MBA Application Editing: Top Tips and Tricks

MBA application editing

As admissions consultants, we find immense enjoyment in editing essays and short-answer responses in MBA applications. Yup, we’re nerds like that. Guilty as charged! But it’s because these personalized parts of the application are make-or-break for your admissions chances. B-Schooled host Erika, a consummate word wrangler, has done a deep dive into this issue on the podcast. Below, we’re sharing an overview of her MBA application editing advice to help business school aspirants make their responses as high-impact as possible.

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MBA Application Editing 101: Banish Overused Words and Phrases

Not every MBA applicant is a natural writer, so we call your attention to some tired words and phrases you should avoid. In general, remove adjectives and adverbs that add no value to your story and may weaken your message. A non-exhaustive list of examples you should take a red pen to include:

KeyUnique
VeryReally
InterestingImportant
AmazingBandwidth
Leverage Synergize
Get the ball rollingAt the end of the day
Think outside the boxHit the ground running

Another common pitfall for MBA applicants is writing flowery sentences overloaded with descriptions. Often, you can find shorter ways to say the same thing. For example, instead of saying, “My long-term career goal is to run an ed-tech firm,” you could say, “Eventually, I want to run an ed-tech firm.” Also, look out for the unnecessary “of.” Saying “I wanted to exceed the expectations of my client” could have been written as “I wanted to exceed my client’s expectations.”

These seemingly small deletions can significantly strengthen your response. By making simple tweaks like these, you can ensure that every word in your essay is impactful and contributes to your narrative.

MBA application editing

Lastly, MBA applicants often wonder whether it’s OK to exceed the word or character count. Responses entered into a text box within the application typically have a hard cut-off. Some schools have applicants paste their essay responses into such fields, so you must stay within the prescribed limit.

While we caution applicants against exceeding the word count, you have some wiggle room with PDFs. Remember that admissions committee readers know what 500 words looks like. So, do your best to stick to the rules.

Short Text Fields on the Data Form

We have an entire podcast episode about the MBA data form, so check that out for several helpful tips. Here, we’ll focus on the fields that ask you to describe your accomplishments, most significant challenges, or extracurricular activities. You often have no more than 200 characters available for these text fields.

MBA application editing

So, the biggest takeaway is to not answer in complete sentences. If the field asks about your responsibilities, don’t write, “My responsibilities are…” or “I am responsible for…”. In fact, you don’t even need to begin your answer with “I.”

Here’s an example from an actual SBC client, which you’ll note are direct statements that begin with action verbs:

  • Oversee global finance and operations for youth development programs in 5 countries.
  • Manage organization-wide accounting matters, assist management with donor invoicing and reporting, monitor firm-wide cash flow and advise management on limitations.

Ideally, you will use wording that is different from what’s on your resume. Here is your chance to tell the AdCom something new or provide other details. Also, note that the number five is not spelled out. While grammar rules dictate you should spell numerals from one to nine, that doesn’t apply to situations where you’re constricted by character count.

You should use shortcuts like these whenever possible. So, for the words million, billion, or thousand, use capital M, B, or K instead. Rather than writing plus, use + if you can. Heavily used words such as startup and nonprofit don’t need hyphens, either.

Finally, we have thoughts about Oxford commas—the final comma between the last two items in a list. It’s OK to omit them throughout your MBA application materials, and it’s advantageous to do so when constrained by character count. Save those extra spaces for meatier content.

Make Thoughtful Topic Choices

Sometimes, MBA applicants want to share anecdotes that, while compelling, require a complicated or lengthy setup. When that happens, you may need to choose a different achievement or story. It’s best to pick a more straightforward example whose setup doesn’t require 80% of your word count.

Examine your essay with a critical eye, and ask yourself, “Is every single word in my response necessary to make my point and answer the question?” Am I showing—not telling—something that reveals what I would bring to the program to benefit my classmates? If the answer is no, find other stories where you can spend most of the word allotment describing your contributions and results.

When it comes to MBA application editing, we recommend setting aside your completed essay drafts for a few days. Afterward, you can revisit them with fresh eyes, and you’ll likely discover words or sentences that aren’t critical. Or consider engaging SBC’s hourly editing services for your essays. An expert wordsmith on our team can offer excellent strategic and objective advice to maximize your essays’ impact.

While editing might not become your newfound passion, we hope this article and its companion podcast have provided you with valuable strategies to streamline your MBA application editing process. Business schools value succinct communication. Trimming down unnecessary words and focusing on impactful storytelling will strengthen your application.

Remember, conveying your experiences and aspirations clearly and effectively ensures that every word contributes to a compelling narrative. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out for personalized guidance from our expert consultants. Good luck!

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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership to test prep to hourly help with targeted tasks. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from LBS, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Meet Susan, just one of the many superstars on the SBC team. Susan was the Director of Recruitment and Admissions at London Business School LBS and also the Director of the Executive MBA program at Columbia Business School CBS.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation.

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