The required essay portion of a student’s graduate school application offers the opportunity to explain his or her passion and provide additional background that standardized tests and résumés may not cover. However, some prominent MBA programs are cutting back on the number of written pieces that they require.
Although this may be telling of what the future holds for grad school applications, it may take a while for other schools to make the change. According to a recent Kaplan Test Prep survey of 204 business schools, only for this application cycle, and a mere 3 percent reported plans to cut back on that portion in the next one.
“While it’s true that some of the most competitive business schools have cut the number of admissions essays or reduced the word count, our survey finds that the overwhelming number of MBA programs continue to see value in applicants submitting more information about themselves,” said Brian Carlidge, executive director of pre-business and pre-graduate programs, Kaplan Test Prep, in a press release.
Those who are applying to a school with a reduced essay section are encouraged to spend just as much — if not more — time honing their written section. Brevity is a skill that even some of the best communicators find challenging.
By Monique Smith
126 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, 11549
At Hofstra University, students take advantage of dynamic courses, flexible schedules, exceptional f....
Graduate Admissions Office, Springfield, MA, 01119
Western New England University offers a diverse range of master's, doctoral, and dual degree program....
10601 Calle Lee, Los Alamitos, CA, 90720
Touro University Worldwide is a nonprofit institution of higher learning established by philanthropi....
5701 Delhi Road, Cincinnati, OH, 45233
Mount St. Joseph University is a Catholic academic community grounded in the spiritual values and vi....
Doheny Campus, Los Angeles, CA, 90007
The Master of Art in Humanities at Mount Saint Mary’s University is a dynamic and fl....
1000 Regent University Drive, Virginia Beach, VA, 23464
Regent University is a Christian learning community comprised of seven graduate schools (Business &a....
3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14618
As an independent institution in the Catholic tradition of American higher education, St. John Fishe....
401 N Fairview St, Lock Haven, PA, 17745
Founded in 1870, Lock Haven University sits on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River and looks ov....
