How to approach the “STUDENT CLUB/ORGANIZATION CONTRIBUTION” essay question in MBA applications?
Most students hit the wall with this essay question in their MBA applications. Why? First of all, it is because this question is probably not the first and foremost essay students tend to start with when tackling their MBA applications. Arguably, it is also not the “most important” essay since most people tend to agree that the “career goal essay” is the one that trumps all others. Next, the “student clubs essay” is probably not the second or even third essay that students normally encounter; in fact, it could very well be the last essay, by which time most students have run out of things to write about regarding that particular school. Above all else, it is simply very very hard to differentiate yourself from what all other applicants might write, especially if you are an international student. A lot of these “typical” answers will already have been used by other Taiwanese students. For example, in one year, two of my students applying to the same school for the same round both wrote about “organizing Taiwanese holiday events, such as making rice cakes for dragon boat festival and/or bringing moon cakes for moon festival, etc.” as part of their contributions to the Taiwanese Student Association. I laughed when I saw that, not because there was no merit in such “contribution” but merely because of the coincidence and the enlightening revelation it brought upon me. I understand that students try their best to think of creative endeavors and things to write for this essay, and to that end, they rack their brains trying to come up with culturally and personally “unique” items for their audience. I definitely sympathize with their difficulty and the extent of this conundrum. Therefore, I have decided to provide some tips for approaching and executing this essay to help future students.
First, you have to find a realistic and relevant club/organization. Some people bypass this as a given, but actually, too many students wrongfully assume that they can get into every kind of club or student association on which they set their heart. Once that task is completed, make sure you research the ins and outs of this organization thoroughly, e.g., its history and objectives, size and number of members, past activities and events, guest speakers, and future aspirations, etc. Assess this organization’s uniqueness by researching other schools to see if a comparable club/organization exists. When you have finished compiling all that information and research, ask yourself “what do you possess that can be of use to this club?” This may seem like a self-explanatory question and easy enough to answer, but schools are not looking for the obvious or the superficial. Thus, it is not enough to state: “I would like to join the Marketing Club because I believe I can contribute my past marketing skills and experience to advance the goals of the Marketing Club.” (Too vague and lacking of substance). Nor is it sufficient to write: “Given that I am from [Taiwan], I possess a unique and rare perspective of marketing electronics from my fellow classmates, and I intend to utilize this insight to create interesting marketing campaigns for different clients at the Marketing Club.” These are all “fine” and “true” but they simply do not raise the ordinary to the extra-ordinary. In other words, it does not demonstrate what you, as a unique individual, can bring to the club or the school that others cannot. A different perspective is a good starting point, but you need to delve deeper. An applicant from Asia (or Taiwan) with working experience in that part of the world may seem to possess exotic and unique viewpoint to the University of Missouri but may be deemed commonplace for USC, for instance. Therefore, depending on where you apply, you will need to provide more in-depth “differing perspective” than just geographically or culturally, to nail this question. An example may be to go one step further in the second example above by stating: “Given that I have worked in both small local consumer electronics stores and large OEM companies in Taiwan and China, I possess an acute sense of marketing electronics and a unique perspective, which I hope to further refine and improve through the input and help of my future classmates, as well as the resources of the school, thereby maximizing the impact of a comprehensive and original marketing campaign for relevant clients of the Marketing Club.” Note that this also allows you to sound like a team player and not someone who is arrogant or who seemingly assumes that the world revolves around him/her.
Your case can be even stronger if you could demonstrate that you had previously done something similar in the past, and it had proven to be quite successful.
In addition, you need to illustrate how your contribution will help the club achieve at least one of its many objectives. If the club/organization is small, you could brainstorm ideas that can help to “market” the club to the entire school community and thus help it expand its presence. If it is already fairly large and prestigious, you can try to think of ideas that elevate the club’s goals to a higher level. The latter will definitely require some research and thorough understanding of the organization and its counterparts in other schools. After all, a lot of the overlapping organizations at different business schools do share common objectives. Be sure to tap into the network gains and other “non-monetary” resources you will capitalize on and transform your answer from one that is narrow and short-sighted to one that is well-rounded and deep.
Finally, you should discuss what you envision your role/position would be at such club/organization. This is great opportunity to showcase your leadership potential and skills, so do not let it slip through your fingers. Remember to write about something realistic and not completely far-fetched or beyond your control. Schools do not wish to hear fairy tales; they simply wish to admit those who have taken thought and care enough to think through their future goals and the steps involved in getting there.
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