美国商学院MBA申请之 Essay题目汇总及讨论（12楼后）

kevinhrmUID：2158364

转自：forum.chasedream.com ，已做整理
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MIT

3 }' a8 Z: I# T6 R# I% LUse the application's essays to display your writing skills and tell us more about yourself. You will be asked to organize a persuasive presentation to show us how you think about and approach business challenges.

8 K0 ]2 M8 F4 N! {# vMore than that, the essays are a chance for you to discuss your passions, values, interests and goals. Emphasize those experiences that were most important and meaningful for you — which may not necessarily be those that were most outwardly prestigious. Be sincere and be specific. There is no one "right" kind of MIT Sloan student; in fact, MIT Sloan deliberately builds each class to unite varied strengths and perspectives. Tell us what particular experiences and expertise you will bring to the mix. The essay instructions and questions are included below.

3 z% F/ B& t% l9 }1 jWe are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think and behave. Please answer the four questions below.
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2 g: k; b# }, {& t; I7 H+ B- aFor each essay, describe the situation, your thoughts and actions, and the outcome. The essay questions listed below are for the 2005-06 application.
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, S5 w$ Y2 C; O2 B" u$ PEssay One: Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a person, group, or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less.)
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: z+ y2 b* `8 ?4 @1 LEssay Two: Please tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, expected, established, or popular. How did others react? Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less.)

" m2 M7 c7 c$ nEssay Three: Please tell us about a time when you had a difficult interaction with a person or group. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less.)
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  g6 h5 I6 Y7 a) z. h4 }7 ?Essay Four: Please tell us about a time when you overcame an obstacle. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less.)

Supplemental Information
% _4 \$ E; Q' ]( x8 L; d- s+ y& f! pUse this part of the application to give us any additional information that might help us understand the choices you have made, your leadership activities and skills, and your scholastic and professional achievements. Please elaborate on your personal interests, activities and hobbies-as well as any special circumstances you feel are relevant. We would like to know what you've learned and how you learned it. Please tell us anything that will round out our impression of you as a unique individual.

' P/ a! [; w" I5 @4 E[ 本帖最后由 kevinhrm 于 2006-7-10 18:53 编辑 ]

kevinhrmUID：2158364

University of Michigan

1. We believe one of the keys to effective leadership is the ability to transform ideas into action through people. Please describe a professional leadership accomplishment in which you transformed an idea into action. How did your leadership impact your organization? (500-word maximum)

+ Z4 s: O" {" q8 L  O6 m2. Describe the initiatives you have taken over the past two years to develop professionally. (500-word maximum)

3. What career goals have you set for yourself and how will a Ross MBA support the achievement of these goals? How will you utilize the opportunities at Michigan to co-create an MBA experience that is right for you? How will you enhance the experience of other members of the Ross community? (500-word maximum)

( T) a. [5 r  W! v4. Describe a situation where your professional ethics were challenged and how you came to terms with the situation. What did you learn from this? (500-word maximum)

Optional Questions
you may answer one, both or neither of the following questions.
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: I9 r/ o2 y; Q+ m+ s1. Describe a situation where others with whom you were working on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do? In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently? (500-word maximum)
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8 O5 a8 p/ |$ y2. Please feel free to elaborate on any other information that you believe is important for the admissions committee to assess your candidacy. (500-word maximum)

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Columbia University
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1. What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 1000 word limit)
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, Q  l' q2 u* r$ X9 M( v2. For January 2006: Discuss what led you to apply for the accelerated MBA at Columbia, and how it best fits your needs?
* N0 Z( P- V% G  L4 Q3 s8 o0 cFor September 2006: What has been the greatest challenge to your value system that you've faced and how did you handle it? (Recommended 500 word limit)
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3. In discussing Columbia Business School, Dean R. Glenn Hubbard remarked, "We have established the mind-set that entrepreneurship is about everything you do." Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity. (Recommended 500 word limit)

4. Please select and answer one of the following essay questions. (Recommended 250 word limit)
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a. Please tell us what you feel most passionate about in life.
b. If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?
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5. (Optional) Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee?
8 x) ]  A0 A% J* a* E(Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.)

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Cornell University
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1 h) ~# ~. _# u* N0 L  l* C# ?Essay Questions:
To ensure the depth and dynamism of the Johnson School education, we seek to enroll a class composed of students whose insights are distinct and whose actions are penetrating. The essay portion of your application gives you the opportunity to candidly demonstrate your attributes and your compatibility with our rich and vibrant program.
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1 D! p$ T) Z, g! CRe Applicant Essay MBA -Online Essays 1 and 2 are required essays. Essay 3 is optional. Complete essay 4 if you are applying to the Park Leadership Fellows Program. If you are a reapplicant, you must complete essay 5. Applicants must observe the 400 word maximum limit of each essay.

( W) Y" ?7 ~5 ^7 _7 G! B8 kPlease respond to each question below by following its respective link.
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●Required - (400 words)
) e' D3 w. b- I9 Z0 W" y: ADescribe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization.

●Required - (400 words)
# C% ]5 q5 Q0 c2 G; }  lWhat career do you plan to pursue upon completing the MBA and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal?
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●Optional Essay - (400 words)
Complete this essay if there is other information you would like to add regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate GPA or test scores) do(es) not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School.

5 n" k1 R7 _% o6 [- `% g●Required for Park Applicants - (400 words)
$ f0 B  G0 {0 l: k; ZRoy H. Park Leadership Fellows are an outstanding group by all measures - work experience, community service, leadership, and past academic achievement. Describe why you believe you would make a good park leadership fellow.
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+ B/ i  d. k5 o. B; LDescribe the measures you have taken to strengthen your application since you last applied to the Johnson School.
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! V4 _  J0 z3 S5 Z/ \$ m* x0 P8 \●Required
1 O; g9 l. h) `" D5 d. }) U8 OProceed using the following link to indicate the area on which you expect to focus the most during the MBA program.
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& m) S6 h0 w- @4 W1 b7 Z& y! L●Required
Proceed using the following link to indicate your interest in the Johnson School's Immersion Courses.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Harvard

Essays should be single-spaced. Limit your response to the length indicated.

Essay questions for the MBA class entering in the fall of 2006 are:

$ P9 M; E# l* _9 ]. N1 s% [& r1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience? (400-word limit)
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+ ]& A. \! r: S* d6 J2. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (400-word limit)

3. Discuss a defining experience in your development as a leader. (600-word limit)

4. In your career, you will have to deal with many ethical issues. What are likely to be the most challenging and what is your plan for developing the competencies you will need to handle these issues effectively? (400-word limit)
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5. What are your strengths and weaknesses as a leader? (400-word limit)

$ ?; r- G% |) ?' a4 z" T6. What are your career aspirations and how can an MBA help you to reach them? Why now? (400-word limit)

7. What do you wish the MBA Admissions Board had asked you? (400-word limit)
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8 p  V6 U/ z9 E3 D  P2 N' X2 TDual and concurrent degree candidates:

How do you expect the joint or concurrent degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400-word limit)

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Northwestwen University

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( K& C! D, A* F0 E+ Z1. All applicants must complete A, B, or C as appropriate.

A. Master of Business Administration applicants only. Briefly assess your
& Q2 C1 X1 x: ~: {career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at the Kellogg School. (one to two pages double-spaced)
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. O8 }6 m0 [& X4 f# `9 @6 ?! CB. Master of Management and Manufacturing applicants only. Briefly assess your career progress to date. How does the MMM program meet your educational needs and career goals? (one to two pages double-spaced)
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C. Joint-degree applicants only. Briefly assess your career progress to date. How does the joint program meet your educational needs and career goals? (one to two pages double-spaced)

( B0 t  ?# u9 }( q5 G2. Each of our applicants is unique. Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students. (one to two pages double-spaced)

& H& L5 ~! m$ e/ X' P: P! p% a3. You have been selected as a member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Please provide a brief evaluative assessment of your file. (one to two pages double-spaced)

8 w8 W/ B- V6 ]% G7 E4. Complete three of the following six questions or statements. (two to three double- spaced paragraphs each)
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A. What have been your most significant leadership roles to date? What was
, \+ f: O% N7 u5 {' h8 f. u: Sthe most valuable lesson learned?
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' F! l, f7 L/ {3 @! k9 HB. Describe an ethical dilemma that you faced and how it was resolved?

C. Outside of work I…
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D. In your professional experience, what do you consider to be the area of
greatest growth?
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( l- G1 `0 k3 L2 t" H/ PE. I wish the Admissions Committee had asked me…
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F. Since your previous application, what are the steps you have taken to strengthen your candidacy? **

. w+ Q+ l& g4 L5 U: C5 `) ~** Question 4F must be answered by all re-applicants as one of the required three questions.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

University of Chicago
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Essay 1: To complete, we require that you answer all parts of A, B, and C below. (1500 words maximum total):

# Q1 K: b& `' b( k  f1. Explain the path that has led you to pursue an MBA as the next step in your professional/ personal development. What steps did you take and how did you reach your decision?
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7 g' S! T& v  Z) F$ t# R& I( c$ I7 l5 \2. What or who has influenced your choice of schools? What criteria will you use to decide where you will attend? What is it specifically about Chicago GSB that is going to help you succeed?
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3. Describe your short and long term post-MBA career goals. What steps will you be taking in order to achieve your goals?

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: Y4 [( r' a, c1 ~Essay 2: Choose one of the following two questions to answer (500 word maximum for this essay)
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, n) a1 {4 ^7 M: i& e: F( x1. Describe the most challenging team environment in which you have been involved. What role did you play? What impact did you have? What did you learn from this challenge?
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2. Describe a time when you exhibited leadership skills even though you were not the designated leader. What was the situation? What skills did you utilize?
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4 N3 x6 E8 }0 s5 Q! i' k& X' kEssays 3 & 4: Choose two of the following five questions to answer (500 word maximum for each).

$ b( s7 [, V( Y' X0 K! N& T& V1. How have you used your personal characteristics and resources to improve the lives of others?

2. Describe a time when you felt a strong sense of purpose in your life. What motivated you? What changes did you make personally and professionally to achieve that purpose?
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3. What would you consider the biggest failure or disappointment in your life? How did you adapt your plans or move past that failure or disappointment?
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1 g  j$ X/ [" F4. If you can spend one day as someone else, who would it be? Why? What would that you provide an explanation in the additional essay.

5. To be successful in life, you must be able to distinguish between a fleeting trend and a permanent development. Tell us of a time when you had to make such as a distinction. What, if anything, would you have done differently?

kevinhrmUID：2158364

University of Pennsylvania
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' G: a/ g6 a7 l! k% ^First-Time Applicant Essays (this also includes those who applied for Fall 2003 or earlier)
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& {' M1 G- b& q& `- G1. Required: Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now? (1,000 words)

2. Required: Describe an impact you抳e had on an individual, group or organization. How has this experience been valuable to you or others? (500 words)

3. Required: Please complete two of the following three questions (500 words each):
   a. Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What did you learn?
/ _' s) v0 \/ c- F4 i# F   b. Describe a situation where your values, ethics, or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation?
   c. Describe a personal characteristic or something in your background that will help the Admissions Committee to know you better.

) o  c. ~6 A- N2 E5 T4 W# I4. Optional: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).
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" X2 w; f9 d0 W( T6 [6 qReapplicant Essays (if you applied for Fall 2004 or Fall 2005; all other reapplicants are to complete the first-time applicant essays only)
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Reapplicants are required to complete two essays, with the option of a third essay that may be used to address extenuating circumstances.

4 Y. [0 f- o6 z" W; |1. Required: Please describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals and why now? What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since the last time you applied? (1,000 words)

" b# `, L; E5 k2. Required: Please complete one of the following four questions (500 words):
Describe an impact you抳e had on an individual, group or organization. How has this experience been valuable to you or others?
   a. Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What did you learn?
# ~# v' ~% D! _4 w5 K$ Q   b. Describe a situation where your values, ethics, or morals were challenged. How did you handle the situation?
6 K+ r) c9 k0 Z   c. Describe a personal characteristic or something in your background that will help the Admissions Committee to know you better.

# w0 y1 y. ^8 R3. Optional: If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).


Additional Joint Wharton MBA/MA - Lauder Applicant Essays (these essays are in addition to the Wharton application essays above and are required)
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1. Describe a cross-cultural experience in your adult life that was challenging to you. How did you meet this challenge and what did you learn from the experience? (1,000 words)

2. Please explain why you are currently applying to Lauder. How do you expect the Wharton/Lauder joint-degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? (1,000 words)

kevinhrmUID：2158364

University of Virginia


Use your best judgment in determining the appropriate length of the following essays.

1. What led you to pursue an MBA? How do you plan to leverage your MBA in meeting your short- and long-term goals?
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2. How does Darden fit with your background, personality, and learning style?
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* m: W0 k' x) i; `# Z3 P3. Describe how your experiences have shaped your leadership philosophy and style.

4. (Optional) Please use this opportunity to present any pertinent information not previously addressed.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

University of California, Berkeley
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Listed below are the supplemental questions, short answer questions, required essays, and optional essays that you will need to provide when completing the Fall 2006 application.

Supplemental Questions:

If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from your current supervisor, please explain; otherwise, enter N/A.
List in order of importance all community & professional organizations and extracurricular activities in which you have been involved during or after university studies. Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates of involvement, offices held, & average number of hours spent per month.
" d. C- F+ X* L/ L, B5 c) SPlease explain all gaps in your employment since earning your university degree.
List full-time and part-time jobs held during undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer, job title, employment dates, location, and the number of hours worked per week for each position held prior to the completion of your degree.
5 T) s' N& l7 j, W5 mIf you have ever been subject to academic discipline, placed on probation, suspended or required to withdraw from any college or university, please explain. If not, please enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does not automatically disqualify you from admission.)
Short Answer:

What is your favorite quote, and why is it meaningful to you? (250 word maximum)
1 B2 V- h) v" T! }Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)
' p0 v+ M0 G0 ?" l9 GAt Haas, we value individual differences. Beyond nationality or citizenship, what makes you unique compared to other MBA applicants? (250 word maximum)
If you have visited Haas, please let us know what about your visit made the most lasting impression on you. If you have not visited Haas, what steps have you taken to familiarize yourself with our MBA program? (250 word maximum)
+ x+ d' n% \# _6 h# L3 Z+ y0 L& \Essay:
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; ^9 E: T) T: H3 U2 QGive us an example of a time when you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
  m: y% k. n  r, }; @What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional goals relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)
Optional:
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# b4 t! i% u2 p. N(Optional) Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)
(Optional) If you wish to be considered for the Haas Achievement Award (for individuals who have achieved success in spite of significant economic, educational, health-related and/or obstacles), please use this space to address the obstacles you have overcome. (750 word maximum)

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Duke University
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9 g4 v* n  @* k; u' |7 ^9 ZYou are required to compose three essays. The Admissions Committee considers your responses to the following questions important in the selection process. Please respond fully and concisely to each question. Candidates who applied to Fuqua between September 2004 and April 2005 are considered reapplicants. Reapplicants are asked to complete the three Reapplicant Essays in place of the Applicant Essays. All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional fourth essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware.

7 _- P6 r1 I5 |8 KApplicant Essays
6 g/ k0 t5 m# n2 ]There is no restriction on the length of your response. Applicants typically use 1,000 words or less for essay number one and between 500 and 750 words for essays two and three.
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1. Please discuss your career path, your short and long-term goals and the role the MBA will play in those plans. Why are you interested in The Duke MBA Program? If you are interested in the Health Sector Management concentration or a joint degree program, please address in this essay.
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3 u* P9 q* A5 Y2. How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences might distinguish you from other applicants? How will your background, values and non work-related activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at Fuqua? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished.
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. z3 \! L1 ]3 m3 B2 L3. Please state your personal definition of leadership and provide the admissions committee with an example of this definition in action.
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Reapplicant Essays
There is no restriction on the length of your response. Reapplicants typically use between 500 and 750 words for each essay.

; b$ [2 j$ z* v, [' c6 c* h/ Y% H1. Write an essay describing how you are a stronger candidate for admission compared to the previous year's application.
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2. How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences might distinguish you from other applicants? How will your background, values and non work-related activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at Fuqua? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished.
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8 ~( Q7 m  U! `- o' _4 }3. Please state your personal definition of leadership and provide the admissions committee with an example of this definition in action.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

Stanford University


# W5 K. X( m: s( X8 J7 KWe read the essays to get to know you as a person and to learn about the ideas and interests that motivate you. Because we want to discover who you actually are, resist the urge to "package" yourself in order to come across in a way you think Stanford wants. Such attempts simply blur our understanding of who you are and what you can accomplish.
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Essays A & B
You must complete two personal essays.

" Q+ \5 a5 w* T' j) cEssay A: What matters most to you, and why?

Essay B: How do you plan to achieve your learning objectives at Stanford? How do you see your career developing?

In other parts of the application, we learn about your academic and professional accomplishments (i.e., what you have done). It is through your personal essays that we learn more about the person behind the achievements (i.e., who you are). This is the time to think carefully about what matters most to you: your values, your passions, your hopes and dreams.

3 y0 H6 ]' S0 I; d! xWe want to hear your genuine voice throughout the two essays that you write. Truly, the most impressive essays are those that do not begin with the goal of impressing us. Begin work on these essays early, and feel free to ask your friends and family members to provide constructive feedback. When you ask for feedback, ask if the essay’s tone sounds like your voice. It should. Your family and friends know you better than anyone else. If they do not believe that your essays capture who you are, how you live, what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely the Committee on Admissions will be unable to recognize what is most distinctive about you.
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However, there is a big difference between "feedback" and "coaching." There are few hard and fast rules, but you cross a line when a piece of the application ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word (excluding the letter of reference, which should be exclusively the recommender’s in thought and word).

Appropriate feedback occurs when you show someone your completed application, perhaps one or two times, and are apprised of errors or omissions. In contrast, inappropriate coaching occurs when either your essays or your entire self-presentation is colored by someone else. You best serve your own interests when your personal thoughts, individual voice, and unique style remain intact at the end of your editing process.
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+ T2 ~8 I* \8 P7 D# E/ s9 OAdditional Information

! E% d9 P/ a6 U3 wif there is any other information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, please include it in this section of your application. Please do not include additional essays.
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Use this section if any of the required essays exceeds 10 pages and cannot be uploaded completely in the appropriate section of the Online Application Form. Upload the remaining pages to this section.

Examples of pertinent additional information include (10 page limit):

Extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance.
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7 |6 d* v8 c; _5 j. UExplanation as to why you do not have a Letter of Reference from your current direct supervisor.
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Explanation of criminal conviction, academic suspension or expulsion, and/or failing grades.

) J- i; ^4 t3 `5 @8 |Any other information that you did not have sufficient space to complete in another section of the application. Please begin the information in the appropriate section.
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Additional work experience that cannot fit into the space provided.
Required Format for All Essays
9 w4 h/ S/ L" d; S) A) W8 F, O5 TDouble-space your work and make sure that it is easy to read. We suggest at least a 10-point font.

Number all pages.
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The length of your responses is up to you. You should feel free to take the space you need to answer the questions fully.

6 V" b$ j0 s' ?" c* m7 @2 BMost applicants find that three to seven pages each for Essays A and B is appropriate. If your essays are longer than 10 pages each, you may upload the remainder into the Additional Information section.
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After you upload your documents to the Web application, please preview each document to ensure that the formatting is true to the original.

We suggest that you save a copy of your essays.
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- l+ S) d4 {+ v, l/ n& I/ hWe expect that the work contained in your application essays is exclusively your own. It is a violation of the spirit of the Fundamental Standard and Honor Code to have essays written by someone other than yourself for your Stanford MBA Program application. Such an act will result in denial of your application or withdrawal of your offer of admission.
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Activities
You have an opportunity to describe your extracurricular activities in your application. This is an excellent way for us to understand your unique experiences and insights and to come to know you personally. No club, community, or professional activity is more important than another. With activities, a sustained depth of commitment in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six organizations.
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Please note that there are separate sections in the online application for you to report activities during and after university/college. Examples of activities in which you are/have been involved may include charitable, civic, community, and professional.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

怎样写你的目标

by Sandy Kreisberg
  q' x2 ^3 O3 k! v- M$ C3 J1 _Founder of the Cambridge Essay Service
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　　每个申请MBA的人都要吞一块“硬骨头”——写论文（Essay），论文要求你：
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; N. |; [4 k+ D) ^& }# k（一）评价你的事业；
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（二）表述的目标；

（三）说明你为什么申请这个商学院。
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9 ^; E# v' n0 K' C% }* H2 F　　-Why are you seeking an MBA from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business? What do you hope to experience and contribute? What are your plans and goals after you receive your degree (750 words maximum). 这是今年芝加哥商学院的典型问题。
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. i8 e1 h" C) u  R- V! m　　-Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree from Kellogg (One to two double spaced pages).
0 P! M( x# ~. _* Y+ A% n! ]这是凯洛克商学院的另一版本。

$ ~3 i" q/ X- a  O9 t　　-Please discuss the factors influencing the career decisions you have made that, in turn, have led you to your current position. Why is now an appropriate time to pursue an MBA, and what will you contribute to the class entering in the fall of 2000? What are your career goals for the future, and how will you avail yourself of the resources at the Wharton School to achieve these goals? 沃顿商学院的类似问题似乎问得更为具体。

4 Q, @# _$ X$ a　　实际上，最难的问题是关于你的目标。申请者很容易阐述自己的事业，因为它们实际存在，但当被问到未来的目标，许多人都沉默了。目标并非没有，而是难以阐述，因为大多数人的目标是不具体的，只想追求一种更好或更有成就感的生活。而这，很难打动人心。

　　无论如何，要写好你的目标，仍有很多你应该熟记于心的要点和绝对应该避免的问题。

　　1. 在你过去经历的基础上构筑你的目标。
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　　最好在你过去经验的基础上对未来的目标加以人格化和多方面的陈述，而不是单纯说你的“希望”。这样，你的目标是从过去发掘并积累而成的，它们有“现实”作为生长土壤，不空洞，也不生硬。

　　所以不要说“My goal is to become a consultant to high-tech firms starting business in Asia”，最好的说法是“Based on my experiences working in India and Hong Kong as a programmer and business analyst, and on my project leader work at Cenco Corporation in Singapore, my long term goal is to return to this area and start a consultancy advising large technology companies how to 'do business' as an employer in these countries.”。

% r. r7 I: B! j+ N　　而且你的目标最好是人格化的，有特色的，感人的。许多申请者要成为咨询顾问、投资银行家、股票投资商或是高科技公司的总裁。而你能够从过去的经历建立一个的目标，它们就变得既有趣又富有人情味。
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6 C7 f8 f4 x, H: w3 L# j　　2. 把你的目标分成阶段性。

　　想使你看起来很有理性，对人生深思熟虑，最好把你的目标分成阶段性：长期目标、中期目标和MBA毕业后的短期目标。分段构思使你能够真正达到长期目标，而且读来也十分可信，同样为你攻读MBA提供了合理的解释。学校能在成千上万的人中发现你就是因为它们确信你知道毕业后什么工作最适合你（他们同样想知道这种工作是否可能实现，是否其他毕业生已拥有同样的工作，你也应该在写之前看一看）。应该与学校的Career Office联系，了解最近的毕业生从业情况，你对自己未来事业的描述必须有同样的起点。

. x$ f/ s$ Z$ `% K1 H: u# Z. Z　　3. 使用“Interests”和“Could Take The Form”的句型来写长期目标。 　　不要在撰写长期目标时将工作写的过于具体明确，只需指出工作技能和你所感兴趣的领域，比如领导、创立公司、战略、营销、管理等。想使它具体化，你可以把这些兴趣和技能写到工作上的具体应用。例如：

　　Based on my leadership and cross-functional team experiences as the SDK Laser X-Ray project leader at Medco in California , and as a marketing specialist at Jetco in Shanghai, my long-term career objective is to use my technical and marketing know-how and leadership skills to help China obtain high-tech medical equipment. This goal could take the form of my starting a company in China to import or distribute such equipment, or my heading the division of a large American high-tech medical device firm such as X-med, Y-med, or Z-med with production for the Asian market as its goal.

　　My short-term goal after my MBA is to move from R&D to general management in a health care technology company such as X or Y. My five-year plan is to gain experience in various aspects of the health care technology business including business development, marketing, operations and strategy and also to establish my credibility in running a medium-sized organization.

　　4. 谈论你的长期目标时，列出你心中一两位英雄，或者你心中最欣赏的公司。
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6 Z& V% y4 y' J9 V; }　　如果能够列举出你钦佩的商业人物，一定能为论文增强说服力。也可以列出公司名称，根据上面的举例，应该写成：

6 d2 H% R, j0 `3 F　　Based on my experiences as the SDK Laser Widget team leader at Medco in California , and as a marketing specialist at Jetco in Shanghai, my long term career objective is to use my technical and marketing know-how and leadership skills to help China obtain high-tech medical equipment.
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# }! ^# I* j9 f* Z$ o" m　　I am greatly impressed by such companies as IndusMed and BengalRx which have specialized in bringing hi-tech medical devices to the Indian marketplace and I hope to replicate some of their success on the Chinese Mainland. Also, Sammy Lee, the Chinese Minister of Hi-Tech, is a personal hero of mine for his efforts to make technology bridges with Western suppliers. Mr. Lee's own company, Go-Go East, which is the leader in supplying Chinese and Hong Kong casinos with the latest in Western hi-tech gambling technology, is a good sign that China may soon be open to medical devices as well.

  q% P- r8 A9 K& [  H　　有一点不要忘记，提到这些公司和人名的时候，只须有限地提及一两句，举出实际的名称当然证明你知道你在谈论的重点，但文章的重点是你自己。
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　　5. 不要写行业或工作报告，只要写你的目标。
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　　文章要求的是你和你的目标，录取委员会想了解你的经历和你的思想，所以千万不要走题。常见的错误是申请者把一段关于他们未来从事行业的报告插进来，迟迟不能进入正题。如果你的目标是进军电子商务业，你不用写200字介绍什么是电子商务，为什么它会持续发展。很简单，如果你的目标是在亚洲工作，录取委员会不需要了解为何亚洲经济在90年代衰败以及它为何会再度兴起。
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　　6. 把资料集中在一起。

  P- U5 w" d! i　　对许多学校而言，你的目标应该是大约200字的东西。就想下面所列出的模式一样：

BASED ON MY EXPERIENCS AS A _________, _________, AND A _________, MY LONG TERM GOAL IS _________. THIS COULD TAKE SEVERAL FORMS.

1. _________
2. _________
( C1 U% m: i$ i/ i. C7 J9 `4 t2 ]3. _________

0 _6 v% a2 f0 E+ dTWO COMPANIES WHICH I GREATLY ADMIRE ARE _________ WHICH IS THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF _________ TO _________ AND _________ WHICH IS A BREAK AWAY FROM A BIG COMPANY.

- U% {3 U/ O+ h6 VI ALSO GREATLY ADMIRE JOHN DOE WHO FOUNDED _________ IN HIS _________ WITH ONLY $ _________ AND MARY SMITH WHO STARTED _________ AFTER HAVING NINE CHILDREN AND DEVELOPED IT INTO THE LEADING SUPPLIER OF FERTILIZERS AND PETROCHEMICAL-BASED CLOTHING IN EUROPE.

1 H) P9 h+ H# a/ }9 NALTHOUGH THERE IS NO CLEAR WAY TO THIS GOAL, AFTER B-SCHOOL I WOULD WANT TO DO _________ WHERE I WILL LEARN:
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1. _________
  B$ L2 \5 ?/ D2. _________
, k4 }2 m% ^5 \2 U# h% W; e3. _________
4 Z9 D1 u( Q+ o) p  yIN FIVE YEARS MY PLAN IS AS FOLLOWS: _________.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

看商学院的Dean是如何回答申请essay的
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4 k# J$ u' d. T; ~Patrick Harker
7 z  S/ @# O5 v4 [; g9 \, c7 iThe Wharton School
5 l. c& q/ a# x; zPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania

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  ]5 B  h, m& O# ]- y8 JQ: Describe a situation where leadership and teamwork were critical to the outcome of a project in which you were directly involved.
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A: We just completed the largest business-school fund-raiser ever. In six years, we raised more than $425 million. The campaign was the effort of an incredible team, but one that had to be directed. I took charge of it three years ago when I became dean. My challenge was to create an environment where everybody felt included. With this kind of campaign, the tendency is to reach out to senior people. I made it a priority to energize the next generation of alumni leadership.
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9 I3 n0 s* D. d, H- m  N; cWhen you seek out junior voices, two things surprise you: how much those young alumni have to say and how important it is. At the same time, so many of them -- people who have achieved extraordinary success -- feel as though they're not being taken seriously.
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- b3 L& ^( }$ G! P" q' U4 O7 |9 YI've learned that lesson multiple times during my career, and it's about listening to what I call "the voice of David." It's actually a tradition in Benedictine monasteries. When a decision has to be made, the abbot asks each monk's opinion, starting with the youngest. The order is intentional. In the Bible, nobody listens to David. There were plenty of gizmos with which to fight Goliath, and David was dismissed as a punk kid with a slingshot. In the end, the kid was right. When I've made a good decision, it's usually because I've listened to the voice of David. And when I've made a poor decision, I haven't taken the time to listen.
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In a position of leadership, everything that comes to your desk has been filtered. You have to make a conscious effort to go out and talk with people, and then listen and actively engage them. I spend more than half of my time outside the office. I might hang out in the MBA café or go to the Thursday pub night. Even little things matter. Does somebody always deliver your coffee to the office or do you get your own? One day, I was in line to buy a cup of coffee, and Mike Useem, a professor here, said to me, "You're in line? Good for you. That's the right leadership model."

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Paul Danos
0 y* x/ A  C9 ?$ c) QTuck School of Business
* G' G7 c, Q9 Q9 B3 ^Hanover, New Hampshire
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( b0 T: \& Y5 a* P4 GQ: What is the most important thing you have recently learned?
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A: Progress cannot happen without a good narrative. When I became dean, I learned how powerful the well-communicated idea can be as a tool to inform new directions and inspire new energy.

Eight years ago, we faced an organizational growth imperative. On the basis of bringing in world-class scholars who were also good teachers, we grew the faculty by more than one-third over a five-year period. We also grew the student body by one-third, from 180 students to 240.

Of course, people were afraid of such changes. Tuck is a place steeped in history, spirit, and small-scale community; naturally, they didn't want to lose those things. They needed convincing. And at first, I didn't realize that it was my job to be the articulator. But I quickly learned. My strategy statement has been at the heart of all of those changes, and I rewrite it every year. The basic notion stays the same: Tuck can be both highly competitive and highly distinctive. But I articulate that message in different ways.

7 n7 q8 Z& W3 hLeadership is an unbelievably hard communications job. You must have a firm grasp of your competitive environment, encapsulate the spirit of an organization, package it in strategic statements, and then emphasize those statements repeatedly, so that the message becomes part of the conversation.

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2 k* w- |! q3 m  z6 s7 lDipak Jain
2 l; H% G4 J9 [( P, j$ `Kellogg School of Management
Evanston, Illinois

2 a3 T5 S! Y: Z2 rQ: Describe your most challenging professional relationship.
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# L2 i6 s4 s3 j2 W) s. ~+ d0 A4 WA: How do you lead people who were once your peers and will become your peers again? Two years ago, prior to becoming dean, I was basically just like all of the other faculty members. And one day, when I'm done with this job, I will go back to being one of them.

- t+ w/ k! T/ NIn my two years as dean, I've found that the way to manage your peers -- past and future -- is through a culture of inclusiveness. In a nonhierarchical organization, it's critical to have a structure where people who are going to be affected by a decision are part of the decision-making process.

8 V8 ]4 i; B1 j% gWhen I came on board, I needed to focus on our academic curriculum. My first move was to open up the process. Previously, there was only one associate dean position, and the job dealt with two segments: teaching and research. I decided to create two separate associate positions to focus specifically on each segment. To fill them, I chose two professors whom the rest of the faculty could go to regularly. Then I went to the new dean in charge of teaching and asked that person to put together a task force on the curriculum. It included faculty from all departments and one student.
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& n5 [, C0 y( R6 P' EThe truth is, a dean has virtually no power. The faculty and my senior staff have the power. I need to earn their respect to move forward. Managing faculty members has been likened to herding cats, but that's not entirely true. Most people are behind you to help. The question is, Do you have a culture that will let them help you?
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( |' n3 K7 w2 N2 K; A" M4 {0 lRobert L. Joss
Stanford Graduate School of Business
8 d7 U5 G2 c' a$ d" BStanford, California
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7 m9 n) _6 ?4 O) |. IQ: What matters most to you, and why?
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A: I have one word for you: leadership. By leadership, I mean taking complete responsibility for an organization's well-being and growth and changing it for the better. Real leadership is not about prestige, power, or status. It's about responsibility.
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Over my lifetime and in my four years as dean, I've become more aware of and impressed by how much of leadership is about emotional intelligence. The more you lead, the more you understand just how much of it is about motivation -- and motivation is about emotions. Most universities operate in the world of the intellect: The person with the best idea is the brightest. But to lead, being smart isn't sufficient. You have to connect with people, so that they want to help you move the organization forward.

0 q' H5 n+ _3 j/ Y, a1 k( OI learned that lesson when I took over a division at Wells Fargo and tried to turn it around. I had the passion to make it better, but the old management balked and quit en masse. I hadn't realized that they were afraid of change and that it was my role to help them understand my reasons for it.
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+ i& N7 j; C: o$ ]. ^: ]Traditionally, we didn't do enough to help prepare our students to take on leadership roles. We helped them confront problems of analysis, finance, strategy, and so forth. But the way you learn leadership is by leading. So today, part of our role is to help make students more aware of what leadership means, to get them excited about it, to inspire them to try leadership jobs, and to really understand themselves. Leadership is a performing art. Intellectually, it's simple. But behaviorally, it's complex and difficult work.
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( `4 I% u4 E, [/ i/ U- c% mKim Clark
Harvard Business School
Boston, Massachusetts

- ^; ?2 C6 h+ o5 G0 o9 S$ xQ: Recognizing that successful leaders are able to learn from failure, discuss a situation in which you failed and what you learned.
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) d; l' p4 `/ p9 k  WA: When they admit a class at Harvard, they pick from all these unbelievable people. I wasn't one of them. I was a regular guy who had worked in a migrant labor camp and who got a shot at Harvard because somebody said, "Bet on this kid." I was accepted mostly because of an influential alum's recommendation.

I came to Harvard in August 1967 and had a total disaster of a year. I was on financial aid, and I spent my first month cleaning dorms. It was not fun, nor was the rest of the year. I was completely adrift, culturally and socially. I didn't fail any courses, but my best grade was a B in chemistry. There wasn't a failure of effort; I worked my tail off, but I just didn't get it.
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I left Harvard, and I didn't know if I wanted to go back. For two years, I served as a Mormon missionary in Germany. Then I spent a year at Brigham Young University. Both experiences helped rebuild my confidence.

In 1971, I returned to Harvard. This time, I was a lot more focused, and it showed. I graduated magna cum laude with highest honors in economics.
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My freshman year taught me a lot about my own limitations. The diagnosis was twofold: I probably was taking the wrong classes -- chemistry, for one -- and I didn't have my life together. I also learned that failure is about what you do with it. You may not be able to control the situation, but you can choose how you react.
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+ J7 r; P5 S( ?Today, I apply that insight to my work. How you deal with failure determines part of your success as a leader -- not only in your own life, but in the lives of people around you. As dean, I work hard to find ways to help our faculty, staff, and students be successful. Sometimes it doesn't work. People get into jobs that don't quite suit them. But people who work hard and who don't succeed deserve our best effort to help them find a place where they can be successful.

kevinhrmUID：2158364

ESSAY TUTORIAL: A few rules to keep in mind
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(1) Use Headings
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Because every essay question is really three or four questions combined, it's a good idea to use headings to add structure to your writing and help you stay focused on the questions being asked. Headings also make it easier for the reader to follow your story.

6 L/ F7 _' Q0 iThe most common (and most important) essay you'll write is the one that asks about career goals. It's usually combined with a question asking why you need an MBA and another asking why you need an MBA from that particular school. The basic strategy is to write something like the following three headings before attempting to respond to the questions:

Career Goals
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! b5 ]: R$ z4 r2 S" CWhy an MBA?

Why This School?

Under each heading you should write a rough outline of your response. Don't worry about style, just get some ideas on paper. Then try to link your responses together into a single coherent essay. (And notice that with the headings, you don't need a transition from one topic to the next.)
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(2) Answer the Question Being Asked!
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% @( D! C' i' b5 e4 P# O& XBelieve it or not, most applicants fail to answer the question being asked. A question might ask about professional accomplishments, and the applicant will respond with an essay about a spelling bee he won in the third grade! I see it all the time (and so do admissions officers).
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That's why the headings are so important. I use them to restrict writers to the topic at hand. By limiting the writer to a direct response to a direct question I have a better chance of keeping him on topic. Without that structure most writers stray from the topic after just a few sentences. The problem is particularly noticeable on Stanford's essays because Stanford has the longest essays of any of the schools. (And, ironically enough, Harvard has the shortest.)

% k+ }, }- x2 @1 v0 [' g(3) Writing Style and Voice

Application essays are the dead verb graveyards of the English language. Most of the essays I see are stiff, passive, and unnecessarily formal because applicants choose to use passive verb constructions. The voicing makes me wonder about the applicant's personality. (Do I really want to sit next to this guy for the next two years? Is this guy going to be able to interact effectively with his classmates? What kind of dork would write like this?)
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Loosen up. It's okay to substitute "it's" for "it is" and "I'm" for "I am." Some contractions, however, are a bit too informal and should probably be avoided. For instance, I would try not to use the contraction "you'll" in an application essay. It's too informal. (Even though I use it in this Web site.)
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  M( I5 E* x; o! a* y1 ]6 @5 mDon't be too stiff but, at the same time, don't get too loose. You don't want to be talking about your "posse" or what a "fossilized old goat" you think Peter Drucker is. The voice you use in your essays should sound professional but, at the same time, it should be a little informal. Try to imagine the voice you would use if you were interviewing at the school.
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7 f' Q- }/ K5 w6 m) R6 w4 F3 W# K" WYou also don't want to sound chatty or use a lot of slang. I'm sure an admissions officer would think twice about any applicant who described his school as "bitchin" or who stooped to "Valley Talk." ("I'm totally excited about coming to Wharton." Don't laugh, I've heard this voice many times in application essays.)
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$ k* e- O5 n1 {5 o+ l- N(4) Word Limits & the Optional Essay

1 p* L; _# l, W/ C: ~+ QMost schools are serious about their assigned essay lengths. You can exceed the limits by 50 words or so, but 100 words is pushing it. That's especially true at Harvard, where the essays are very short.
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: M3 `; Q/ ^9 a( a8 XAlso, writing a long diatribe for the optional essay (which usually goes something like, "Tell us anything else you think we should know.") is a sure way to tick your reader off. I've heard a dozen admissions directors asked about the optional essay, and every one of them said the same thing: "Don't use it unless you have to. And if you have to, then be brief."

The optional essay is not a forum for you to unload all of your insecurities about applying to B-school. ("I'm sorry for my grades in college, but I was on drugs a lot and I didn't know what I was doing.") Use it only to explain something that is important but that wasn't addressed elsewhere in the application.

. |  N- |/ t. d! B. oAnd the optional essay doesn't have to be about something negative (though it usually is). If you are going to use it to explain sub-par grades, don't whine or make excuses. Tell your story and then shut up.

+ E0 r8 M9 R( qEven if your optional essay is going to be about something good, don't ramble on. Be brief and to-the-point.
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(5) "Kitchen Sinking"
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This is a common practice. Applicants hope to "hit" on a secret trigger topic that the admissions people are looking for - those special buzz words that will throw open the gates of Stanford.

$ L- B* L% [1 `9 ^# T' DThere is no such thing as a trigger topic, and by throwing in everything but the kitchen sink, you dilute the force of your essay. Rather than a well focused discourse that addresses two or possibly three important themes, the kitchen sinker produces a rambling laundry list of unrelated issues that make no lasting impression on the reader.
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Choose one or two topics to address in each essay and stick to them. The reader has hundreds of essays to get through, so try to give him only a few simple themes to remember about you.

5 J5 I1 ^7 F6 E0 \, H6 y(6) Brevity

0 H2 I- B; d) v+ f% ]2 m# b3 BAfter you have written an essay, see how many words you can edit out of it. That's the only way to make an overweight and ineffective essay crisp, focused, and clear.
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6 T8 W$ L( C' G7 P(7) Content, Not Grammar
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( i( P* m5 t, o9 C% U3 `( {. qRemember, the essays are more about what you say than how you say it. (That's why we work so hard on our applicants' strategies.) So think hard about what you can offer your school before sitting down to write your essays.

! _8 n% U& M% x(8) Specific Details, Not Generic Drivel

; S8 m1 i/ a# `% lThe bulk of our work with applicants involves prying specific details out of them about their work and their personal motivations. The details, and even the topics an applicant chooses to write about, provide a great deal of insight into his character. So we work hard to get a story we like out of applicants before we think about how to write it.

If you are a consultant at a top management firm or an investment banker, for instance, don't tell me about the standard stuff that you and all of your colleagues do. I know all about that. Talk about the specific assignments you have worked on and what you did in those assignments. And hit the hot topics. If you worked overseas, talk about that. (B-schools love international experience.) If you worked in a tech area, be sure to mention the assignment. If you were involved in a high profile project that gathered a lot of media attention, be sure to mention it.
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(9) Miscellaneous Suggestions
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) j' p5 v1 D4 g; `If you speak a second language, say so in your essays. Don't bury that talent in the application paperwork and ignore it elsewhere. Admissions people may not always see it in the paperwork, and even if they do, they might not put it into the context of your career goals. Speaking a second language is a significant advantage when applying, so be sure to bring it up at least once in your essays.
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Don't spell the word "Kellogg" with only one "g." (You'd be surprised how many people do.)

Don't quote inane facts about the school back to the admissions committee. "Nearly one third of the students at Darden were born outside the United States." Don't you think the reader knows how many international students he has in his own school?

And especially don't quote a school's mission statement back to the admissions people. They know their own mission statements. In fact, don't quote anything from the brochures. The admissions people wrote the brochures and don't need you parroting their work back to them.

- h% u5 ^$ m, E- ~; O/ HDon't use the expression, "thinking outside the box" in your essays. I see it constantly, and so do the admissions officers. I'm sick of it. Don't use it. Ever.

Don't use vague terminology and obscure industry jargon to describe the work you do. "We're a value-added services provider for mid-cap multinationals looking to penetrate third sector foreign markets." WTF?
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5 ~* l! W- G2 C. }- tThe problem with throwing jargon at an admissions officer is that he has never done your job and doesn't understand the jargon any better than you did before getting hired. Very few admissions officers have MBAs, so go easy on the jargon.
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$ Z2 m9 @, R- u1 e1 R0 m4 wDon't use weird words like "titillate." They make people wonder about you.
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Don't make excuses for screw-ups. Take responsibility for your mistakes.