Today we’ll be taking a look at this season’s essay questions for the Indian School of Business. The application requires that candidates respond to three questions about their backgrounds, prior experiences, and professional progress and goals. There’ s nothing out of the ordinary here when it comes to essay topics, though the narrow 300 word limit for each of these responses requires that applicants pack a good deal of information into a mere 900 words.
Let’s take a closer look at each of the school’s essays:
Essay 1: Give 3 reasons as to why you should be selected to the class of 2011. These reasons should ideally differentiate you from the applicant pool and should be backed with some data. (300 words)
The ISB admissions committee is likely wondering two things in asking this one question. The first might relate to what an MBA from ISB would mean to the applicant, and to the industry or community that is the focus of his or her professional goals. Candidates with professional aspirations that are especially high-impact or unusual with respect to the applicant pool might choose to mention them in this essay. If an MBA would carry great personal significance – for example, if an applicant were the first in his or her family to complete an advanced degree – this could also be appropriate to mention briefly.
The above reading, though, will apply to a relatively small portion of the applicant pool. The second (and more obvious) interpretation of this prompt is: “What’s in it for us?” In responding to this question, candidates will want to highlight aspects of their candidacies that will set them apart from other applicants, and that also translate to some contribution they could make to the ISB community and the experience of their classmates. The door is wide open to all manner of qualities, interests and skills from the professional, academic, extracurricular and personal realms, so take some time to reflect on what truly makes you unique, and what impact that will enable you to have at ISB.
Essay 2: Describe a challenging assignment you have handled (at work or outside) to date. What were the challenges and how did you handle them? What were the personal lessons you derived from this assignment? (300 words)
This prompt asks candidates to recount a time they rose to the occasion to take on a difficult task. There’s a good deal of ground to cover in this situational question, so economy of language will be important. Setting the scene up front and providing all of the context and challenges at the opening of the essay will enable you to take the reader through your actions in the situation and illustrate the lessons you learned.
As you think on examples you might cover in this essay, think about experiences that have led to significant growth or the learning of an especially important lesson. A range of situations could be appropriate, so a focus on a positive outcome and lessons learned could help in identifying the most effective topics.
Essay 3: Briefly assess your career progression till date along with your assessment of your future career goals. Discuss how your career goals will be met by the ISB’s one year program. (300 words)
While this is a standard career goals/why MBA essay in terms of the topics touched upon, ISB requests that applicants respond in s considerably fewer words than do many other b-schools. With so little room to work with, candidates might begin their writing process by devoting 100 words to each of the three topics (career to date, goals, and the preparation ISB will provide). The key may be to keep the focus narrow, zeroing in on the elements of one’s work to date and aspects of ISB’s program that are most relevant to one’s stated goals. Note that the prompt includes the information that the program is one year long; very effective essays will acknowledge this and comment on how the duration of the program has influenced the candidate’s decision to apply and constitutes a fit with his or her career path.
