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Admission essay excerpt:

I said “I Do” to a career in media when I was only 16 years old. I grew up listening to the radio and started believing that some day, I’ll be able to work in one. I was 16, and in second year high school when the local radio station had an opening for a college level intern.  I was disappointed to hear about the college level requirement, but I didn’t let it stop me from making my dreams come true. I applied and was able to convince them of my knowledge of the media industry. But perhaps what made them consider me for the internship is my unwavering determination.  Even at a tender age of 16, I was not afraid to give it a try and believed that I can be successful in the field.  The station then accepted me as their youngest intern.

Outline

I.  Marriage and commitment to the field of broadcast communication

A.  I was only sixteen years old when I applied for internship and got accepted as an intern for a local radio station.
B.  During my internship, I showed every one that I was committed to the field of broadcast media.
C.  I worked hard at everything that was thrown at me. I made promotion packets, distributed flyers, and cleaned the equipment used.
D.  During the internship, I tried to learn everything and anything I could from the station personnel.

II.  My calling

A.  During my college years, I was accepted as an intern at Black Entertainment Television (BET) and was offered paid internship at Cable News Network (CNN).
B.  Juggling these two internships showed me my true calling in the broadcasting field.
C.  It also taught me excellent time management skills.

III. Getting an MBA degree
A.  An MBA would greatly help me make my mark in the industry.
B.  A masters degree will give me the opportunity to hone my management and leadership skills to be the best in my field of work.
C.  ____ College offers the best curriculum that matches my goals and fits in with my work schedule

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Outline:

I.  Introduction
A.  My father was my biggest role model and I am lucky to have grown up with him in my household and in my life.
B.  My father was an excellent family man (taught my to tie my shoes), and an extraordinary man (taught my one of my most valuable life lessons: giving back to society).
C.  How giving back to society is central to repaying the blessings it has given me
D.  My intention to give back to society by becoming an educator

II.  Explaining my father’s mission and its impact on me
A.  My father dedicates his life to fighting illiteracy.
B.  He used his time and money to sponsor other people’s education.
C.  His actions and his pure intentions helped me understand my own purpose in life: to become an educator and continue his legacy.
D.  This is why I have made a commitment to do well in my studies, so that I can pursue a career in education, teaching in institutions around the world

III.  Pursuing further education
A.  As a result to my commitment to education, I did all that I could to succeed in the academe.
B.  Won a scholarship from the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education.
C.  My studies were so important to me that I asked my boyfriend, who was in a hurry to marry me, to pursue further education and that his dowry to me should be a bachelor’s degree from a university, and I motivated him toward that goal.
C.  Proceeded to take up Human Resources Management
D.  The first time I failed a class because of unclear communication with school adviser
E.  Pursued another major in International Business
F.  Pursued a third major, Information Systems, to complete three majors in 5 years

IV.  Going to Stanford
A.  I believe that the Stanford MBA program is the best program to thoroughly prepare me to achieve my goals and dreams.
B.  Stanford has the faculty and student body to help me become the best teacher I can be.
C.  I feel that Stanford has the best educational environment, with a perspective of education much in line with my own, and my father’s.
D.  This is where I want to earn my MBA degree.

Excerpt:

Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have one of the strongest and most influential role models in my life right in my own household – my father.  Not only is my father an excellent family man, but he is also an extraordinary person.  It is through my father that I learned how to tie my shoes and it is through his example that I learned how giving back to society is the most fulfilling way of repaying society for what it has given me.  Now, I seek to gain the education, training, and experience that I need to fulfill my dreams of being an educator, just like my father, yet in my own right.

Earning an MBA degree can be one of the most fulfilling achievements that you will experience in life.  Not only is MBA an achievement in itself, but it can also aid greatly in your career path.  This article will cover three essential fields of business, and how an MBA education can help you succeed in each one.

Business Management

An MBA degree can help you advance your career in business management.  All throughout your MBA education, you will be studying and dealing with different business models, situations, concepts, strategies, and topics.  An MBA degree is likely to aid you in starting up and managing your own business.(1)

Finance

Another field where an MBA degree is of great importance is finance.  Dealing with numbers can be difficult, but an MBA education can help you understand the way that the economy works and how to manage your finances.  It is often said that understanding finance is one of the most important factors in being successful, and an MBA education will definitely help you develop a deeper understanding of how it works.(2)

Strategic/Risk Management

Finally, in order to keep a business and company running smoothly, efficiently and effectively, it is essential to be well versed in risk management and strategic management.  Whether you specialize in risk management or you have learned about it through your other classes, an MBA education is definitely a good way to get accustomed with making strategies and minimizing business risks.(3)

Before you gain your MBA education and degree, you will have to complete your application package and get accepted into an MBA program.  Perhaps the most significant application requirement is the personal statement.  So be sure to take a look at examples of personal statements to help you write an excellent essay.  When studying examples of personal statements, try to understand the tone, format, themes, and topics that are often written about.  What you will notice about personal statement examples is that they are interesting, captivating, and moving, all at once.  Try to read at least one personal statement example to get an idea of what is expected from your essay.

(1)  http://www.hbs.edu/mba/svmp/
(2)  http://www.bus.wisc.edu/mba/curriculum/
(3) http://www.mib.edu/cms/data/pages/master_course_insurance_finance.aspx

When applying for an MBA program, you will probably hear and read a lot of information about MBA school, MBA admissions, and MBA degrees.  The problem is, it’s high likely that not everything you hear or read about them will be true.  In fact, there are numerous myths about MBA that many people believe in.  Here are some MBA myths and the truths behind them:

Myth 1: You need to be a business major to qualify for MBA

The truth is, people from many different fields apply to and qualify for MBA programs and schools all around the world.  Most schools will accept applicants as long as they have a US Bachelor’s degree or any equivalent form of achievement.(1)  In fact, if you just take a little time to read some personal statement examples, you will find that MBA applicants come from all kinds of academic backgrounds.  Don’t believe in this myth, because you will only discourage yourself in getting your MBA degree.

Myth 2: You won’t get admitted to top MBA schools if you didn’t come from a blue-chip company

Another common myth is that you need to be from a blue-chip company to get admitted to a reputable MBA school.  While some schools will require that applicants to have had practical experience in the working world, others are willing to accept applicants with no working experience at all.(2)  If you do plan on applying to a top MBA school without any working experience, try checking out some examples of personal statements to get an edge over your competition.  You’re bound to find an example of personal statement that’s written by someone who isn’t from a blue-chip company.

Myth 3: Using a former alumna as personal reference that will help you secure a spot

Getting letters of recommendation and other forms of help from an alumna is a clever way to increase your chances of getting accepted.  It’s important to realize, though, that an MBA school will not accept you just because one of their alumni wrote a recommendation letter for you.(3)  Take matters into your own hands and have confidence that your own skills, capabilities, and experiences are enough to get you into MBA school.  Be sure to capitalize on your personality, character, skills, education, and training by writing an excellent MBA admission essay with the help of personal statement examples.

(1) http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/application_requirements.html
(2)  http://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/admissioncriteria.html
(3)  http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/letters_of_reference.html

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/

You’ve finally made the decision to go to MBA school to earn your degree, but you’re stuck on how to make a good MBA  admission essay?  Before anything else, you may want to look over some examples of personal statement online.  MBA admission essays can be tricky, and it takes a good balance of writing skills, personality, time, and effort to write an excellent essay.  With these simple steps, however, you can write a winning admission essay that will get you into the doors of the MBA school of your choice.

Use real experiences and examples to discuss your main points

The first step to writing an exceptional MBA admission essay is to use real-life experiences and examples that you have been through in the past.  By using your own experiences to discuss your main points, you will inject more life and personality into your essay.  Try to think of some of the challenging times in your life, and reflect on how you have grown because of such challenges.  Always remember to focus on the positive, and express why you make a good candidate for the school.  Read a personal statement example or two to see the types of experiences other writers have used in their essays.(1)

Write as if you’re speaking directly to your reader

There is a good reason that MBA admission essays are sometimes called “personal statements.”  Not only are you relaying personal insights, but you are also getting personal with the reader.  When writing your admission essay, try to write as though you are speaking directly to your reader, or the admissions committee.  Following this technique will add a sense of warmth to your essay and will help engage the readers by holding their interest.(2)

Start right and end it well with an attention-grabbing intro and persuasive conclusion

Finally, make sure that your introduction and conclusion are well-written.  Try to grab the reader’s attention from the beginning with an interesting introduction that will lead you into a flowing body that is concise and coherent.  From there, wrap everything up with a persuasive conclusion that will urge the admissions committee to accept you.(3)

Remember to get the most out of examples of personal statement by comparing and contrasting your own essay with the personal statement example.  That way, you can be sure that your essay is good enough to get you into MBA school.

(1) http://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/undergrad_adm/apply/how_apply/personal_statement.html
(2)  http://career.berkeley.edu/Grad/GradStatement.stm
(3)  http://students.berkeley.edu/apa/personalstatement/gettingstarted.html

People often go on and on about how great it is to go to MBA school and earn a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.  Students from around the world apply to some of the most prestigious B-schools in the country in hopes of earning an MBA.  For those who decide against going to business school and for those whose applications got rejected by MBA schools, there isn’t much to fret about.  Here are some of the top reasons not to attend MBA school:

The recession

The current recession has sent numerous huge companies and brands tumbling down.  Plummeting along with these huge names are the bank accounts of people all around the world.  With the recent economic recession, jobs for MBA graduates have become rather iffy at best.  For example, investment bankers have lost a lot of their business due to the effects of the recession.  As a result, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find well-paying jobs as an MBA graduate.  Besides, even if you could find a good job, it’s hard to find clients who will trust you with their money nowadays.(1)

Working around the clock

Another problem with going to MBA school is that you will be working towards a career and lifestyle that is constantly filled with stress.  Sure, endless hours are spent by doctors who save lives and lawyers who deal with legal cases, but businessmen and bankers have to handle the stress of turning over multi-million dollar deals.  A lot of the time, the careers that MBA graduates end up in are those that fill their lives with work and stress.(2)

The pressure to achieve more

One of the perks of getting an MBA degree is that you can work your way towards a relatively well-paying job.  The problem is, you may never feel as though your accomplishments are enough.  The competitive nature of many business schools out there leaves graduates in constant competition with their colleagues, co-workers, and other business grads.  When you end up hearing all of the success stories of past classmates, it is easy to get caught up in the pressure and competition, making you feel inadequate or unappreciative of your own achievements.

Mounting expenses

MBA schools pose another problem: cost.  MBA schools usually get away with charging an arm and a leg, because they promise that an MBA degree will help you to earn big.  The problem is, you’ll probably start out with a huge debt, as you borrow money to get through B-school.  After earning your degree, you’ll probably spend a number of years just working to pay-off your debts and loans.  Next thing you know, you’re working to pay off a new car, a house and lot, or a new yacht.  In the end, you forget about all of the great ideals that you had about what you would do as an MBA graduate.  It all becomes an endless cycle of paying off expenses and debts.(3)

Next time you consider taking up an MBA degree, give it some good thought, because you may just end up a victim of one of these reasons not to go to MBA school.

(1)  http://www.businessworld.in/index.php/B-School/In-Recession-US-MBA-Students.html
(2)  http://gradschool.about.com/cs/new/a/studentstress.htm
(3)  http://news-info.wustl.edu/news/page/normal/13263.html