Blog: Archive for the “Application Tips” Category

Platitude (plat’e-tood) 1. Commonplaceness; flatness; dullness 2. A trite or obvious remark, uttered as though it were fresh or original Many candidates unwittingly start their essays with platitudes. For example, when responding to the HBS essay question “Tell us about a time when you made a difficult decision,” a candidate might mistakenly write the following: “Managers constantly … Read More  

Many MBA candidates struggle as they try to define their long-term goals. Although your short-term goals should be relatively specific, your long-term goals can be broad and ambitious. Regardless of what your short- and long-term goals actually are, what is most important is presenting a clear “cause and effect” relationship between them. The MBA admissions … Read More  

In previous essay tips, we advised candidates—with respect to their personal statements—to contextualize their academic objectives and ensure that their essays are truly personal; an additional concept to consider is bringing focus to your professional needs. We at mbaMission have found that many candidates attempt to cover all of their reasons for targeting a specific … Read More