Monday Morning Essay Tip: Multi-Dimensional Brainstorming
September 1st, 2008 | Posted in Monday Morning Essay Tips, Blogroll
Monday Morning Essay Tip: Multidimensional Brainstorming
We always tell our candidates, “You can’t turn a bad idea into a good essay.” We insist on taking our candidates through a lengthy brainstorming process (which begins with a thorough questionnaire) to discover the stories that make each candidate distinct. Even as you uncover your stories, it is still important to consider them from as many different angles as possible. While this will help ensure that you understand the various “weapons in your arsenal,” this will also provide you with maximum flexibility (as MBA Admissions Committees ask questions which vary dramatically from school to school).
For example, a simple experience coaching a baseball team at an underfunded high school may have multiple dimensions. This may be the story of
- creatively motivating this underachieving team and changing attitudes — despite losses
- initiating and leading fundraising efforts so that each player can afford proper equipment/jerseys
- mentoring a struggling player and seeing an improvement in his on-field performance
- helping a player deal with a family issue off the field
- recruiting other coaches and then working with a team to improve the team’s on-field performance
These are just a few of the stories that could be gleaned from this experience, which serves to reinforce the point that considering stories from various angles is quite beneficial and will help you discover many unique approaches.
Subscribe to RSS
top