B-School Applications: Personal Statement

Having taken the GMAT, my next focus needs to be on actually applying to schools.  Filling out the application is fairly easy (I know my own name, etc).  It's the personal statement, or essays, that are giving me a panic right now.  I know that I can write, and I write well, but the problem is choosing a topic and then trying to display my abilities in the best light possible.  I've never been good at recognizing or talking about my accomplishments, especially to other people.

So I started looking up websites online, trying to get a good idea of where to start, and I came across this helpful article by Valeria Vegas.  It suggests brainstorming by answering a bunch of questions.  One of the questions that caught my attention was the following:

Is the any work of literature, piece of art, or music that has made a tremendous impact on your life? Why?

Of course, there is!  I've talked about how a lot of my life philosophy comes from A Passage to India by E.M. Forster.  So much so, apparently, that it was one of the coolest gifts I received this year. (A friend purchased a second printing of the first edition for me.)  It's really been a while since I've outlined exactly what those philosophies are and where they are addressed in the book.  Maybe this is an excellent opportunity to revisit that. Maybe I could start with my favorite quote about how the majority of beings don't give a rat's ass how the world is governed.  Then go into the problems human beings face with their own mortality and leaving some sort of legacy behind.   Isn't that a major reason for why I'm doing all of this?  Of course, this type of essay may not work for the University of Maryland application deadline on February 2.  I think it will involve re-reading A Passage to India and, no, that's not some excuse to waste time reading.

Then there is the following, standard question:

Where do you see yourself in ten years? In twenty years? How about fifty years from now?

That's a fairly simple question, isn't it?  Though where I saw myself ten years ago is not where I am now and I am almost certain that where I see myself ten years from now will not be where I end up.  There are so many factors and curve balls that life throws at you, how can you possibly say with any certainty "this is what I'm doing"?  I mean que sera, sera and what not.  Which brings me back to my A Passage to India - the outcome has already been decided.  I also imagine that a lot of people will take this route when writing their essays, so it won't be very original and it certainly won't help me stand out.  My undergrad GPA is not the best and my GMAT score is not what I'd hoped it would be.  This is where I have that opportunity to showcase one of my actual talents and what if I mess it up.

Then there is this one:

What is your most dominant personality trait? Would your family and friends agree?

It's a little bit like filling out those online dating questionnaires.  What is the first thing people notice about you?  What do you think is your best feature? Describe your ideal mate?  etc.  But it makes me wonder, what IS my dominant personality trait?  Is it kindness, adaptability, determined?  If you were to ask me about my sister, I would say she's motivated, focused, and stubborn.  In good ways, of course.  If I had half of what she does, I wouldn't be worried about getting into Business School.

Though, I think this one would allow me to discuss my dismal undergrad GPA and give some sort of explanation:

Did you suffer through a particularly difficult time in your life? Why was it so tough and how did your outlook change once the difficulty passed?

I can talk about the difficulties of living with an emotionally abusive step-parent and dealing with an ill mother.  I mean there is a wealth of information in that sentence alone.  How I had to work a full time job while attending school because I was the first person in my family to go to college and we really couldn't afford it.  That in dealing with a needy mother, a hostile home life, supporting myself, and sometimes my sister it's amazing that I did as well as I did.  But maybe that will look too much like I want their pity and I don't ever want that from anyone.  If I wrote it correctly, it would highlight my strengths.  But then, I think about so many other kids that had it worse.  My situation was bad, don't get me wrong, but it could have been so much worse.

Then we have:

Have you ever had a moment of true surprise or an epiphany? How did it change you?

I think the most recent epiphany I've had is that I can actually do Math.  My experience with the GMAT has shaken that a little bit, but overall I am still surprised that I do as well as I do.  Or rather, it's probably more accurate to say, that I'm surprised other people don't do as well as I do.  This came when I was taking the Accounting class this summer.  My sister hated Accounting.  So I was really nervous about taking the class myself.  I was not the "smart one,"  I was the "sweet one" and, if my sister had a difficult time with it, how could I possibly do any better?  But it turns out I understood it and did really well.  I've been able to help a local bar with their records because I "get" it.  Am I great at it?  Probably not, but I could be really good at it with the proper training and education.  It was just surprising to realize that I could be good at both words and numbers.