Hey so I'm following this post up with one that I've wanted to write for a couple of weeks now. Yes, I should be sleeping, but I can't at the moment because of the 3 hour nap that I took earlier today in Sage. In any event, I just want to give some advice to all of the applicants out there.
I've been editing people's essays - some of whom have received Interview calls already! Those people have no idea how much that made my day to hear that they had crossed that threshold!
There won't be any structure to this post and I'll probably ramble at points, but just try to follow. Some of the things are repeats from posts at earlier times. You can probably just SEARCH my blog for some other key takeaways. Some of these things are mistakes that I made last year going through the process!
When you are writing essays - do not say "I like school ______ because it's a small close-knit community" Many many many many people make this statement. Plus it's a statement that can be found on most school's websites. It's not original and puts you in a category of "Okay.. does this person know anything about us beyond this point?" Sure it's a valid point to call out and show that you know what the school is about, but there are other ways to do it.
When reaching out to current students to inquire about the school refrain from saying "Tell me about your school." This is an incredible broad statement and a tough one to answer. It's ESPECIALLY tough to answer when we are all incredibly busy. That's not to say that folks won't respond, but it's much easier if you say what you know and ask students to add color around things that you're interested in. I'll be the first one to reply with "I'd like to hear what you know about Johnson and things that you're interested in. That will help me to help you." Please don't read this as "Oh... I'm too busy" because I do not mean it in that light. I'll be the first one to respond with paragraphs and paragraphs of information if I have some direction.
When you finish speaking with someone on the phone, ask "Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?" You want to do as much research on the school as possible and one person's experience may not be indicative of the whole student population. I made it a point to speak to as many people as possible.
When you visit a school or talk to someone on the phone, know that you are being evaluated. I can only speak for the culture here at a small school, but people DO talk, so be cognizant of that.
Hhmm there were other things that I wanted to say, but they've escaped me. Thankfully I can just hop back on here when they come back to me. I have to go write another blog post now for Johnson!
The offer still stands if anyone wants me to review his/her essays. I do ask that you send them in a word doc and not a PDF. Also, remember that I do not fix grammar. I do help bring the story that you're trying to tell out in an essay in a manner that makes sense for the Ad Com. Feel free to email me at richardbattlebaxter@gmail.com. Also, in your email to me just give me some slight background about you and why you want to go to business school. Nothing robust, just 2/3 sentences so I have SOME context!
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