Every MBA hopeful is out there looking for their competitive advantage; what makes them better than their peers, how they’ll be a major contributor to their community. Of course, there are certain keys to acing the
MBA application process. Some of them are no-brainers: great GMAT scores, high undergraduate GPAs, and outstanding work experience at the world’s top companies. Other differentiators may not be quite as obvious. You know that when it comes to writing a personal statement and any other required or optional essays, it’s your best opportunity to shine as a unique individual. Your clear voice and unique perspective make you the ideal candidate for the program, after all. If you think it’s difficult to admit to any failures or weaknesses, it’s about to get tougher: it’s more important to nail the MBA failure essay than you think.
You might be thinking that you should approach the dreaded failure essay as you would approach a job interview: don’t expose any fatal character flaws, pick something small or on the periphery, and be sure to end it with a positive spin. Some of those things are still important. You might be surprised to find out that approach is the opposite of what the admissions office is looking for. Building a great
MBA application is not just about showcasing who you are, it’s also about showcasing what you’ve achieved. The best approach is to find a “true failure” in which you stumbled in genuine and palpable way, identify the impact to you and the world around you, and what you learned, gained, or accomplished as a result. What’s the whole point of asking a question surrounding your own personal or professional failure? It’s to gauge your maturity and ability to learn and grow.
Don’t lose sight along the way that the actual failure itself is not the entire focus of your essay. (Remember, when you put your
MBA application together, you’re not just responsible for writing a great resume. You’re responsible for putting together a cohesive package). Two very important things make it memorable and effective.
One, a well-structured essay always follows the traditional essay format you learned in high school. Paragraph one is an introduction or a thesis statement. You might open with something soft or conceptual as a way to hook the reader, and that’s fine, but get to the point - what is this essay about? Was the outcome good or bad? Paragraphs two through four touch upon three major points briefly introduced in the first section. How do those points support your thesis? And the last paragraph, the conclusion, is your opportunity to wrap the story up. Highlight the top points and be sure to connect back to the introduction.
Point two, an essay focused on your failure has to include specific detail on how you addressed the failure and solved the ultimate problem at hand. It’s not enough to just write about how you failed, that it turned out okay, and you were better as a result. What specific actions did you take to make a difference? Had you not taken those steps, what might have happened? Admissions officers are looking for a measurement of your personal character. Are you the kind of person who meets adversity head on, or do problems paralyze you? Can you address complex situations? Do you have the ability to realize where there is room for improvement?
There is ultimately no perfect way to write an MBA failure essay, but there are several major factors that can help you to build the best
MBA application possible. By addressing the failure essay as an opportunity to present a genuinely humbling experience and coherently sharing the steps you took to learn, improve, and grow, you can be sure to put your best foot forward throughout the admissions process.
