You have an opportunity to gain entrance into the educational program you desire, but what do you include in your admissions essay to really capture your audience? Your graduate program admissions essay will land in the hands of an admissions officer. He or she will spend five minutes reading it. Then, the decision is made. Will your admissions essay strike the right response? If you incorporate these key tips, it will. These are the expectations of EMBA program admissions counselors.
No. 1: It Must Be Flawless
Accuracy, detail and exceptional grammar matter. Aim to provide a clear message. Keep it clean, though. You will want to spend the time working on each sentence to ensure it properly reflects the statement you are trying to make. This is not a blog post. Aim for your best paper yet.
No. 2: Reflect on Your Personal and Professional Self
Your essay should communicate who you are and what your goals are. Incorporate aspects of your personal life as well as your professional life. What have you accomplished? What are your goals for this program? It is important to show why this program will benefit your life in total. Your admissions counselor wants to get to know you. In most schools, the only way he or she can do that initially is through your essay. Does it provide a clear introduction to who you are and what makes you tick? Here is a trick: When you want to speak about a specific cause, discuss how it is important to you personally.
No. 3: Keep It Concise
Remember, your EMBA admissions counselor has about five minutes to read your essay. Keeping it to the point is important. Most often, this document needs to offer an introduction, dive into who you are, and showcase why you are a good fit. Do not overdo it. Longer is not necessarily better. Can you convey the message in a shorter sentence? Then, do so.
No. 4: Why Are You Interested? What Are You Offering?
The goal of your essay is to convince the admissions counselor for the Executive MBA program of two things. First, you need to say specifically why you are interested in the program. Again, keep this focused. Why is this school the best choice? Why is this program the best one for you? To impress, dive deep into the curriculum to find something that helps this school to stand out from others.
Second, convince the reader that you have plenty to bring to the table. What are you going to contribute? Since most MBA programs are research-heavy, you will want to discuss what you would like to do and be a part of. What skills, interests and insight can you offer?
No. 5: Show Passion
This is the most important component here. You must show you are passionate about your field, the program or something else in your life that links back to the EMBA. Do not just write a sentence stating that this is your passion. Instead, tell what your passion is and why. Show how it matters to you and aligns with the program.
Are You Ready to Enroll?To learn more about the Executive MBA program and the Jindal School of Management at The University of Texas at Dallas, please fill out this form or email pamela.fosterbrady@utdallas.edu.
