ISB MBA essays

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DECODING ISB ESSAYS
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• This year there has been a minor change in ISB
  MBA essays. First of all now aspirants are
  required to answer only 2 questions instead of 3.

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• The ISB MBA essay questions are as follows

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Essay 1 If we were to admit just one more
candidate to the Postgraduate Programme (PGP) at
the ISB, why should it be you? (400 words max)
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• How is this question different from the last
  years one?
• Last year, the school provided guidance to the
  candidates on how to address this question. The
  question was If we were to admit just one more
  student, make a compelling argument as to why
  that student should be you by describing an (only
  one) achievement in your personal / professional
  life that you are most proud of. What did you do
  that sets you apart from others? What did you
  learn?
• As it can be gauged from the question, ISB wanted
  the candidates to justify their worthiness for
  the program and provided the guidance that they
  can use their most coveted leadership/team or any
  other achievement as a yardstick to prove their
  worthiness.
• Esteemed B-Schools like ISB look out for
  achievers who have the ability to take risks,
  handle pressure, challenges, diversity. People
  who basically can make their PGP class more
  competitive, dynamic and conducive for growth.
• Though this year ISB has removed the guidance
  part from the question, the idea remains the
  same. Through this question, the admissions
  committee is still eager to learn about your
  risk-taking/ challenge handling/ team management/
  leadership/diversity skills. To write a
  compelling narrative, brainstorm for the most
  important achievement of your life and present it
  as a compelling story. Remember the motto is to
  convince the admissions committee that you would
  be an effective contributor towards making the
  class a more dynamic one.
• Since this time you are not limited to describe
  only one achievement, you can also choose to
  narrate a few outstanding events of your life
  that have shaped your persona, helping you to
  become an excellent leader, a versatile
  team-worker, a peoples person or a go-to
  person.

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Essay 2 Describe your short and long term career
plans. How does the PGP fit in with those? (300
words max)
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• The admissions committee usually decides in favor
  of those candidates who have a clear vision of
  their goals. Clarity in thought reflects
  maturity. At this point of your career, when you
  are already equipped with a few professional and
  personal skills, you are expected to have a clear
  vision of your goals. Where do you see yourself
  in the next 5 years? 10 years? What is your
  ultimate ambition in life?
• It is also important here to justify how do you
  feel the ISB PGP program prepare you for the
  accomplishment of those goals? What aspects of
  the program do you specifically find interesting
  and suitable for your ambitions?
• You also need to mention how your academics and
  career so far have prepared you for your goals.
  Basically, in this question, you need to address
  the following equation
• Knowledge and skills acquired so far PGP Goals,
  in such a way that the entire essay weaves into
  an excellent story of your past, present and
  future.

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Essay 3 Please use this space to provide any
other information not covered elsewhere in the
application that could significantly impact your
candidature at ISB. Note It is not necessary for
you to write this essay. Please use this space
only if there is something really significant
that you would like us to know.  (200 words max)
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• Why not utilize another opportunity to prove your
  worth for the program? We recommend using this
  space to detail an additional instance that
  efficiently showcases your risk-taking/ challenge
  handling/ team management/ leadership/diversity
  skills. The more you are able to communicate with
  the admissions committee, the better it is.
• It is also a good idea to use this ISB MBA essays
  space to justify any gap in your education or
  employment or even the circumstances that led to
  a GMAT score below your expectations.