How not to screw up your essays !

Almost a year back, bouyant about being ranked in the top 3 of the bloggers from around the world, I had written a post called "How not to loose in the BoB race !". At that time, I had no admit in hand, but a huge urge to share my thoughts on what I felt essay writing was all about. This forced me to write that post, camouflaging my essay advice in form of advice regarding the BoB. The camouflaging was so subtle (unintended though), that no one realised that I what I wanted to say. That scares me, after all, I intend to be a management consultant. But anyways...

It's one whole year since then, and I am lucky to have an admit today, and dont need to camouflage stuff this time around. So here goes the same list, with minor tweaks, some edits, and a few more lines here and there. The ordering of the points is random and not based on relevance, importance, appeal, or the links it carries. If an idea gets repeated, it's probably because it's important, and not because I am lazy enough to not proofread this post.

So you ready ? Let's start.

1) Remember, adcom at your i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school are also people, so write stories that touch their heart, or make them laugh. Atleast try. Only then will they choose you over another applicant who has got the same stats and writes more or less the same genre of stories. This, Michael Gladwell will say, is what constitutes The Stickiness Factor. Very important. Take my word.

2) Show your love for the i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school, make it evident for those who will read your stuff and those who will judge it(a.k.a Admissions Committee). Your initial attraction to the i-love-you-ooohh-so-much-school was because of a reason, so tell them the reason. Pay them a visit, send them some flowers(not literally please), write a sonnet, do what you can to demonstrate that fuzzy feeling you safely keep inside your heart. Dont be shy. But dont be cheesy as well.

3) Consider each essay as a short tv commercial. You have to make the most of whatever little resources you have under the given constraints. Your essays should tell your story - so tell a story YOU want to tell(not what the world wants to hear), and make sure it is appealing to everyone who will probably read it. Dont try to address every aspect in one essay. It rarely works. Know your audience well, and build a cohesive mesh of stories which gives a complete picture of who you are.

4) Write honestly - people like that. People like people who acknowledge mistakes(even if the errors were intentional), it shows character(weirdly contradictory, hunhh?) and the desire to improve - demonstrate those emotions if the essay asks for it. Whether you actually improve or not in real life is a debatable story for another day.

5) Love what you are writing - believe me, it shows up. OK, even if you dont believe me, just give it a shot, see how it goes. Be passionate about what you write, and be smart enough to ensure that the passion within is easily visible. We all like to read passionate stuff, so this trick would immediately connect you to them.

6) Dont write about all work stuff. Mix up your stories with anecdotes from your personal life, your childhood, your siblings - anything that will spice up the boring cliched work related million-dollar-deal-you-won-accomplishment text. But be careful to tie your thoughts to a central theme and your USP. You are building your brand here - so make sure you get all forces to act in the right direction.

7) Make sure you edit your essays and cheque for speling misstakes. See if your essay has a rhythm, see if it flows like the stream down the hillock. If not, tweak it, modify it, rewrite it(do anything and everything you can) - because if it aint good looking to you, how are you gonna convince the adcom that it is the most beautiful representation of what you are. After all, we arent Milton or Hilton, that whatever we write(or wear, or probably not wear) looks good.
If you start an essay with n number of points in the first para, see if those points are addressed later on. See if the reader can tie them back those points and get the gist out of the essay after a casual reading. Make it easy for the reader to understand. She will like you for that.

8) Open out your stuff for the smart ones (read : reviewers) to read. Some of them will be kind enough to be critical - listen to what they say. You would need time to make improvements, so make sure you are not in a hurry. Sharpen the edges, and fine-tune the settings. You are almost there, but dont be hasty to finish it off just yet.

9) Network with people who have been there before, and have seen the world. Discuss your thoughts with them - see if they believe your essays will be entertaining and believable. Once you have collected the suggestions, consider those during your regular lonely Saturday afternoons with your chin resting on your palms. But in the end, take what you feel right, because its your story, and you got to believe what you wanna say. [this point also serves as a disclaimer to this blog post]

Last but not the least, please be reminded that even Ethan Mathew Hunt cannot plan everything to perfection, so hedge your bets, and keep a back up plan - just in case you dont get that admit. Good Day and Good Luck!