MBA Essay Writing Tip #23: Writing With Confidence

December 27, 2012 :: Admissionado Team

Applying to your dream school is like a first date – you want to appear confident, interesting and impressive; not needy, nervous and unprepared.

Yet far too many college applicants do little to impress the school, instead asking or even begging for a spot – and that just won’t work.

Writing with confidence isn’t about bragging or boasting

Writing with confidence is about proper research and presentation. If you don’t even know WHY you’re applying to a specific school, how can you project confidence? Likewise, if you’re not certain about what the school WANTS, it’s hard to showcase yourself in the best light possible. You can’t fake it; the best way to look ready is to BE READY.

Don’t worry, though; here are three quick tips to project confidence in your writing from preparation to presentation:

1. Prove your statements

Making claims without backing them up is a surefire way to look unprepared – after all, anyone can say they’re “the perfect applicant for Gradford” without knowing what Gradford stands for.

Do some additional research and SHOW the admissions committee that you’re a great fit by backing up your claims with examples. “I’m the perfect applicant for Gradford thanks to my experience in genetic-law, a Gradford strong-suit.”

2. Make the admissions committee want YOU

Don’t spend time sucking up – your dream school ALREADY KNOWS that it’s great and telling them this is a waste of words. Instead, focus on what makes YOU a great candidate for the school.

For example, instead of writing “I would be thrilled to attend a world-class school like Gradford with its world class business-ethics course…” go with something like “Having studied business ethics during my undergraduate degree and interned for several consulting-firms specializing in ethical business practices, I’m a prime candidate for Gradford’s business-ethics course…”

3. Write as if you ARE going to get accepted

Rather than write in the conditional tense (If I was admitted to Gradford, I would…) write as if you KNOW you will be admitted to project certainty (Once I’m admitted to Gradford, I will…) This applies to ALL short- and long-term goals.

By stating that you have a plan and will accomplish it, you’ll demonstrate a will to accomplish your goals, whether the school wants you or not. And that sort of confidence is just hard to resist.

So here’s a quick recap on writing your essay with confidence

Prove your statements.
Make them want YOU.
Write as if it’s going to happen.

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Like this post? Check out more of our MBA Essay Writing Guide Tips!

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