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ISB Essays and Essay Tips 2008-2009:

ISB Essay 1 Tips

Please give three reasons why ISB should admit you into the class of 2010. These reasons should ideally differentiate you from your competition. (300 words max)

The real question that is asked here is - why should Indian School of Business Hyderabad bother with you when there are a hundred other applicants with a comparable GMAT score or work experience or academics or whatever? Given a vast (huge number of applicants) but limited (almost entirely Indian, mostly male, many from IT) field of choice ISB is seeking your USP. Your primary aim in this essay will be to explain to the ISB Adcom the factors that make you different, unique and distinct. Your challenge in this ISB Essay is to answer this question with three distinct points and within 300 words.

Ask yourself what genuinely sets you apart. What are your greatest strengths? What are your greatest achievements? What are the characteristics that you believe will differentiate you in a group of high-reaching professionals? What are the qualities that have aided most in your past personal/professional accomplishments? Choose from your achievements, your hobbies, your academics, your personality traits, your passions, your work experiences, your life experiences, your attitude. Sell whatever you feel can sell well - and credibly.

Give short (300 words cannot support long stories) example whenever possible. To get info for the essay you should not mind knocking at many doors. Your friends, colleagues and family are excellent sources for giving you obvious answers which you might have easily overlooked. But the person who knows most is always going to be yourself.

This essay tells the admissions committee how desirable a candidate you are for ISB. To write credibly about the differentiation you bring and the value you add to the Indian School of Business will require some knowledge of ISB and the average ISB student profile (research time!).
As always remember that this essay is part of a bigger package and write accordingly. While you are trying to convincingly portray a picture of a person who can add definite value to ISB do not overdo it because we are only at our first essay. Make sure that you leave enough room for the points mentioned in this essay to be complemented by the other essays – most specifically Essay 2 where your leadership skills might be under the spotlight.

ISB Essay 2 Tips

You are contesting the election to be the President of the ISB Student Body. Write a speech you will deliver to the student body on why they should elect you as the President? (300 words max)

The first track you can take in this essay is the ISB Student Body Presidency. Question: What do you know about the "ISB Student Body"? If your answers are on the line of "Nothing", "Its a body of ISB students" or "Its an unidentified non-flying object" etc. read on. Since student bodies and student involvement will be an important part of the ISB MBA experience your extensive research on the Indian School of Business will come in handy now. If you do not know enough, building some knowledge about the ISB Student Body would be in order. To get dope for the essay do not hesitate to knock on many doors. Enough information is available on the web for you to start off. A school visit might help (and not just for the essay). Communicating with alumni, specifically ISB GSB members, would be a good idea (and not just for the essay).

The second track is obviously leadership - this is the first non-case ISB essay in my memory that envisages the applicant in a leadership position. A parallel (or even primary) aim of the essay is to convey the type of leader you are. Showcase your leaderships qualities and add weight to these assertions through well chosen professional or personal leadership experiences. Consider your defining characteristics as a leader and link it with your past achievements accomplishments and with future possibilities at ISB. Similar to the LBS application essay question this is almost a case study. Identify student club or campus activities you will initiate and develop as President of the ISB Student Body. What will you accomplish as the Student Body leader at ISB? Communicate your vision for the future and express credibly why you will make a great choice for leading the ISB Student Body.

The most difficult part of this essay might actually be .. the previous ISB essay. Err.. yes.. all that praise that you heaped on yourself in Essay 1. Can you buttress some of the qualities and skills mentioned in the previous essay without actually repeating them? If you can, in concert with your leadership vision, that should do the trick.

Go for it!

ISB Essay 3 Tips

CASE: You have been appointed to head the team to build a dam across the River Zumba. Success in this project is critical for your company and would earn you a promotion. Failure would mean that your company would be bankrupt and will take along with it, its investors and its employees. Building a dam across the river would result in deforestation of a portion of the rainforests and would mean relocation of the tribals and destabilization of wild life at Zumba. There is resistance from environmental groups against your project. You are meeting the head of the resistance movement in one hour wherein you would have to explain your decision. Describe what you would do and why? (You will be evaluated on the creativity and practicality of your solution). (300 words max)

Ha Ha! This is fun!

ISB has a penchant for including one essay question each year simply to terrorize the applicants! Last year it was the knighthood versus million dollars essay and this year we have a decision making + dilemma case study.

Do not despair however, as this essay can also be the ace up your ISB application sleeve. As there are very few questions in any MBA essay package that a majority of the applicants are actually afraid of attempting, each such question automatically presents you with a chance to create an advantage for yourself. This ISB essay is definitely one such as it is easy to write a directionless, wavering, indecisive essay that gives no real solutions but just repeats the question. So seize this opportunity with both hands.

I am sure you have several questions. What should my solution be? Which side should I lean to? Can I bribe the head of the resistance movement (creative?! and practical?!). Can I resign?

Actually the solution itself DOES NOT MATTER quite as much, because this essay is NOT about River Zumba but about YOU. The solution you devise should fits your convictions, your personality (as reflected in the the rest of the application) and your thought process. While the creativity and practicality of the solution is important, as important is the maturity, intelligence, reasoning and research that marks your approach to the solution. Unlike the case study situation you actually have much more than one hour to prepare your response - use the time well. Also, while presenting a original, workable solution do not overlook the potential of this essay for effectively presenting your attitude and outlook towards the environment, corporate social responsibility, ethics, ambition, career and success.

Be honest. Be intelligent. Be creative. Be persuasive.

And do you feel 300 words is too, too short to do all this? Well, I agree. But it is 300 words that we have to work with and so we will.

So go get 'em!

Aside: Hey ISB oldies, if memory serves me right this was the ISB case study essay question in 2003. Remember the old Zumba, anyone?

ISB Optional Essay Tips

Please provide additional information, if any, that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. Please do not repeat information which has already been stated elsewhere in the application. You may use this to clarify any breaks in education/work, inform about any other item which you think has not been covered elsewhere etc. (300 words max)

In the ISB application, attempt the optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and material strength of your application. Do not submit your ISB optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays. Do not submit your optional essay because you feel the quality of your earlier essays is improvable – in which case redouble your efforts in the earlier essays and leave the optional essay alone.

Since ISB has just 3 essays on which your candidature will be judged. So contrary to my usual position, and notwithstanding all that is mentioned above, I would encourage you to look for really (I mean truly) enhancing perspectives or information that might make a difference to your application.

ISB Scholarship Essay Tips

Why do you think that the ISB Scholarship Committee should consider you for scholarship? (300 words max)

The ISB scholarship essay can essentially take two approaches – merit based or need based. Though merit based ISB scholarships are automatically considered, the base of the need based essay would still need merit

The merit based approach can explain why and how your candidacy is superior to the average ISB candidate’s. It might be a recap of parts of Essay 1 and Essay 3 with additional points which might tie in with ISB’s stated aims. The summary you present here can repeat some information from the mandatory essays because the scholarship decision is separate from your admission decision. The need based approach reviews your financial position and explains the strain that the ISB fees would be on you and your immediate family. If you have more ideas I am waiting to hear them!

Go for it!