) two or three years older, (b) you’ve either been promoted or not at your current place of work, and (c) you’ve either learned a lot or haven’t, with respect to pushing your overall plan forward.

Scenario 3 — You apply TODAY for your MBA. Map it.

Now, the hope is… Scenario 1 ends up scoring somewhere around 84% and Scenario 2 somewhere around 76%. And Scenario 3 blows them out of the water, in at 100%. It makes way more sense because……… why?

If you can capture the answer to that, you will likely CRUSH this question. The answer will likely have something to do with why your work experience thus far has illuminated certain key things that have helped shape and refine your goals. WITHOUT those years, you’d have squandered away your MBA education because you wouldn’t have had a good enough rudder.

It will also suggest that you’ve reached some sort of perfect “checkpoint” where… sticking around will yield diminishing returns. You will stagnate or somehow MISS an opportunity that is “now.” We all know what they recommend to do when the iron is hot.

So then, “now” makes a ton of sense. For you.

There’s another interpretation of this question which can sometimes have merit as well, which is “why now” in the industry-climate sense. Is there something happening in your industry which makes “now” a unique opportunity, that might go away in a few years? This is something you can always ADD to your argument, but typically, the anchor to this piece should be “why now” with respect to your own career timeline.

#2. Man with the Plan.

This isn’t something you attack dead on, but is something you’ll communicate in your response. It’s all about seeing how this step, the MBA, fits into your overall plan. Please indulge me as I dip into a “cooking analogy.”

Two Scenarios for the SAME GOAL: grilling steaks, check em out.

Scenario 1. Place oven-safe serving plates into a 275 degree oven. Start outdoor grill, turn burners to high, let it heat up. Let meat come to room temperature, then after grill grates are hot, scrub clean, oil grates, then generously season meat with salt and pepper and olive oil and place onto piping hot grill and close lid. Turn after three to four minutes, or when a deep crust has formed. Cover and periodically check for doneness with finger pokes, pulling meat when one or two degrees LESS cooked than what you’re ultimately aiming for. Remove hot plates from oven, transfer meat to plates, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for seven minutes. Serve and enjoy the heaven you’ve just entered.

Scenario 2. Place oven-safe serving plates into a 275 degree oven. Since your steak will continue cooking on these plates, it is okay (and imperative) to pull your steaks off the grill 10-15 degrees LESS than your goal temp. Start outdoor grill, blahhhhhhhh…. and on and on.

Now, this was an incredibly roundabout way to make a point, but Scenario 2 immediately has a better sense of a plan, by hinting at the significance of that random, dish-warming first step. Now, as I read on, I can see that many of the decisions about when to turn, when to pull off, etc., have been put into place with the END RESULT in mind at all times.

In Scenario 1, each step seems to be part of a mechanical set of instructions. These typically make for “bad recipes” because amateur chefs don’t understand the context of what they’re doing. Scenario 2 however, by stitching together why one step relates to a future step, the reader all of a sudden has context and can not only follow along, but trust that the author has a crystal clear sense of how alllll the elements fit together.

When you’re making your case for Why MBA NOW, don’t just give us the Scenario 1 recipe. Step 1, into Step 2, into Step 3, into Step 4, etc. That’ll do the job (to be sure), but it may wow your reader.

Think about the way in which all the elements in your career interact with and need one another. When you’re thinking about your long term goal, there will be gaps in your current tool kit that demand either or both an MBA or pieces from your short term goal. The short term goal will similarly play a crucial role between your MBA and your ultimate aspirations. And of course, most important for this section, the MBA will be the pivotal piece tying it ALL together—the stuff you’ve already done, and the stuff you’re GONNA do. Thinking about them together, proving that you understand “the dish,” will make us salivate more than a lifeless step-by-step walkthrough of how it’s gonna go.

Jon Frank

houri

Why MBA, Why School X, etc. – Part 3
Part III of the 4-part breakdown of this topic (by no means comprehensive—just a 4-part slice is all). Today we zero in on #3.

1. Why do you want an MBA….. AT ALL?

2. Why do you want an MBA….. AT THIS EXACT MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

3. How will OUR SCHOOL…. help………. YOU?

4. Of all the bschools on earth, why are you interested in US?

Now we’re moving into the Why School X portion. There two main ways they skin it. And the distinctions are HUGE.

1) How will our school help YOU?

2) In your search for the perfect bschool fit, what led you to US?

Today, we’re focusing on the first one. This tends to be implied by a great many questions, and is most often the single-most NEGLECTED answer because people are chomping at the bit to profess their love of the school by pointing out incredibly common things that may be true, but won’t help the adcom learn anything about you as a candidate.

Let’s break it down.

• You have goals

• At present, you can’t just go out and achieve your vision [if you could, why bother with an MBA?]

• With an MBA, however, you WILL be able to achieve them

*Why?*

What happens in those two years such that you went from (A) not being able to attack your goals to (B) BEING able to attack your goals???

Something happened. A school’s MBA SOMEHOW added stuff, taught you stuff, exposed you to stuff, etc., such that you emerge from that revolving door wearing a red cape with a big S on the front, whereas you entered into the thing… clutzy and mild-mannered.

We need to know how a certain school turns you INTO Superman.

Let’s pick a school at random–say Stanford because they have the wording that’s exactly appropriate to this blog post: What are your career aspirations and how will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?

Well, the guys at Stanford know they rank somewhere around 1 every year. They know their reputation by itself is a magnet for bschool aspirants. They know all about Silicon Valley, they know a lot. Don’t tell them what they already know—you have such a limited amount of words!

Don’t tell them THAT an education there will help you achieve your goals. It’s baked into the question itself. We all want to know HOW.

Do NOT just say “XXX class in finance, will improve my skills in YYY.” Wait, of COURSE it will—-that tells us nothing!!! Those classes are offered BECAUSE they’re gonna teach you something! The trick to cracking this is lacing into every single piece of supporting evidence a sense of how you will have gone from A to B; NOT being able to pull something off to BEING able to pull it off.

Example: “In order to succeed as an X, I will need to be masterful at Y. While my skills are adequate at present, Stanford’s program for XXX will train me in the art of A, B, and C. This program is designed to challenge students at X and Y, which is exactly the exposure I do not have in my current job. Through this unique program, I will be able to not only XXX, but more importantly YYY.”

The key here is a sense of dynamism… evolution… improvement… enhancement… something going from Good to BETTER. And showing that THROUGH whatever the school-in-question may be. For this you need to dig hard and isolate specific professors, clubs, off-campus opportunities, on-campus offerings, whatever you can get your hands on to illustrate how THAT school improves your skill set, such that two years later, you have a cape and will SOAR toward achieving your goals. This is NOT a love poem to why you’ve loved that school always-n-forever. It’s an almost scientific argument for explaining the following chemical reaction:

You + School X —> Guy/Gal Who Can Achieve His/Her Goals

This particular piece explains the chemistry, what that reaction is that TURNS you from Clark Kent into Superman.

Jon Frank

houri

Why MBA, Why School X, etc. – Part 4
Part IV of the 4-part breakdown of this topic (by no means comprehensive—just a 4-part slice is all). Today we zero in on #4, the last piece in this thread.

1. Why do you want an MBA….. AT ALL?

2. Why do you want an MBA….. AT THIS EXACT MOMENT IN YOUR CAREER?

3. How will OUR SCHOOL…. help………. YOU?

4. Of all the bschools on earth, why are you interested in US?

Everyone’s favorite by far. And the one people tend to answer, regardless of what the question ACTUALLY states. Haas asks “what factors have influenced your decision to apply?” Kellogg asks for “… your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg.” Ross asks “What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?”

This can be the trickiest of the bunch because at some level, a rose is a rose is a rose. Or, for my money… pizza = pizza = pizza. Is there REALLY such a thing as a bad pizza? Mayyybe the stuff they served you in the cafeteria in 3rd grade at a public school. Maybe. But at the end of the day, pizza just works.

Bschools are no different. They’re all the same. Of course that’s not true literally, but in one sense… they will ALL expose you to teamwork, leadership, finance… “business-ness.”

All of em.

Yeah, some have rockin reputations, some make it onto that highly anticipated top 10 list. But functionally, they’re all MORE or LESS the same.

Let’s exaggerate the point to help make it stick. Let’s say you’re buying a brand new car. And you’ve decided on a new 4 door sedan. I’m gonna present you with TEN options.

Ten Toyota Camrys.

That’s right. Exact same make, model, year, dealership. And their all BLUE. Every last one of them. The ONLY thing that’s different—-let me repeat—-> The ONLY thing that’s different, is the SHADE of blue. They are arranged in front of you from darkest to lightest. On the left hand side you have a deep midnight blue. And all the way to the right you have something of a sky blue. There is not a single other thing that’s different. Got it?

So… which car do you pick?

Why, number 6 of course. Fair enough. It called your name. You felt something, fine great. Now, as you’re signing the papers, the dealer asks “Hey so lemme ask you, why did you pick #6?”

Here are examples of TERRIBLE responses:

• Because I enjoyed the way it handled the road

• It had four really sturdy wheels

• I loved the look of the dashboard

• Excellent trunk space

• Etc.

No, you picked it because aside from all the other factors that were SHARED BY EVERY SINGLE OTHER CAR…….. this one came in the color you wanted.

That’s it. That’s where the decision begins and ends. That was the ONLY deciding factor, yes?

Now, let’s bring it back to bschool apps. We see it with just about every single application… time wasted on “excellent trunk space” and “wonderful rear view mirror.” Fellas and fellases… do NOT waste words on stuff shared by other schools. Think about the SHADE OF BLUE that drew you to Harvard. Or Ross. Or Kellogg. Wherever. You’re gonna get Finance not only from Wharton, but guess what, Stanford too. You’ll get entrepreneurship from NOT JUST STANFORD, but….. “lots of other places.” Bschools share a lot. They share four wheels, they all have steering wheels, leather seats, all that jazz. The only thing they don’t share is the shade of paint on their exteriors.

How does that manifest? Could be a specific CULTURE or PHILOSOPHY that they take very seriously. Don’t just mention that you LIKE that philosophy, DEMONSTRATE that you’re all about it, and then support your claim that this particular school embodies it as well. If it’s a certain club or program that calls out to you, make sure it’s UNIQUE in some way. Figure out a way to describe the way SKY BLUE is different from ROYAL BLUE. What’s different about it? Why is that difference appealing to you? We’ve covered that kind of argumentation elsewhere… the only point I want to make here is that with that silly scenario presented above, you need to THINK about the differences carefully. And NOT cite the reason for wanting car number 6 on anything OTHER than what was actually relevant in your decision-making process. In THIS case, it was one thing that was different… how could you argue that anything else factored in?

Figure out where those difference in SHADES are and write exclusively about THEM. Cut to the chase. They squeeze you on words specifically to PROMOTE cutting to the chase.

Hope this helps, y’all.

Jon Frank

houri

The Re-Applicant Essay
Usually goes something like: How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally.

Who here has seen the movie Iron Man? [Feel free to skip some of this stuff.]

Well for those of you who haven’t seen it, (1) see it, it’s pretty tight and (2) here’s a bit of background before I make my patented absurd (but well-intended) analogy. Tony Stark is a pre-eminent industrialist, with an unusual brain for science and mechanics. He makes his fortune as CEO of a company that manufactures and distributes military weapons. Caught in the cross-fire of an unanticipated ambush, Stark’s body (and heart) is riddled with shrapnel. A hare’s breath away from death, a device connected to his heart (powered by an external battery) keeps him alive, barely. Trapped in a cave and held hostage by terrorists, he’s forced to build them a weapon of mass destruction. Instead, he (a savant inventor) builds himself a suit made out of iron… and escapes from the clutches of the extremists. The suit that he builds under duress, is JUST GOOD ENOUGH to enable his escape, but is worthless afterwards. It was clunky, bulky, inefficient… but barely worked. Time passes, and safe at home now, Stark sets his mind to building a NEW SUIT. This time, now that he knows what he is capable of, he does everything perfectly. And the suit is lean, efficient, has new capabilities: it’s an absolute thing of perfection.

Phew. Now, for all you re-applicants, here’s what happened. The first time around, you guys built a suit that was juuuuuust good enough to get yourselves out of that cave. But it was clunky. Bulky. Inefficient. Lacking somehow… but…. someone read through it. It worked, but not well enough. Here we are, one year later. Two years later. Whatever it is. And you have….

Figured. It. Out.

You are going to build a suit that looks and feels so different, it is almost unrecognizable. You’ve tinkered with the joints. You’ve understood how to make the breathing apparatus more comfortable. You’ve realized that aerodynamics are a function of XXX and not YYY. You’ve changed just about everything.

The key is demonstrating not just THAT you’ve changed (of course people are going to look different a year from now—that’s just nature), but rather… how SIGNIFICANTLY you’ve changed. This is the thing to capture. What is it you’ve learned since last time? And why should we care? What have you done toward addressing that?

Okay okay… how do you actually DO IT???

Look back on the application you submitted the first time around. Look at the person THEY saw.

SEE IT THROUGH THEIR EYES.

If you’re doing this correctly, you should be nodding a knowing nod, saying “Hm. They made the absolute correct decision. Look at this kid. He didn’t have XX. He was weak in YY. He just didn’t have clarity in ZZ. Wow, they were WISE to have dinged the crap out this kid.” It may hurt to see yourself in this light, but this is crucial. This exercise will unlock the best possible version of your essay imaginable. Because now you have a frame of reference, against which you can compare “the new you.” The biggest mistake you can make is to say, well you fools didn’t see it a year ago, and this time I’m gonna yell a little louder and push harder to MAKE you see it.

No. They saw it just right. At least, that’s the way you need to approach it.

Acknowledge it even. Talk honestly about how, wow, one year ago I was confused about XX and it manifested itself THIS way. One year later, on account of this incredibly full and productive year or two, I now see it THIS way. Be earnest, admit to the fact that you have improved. But to do that, become comfortable with the idea that you weren’t quite there on that first application. Admit to yourself that that original suit was a great idea…. but a failure of execution. And you’re able to see that now, with some perspective. Build yourself a new suit by acknowledging what was wrong with the first one.

Jon Frank

houri

Chicago Booth Powerpoint Slides
What have you not already shared in your application that you would like your future classmates to know about you?

So much to talk about here, it hurts my hair just thinking about it. Well, let’s at least take a bite out of the thing. Warning—today’s blurb is gonna be particularly… abstract. And is meant for those of you struggling a little with where to begin, how to think about it, etc. There will be future posts focusing on different aspects of this question, but hopefully there’s a helpful kernel or two in here.

Clutter is your worst enemy.

Single, uncomplicated themes… yum.

Think about the medium for a second. This isn’t an essay. It’s not meant to be read. It’s not meant to be listened to. It’s not meant to dazzle you with special effects. It is a slideshow of sorts, but you won’t be there to narrate it…

The slides are meant to tell a story about cool, interesting, yet-untold shades of what you’re all about.

Through gestures.

They should be gestures of your non-career-related passions, not resumes. Gestures of personality quirks, not proofs of your intelligence. Gestures of why you’d be a fun date, not a rehash of your career goals.

Just for fun, think about the hottest woman or man you can possibly think of. [Go with it.] Model, actress, waitress, fireman… whatever peels your potato. The key is—> someone out of your league. Off-the-charts-hot. Now pretend you might be able to go on a DATE with this person. But in order to earn it, you need to write down FIVE things you’d want them to know about you.

Personality-related (forget that you’re a millionaire or a descendent of the King of Jordan. That would be cheating, jackass.)

What goes on that list?

It’s interesting because you’ll find that nothing cheesy makes it. Nothing too… square. Or boring. Probably it’s stuff that might… CHARM them? Make them think you’re cool? Dangerous? Witty? Sensitive? A real badass? There’s a playfulness here that’s interesting.

Now, this isn’t an actual suggestion for things that should populate your content—rather, an exercise to UNLOCK the way you might be thinking about this. Because the absolute LAST thing anyone wants to see is boring, dull, “impressive” stuff that’s just gonna make your date yawn and take interest in the other guy. Maybe ONE thing off that list makes it.

Mess around with the “audience” and generate similar lists of three to five things you’d want them to know about you. Here are few different types of “people” you might wanna try out. Take a look at your lists afterwards. There may be some interesting patterns, or some answers that might surprise you.

• a priest

• barack obama

• dr. dre

• your future grandson

• a bully

Have fun with it. Seriously, generate thoughtful lists of things you’d want these folks to know about you. I wouldn’t tell Dr. Dre that I was named Student of the Month when I was in 4th grade. (I totally was by the way, what’s up.) I wouldn’t tell Dre that I cry like a baby during certain FAMILY TIES re-runs. But I might tell that to the priest if I wanted to convince him I had a soul. Or to Monica Bellucci if I thought it would make me seem deliciously sensitive. I wouldn’t waste that fact on Obama though. Etc etc etc.

The lists will look different. That’s the idea.

But at the end of it all, it is telling that every single thing was important enough to make it on any ONE of these lists. And they will all reveal different SHADES of who you are. It may just inspire you and show you the light.

Jon Frank