ESSAYLEVER
Indian School of Business (ISB)
2008 (Previous Year's) Application Essays - Tips and Suggestions
Click here for tips and suggestions on this year's essays
Essay 1: The ISB culture stresses on a diverse mix of students; life at the ISB is a unique experience for the students. How will your candidature contribute to this culture at the ISB? (300 words max)
You must write about how you are likely to be different from other applicants with backgrounds similar to yours. You may be an engineer with four years of IT experience. Why should ISB select you over 10 other applicants who are also engineers with same amount of experience and an equal GMAT score?
Compare yourself with colleagues at work. In what ways are you different from them? Your skills and attitudes are likely to differentiate you from them. The initiatives you may have taken outside of work and interests and hobbies on which you may have spent considerable amount of time and gained a lot from would also differentiate you from others like you. Your values that have benefited you in your endeavors would also differentiate you from others.
Essay 2: A million dollars or knighthood: what would you choose and why? (300 words max)
A million dollars now and a knighthood when you turn 50 – an obvious answer, isn’t it? But you need to choose one.
Think of what you can do with a million dollars.
Then think of what it would mean to receive a national honour?
A million dollars can get you and your family a good life. It can provide the financial freedom to go full out to pursue your interests, hobbies and dreams. It can help you start a business or a charity. What else will you do with the money? How will it help you get what matters?
On the other hand, receiving a public honour would mean that you have contributed exceptionally in your line of work. It could provide the power to some to get things done.
Think about the two and choose one that matters more to you.
Essay 3: You have a new manager who has just joined your organisation. As a part of the handover, the outgoing manager is describing each person reporting to him. How do you think the outgoing manager will describe you to the incoming manager?
Your outgoing manager will talk about your achievements, contributions, special professional and personal abilities and capabilities. Are you a great team player? Are you the one who creates unique solutions to problems? Are you the one who manages crisis situations? Identify the one or two traits that are your strengths and write about them in this essay. Don’t load the essay with 10 different strengths. You will not create any impression that way. It’s always better to identify your strongest traits and write about them in some detail.
Essay 4: Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. Please do not repeat information which has already been stated elsewhere in the application. You may use this to clarify any breaks in education/work, inform about any other item which you think has not been covered elsewhere etc. (300 words max)
This essay is mainly meant to address weaknesses in your application such as a low GMAT score and average academics.
This essay is not meant to summarize your application. The essay clearly asks you not to repeat information provided elsewhere.
You can, however, provide other information which you consider important but have not been able to provide elsewhere in the application.
For personalized guidance to write your essays and edit them, check out our editing and consulting services. Write to us at cs@essaylever.com for any questions on the service.
Site Menu:
