MBA Admissions Strategy

Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and Strengths. Difficulties and failures. Weaknesses and inexperience. Leadership. Influences. Change and growth experiences. Difference and diversity. Values and philosophy. Professional goals. 8. Positioning, Messaging, and Mapping Reducing complexity. Selecting and grouping. Extracting themes. Which themes to choose? Theme example. The application message. Applying marketing principles. Message techniques. Mapping your message to the essay questions. Towards the question archetypes. SECTION THREE: ESSAY MANAGEMENT 9. The MBA Question Archetypes Message Mapping. 'Why an MBA?' Strengths, success, and achievement. Weaknesses and failure. Leadership. Contribution. Ethics and values. Teamwork. Key influences, mentors and role models. Direct personal inquiry. Creativity and innovation. Community service, self review, and the optional essay. Multiple archetypes in one essay. 10. Mapping Approaches Balancing the essay set as a whole. Category approach. Theme approach. Plugging the holes. Mapping Essay Set One. Archetype analysis and mapping. Assessing gaps and openings. Revised mapping. SECTION FOUR: WRITING TOOLS & METHODS 11. Principles of Better Writing Relevance and importance. Passing the so what test. Perils of the written word. Deleting the bits that readers skip. Choosing and managing human-interest stories. Show, dont tell. Specific, detailed and concrete prose. The 13 essay pitfalls to avoid. 12. Idea Discipline: Outline and Structure Persuasive writing. Classic structures. Outlining. Signposting. Thesis statement. <p> 13. Writing a First Draft The introduction, body & conclusion. Summary: the take-home message The first draft and essay revisions. Where do I start? The cooling period Further drafts: revising and re-rewriting. Reusing material for other applications. 14: Improving expression: Word and Sentence Strategies Techniques of writing clarity and simplicity. Brevity. Everyday language. Active voice. Keeping subject, verb, and object together. Using more and better verbs. Handling conjunctions and pronouns. 15: Conclusion Appendix A. Essay Revision Checklist changing events and experiences. Diversity and contribution. Values and philosophy. Personal goals. 7. Professional Profile Analysis Characteristics and qualities. Activities. Accomplishments and achievements. Skills and Strengths. Difficulties and failures. Weaknesses and inexperience. Leadership. Influences. Change and growth experiences. Difference and diversity. Values and philosophy. Professional goals. 8. Positioning, Messaging, and Mapping Reducing complexity. Selecting and grouping. Extracting themes. Which themes to choose? Theme example. The application message. Applying marketing principles. Message techniques. Mapping your message to the essay questions. Towards the question archetypes. SECTION THREE: ESSAY MANAGEMENT 9. The MBA Question Archetypes Message Mapping. 'Why an MBA?' Strengths, success, and achievement. Weaknesses and failure. Leadership. Contribution. Ethics and values. Teamwork. Key influences, mentors and role models. Direct personal inquiry. Creativity and innovation. Community service, self review, and the optional essay. Multiple archetypes in one essay. 10. Mapping Approaches Balancing the essay set as a whole. Category approach. Theme approach. Plugging the holes. Mapping Essay Set One. Archetype analysis and mapping. Assessing gaps and openings. Revised mapping. SECTION FOUR: WRITING TOOLS & METHODS 11. Principles of Better Writing Relevance and importance. Passing the so what test. Perils of the written word. Deleting the bits that readers skip. Choosing and managing human-interest stories. Show, dont tell. Specific, detailed and concrete prose. The 13 essay pitfalls to avoid. 12. Idea Discipline: Outline and Structure Persuasive writing. Classic structures. Outlining. Signposting. Thesis statement. <p> 13. Writing a First Draft The introduction, body & conclusion. Summary: the take-home message The first draft and essay revisions. Where do I start? The cooling period Further drafts: revising and re-rewriting. Reusing material for other applications. 14: Improving expression: Word and Sentence Strategies Techniques of writing clarity and simplicity. Brevity. Everyday language. Active voice. Keeping subject, verb, and object together. Using more and better verbs. Handling conjunctions and pronouns. 15: Conclusion Appendix A. Essay Revision Checklist