Chicago Booth Powerpoint Slides (2009)

December 18, 2009 :: Admissionado Team

What have you not already shared in your application that you would like your future classmates to know about you?

So much to talk about here, it hurts my hair just thinking about it. Well, let’s at least take a bite out of the thing. Warning—today’s blurb is gonna be particularly… abstract. And is meant for those of you struggling a little with where to begin, how to think about it, etc. There will be future posts focusing on different aspects of this question, but hopefully there’s a helpful kernel or two in here.

Clutter is your worst enemy.

Single, uncomplicated themes… yum.

Think about the medium for a second. This isn’t an essay. It’s not meant to be read. It’s not meant to be listened to. It’s not meant to dazzle you with special effects. It is a slideshow of sorts, but you won’t be there to narrate it…

The slides are meant to tell a story about cool, interesting, yet-untold shades of what you’re all about.

Through gestures.

They should be gestures of your non-career-related passions, not resumes. Gestures of personality quirks, not proofs of your intelligence. Gestures of why you’d be a fun date, not a rehash of your career goals.

Just for fun, think about the hottest woman or man you can possibly think of. [Go with it.] Model, actress, waitress, fireman… whatever peels your potato. The key is—> someone out of your league. Off-the-charts-hot. Now pretend you might be able to go on a DATE with this person. But in order to earn it, you need to write down FIVE things you’d want them to know about you.

Personality-related (forget that you’re a millionaire or a descendent of the King of Jordan. That would be cheating, jackass.)

What goes on that list?

It’s interesting because you’ll find that nothing cheesy makes it. Nothing too… square. Or boring. Probably it’s stuff that might… CHARM them? Make them think you’re cool? Dangerous? Witty? Sensitive? A real badass? There’s a playfulness here that’s interesting.

Now, this isn’t an actual suggestion for things that should populate your content—rather, an exercise to UNLOCK the way you might be thinking about this. Because the absolute LAST thing anyone wants to see is boring, dull, “impressive” stuff that’s just gonna make your date yawn and take interest in the other guy. Maybe ONE thing off that list makes it.

Mess around with the “audience” and generate similar lists of three to five things you’d want them to know about you. Here are few different types of “people” you might wanna try out. Take a look at your lists afterwards. There may be some interesting patterns, or some answers that might surprise you.

• a priest

• barack obama

• dr. dre

• your future grandson

• a bully

Have fun with it. Seriously, generate thoughtful lists of things you’d want these folks to know about you. I wouldn’t tell Dr. Dre that I was named Student of the Month when I was in 4th grade. (I totally was by the way, what’s up.) I wouldn’t tell Dre that I cry like a baby during certain FAMILY TIES re-runs. But I might tell that to the priest if I wanted to convince him I had a soul. Or to Monica Bellucci if I thought it would make me seem deliciously sensitive. I wouldn’t waste that fact on Obama though. Etc etc etc.

The lists will look different. That’s the idea.

But at the end of it all, it is telling that every single thing was important enough to make it on any ONE of these lists. And they will all reveal different SHADES of who you are. It may just inspire you and show you the light.