When MBA school applicants get started on their personal statements, they often concentrate on what makes a personal statement good. While it is definitely helpful to know what makes an MBA admission essay exceptional, it is also equally important to know what makes a personal statement mediocre. Knowing what makes a bad MBA personal statement will give you an idea of what mistakes to avoid while writing your own essay. Read on to learn about what makes a bad MBA personal statement, so you can be on your way to writing an exceptional essay.
A bad MBA personal statement has errors
One of the worst mistakes you can commit in your MBA personal statement is to have spelling, grammar, or syntax errors. The best way to avoid these mistakes is to carefully edit your personal statement to make sure that it reads well. If you don’t trust your own editing skills, then you should have someone else edit the essay. Perhaps a relative, colleague, or close friend who has excellent literature and English skills will be able to edit your paper to ensure that there are no errors of any sort. Some errors, such as providing erroneous information in your essay, can only be spotted and corrected by you, so make sure that you are truthful and honest in your essay to avoid such mistakes.
A bad MBA personal statement doesn’t distinguish the writer from other applicants
Another costly mistake that is common in bad MBA personal statements is that the statement does not make the writer unique from other applicants. If you want to truly interest and captivate the admissions committee, you should try to let your unique personality shine through in your essay. To set yourself apart from the rest, avoid some of these mistakes:
- using cliches
- writing about common topics
- not writing about your own feelings and perceptions
- concentrating too much on what you think the committee wants to hear and not what you want to say
- enumerating your achievements instead of telling a story
- not talking about your own goals and aspirations
A bad MBA personal statement fails to answer the question
Some people tend to get carried away writing about their experiences or feelings, leading to an essay that doesn’t completely answer the question being asked. To avoid this, it’s a good idea to make an outline focused on the question being asked. Only include topics and information that relate to the question. Try to do some research on the school, and try to reflect on your answer to the question to show your own thoughts, personality, and characteristics in your answer.
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