Masters and Doctorate students, ensure that you specify your area of interest in detail, or specify the area of interest you want to specialize in. You should also emphasize on past research/ experiences that will facilitate the decision for the committee and enhance your chances of getting an assistantship.  Those of you who do not have one interest be comfortable and state a couple of areas.
 

MBAs and Masters students applying to business related fields, when asked to talk about a specific character: please make sure that you do not forget the reasons of choosing that character while you are writing your essay.  Mention how you would spend the time and what are the questions you would ask this person.  You may only have 500 words to pack a punch and leave an indelible impression on the admission committee’s mind. 
 

For an MBA student, if you are asked to give a speech or talk about something that will happen 15 years later, you have to forecast what the appropriate contents are and what will the generation of graduating students be like in the year 2015.  The universities are looking to see how good your imagination is and how well you can bring to life an improbable situation.  They want to see the conviction you have in yourself for making things possible!
 

MBA students: Most colleges may ask the same questions in different ways. In the case of overlapping topics you can use the answer of the same essay with minor changes to suit each college.  MBA students must start writing essays much in advance as you may have many topics to write on and each requires considerable thought.
 

 There are students who are under the belief that writing more means knowing more, that does not hold true in this case.  Universities want to see how comprehensively you address the topic they give you and yet how briefly you deal with the issue.
 

Please remember to begin every question on a separate paper
 

 When referring to books for answers to a particular essay question, remember to use these books only as references.  Do not continually quote statements that were written in the book.  The objective of writing an essay is to provide the admissions committee a glimpse of you, your goals and clarity of thought.
 

 When seeking help/ guidance from your teachers about your essay, remember that they could recommend inputs that have been recommended before.  You don’t want a copy of an essay.
 

 Admissions Committees normally only cross-question Masters students on their essays submitted, BUT you never know when you may be the first undergraduate candidate that they decide to question on the essay received.
 

 When two friends with identical academic profiles apply to the same schools, no one has a higher standing than the other.  You both have a chance of hampering each other’s application packets by giving similar outputs.
 

Be true about the person you are, and tell them about that individual. You may feel that your interests and activities up to now don’t amount to much or you may feel that they are significant, but you don’t want to brag.  Find a middle path.  And tell them all.
 

You have made a series of significant choices in your life.  What do these actions say about you?  Say, an impulse, which turned out to be really exciting or challenging.  Answer those questions and you have the makings of an interesting essay.
 

 Weigh your life's experiences.  Write about those that seem important to you.  The admission committee, too, will be interested in what is important to you.
 

Experience alone is not enough.  They want to know what insight you have gained from your experience.
 

 When given allotted space to fill in an essay question and you decide to enclose separate sheet of papers for the answer, it would be a good thing to notify the admissions committee in the provided space: ‘Please see essay enclosed’.
 

Keep in mind that learning is a process of growth toward self-awareness.  Your own learning and growth lie in the heart of a good essay.
 

 Even if you have not been asked to write an essay in some application, insert your Statement of Purpose.  It will do only good and speak for you to the admissions committee.
 

 These essays are about YOU, and deserve YOUR best effort