Common App 2010-2011: Where to Start?

Hi everyone,

Recently, we were interviewed by another company in the education sector on how students should begin writing their Common App essays. Your essay can either humanize and authenticate you, or, simply flatten your candidacy. How do you ensure your Common App essays breathe life into your application and get you one step closer to your dream college?

This is the approach we most recommend with our clients to develop Common App essays that truly set them apart:

-Start collecting stories now. No story is too big or too small--don't discriminate in the beginning and worry about specific prompts later. One story might revolve around how you won an Intel science prize and made an astonishing discovery, another might be a more situational anecdote about discovering how to make a milkshake with your kid brother. Remember, the 'less remarkable' stories can be just as remarkable, if told expertly well.

-Have conversations with people you trust. Which stories are the most interesting or compelling? Which say the most about you and differentiate you as a candidate for a top college?

-Breathe, and remember to take your time. Live with your ideas and consider which ones really 'speak' to you.

-Instead of writing 57 rough drafts of different essays, sketch out a skeletal structure for each of your strongest stories, relating them to the relevant prompt. How will you frame each narrative? How will you start the intro, then maintain momentum and interest? A 250 word min--and preferably 1 page single-spaced (more like 500 words)--will not be hard to accomplish.

Now, you've selected the strongest story concept and basic framework. It's time to really put the pen to paper. What are the biggest pitfalls to avoid? We've read thousands of Common App essays, and these are the issues we consistently see:

1) Writing what the AdCom wants to hear--a lack of authenticity.
2) Excessive passive voice.
3) Speaking in generalities rather than specific, colorful terms and language.
4) An overly casual or informal tone.
5) Stilted transitions.
6) A narrative that makes the reader a passive participant.
7) Laundry lists of accomplishments--an essay that sounds like a resume in narrative form.
8) Introductory paragraphs that fall flat.
9) Usage of trite quotes that bring nothing to the story.
10) Essays that don't fully target the prompt and answer the question at hand.
11) Essays that don't set the right tone, or portray the applicant as a positive, energized community member.
12) Essays that strive too hard to be 'remarkable.' You might be an accomplished scientist at the age of 17--but what does your essay say about you beyond your resume? What are your values, passions and desires?
13) Essays that are simply too much like the rest. Any theme can be told in a unique way, but the more common themes--the illness of a loved one, winning a race, acting in a play--are risky and must be executed with finesse.

Tackling the Common App takes some strategy. Take your time--and be sure to seek out the right mentor or thought partner to help you develop your stories. Email admin@ivyeyesediting.com for a free critique of your Common App essay(s) today!

Best,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

GRE vs GMAT?

Hi everyone,

A great short article below from BusinessWeek!

Best,
Brooke
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
***

Getting In
Few MBA Applicants Submitting GRE Scores
Posted by: Geoff Gloeckler on June 10, 2010

It’s been widely reported that more top business schools are accepting the GRE exam in place of the GMAT for admission into their full-time MBA programs. The list includes Harvard Business School, Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, and Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business. To schools, accepting the GRE for admissions broadens the applicant pool to include dual-degree students, younger applicants, and international applicants without easy GMAT access, individuals who otherwise may have been left out of the mix. It also benefits prospective students who aren’t as strong in the quantitative areas that aren’t focused on as heavily on the GRE exam as they are on the GMAT.

But how many prospective students are taking advantage of the option for admittance into the MBA Class of 2012? Not many. At eight prominent business schools that accept the GRE for entry into their full-time MBA programs, only four percent of applicants actually submitted the test.

Washington University’s Olin Business School received the highest percentage of GRE scores, accounting for seven percent of the total applications submitted. On the other hand, at the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business, only one percent of applications included the GRE. Similarly, at Stanford, while an exact percentage couldn’t be calculated, Derrick Bolton, MBA admissions director, said that the number of individuals submitting the GRE was “not a statistically significant group.” At Harvard, 468 applicants submitted GRE scores, which equaled about five percent of the total. Yale School of Management received a similar percentage of GRE scores as Harvard.

Based on the small number of scores being submitted, it’s not a surprise that very few GRE applicants are gaining admittance at these programs. At the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, for instance, where less than two percent of applicants submitted GRE scores, only two or three were admitted, according to Sara Neher, director of admissions at Darden.

True, the GRE is a new option for MBA-wannabes, which may explain the low numbers, but I think submitting GRE scores in place of the GMAT is still somewhat risky. My guess is that it will take a few years for admissions officers to feel completely comfortable with the test as an alternative to the old, reliable GMAT, and, until then, I’m not sure I would feel comfortable letting my application ride on such an unknown.

Am I off base here? Any prospective MBAs (or current MBAs) who have, or are considering, submitting a GRE score, feel free to sound off.