Rating: 
(12 reviews)
Author: Paul Bodine
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Book Description
Expert guidance to help you write the essay that gets you accepted by the best business schools
If you’re applying to a business school these days, you need more than good grades, high GMAT scores, and an impressive resume. You need to write attention-grabbing essays that express your individuality, identify your goals, and play up your talents and strengths.
Written by a renowned admissions consultant who has helped applicants get accepted into the nation’s top schools, this all-in-one guide will show you what today’s top-level admissions offices are looking for. Filled with clear guidelines, insider tips, and winning samples, it will lead you through every step of the application essay process. You’ll learn how to organize and structure your writing, avoid common pitfalls, and market yourself like a pro. The book includes:
- The 8 most common essay questions–and how to answer them
- 22 actual essays by successful applicants to top schools
- Interactive exercises and self-quizes to guide you in the right direction
- Self-marketing strategies to highlight your individual talents
- Candid insights from admissions officers at top-ranked business schools
5 Comments
I got started on my essays very late in the game after having spent the majority of my time taking (and retaking) the GMAT. As a result I was considering blowing $2,000 on an admissions consultant and essay service…
Then I found this book. Most of the other books are full of *other* people’s essays. This one will walk you through creating *your* essays and uses the examples as a teaching aid rather than just compiling essays that worked (not useful to me).
To make a long story short, this book helped me construct my key essays including finding your story for constructing the basic ‘why mba,’ creating a ‘packet’ for recommenders that is specific and reinforces your story with credibility, and, especially for me, putting the *optional* essay to good use. I was especially concerned about the optional essay because of a sub-par gpa.
This past year I applied to 5 schools, am yet to get my first ‘ding,’ and have a scholarship offer from a top 10 school. I like the fact that the book is relatively short/focused (not inches thick), annotates the sample essays, and uses real feedback from adcom readers. This is essentially the same service I was about to spend a lot of money on.
This book is a must for everybody thinking of applying to b-schools. Paul covers a wide array of circumstances, situations, dos and don’ts.
All of my recommenders have found this book the best guide to write recommendation letters as it offers a very clear view of the goals their letters must achieve in order to assist and enhance the application.
A real page turner! This book reads like a mystery novel, you can’t put it down because you want to find out what’s next! Bodine provides valuable insight into the mentality of admissions committees, guiding the reader on how to market oneself effectively, and how to create a compelling profile that differentiates you from the sea of applicants. I particularly enjoy the process of “data mining” my life — part of which involves reflecting on my work experience and linking past achievements to future goals. This book made me realize that most people focus only on the GMAT, but B-schools are still looking for individuals, not scores. A compelling essay that connects with the admissions officer will go a long way in setting you apart and significantly improving your chances of getting in. A must-read for anyone looking to get accepted by a top school. And as another reviewer pointed out, a real steal at $12.
Almost all of the essays are WAY over the word count & page limit required. What he’s telling you to include can NOT be included in 500 words or even 1000 in some cases. For example, the sample letter of recommendation is 7 pages long. No one is going to write you a 7 page letter.