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Nobody knows writer’s block like an MBA applicant.

When it’s Personal Statement Season, months are set aside, coffee mugs are filled up; blood, sweat, and tears pour forth…

…and still, cigarette after cigarette, the Word document remains blank.

Yes, the symptoms of writer’s block are worse than swine flu, and imaginably so -- writing about yourself is very, very hard. Especially when you need to prove your intelligence, character, and infinite business potential. The key is to strike a balance between written eloquence, and professional substance.

In other words, you need to sell yourself, without sounding like a used car salesman.

Each business school application has its own personal statement, a series of short essays you must write. You will have to respond to many different and specific questions, in a few controlled words.

Before you rip your hair out, understand this: every school wants to uncover the same traits about you –individuality, motivation, ambition, and ability to communicate. These are the ingredients for personal statement success.

The following sections are designed to guide your essays. The suggestions they offer are insightful, and you should think deeply about them.

Remember, this experience is terrifying, but also empowering – as a writer, you can decide how you will perceived. Use this to your full advantage.

Individuality

Professional and academic achievements are easy to find in an application (see resume and references). But personal qualities are difficult to detect.

There are some features about yourself that you simply have to highlight: natural leader, works well with others, keen, and self-aware.

But the only way to succeed in writing is to be memorable. Every applicant is going to claim to have the same strengths; so you need to bring some personality to the conference room.

Think about what sets you apart: are you a certified Hatha yoga instructor? Do you belong to a recreational hockey league? Points like these are interesting to read – and they can be used as a springboard to convey your unique outlook on business life. Colorful individuality will give you an advantage over the candidates who have similar qualifications as you.

But remember not to talk yourself up too much. Overconfidence is always unattractive. Sound self-assured, but know where to draw the line. Your love for French pastries will be duly noted, but your seven karate trophies should really stay at home.

Develop an edge, don’t fall over it.

Motivation

Business schools need to know where you are coming from, in order to get you somewhere else. So you need to shed some light on your background – what influences and life choices are compelling you to pursue an MBA? Exactly how sincere and driven are you? This is the time to give access to your perseverant mind.

The value system you provide will ultimately reveal what you can bring to the program. Make sure that your beliefs reflect your ethics, integrity, and professionalism.

Ambition

Ambition is everything. To get into a good MBA program, you must have a meticulous career plan. What exactly will an MBA do for you? What kind of business work do you intend to do after you graduate – consultancy, investment banking, marketing? Where do you see yourself professionally five, ten years hence?

Even if you are uncertain about your future (which is likely), and which is subject to change anyway – you need to prove that you are serious and have direction.

Do some research, and put together a career plan that reflects your talents and professional goals. Then, relate your future endeavors to the MBA program you are applying to.

How will this specific business school give you the tools you need to become an operations manager at a Fortune 500 corporation? Why is an MBA even necessary for you to achieve your goals?

The admission departments will use this information, along with the rest of your application, to gauge how likely you are to succeed. Remember, the application process is, in itself a business: you must persuade them to invest in you.

Make your arguments so sound that the program has to accept you.

Communication

Business schools are interested in your ability to communicate. Writing is the perfect medium for conveying just that. So don’t be careless with your essays; they can easily misrepresent you. Here are some basic rules to follow:

• Always stick to the word limit. This restriction was put in order for a reason – MBA programs want to know if you can operate efficiently within set parameters.
• Don’t be lofty and longwinded; be eloquent and succinct. The reader does not have all day to figure out your intended meanings.
• At the same time, write persuasively and with true feeling and thought. The reader can tell if your writing is contrived. Be honest. Be yourself.
• Grammar is of the essence.  You must demonstrate an excellent command of the language. Brush up on your skills if you need to. Subject/Verb agreement and Singular/Plurals are often troublesome for non native English speakers; make sure you can fully understand and apply these rules.
• You need to have varied sentences to be effective.  Lines that are one length are boring and repetitive; they are also unconvincing. Your sentences should be long and short; interesting and complex. Make use of colons, semi-colons, commas, and dashes whenever you can. But, do not overwhelm your language; too many devices can make your writing confusing. Also, make sure you use all of your punctuation marks correctly; misuses are easily detected.
• Make sure you diction is formal and appropriate. If you do choose to put in some impressive words, make sure you use them properly.

Finally, do not underestimate the time it takes to write the essays. They are not going to be done in a week (and if they are, the admissions department will be able to tell). You need a good 2-3 months to write. You must revise until your work is perfect.

Best of luck!