Admission Essays - What They Are?

Are you are planning to pursue MBA or a related course from a university abroad? As the title of this article suggests, Admission Essays are essays sought by universities abroad to consider your candidature for specific courses. While there is no rule of thumb for the kind of essays that universities might ask for, we will discuss the question-answer type essays in this section.

What are Admission Essays?  

Admission essays are, essentially, written statements, submitted by prospective students as part of their application to universities and schools. They provide applicants with an opportunity to demonstrate their personality, experiences, achievements, and aspirations, allowing the admissions committee (Ad Com) to evaluate their suitability for admission. These admission essays often require self-reflection and articulate the applicant’s reasons for pursuing the chosen program; they also discuss his academic and professional goals, how the program and the university are an ideal fit for him, and how he would be able to add value to the department and the institution.  

For example: a university may look for good leadership qualities in the applicants, thus they would have specific questions that require you to discuss various facets of leadership that you have demonstrated in the past. Similarly, a prompt for Management Information Systems (MIS) may be aimed at finding out if the applicant is innovative or has an agile mind. Therefore, to summarise, admission essays may make or break your chances of getting into a particular program and university.

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Are Admission Essays and the Statement of Purpose (SOP) the same thing? 

There is a difference between admission essays and the Statement of Purpose. While the SOP covers a broader range of your personality, admission essays require you to respond to specific questions asked. You need to stick to the question asked and not include other topics apart from what is required in the prompt.

Here are some SOP samples based on different countries:

Types of Admission Essays

Admission essays are of different types. Thus, the applicant must understand the different types of admission essays to write the appropriate response. Admission essays can be divided based on various criteria such as: 

Specific Word Limit - the length of the essay

• Very Short Answer questions/prompts (30 – 200 words) 

• Short Answer Questions/ Essays (200 – 500 words) 

• Long Answer Questions/ Essays (More than 500 words but less than 800 words) 

• Full-Length Essays (More than 800 words) 

Content - what are the admission essay questions about? 

• Goals Essay: These are basically to know what your academic and professional goals are in pursuing a particular program at the university 

• Leadership Essays: Here, the Ad Com wants to know if you have leadership traits/ potential to become a future leader, or if you have taken up leadership positions in the past. 

• Career Progression Essays: These essays are mostly asked by business schools to understand the applicant’s professional development, experiences, achievements, and goals.  

• Ethical Dilemma Essays: This essay aims to understand your value systems. 

• Achievements Essays: This is not only a chance to showcase your achievements but also to demonstrate what, according to you, is an ‘achievement’.  

• Failure Essays: In this, the university will be able to gauge if you can reflect and analyze your failures, handle them with strength, and learn from them. 

• Situation Essays: This typically involves writing about a specific scenario or a set of circumstances; the aim is to assess the applicant’s critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and the ability to articulate his/her thought.   

• The ‘Why’ Essays (why this program/course/university?): In the ‘why’ essay, the applicants are asked to provide their reasons for choosing a particular program or university. This will ascertain if the program/ university is the right fit for you and vice versa. This will show your motivation, commitment, and preparedness for the chosen program/ university.

Reated Read:

• Importance of Vocabulary in your Admission Essay
• Importance of Grammar in your Admission essays
• Word Limit and Essays: How important are they
• Sample Essays for Study Abroad

How to Write Winning Admission Essays 

There are thousands of applicants, and to distinguish yourself from others, you are required to write convincing admission essays. Writing winning admission essays calls for research about the intended program and university, clarity of thought, effective communication skills, and preparation. For instance, in a top MBA program or B-school, you must ensure that your admission essay gives the edge to your application. You need to learn how to write a winning essay.  

The admission essays are subjective so one can only guess what a winning document looks like. However, there are some set standards such as adhering to the word limit, answering the question completely making sure that no part of it has been left out, usage of correct grammar, and an engaging writing style. Make sure that the content is not copied or plagiarized.  Read: MBA Essays: Top University Essays in 2024 

Shiksha Guidelines for Admission Essays 

In case you are confused about what admission essays are, Shiksha has you covered. Shiksha has also made a separate set of guidelines that an applicant can refer to for writing his/her admission essays. To know more, read Shiksha Guidelines for Admission Essays.

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