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Business School Personal Statement Guide:
Hobbies and Interests
(by
EssayEdge.com) |
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In asking this question,
admissions officers want to see another dimension to
your personality. Some schools will ask you to describe
one important activity, while others will simply ask how
you spend your free time. Regardless of which question
you're answering, try to achieve depth. Don't make the
mistake of thinking that they just want to see
well-rounded people and take the approach of listing
everything that interests you. While it's important to
show that you lead a balanced life, you should treat
this question as you treat all the others -- as a chance
to make yourself stand out. That means focusing on what
you're truly passionate about, instead of trying to say
what you think they want to hear.
Many people choose to write about sports. If you choose
to discuss a physical activity, you're immediately going
to face the obstacle of writing about something your
readers have seen many times. You will have a difficult
time finding something unique to say, but as long as you
focus on personal details, you can create a strong
answer. On the other hand, you should resist the
temptation to cite the cliched lessons about working
hard and being a team player. Moreover, if you try to
force connections back to your business skills, your
entire essay will seem contrived.
Approach the essay as though you were trying to get
someone else excited about your hobby through your own
enthusiasm. Of course, it should still be a personal
account rather than a sales pitch. So if your hobby is
rare book collecting, don't try to tell the reader about
how it demonstrates your organizational skills. Instead,
describe your feelings when you make a serendipitous
discovery or complete a set that you started many years
ago.
Another tactic you can use to keep the essay grounded in
personal details is to focus on a particular episode
from your past involvement. If you're writing about your
love for chess, focus on a particular match that
epitomizes your passion.
This applicant does
choose a physical activity, but he offers a twist:
running posed a significant immediate challenge to him
because he suffers from asthma. He does not need to cite
cliched lessons to give his account meaning. Instead, we
see from the specific progress he made--"from huffing
and puffing (and wheezing) my way through tentative
one-mile runs to involving myself in the rigors of the
triathlon"--how committed and determined he was. |
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