ISB Essay Tips

In just a couple of weeks from now, the ISB admissions office is going to be flooded with hundreds of applications. Most will be read and then tossed into a large pile of rejected applicants while only a select few will be considered good enough for an interview call.

The one thing every successful ISB applicant has done right is produce strong, effective and interesting responses to the three essay questions. Drawing from College Connect’s success in placing several students at India’s leading business school last year, below is detailed discussion on each essay topic.

1) If we were to admit one more student to the class of 2012, make a compelling argument as to why that student should be you? (300 words)

To begin, forget the wordy phrasing and think about the simple prompt: “Why you?” In other words, this question is nothing but an insightful sales pitch that puts the onus on applicants to state explicitly why they think they are good enough to be admitted. You need to think about what sets you apart – Is it your career progression to date? Is it your unique skills-set? Is it your passion for a certain industry, idea or activity? Is it your distinctive vision for the future? These broad questions are a good place to start. However, what really sets the stellar applicants apart is their ability to delve further; to go beyond generic statements everybody can make. For instance, do not waste precious space talking about how hardworking you are or how intelligent you are. These “fluff” essays add little to your overall candidacy and if admission officers don’t get a good sense of the sort of person you are, you’re not going to get in. It’s as simple as that.

Ideally, you want to either highlight a specific factor (or accomplishment), or substantiate a broader claim with specific examples and anecdotes that draw readers into your personal or professional history. Remember, at the end of the day, what they are looking for is unique individuals with convincing stories. So, it is vital you do some soul-searching and come up with a personalized response to this question.

2) What are your short term and long term goals? How will the ISB help you achieve the same?

A run-of-the-mill career goals question? Perhaps, but your answer should be anything but that. Given you have just two compulsory essay questions to answer, you need to use this prompt to shed light on your professional aspirations. The trick here is to connect the past with the future. The biggest mistake applicants tend to make is to either disregard their previous work experience or fail to specifically address their ambitions for the future. Strike a good balance. Touch on your professional responsibilities and accomplishments, highlight the skills you have acquired and give the reader an insight into how that has shaped your vision for the future. Most importantly, however, address the question: What are your short and long term goals? Be as specific as you can. (That being said, it is usually not a good idea to name specific companies you want to work for). If you are continuing with your current career path, draw out your expectations for the future. Talk about the roles you want to play and the responsibilities you would like to assume. If you are looking to switch careers, highlight what attracts you to your new choices and how your past work experience will help you.

Do not at any cost forget to answer the second part of the question. You are expected to have done significant research on ISB! Again, you need to be specific. Are they any courses that particularly excite you? Any faculty members you admire? Any clubs, opportunities or international immersion programs you want be apart of? If you have met any ISB faculty members or alumni, there is not harm is slipping that in as long as it doesn’t detract from the flow of the essay. Ideally, you want to tie in the ‘Why ISB?’ part of the essay with your professional goals for the future.

This essay is undoubtedly challenging given that you need to get across so much information in a measly 300 words. So remember to be concise. Each sentence must add value!

3) Please provide additional information, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB.

Usually additional information questions are best left untouched if there is nothing significant to add. However, given you have just two other essays for ISB, it is highly advisable you try and tackle this question. One word of caution: Do not think of this essay as an invitation to list achievements. The biggest mistake most Indian applicants make is to turn this question into a laundry list of accomplishments. Remember, your resume is there for that!

This is your chance to either strengthen your candidature or address any weaknesses in your application. Without being repetitive, you could consider using this essay to highlight positive traits such as leadership, creativity, team-work or commitment. You could also pick on non-professional themes such as extracurricular activities or hobbies. Some of most effective essays written are about passions such as travelling and reading. If you have significant gaps in your work experience or think your GMAT score is not a true reflection of your academic potential, this is also your chance to address these issues. You will be surprised to know how many successful ISB applicants have spun apparent “weaknesses” into “strengths” that show the candidate in a very positive light.

The above discussion should give prospective ISB applicants some insight into the essay questions. At College Connect, we believe every applicant has a convincing story to tell and we work closely with all our applicants to ensure they produce successful essays. It is not surprising therefore that we have one of the highest success rates in placing students at ISB.

To discuss your own essays and take the first step towards ISB, give us a call at 9999177517.

For a limited time, we are offering special comprehensive ISB support including brainstorming, editing and rewriting for Rs. 10,000 only.

A Breakdown of the Common App Essay Topics

Most undergraduate students applying to the US will at some point need to tackle the essays in the Common Application. Given how broad the topics are, and the fact that you just have to pick one of the six topics, your options are endless. One way to think about these essays is to first ask yourself -- “What do I want admission committees to know about myself?” If you have a compelling answer, it will undoubtedly fit into one of the six prompts.

Before getting started with your essay, its a good idea to spend a few minutes reflecting on Common App’s instructions -- “Please write an essay (250 words minimum) on a topic of your choice or on one of the options listed below, and attach it to your application before submission. Please indicate your topic by checking the appropriate box. This personal essay helps us become acquainted with you as a person and student, apart from courses, grades, test scores, and other objective data. It will also demonstrate your ability to organize your thoughts and express yourself.” As the bold portion of the instructions indicate, your essay needs to personal and should not read like a laundry list of achievements. To understand this further, please read our previous blog article on building an effective story. Below is a discussion of individual common app essay topics.

Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
One of the broadest essay prompts you will ever see, this topic provides an empty canvas for you to write about almost anything. That does not mean you ignore some basic rules. First, notice the most important phrase - “evaluate a significant.” This means you need to evaluate and not simply describe, you need to focus on one particular experience/achievement/risk or dilemma not several, and it must be personally significant to you. Don’t simply describe something; make sure to delve deeper into the issue. Don’t spend half the essay describing your winning goal or 100% marks in Math! Rather, talk about why that achievement or experience was important to you. Use this essay prompt to come across as an intelligent, insightful and mature individual.

Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
The biggest mistake most applicants make while tackling this question is that they forget this is a personal essay. These pieces often tend to turn into academic works that shed little insight into the applicant’s mind. First things first, only choose this essay prompt if you are really passionate about a certain issue. Second, ask yourself if you have done something about the issue? If you have, this could be a great essay topic for you. Just remember, if this turns out into a rant about global warming or the Godhra Riots, and doesn’t get personal at all, you could be in trouble.

Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you, and describe that influence.
Again, like the previous question, remember this essay prompt is slightly misleading. You are expected to talk about another person, and yet, at the end of the day, the essay has to focus on you. Try and stick away from cliched answers about dad’s business acumen or mom’s compassion. Admission committees receive thousands of “rags-to-riches” stories about grandfathers and uncles, so unless you have something really unique to say, don’t tackle this question.

Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you, and explain that influence.
If done well, this essay can turn into a very interesting, compelling and often quirky piece that admission committees will enjoy reading. The key is to focus on the character’s influence on you. If you can show your intellectual prowess while at the same time subtly highlight your own character and passions, you have a winning essay. One word of caution: know the character well -- if this means re-reading books or studying paintings all over again, do it! Admission officers are quick to pick up on essays that show a very superficial understanding of the material.

A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.
As an international student, this is often a great essay topic to sink your teeth into. Remember though, diversity in this case is not defined narrowly; you are encouraged to think beyond race, color and religion. Ask yourself, “What do I bring to the table that is unique?” As long as the essay does not seem too forced or sappy, you’ll do just fine with this essay. If you are itching to talk about your experiences travelling, going on exchange programs, working with organizations or assisting members of disadvantaged communities, this could be a great place to do so.

Topic of your choice.
We, at College Connect, usually do not encourage applicants to resort to this prompt. Since the previous five questions offer you so much flexibility, invariably, whatever you want to say will answer one of the above five questions. Picking “Topic of your choice” does not give you free reign to simply write about anything (or worse, just cut and paste an essay previously written for college or another application). Only if you have something really pressing to say, and there is no way it can be moulded into answering the other prompts, do we recommend picking “topic of your choice.”

To discuss your Common App essay, call us at 09999177517 to set up a free appointment with our team. A College Connect counselor will conduct a complimentary brainstorming session that will equip you to tackle these essays. For more information, visit our website -- www.collegeconnect.in.