65 Successful Harvard Business School Application Essays, Second Edition: With Analysis by the Staff of The Harbus, the Harvard Business School Newspaper

Author:Lauren Sullivan & The Staff of The Harbus [Sullivan, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780312550073
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2009-08-04T05:00:00+00:00

ANALYSIS

The author takes the reader through three events in his life, each exploiting an opportunity and leading to self-discovery. The essay is easy to read and conversational. The author is also able to articulate why these three achievements are important to him and what he has learned from these experiences. The essay demonstrates his continuous quest for growth, his crisp communication skills, and a determined attitude that is spiced with a sense of humor.

The first story gives a flavor of how the author deals with ups and downs in day-to-day life. He expected the internship to be glamorous and important but ends up stuffing envelopes in the office. However, the author is direct, accommodating, and persistent and eventually moves out of the basement into the limelight. The second story is probably the weakest—not in terms of content but in terms of explanation. The reader is not entirely clear as to what the author’s role was in leading the team. Although the story gives an insight into the author’s future ambitions, it doesn’t help us understand his leadership style better. The author could have improved this section by enunciating “how” he was able to deliver “an innovative and compelling product.” Addressing the “how” is more important than stating the achievement, and this section would be more convincing if the if the author had explained what he really meant by “leading a team.” The final story demonstrates the author’s fun-loving and risk-taking attitude. In terms of writing style, it is important to note how the author first simply states the achievement and then explains how he made it possible. The author is not afraid to reveal his lighter side, either—did he really expect to get on the New York Times BestSeller List? Probably not, but the story still remains memorable and makes us want to get to know the author more. Would he be an entertaining and eclectic contributor in the HBS classroom? Most likely.

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