Many business school candidates unwittingly start their essays with platitudes\u2014obvious or trite remarks written as though they were original. For example, when responding to the essay question, \u201cTell us about a time when you made a difficult decision,\u201d an applicant might mistakenly write the following:<\/p>\n
\u201cManagers constantly face difficult decisions. Still, everyone hates indecision.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n The applicant does not \u201cown\u201d this idea and cannot lay claim to this statement. A simple alternative would be to insert his\/her personal experience and viewpoint into the sentence:<\/p>\n