Killing your darlings left and right…

“In writing, you must kill all your darlings,” William Faulkner famously wrote, alerting aspiring belletrists that the process of self-editing demands a certain measure of stoicism and the ability to suppress natural attachments to your own words.

But, oh, the kicking and screaming that sometimes ensues when I tell an MBA candidate that many of the bullet points they painstakingly wrote for their resume will have to go.

Selecting the most notable of your accomplishments and leaving it at that is one of the hardest things for an MBA candidate.

It’s called an MBA admissions race for a reason

I know the thought of leaving out an accomplishment sends you down a rabbit hole, overflowing with fear that the MBA AdCom might find you unimpressive, unaccomplished, and even – God forbid! - entirely unworthy.

So let’s fix that. Let’s equip you with the insights that will help you navigate your MBA journey with a sense of possibility and opportunity, instead of uncertainty and fear.

What matters most to me is…

It’s not just about the resume. Candidates often struggle with trimming down their essays. It’s not easy to let go of what you believe showcases your best self.

It’s also really hard to avoid slapping labels all over your work.

But what’s a label, you ask?

It’s when you add things such as “The next time I was called on to exhibit leadership was when I led the team to a project success,” instead of letting the story itself illustrate your leadership.

“But will they see it as leadership?”

“Will the AdCom recognize it?”

I know it’s a scary feeling. But if you have to explicitly label it, you might not be telling your story as effectively as you could. Trust in the power of your narrative to convey your qualities.

Speaking of labeling, one of the most common questions candidates are debating right now is about the Stanford GSB essay.

“Should I explicitly write, “What matters most to me is...”?”

No, really, should you?

If you feel the need to spell it out, it could be a sign of two things. And neither of them is good...

The bigger the better? Maybe not…

Another area where candidates sometimes misstep is with their recommenders.

Oh, the temptation to use big titles and alumni connections!

But if it’s clear the person doesn’t know you well, this can backfire.

While a big name might seem impressive in theory, a recommendation from someone who actually knows you deeply and can speak to your strengths and growth is far more powerful.

It's infinitely better than one from a high-ranking individual who barely knows how you act, lead, and achieve results.

Why are MBA LORs so important?

Sometimes, MBA candidates misunderstand the role of the LORs in the MBA Admissions process.

The LORs are the only application input that is not produced by you, the MBA candidate. And that’s immensely important.

The LORs serve as a tool to validate the claims you make about yourself in your MBA application.

Equally importantly, your recommender is expected to be someone who has observed, managed, and contributed to the development of other professionals at your level - and can speak about how YOU compare to THEM.