Monday Morning Essay Tip: No Need for Negativity
January 5th, 2009 | Posted in Monday Morning Essay Tips
Sincerity. Honesty. Candor. We encourage candidates to strike at the essence of these attributes and, when this is achieved, successful essays inevitably follow. Yet, is there such a thing as too much of these attributes? In particular, when candor turns to negativity, the answer is “yes!” Sometimes, candidates unwittingly think that they are being candid but are in fact revealing themselves to have a predisposition toward pessimism, making it much harder for an AdCom to identify with their files. Such a situation is rather unfortunate, because the exact same idea can almost always be expressed in a positive and optimistic manner.
Example:
“In my current position, I am no longer learning and am afraid that I will continue to stagnate without my MBA. I cannot achieve my objectives to be a leader in my Marketing Department unless…”
Common sense would say that the AdCom would not be all that excited about accepting someone who has stopped learning or someone who believes that his career progress can be stopped by basic obstacles!
Example Revisited:
“As I look to the future, I recognize that with MBA training, I can dramatically increase my impact on my firm. With an eye toward a leadership position in our marketing department, I am….”
In our “Example Revisited,” the candidate is putting the exact same need for an MBA in positive terms and is thus making himself a more warm and engaging prospect (while still candidly stating a need for further education).
Before submitting your file, check for unnecessarily negative statements. While we would never suggest that every line in your essays needs to be “sunshine,” there is no need to reveal yourself as a pessimist either.




















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