When writing your MBA admission essay, one of your main goals is to stand out as a unique individual who makes a good candidate for college admission.  Most examples of personal statement are able to do this well.  Writing a unique MBA essay doesn’t necessarily require that you write about your entire life history.(1)  If you are stuck on how to write an MBA essay that stands out, try out some of the following tips:

Discuss what makes you both a leader and good team player

Two marks of a great applicant are teamwork and leadership.  The reason MBA schools hold teamwork and leadership with great regard is that these two traits are essential to being a good business student and a good businessperson in general. Some examples of personal statement focus on certain experiences or situations wherein the author had to take on the reigns and be the leader of the team, or had to sacrifice for the sake of teamwork.  Be specific in the examples that you give, but expound on the qualities and character traits that you have developed because of your experiences.(2)

Tell readers what MBA can offer you

Another way to make your MBA essay stand out is by talking about how an MBA degree can help you in your life.  This is an approach used in many personal statement examples.  Perhaps you have specific goals or aspirations in life that would be more easily attainable with an MBA degree.  An MBA degree has a lot to offer you, so be sure to concentrate on the points that mean the most and those that will make the most impact on your career and life.  Just remember not to make it sound “too good to be true,” otherwise, the admissions committee may just think you’re sucking up.

Focus on your strengths and downplay your weaknesses

Finally, use the MBA essay to highlight your strengths while downplaying your weaknesses.  For example, you may want to briefly address a certain weakness or shortcoming of yours.  Be sure to focus on how you have used your strengths to overcome such weaknesses.  The point is to acknowledge the negative, but concentrate on the positive.(3)  For a good idea on how to go about incorporating this third tip into your essay, have a look at an example of personal statement that talks about failures or hardships.

(1)  http://www.californiacolleges.edu/admissions/university-of-california-uc/personal-statement.asp
(2)  http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/personal_statement.shtml
(3)  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/