Enabling Your Transition!

This year, ISB has two essay topics for the admissions. These essay topics are as follows:

Essay 1: Describe with examples the most important personal quality that you possess which significantly enhances your prospects of being successful as a leader? (400 words max)

Essay 2: What are your short term and long-term career goals? How will Post Graduate Program at ISB assist you in achieving your goals? (400 words max)

Apart from these 2 essays, there is one reapplicant essay that is meant for candidates who are reapplying to ISB.

Let’s analyse how to write these two essays.

First, some common points to be kept in mind while writing the essays –

1. Show originality – Always write in your own words. The admissions committee would like to see originality in the work. They need to know that it is written by you.
2. Show the human behind the essay – If the admission committee can imagine the person behind the essay by the time they finish reading the essay, your work is done. This means you need to connect to the reader of the essay.
3. Be to-the-point, don’t throw jargons – Write in simple sentences, make to the point statements. Never fall in the trap of using fancy jargons.
4. Be your true self – Express the real you. The actual work and achievements should be expressed in relatable terminologies.
5. Highlight the point of difference – Almost everyone in the applicants is hardworking, intelligent etc. Show how you are different and what value you can bring to the class of 2021.

Now moving to the essay topics. We have formulated a matrix of what to include and what to avoid in the two essays.

If you follow these basic guidelines, we are sure you will come up with a great essay. Writing essay is not difficult, discovering yourself is more difficult.

PSU add-ons - The following points need special attention for PSU/Govt background applicants.

1. Bring out your individual quality and contribution - eg in PSUs we generally handle large project and teams. But merely stating this fact is not going to help as this is the work you were "supposed to do". What you as a person brought extra in that work which can be cited as your personal achievement needs to be highlighted.
2. Get to know the terminologies used outside PSU/Govt - Words like tender, operative ratio etc and other technical words are not understood easily by people evaluating you. So change the technical words in which you are explaining your work to evaluator.
3. Be aware - Your career goals should reflect the fact that you are well aware of opportunities available in private sector and you know how your existing skills can bring value in the career path that you intend to choose.

We will help you in your own discovery. Once you know your weakness and strength, you are ready to fly!