How to Be a Superhero in Your MBA Applications

With their extraordinary genes, powers, and privileges, you may wonder what  lessons you can learn  from popular superhero characters, such as Batman or Spiderman, to help with your  MBA applications. Apart from having superhuman abilities, these characters  effectively use their more human qualities to connect with their audiences, both in comic books and in movies. Just like them, your aim is to win over your audience – the Admissions Committee and interviewers at your target MBA programs. Lets look at the basic formula superhero movies have used to win the approval of audiences worldwide and how you can use it to your advantage in crafting your MBA applications: Create Interest with Extraordinary Powers Draw  the Admissions Committee in by presenting them with your unique strengths and accomplishments. The first things that come to mind when we think of superheroes is their amazing powers or feats. Thus, these heroes become associated with their unique abilities. For example, Superman is marketed as someone who is â€Å"faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to  leap tall buildings  in a single bound.† Not only are these powers described in an attention-grabbing manner, but they are also written about in a very visual and easy-to-imagine way. This strategy should be helpful  in writing about the impact you have made with your own accomplishments and responsibilities. Show Your Vulnerable Side   From viewing Superman’s weakness to Kryptonite to seeing Spidermans difficulty juggling his responsibilities as Peter Parker,  we as the audience are shown that our heroes are less than perfect   they each have great struggles to overcome. Rather than diminishing them, these weaknesses make them more relatable, prompting us to root for them even more. As you write your  admissions essays, don’t stress that you are not perfect even superheroes aren’t! Instead, demonstrate your self-awareness by identifying how you can grow further, or acknowledging failures that you have learned from. This will allow you to present yourself as a mature candidate who will benefit from an MBA experience. Just as importantly, it will also present an authentic profile that your audience, the Admissions Committee, will appreciate. Share Personal Stories Another important way  to fully engage an  audience is to share personal stories. Superhero movies and comics do a great job with this  by allowing  us to know the reasons for each characters decisions, which helps us understand them on a more human level. For example, Bruce Wayne (Batman) seems to have it all – riches, power, looks, and all the coolest gadgets. However, his characterization doesn’t stop there; we are also clearly shown his motivations for taking  the actions that he does. Sharing why you have chosen your current path will help show the rationale for your  post-MBA goals. Even if  the path you have taken is not very straightforward, you still want to show that a logical thought process has  guided you, and how this logic fits with your desire to attend your target MBA program. Core values and turning points in your personal life are related to your career decisions, thus, sharing these personal stories will help you connect with  the Admissions Committee on a deeper level, and allow you to submit an overall memorable application. Applying to business school? Call us at 1-800-925-7737 and speak with an MBA admissions expert today, or take our free MBA Admissions Profile Evaluation  for personalized advice for your unique application situation! And as always, be sure to find us on Facebook, YouTube, Google+  and Twitter. Written by Edison Cu, a Veritas Prep Head Consultant for  INSEAD. You can read  more articles by him  here.