ISB PGP's Essay 1 is asking something most applicants get wrong.
Essay 1: Contemplate situations that have shaped your personal journey ... taught you about your strengths and weaknesses ... shaped your personal and professional journey. (400 words)
The prompt asks for "personal journey" first and that word personal is doing a lot of work.
Most applicants lead with professional stories. Instead, start by rewinding to moments that revealed your strengths and weaknesses — not a list of positives and negatives, but actual situations that speak for themselves. Then lean in to talk about takeaways through a professional lens.
A few questions worth sitting with before you write:
Which core values do your strengths connect to?
When did you first develop them? (The earlier, the deeper they feel)
How are you actively applying them right now?
Where do you want to take them next?
Weave the above insights into the essays with crisp examples wherever possible. Own your weaknesses with honesty. Show what you are doing about them.
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