A good test score may not be enough to get a shortlisting call with your dream b-school. It is not about passing a single aptitude exam with flying colors; instead, it is about entering a multifaceted and transformative period of life. This is why, rather than depending on a single exam, many business schools are increasingly analysing every element of an individual’s viewpoint using various new techniques. B-schools rely on multiple tactics to attract dynamic individuals, including group discussion activities, extempore, personal interview sessions, and a clear statement of purpose. Essay-based questions are a recent trend in measuring students’ originality and inventiveness.

BITSoM MBA Application has 2 mandatory and 1 optional essay.

Essay 1: Tell us a little bit about yourself, your beliefs and your career aspirations. How will an MBA degree help in reaching your goals?

Essay 2a: Tell us about a time when you learnt something completely new, your experience during that journey, what you learnt from it and how you applied this new learning.

(OR)

Essay 2b: Have you gone beyond the call of duty for someone else’s dream/success? Tell us about the time, when you did your best even after knowing that it wasn’t you who was going to get a reward? Did you have doubts? If yes, then how did you overcome them and motivate yourself?

Optional Essay 3: Is there anything else about you that you would like us to know?

Here are five insights into how essays assess the holistic personality of an individual:

• Getting to know the innovative spirit of the individual
• Assessing the creative outlook 
• Gaining a personal insight into an individual’s personality
• Knowing how seriously you have researched about that particular B-school 
• Creating a first impression of the candidate 

Through these parameters, it becomes easy for the B-schools to examine if the candidate is the right fit for that particular B-school. Thereon, the importance of essays in the b-school application becomes evident. It has become necessary to ace these essays and get your ticket into the b-school of your choice. For this, your essay needs to be stellar in every aspect possible.

Here are some tips so that your B-school essay stands out from others:

1. Make a Narrative: The thumb rule that one should follow while attempting personal essays is to show and not tell. The stronger the narrative is, the higher the examiner’s chances of being captivated by the write-up. The aim is to highlight your intrinsic personality. Make sure you do so through a grand narrative.
2. Sell yourself but do not boast: There is a thin line between selling oneself and bragging about one’s quality. The idea is to highlight your qualities in a way that the reader gets intrigued about meeting you. If you adopt a boastful tone in your essay, it will harm your chances of getting selected.
3. Carry Nuanced Research: It is essential to research every detail of the business school you are applying to while attempting the essay’s ‘Why B-school’ section. The key here is to explore the extraordinary part of the school so that the examiner knows the depth of your research and the strength of your will to attend such a B-school.
4. Charge your creative spirit: Be creative! This is the ultimate mantra. Energise the writer in you and write your essays most innovatively and creatively possible.
5. Please answer the question: It becomes essential to answer the question aptly whenever you attempt an essay. Thereon, swaying the narrative away becomes a huge no-no and a deal-breaker in your b-school essays.
6. Make it MBA relevant: Do not go on and on about some irrelevant experiences in your life. Make the essay as relevant to your desire to pursue an MBA as possible. It is also essential for you to give a strong reason behind your motive for doing an MBA.
7. Do not exceed the word limit: One thing that is the most primary rule is to respect the word limit. Try to summarise your points crisply through a structured narrative.
8. Personalise, not generalise: It is crucial to make the essay as personal as possible. Try to give real-life experiences that inspired you to choose a career in management. A general essay would not attract the attention of the examiner.
9. Ensure a free flow of ideas: While attempting the essay, consistency in terms of ideas and structure is important. A scattered and digressive narrative shows carelessness in writing and leaves a destructive impact on the reader.

BITSoM offers coming-of-age opportunities for MBA aspirants to manifest their career goals further. The holistic pedagogy and a structured curriculum help the students meet current industry needs and make them industry-ready. Through the means of PI and essays, BITSoM assesses the overall inclination of students towards the MBA programme.

MBA admissions for the 2022 intake at BITSoM will start soon.

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