Monday Morning Essay Tip: Three is a Trend
May 20th, 2008 | Posted in Monday Morning Essay Tips, Blogroll
At MBA Mission, we encourage candidates to SHOW their experience, not TELL the reader conclusions. So, for example, a candidate may mistakenly choose to TELL the reader: “I performed exceptionally well in my job and was promoted.” In this case, the reader is left wondering: “What did he/she do so well to earn that promotion?” The reader always needs the whole story to “prove” the conclusion.
In this spirit, we find that candidates occasionally think that they are providing the whole story by offering a single data point:
Example 1: “As an avid paraglider, extreme sports are not just a hobby but a way of life”. In this case, the conclusion, that the candidate “lives” for extreme sports, is not substantiated. One data point is not enough to “prove” this conclusion.
Example 2: “As an avid paraglider and budding heli-skier, extreme sports are not just a hobby but a way of life.” With the second activity added, the case becomes more compelling.
Example 3: “As an avid paraglider, budding heli-skier and experienced cliff-diver, extreme sports are not just a hobby, but a way of life.” With this series of three, it becomes somewhat undeniable that this person is indeed passionate about extreme sports.
Of course, we have used a simplified example here and would suggest that a candidate put his/her experience into action (show the passion via experience: “Leaping from a ten meter cliff, I….”), depending on the context of the essay.
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