Monthly Archives: July 2011

Ivy Eyes Editing: The Purpose of Our Free Admissions Essay Critique

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

Recently, we’ve had many inquiries about our free assessment. We’d like to take this time to provide an overview of our free assessment offering, and explain what it is (and what it isn’t):

-A 100% free, no-strings-attached, confidential critique by one of our seasoned, Ivy League editors. Your information will never be shared.

-A broad assessment of your writing, offering suggestions on mechanics, style, language, structure, content and positioning. While most applicants choose to submit their admissions essay(s) or personal statement, you may submit any form of writing.

-A testament to the quality of our work and a glimpse into the impact we provide to our clients.

What is the advantage of our free writing critique? You can ask experts that review thousands of admissions essays each year, in a 100% confidential setting. You may decide whether to actively engage us following the critique, or you may choose to implement our suggestions on your own. The choice is yours.

Why do we provide our clients with a free writing critique? Whether you are an MBA applicant drafting a series of essays for Wharton, a medical applicant writing your AMCAS, ERAS or secondary essays, or a college applicant finishing your Common Application essay–we believe our clients deserve transparency and proven results. Choosing an online editor sometimes requires a leap of faith, but we want the opportunity to show how our process is unique and high-impact.

Working on your medical school personal statement, resume for a PhD program or MBA essay package? Submit to Ivy Eyes Editing today for a free assessment, and let us demonstrate exactly what we can offer you.

Cheers,
Janson
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com
www.twitter.com/IvyEyesEditing

College Admissions Essay Writing Tip Series: Yale’s 2011-2012 Supplemental Application

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

If you’re a high school senior applying to Yale this year, in addition to the CommonApp you’ll need to complete Yale’s Freshman Supplement. Competition, of course, is stiff. Yale received 25,800 applications last year (about a 0.7% decrease from the year before), and of these, of which 761 were accepted for Early Decision. A total of 2,952 students were given the chance for reconsideration in the regular decision round in the spring.

On the administration side, there have been a number of changes at Yale that bode well for incoming students. Yale’s projected financial aid spending on undergraduates is expected to continue to swell, from $108 million in 2010-11 to an estimated $117 million in 2011-12. In fact, the financial aid budget is over four times greater than the $28 million that Yale expended as recently as 2001! Over the past decade, the percentage of Yale College students receiving Yale grant aid has increased from 37% to 57% and the average annual grant from Yale has increased from $15,000 to $35,400. For many, these changes make attending Yale a real possibility.

Please find the essay/short answer questions below, along with our analysis and quick tips!

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***

II Why Yale?
What in particular about Yale has influenced your decision to apply? Please limit your response to the space provided.

You don’t have a great deal of space to expound on the flexibility of Yale’s distribution requirements. The best answers here will be highly specific, zeroing in on features that are unique to Yale vs “world-renowned faculty, sprawling campus, ambitious student body and rolling hills.” (By the way, Yale’s campus isn’t known for its rolling hills.) Great answers also enhance the application/candidacy you’ve already built. Did your CommonApp essay discuss your passion for Almodovar? Consider exploring the advantages of a double major in film studies and Spanish, studying abroad and/or bringing a new initiative to the Film Society. Are you a musician? Do your research on Yale’s burgeoning undergraduate opera company. Concisely share stories that shaped your perception of Yale and its student groups during a campus visit.

Of the Ivy League colleges, Yale simply does some things better than any other. Harvard and Princeton will also have top professors and a strong humanities department–so what’s Yale’s unique appeal? Do your research, and find out if Yale really is the best fit for you afterall.

III • Short Takes
Please respond in 25 words or fewer to each of the questions below.
1. What would you do with a free afternoon tomorrow?

Don’t write what an admissions committee wants to hear. Be bold and creative. Be action-oriented. Be visionary. A nap in a hammock in the Hamptons is unlikely to resonate.

2. Recall a compliment you received that you especially value. What was it? From whom did it come?

This is a great question from Yale. The ability to receive a compliment (beyond the physical–’nice eyes’ is not an option!) is learned/acquired for most. Your choice of compliments will speak to your fundamental values and priorities, so keep that in mind above all else.

3. If you could witness one moment in history, what would it be and why?

We cringe at the pretentious answers this question may elicit. As with question 1, it’s important to think about what you’ve studied so far, and what has meaningfully piqued your interest. Witnessing the eruption of Pompeii (provided there’s a guaranteed survival clause!) or the signing of the Declaration of Independence would be grand–but what appeals to you intellectually that might not appeal to 99% of other applicants?

4. What do you wish you were better at being or doing?

This is a great aspirational question. Perfectionists and scathing self-critics be careful not to self-flagellate (2nd place in the Intel Science Talent Search isn’t half-bad). Also, carefully consider ‘being’ vs ‘doing.’ ‘Being’ will be overlooked by many applicants as a possibility. You can ‘be’ a better leader, you can ‘be’ more compassionate or you can ‘be’ early. It’s all in the interpretation!

5. If you were choosing students to form a Yale class, what question would you ask here that we have not?

Again, bold creativity is rewarded. Any range of approaches might work. Consider our analysis of the questions above: some prompts are values-driven, others probe for intellectual capacity and some are meant to gauge creativity. What do you think is left? This is a great question to really showcase your personality.

IV • Additional Essay(s)
1. You have already told us about yourself in the Common Application, with its list of activities, Short Answer, and Personal Essay. In this required
second essay, tell us something that you would like us to know about you that we might not get from the rest of your application – or something that
you would like a chance to say more about. Please limit your essay to fewer than 500 words. For advice on writing your essays, please go to

http://admissions.yale.edu/essay

This is a tremendous chance to highlight a different dimension of your candidacy. As always, we push our clients to write with authenticity more than anything else. Take a holistic look at your application. If you chose an emotionally heavy topic for your CommonApp essay, you may want to adopt another tactic here. Yale fills its classes with a broad range of backgrounds and interests, but there are commonalities in all successful applications: incisive and reflective writing, leadership potential and personality/point of view. Check out this post for more on crafting the perfect admissions essay.

2. If you selected one of the engineering majors, please write a brief third essay telling us what has led you to an interest in this field of study, what experiences (if any) you have had in engineering, and what it is about Yale’s engineering program that appeals to you.

The majority of engineering applicants will have academic and extracurricular experience from which to draw for this essay. Make no mistake, however: this essay should not sound like it was written by an automaton. Visit this past blogpost for more insight on how NOT to become a college applicant droid.

Applying to Yale or other top colleges this year? We encourage you to sign up for our essay editing or resume editing services, or submit for a free initial critique!

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

AAMC’s New and Improved 2011-2012 MSAR Guidebook Released!

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

This week, the AAMC announced the release of the AAMC 2011-2012 Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR®) guidebook. The MSAR is the most reliable resource on medical schools. This year, it also includes abridged profiles of each medical school, while comprehensive listings of U.S. and Canadian medical schools and baccalaureate/M.D. programs appear online. Who should purchase the MSAR? High school applicants interested in undergraduate/M.D. programs; college freshmen and sophomores determining pre-medical coursework requirements; and college juniors and seniors hoping to apply to medical schools. Please note the application deadlines in the 2012-2013 MSAR are intended for students entering medical school in the 2012-2013 academic year.

We’ve included the list of featured schools below, but visit here for more details!

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

***
Alabama
University of Alabama School of Medicine
University of South Alabama College of Medicine

Arizona
University of Arizona College of Medicine

Arkansas
University of Arkansas College of Medicine

California
Keck School of Medicine of the
University of Southern California
Loma Linda University School of Medicine
Stanford University School of Medicine
University of California, Davis, School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
University of California, Los Angeles
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
University of California,
San Diego, School of Medicine
University of California,
San Francisco, School of Medicine

Colorado
University of Colorado School of Medicine

Connecticut
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
Yale University School of Medicine

District of Columbia
The George Washington University
School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Howard University College of Medicine

Florida
Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt
College of Medicine
Florida International University Herbert Wertheim
College of Medicine
Florida State University College of Medicine .
University of Central Florida College of Medicine
University of Florida College of Medicine
University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
University of South Florida College of Medicine

Georgia
Emory University School of Medicine
Medical College of Georgia at
Georgia Health Sciences University
Mercer University School of Medicine
Morehouse School of Medicine

Hawaii
University of Hawaii
John A. Burns School of Medicine

Illinois
Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
Northwestern University The Feinberg School of Medicine.
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine
and Science Chicago Medical School
Rush Medical College of Rush University
Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
University of Chicago Division of the Biological Sciences,
The Pritzker School of Medicine
University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine

Indiana
Indiana University School of Medicine

Iowa
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver
College of Medicine

Kansas
University of Kansas School of Medicine

Kentucky
University of Kentucky College of Medicine
University of Louisville School of Medicine

Louisiana
Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
School of Medicine in Shreveport
Tulane University School of Medicine

Maryland
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences F. Edward
Hébert School of Medicine
University of Maryland School of Medicine

Massachusetts
Boston University School of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of Massachusetts Medical School

Michigan
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine

University of Michigan Medical School
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Minnesota
Mayo Medical School
University of Minnesota Medical School

Mississippi
University of Mississippi School of Medicine

Missouri
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
University of Missouri Columbia School of Medicine
University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine

Nebraska
Creighton University School of Medicine
University of Nebraska College of Medicine

Nevada
University of Nevada School of Medicine

New Hampshire
Dartmouth Medical School

New Jersey
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey—New Jersey Medical School
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey—Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

New Mexico
University of New Mexico
School of Medicine

New York
Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons
Hofstra North Shore—LIJ School of Medicine at Hofstra University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine of New York University
New York Medical College
New York University School of Medicine
State University of New York Downstate Medical Center
College of Medicine
State University of New York Upstate Medical Center
College of Medicine
Stony Brook University School of Medicine

University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.
Weill Cornell Medical College

North Carolina
The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.
Duke University School of Medicine
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine

North Dakota
University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Ohio
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine
The Ohio State University College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
The University of Toledo College of Medicine
(Formerly Medical University of Ohio)
Wright State University School of Medicine

Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oregon
Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth Medical College
Drexel University College of Medicine
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Temple University School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Puerto Rico
Ponce School of Medicine
San Juan Bautista School of Medicine
Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine
University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine

Rhode Island
The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

South Carolina
Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine
University of South Carolina School of Medicine

South Dakota
University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine

Tennessee
East Tennessee State University
James H. Quillen College of Medicine
Meharry Medical College School of Medicine
University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine

Texas
Baylor College of Medicine
Paul L. Foster School of Medicine at Texas Tech University
Health Sciences Center at El Paso
Texas A&M University System Health Science Center
College of Medicine
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston
University of Texas Medical School at Houston
University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
at Dallas Southwestern Medical School

Utah
University of Utah School of Medicine

Vermont
University of Vermont College of Medicine

Virginia
Eastern Virginia Medical School
University of Virginia School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine

Washington
University of Washington School of Medicine

West Virginia
Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine
West Virginia University School of Medicine

Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health

Medical Admissions Writing Tip Series: Conclusion Paragraphs That Can Sink Personal Statements

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

Whether you’re applying for medical school, residency/fellowship programs, dental school, or nursing programs, inevitably you’ll be writing a conclusion paragraph. And, inevitably it will read something like this:

“Medicine is about earning patients’ trust and XXX. With my experience in XXX and XXX, I am confident I will be able to do just that. In my medical career, as I continue to use XXX and XXX, I hope to improve patient care across the board and be the type of physician people can truly rely upon.”

Snooze. The problem with conclusion paragraphs in personal statements is that applicants feel the need to wrap up the story that is their medical school candidacy. A similar phenomenon occurs with law school personal statements, evidenced by one of our recent posts: . What are the alternatives then?

-Say something new in your conclusion paragraph; don’t rehash or synopsize old content. Tell a NEW story. Now that’s a refreshing concept! Break free from the admissions writing template, and create your own brave new world.

-Avoid axioms (“Medicine is about…”), sweeping generalizations and your State of the Union address on U.S. healthcare. When these concepts are removed from your personal statement, what’s left?

-Explore concrete possibilities for your future that build on your past (though don’t limit yourself). This can include but is not limited to potential specialty, research and clinical goals, philanthropic work, etc.

-Resonate on your strengths. When your reader finishes with your personal statement, what are the distinguishing elements of your candidacy you want him/her to remember? This isn’t your moment to rehash; it’s your moment to expound on these traits with greater depth and self-reflection.

Remember that even though the conclusion paragraph seems like a ‘throw-away’ paragraph to some applicants, it’s the last thing your reader will likely read. What do you want them to remember about you?

As always, if you’re looking for free feedback on your AMCAS, ERAS, AADSAS, TMDSAS or AACOMAS personal statements (whew!) email us at admin@ivyeyesediting.com.

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Medical Admissions Writing Tip Series: Perfecting Your ERAS Personal Statement for Residency/Fellowship Programs

Posted on by
Reply

Hello everyone,

When working with residency/fellowship applicants on their ERAS personal statements and secondary essays, we encounter an interesting range of approaches. Fundamentally, there’s a lack of understanding on what the personal statement should achieve. Visit the AMA website for good clarification. To summarize, on the most basic level, your ERAS personal statement should: show what crystallized your interest in a given specialty, highlight what you’re looking for in a residency program, and articulate your career vision. More subtly, the ERAS personal statement should achieve the following (at least according to the IvyEyes team):

-Highlight your strengths. What skills have you honed through past experience which will aid you in your residency/fellowship training? What skills distinguish you as an applicant?

-Show unique, authentic commitment to your specialty. If you can replace ‘pediatrics’ with ‘geriatrics’ in your ERAS personal statement, chances are you haven’t done the right kind of story-building. Be specific, and dig deep!

-Tell compelling, interesting stories that show you in action. These are not only stories that will hopefully keep your reader engaged, but that may serve as fodder for your interview. So, be certain that you can not only write about these events, but speak convincingly to them.

-Show your human side. This can be pushed too far—remember this is not your college essay or even AMCAS personal statement. While demonstrating a solid career vision, does your statement capture your point of view, your values and the concrete (or intangible) forces that catalyzed your interest in this specialty?

Best of luck in perfecting your ERAS personal statements, and as always, please visit us at www.ivyeyesediting.com for free initial feedback, or to sign up for our essay editing services.

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Your Dental School/ADEA AADSAS Personal Statement

Posted on by
Reply

Hello everyone,

Working with dental school applicants, we frequently hear the same complaints and encounter the same issues with our clients. They are as follows (along with their solutions):

-“My statement lacks emotional weight.” Ironically, this is less of a problem from our point of view, and more of an issue voiced by many dental applicants. It’s important to recognize that dental school personal statements won’t always mirror the life-hanging-in-the-balance stories in medical school, nursing and residency/fellowship essays. Not all dental applicants will have volunteer experience with Operation Smile, either. Rest assured–that’s perfectly ok. Tell the best stories YOU have to tell.

-A personal anecdote referring to childhood patient anxiety. It’s not news to anyone: the field of dentistry is frequently associated with managing patient anxiety. It’s not news to the ADEA AADSAS panel either. Do you really want to waste any of your 4500 characters rehashing a theme that’s touched on by the majority of applicants? Dig deeper and avoid this at all costs.

-Customary, cursory mention of dental skills like ‘manual dexterity.’ When you’re trying to show ANY transferable skill, it’s critical that you anchor it to a real story. No admissions committee reader will buy your ‘manual dexterity skills,’ ‘bedside manner,’ or ‘collaborative abilities’ unless you can seamlessly illustrate them in action. As always, in any admissions context, ‘show, don’t tell’ must be your mantra.

-“My statement reads like my CV.” As we’ve mentioned with all of our applicants, there is no template for an exceptional personal statement. If you don’t have a substantive story to tell about a volunteering or shadowing experience, then reconsider sharing it. There’s nothing less compelling than reading a personal statement that feels like empty and skeletal. Don’t feel the pressure to speak to every dimension of your dental experience; instead, opt for the stories that best market your candidacy!

-There is nothing more meaningful to me than restoring a person’s smile. While the sentiment is sweet enough, it’s quickly becoming the ‘I want to serve the underserved’ or ‘I want to protect people’s lives’ trope seen across medical school admissions writing. While this observation is not completely off-limits, we encourage our clients to push for deeper motivations and, at the very least, employ different language.

We hope these tips help you as you begin your dental school personal statements. As always, best of luck on crafting your ADEA AADSAS applications, and please visit www.ivyeyesediting.com for a free critique!

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Personal Statement Buzzkill: The This-Is-My-Law-School-Personal-Statement Paragraph

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

In the admissions arena, law school personal statements are unique. Unlike medical school, residency or dental school personal statements, your law school essay does not necessarily need to market your experiences, show transferable skills or prove a concrete ‘readiness’ for law school. Instead, your law school personal statement is primarily used as a barometer for your writing and communication skills, and your ability to thoughtfully, analytically reflect on your past.

Some of the best law school personal statements we’ve ever read at Ivy Eyes Editing have nothing to do with law or law school at all. One applicant wrote his law school personal statement on censorship and the liner notes for a punk rock band. Bold, creative and uncompromisingly individualistic, that personal statement remains one of the strongest essays we’ve ever read.

One of the biggest problems we find with our law school clients, and through delivering our free critiques, is that law school applicants feel they must somehow link their essay to their law school candidacy. They tell incredible stories and weave complex, thoughtful narratives, only to end with “I WANT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL BECAUSE…” Inevitably, these conclusion paragraphs feel completely disjointed, and disrupt the flow of the essay completely. That’s no way to tell a story, or market your law school application.

That’s not to say you cannot speak to your legal career plans. You can. However, it’s not a necessity, and many applicants may have stronger essays without even touching on this dimension. You may not know what type of law you want to pursue, but you should be able to demonstrate the analytical and communicative horsepower necessary for the path. Moreover, once you apply through the LSAC portal, many schools will have supplementary essays that require you to reflect on your specific career plans as a lawyer. So, consider saving your this-is-my-law-school-personal-statement content for later :)

Looking for essay editing services on your law school personal statement, or free initial feedback? Email your doc(s) to us at admin@ivyeyesediting.com!

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Medical Admissions Writing Tip Series: The Real Purpose of a Personal Statement

Posted on by
Reply

Hi everyone,

Recently, we worked with a residency applicant who came to us with an exceptionally well-written personal statement (intended to be used for their ERAS application). Their voice was refined and articulate, the mechanics were perfect, and interesting, specific clinical ancedotes were shared. So what was the problem?

The problem was that the personal statement was not strategically tethered to the applicant’s experience. It did not use his past to show what he had learned; skills were shared as if objective, quantifiable fact. As we discussed with him, this type of sharing is akin to a ‘summary of qualifications’ on a resume (e.g. great people skills, well-organized, etc.) However, at Ivy Eyes Editing, we don’t agree with this tactic on a resume or medical CV, and we certainly don’t agree with it inside a personal statement.

In admissions writing, the only way to truly justify or quantify your skills is through action-oriented storytelling. So you say you’re a highly adaptable team player. How did you hone and demonstrate that skill? How might your neurology rotation reveal this capability? This is your single opportunity to bring this claim to life…and hopefully win an interview at your top choice medical school or residency/fellowship program!

As we’ve mentioned before, there is no template for a personal statement. There’s also no absolute rule stating that you must share X number of anecdotes from volunteering, shadowing and research experiences, and highlight X number of specific transferable skills. However, fundamentally, what medical applicants MUST do is show a readiness for attending medical school or a residency/fellowship program. They must also use their experience to highlight their strengths, and carve out a distinctive, compelling candidacy. What we’ve found is an increasing number of applicants that seem to tell stories just for the sake of telling stories.

Medical programs today are not only looking for excellent potential physicians–they are looking for great potential student leaders and community contributors. If properly utilized, your medical personal statement should underscore all these dimensions. The best way to do this is through telling stories that SHOW (not tell) what you have to offer. This is a delicate balance. However, the applicants that take this approach will immediately distinguish themselves from the majority of generic, unsupported medical personal statements out there.

Best of luck on your respective ERAS, AMCAS, TMDSAS and AACOMAS applications, and as always, please feel free to contact us at admin@ivyeyesediting.com if you’d like free initial feedback on your admissions materials.

Cheers,
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com

Consultantese: The Trojan Horse of MBA Admissions Writing

Posted on by
Reply

Hello everyone,

The management consulting world has prolifically generated some unique language ‘innovations’ over the years. Prepositions have been used in exceedingly novel ways (If consultants can think ‘around’ an issue, can they also think ‘betwixt’ it? How about ‘against’ an issue? We’ve heard it all.) There seems to be a general affinity for descriptive and physical, action-oriented words that help make abstract concepts more concrete or visual. However, in the majority of cases, ‘consultantese’ is both muddy and superfluous–the absolute enemy of the crisp, compelling admissions essay or resume. Consultantese doesn’t elevate your communication; it distances you from your audience and, if abused, can handicap your MBA application.

While we don’t prohibit our clients from utilizing consultantese, we typically work with our MBA applicants to improve the precision and accessibility of their prose. The following terms have been compiled so that you may monitor and curtail their excessive use in your MBA admission essays or resume:

5,000 mile view: a phrase used to describe a high-level, summary view of a situation

80/20 rule: belief that 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes; in consulting, this term is used to imply that 80% of an assignment can be finished in 20% of the time

align: to unify the thinking of people or initiatives (e.g. Let’s make sure we get aligned before the next project phase. We need to align our priorities.)

bandwidth: the capacity to complete additional work

boil the ocean: to embark on an apparently impossible, wasteful or fruitless task

buckets: categories; also used as a transitive verb to mean “categorize”

buttoned-up: to indicate that a particular piece of work or analysis is comprehensive, accurate and capable of withstanding close scrutiny; also used to refer to the presence or professionalism of another business person (e.g. He worked on Wall Street and is very buttoned up.)

buttoned-down: see buttoned-up

buy-in: agreement, support; it is unclear why “buy-in” has come to supplant these terms, as no actual purchasing occurs

circle back/loop back: to follow up with indicated individuals at a later point in time, usually to review progress on the current topic of discussion

crisp: an adjective indicating that the referenced work or analysis is thorough and complete (even though with consultantese, it typically is not)

development opportunity/need: a weakness, flaw or shortcoming that should be rectified, usually by the subsequent suggestion

granular: a detailed level of abstraction

hands: often prefaced with “client,” indicates the interpersonal skills of an individual in relation to a particular group of people

hard stop: used to indicate that after the time indicated, the listeners are on their own!

impactful: possessing a great deal of impact.

key: critical, essential, required, important, central; the key analysis is generally the linchpin; often used as a noun, and with such frequency that its significance has been diluted, since everything is now “key”

low-hanging fruit: the initial opportunities, areas of exploration, etc. that are easiest to cover

marinate: to reflect on and/or fully digest an idea or concept (add this to a growing number of cooking/kitchen terms co-opted by the business world)

net-net: the bottomline (also a value investing technique in which a company is valued solely on its net current assets.)

provide color: share more insight and detail

push back (verb form) or pushback (noun): formerly the sole domain of airplanes leaving their gates, this term is now used to indicate resistance and/or disagreement, without actually using those terms; this phrase attempts to avoid any negative connotations of controversy

ramp-up: term used as a noun and verb to describe an increase in firm production ahead of anticipated increases in product demand.

scope creep (also called requirement creep): refers to uncontrolled changes in a project’s scope.

space: a market, arena, field of endeavor, or general area

straw man: a construct presented purely for the sake of argument, with the implication that it is not designed to withstand repeated attacks

takeaway: the salient point that should be retained upon the conclusion of the discussion, often prefaced with key

to be transparent: in indication that what follows will be particularly revelatory

upward feedback: the process of providing feedback “upward” to more senior employees, from managers to partners

value-add: quite simply, that value is added, mashed into a hyphenated noun form

view from 30,000 feet: a very high-level, preliminary or cursory look at a particular situation, often used to suggest that pertinent details are inappropriately glossed over

wordsmith: to make minor edits to text that subtly change the meaning or ‘color’ of content

work-around: an alternative solution or contingency plan that enables successful completion of a deliverable

Is your MBA admissions essay or MBA resume weighed down by consultantese? Visit us at www.ivyeyesediting.com for a free assessment of your MBA admissions materials, and a targeted action plan to re-align your priorities, shift the scope of your thinking and…you get the picture.

Ivy Eyes Editing
admin@ivyeyesediting.com
www.ivyeyesediting.com

I Myself Could Not Be Touched: What Non-Native English-Speaking/ESL Applicants Can Teach Native English-Speaking Applicants

Posted on by
Reply

Hello everyone,

A few years ago one of our editors was working with an international applicant. After the first round of revisions and a few incisive questions, the client thanked our editor for her work, and then sheepishly confessed, “Reading my essay I knew I wasn’t saying the right things…I myself could not be touched.” Sure, at first she/we chuckled as we ran the phrase through our syntactic and semantic processors:

“I (subject/pronoun) myself (reflexive pronoun/appositive) could not be touched (simple past form verb + auxiliary verb + transitive verb).”

Grammatically speaking, the sentence was actually acceptable; however, stylistically speaking, it was simply not something a native English speaker would ever write. First of all, the appositive is redundant and has an arcane, poetic quality. Taken out of context, one of our editors thought the author meant he could not be physically touched. Another reader posited that this author deemed himself ‘untouchable.’ Ha! Oh the vast spectrum of interpretation.

Consider substituting the phrase with a different verb. “I did not swim” vs “I could not swim.” One of the reasons why the client’s prose was bulky and awkward is that direct statements of emotional feeling offer clarity, rather than potentiality. “I was not happy” vs “I could not be happy.” “I was not content” vs “I could not be content.” The question of which emotions one’s writing is able to elicit in oneself, or someone else, is a valid territory to explore in the admissions arena.

As such, there was something charming about the intention behind the words. How many native English-speaking applicants would admit that they were not ‘touched’ or ‘moved’ by their own prose? There was a lesson for our editing staff which, thankfully, was not lost in translation. When we work with international applicants, we do sometimes encounter mechanical issues in their writing, which requires thorough, constructive feedback. However, we ALSO frequently find that our international clients are generally less inhibited in their writing and self-appraisal. Admitting the limits of one’s verbal or written communication? How refreshing.

This is a lesson all of us should keep in mind as we continually strive to write with greater depth, self-reflection and authenticity.

Cheers,
Janson & Lily
Ivy Eyes Editing
www.ivyeyesediting.com