Tips on how to write the GMAT essays

How the essays are scored:

- Each essay is scored out of 6. Each essay is scored by a human and by a computer (if their two scores
differ by more than one whole point, the essay is re-graded). Their two scores are then averaged, giving
you any score up to a 6.0 (and in half-point increments).

Why you shouldn’t pay too much attention to them:

- The essay score does not count toward your Quant/Verbal score out of 800.
- As long as you get above a 4.0, b-schools don’t really care how you score. (They just want to make sure
you are indeed the one who wrote your application essays.)
- One hour is a long time to have to think and type. Don’t let this wear you down.
- Just bang out two solid essays. Don’t overthink. Save your energy.

General writing tips for GMAT essays:

- Vary your sentence length.
- Use transition words (however, furthermore, for example, finally, etc.)
- Don’t try to impress the reader with big words. If you can’t think of that fancy word for ‘large’ that you
learned way back when, just use the word ‘large.’ Otherwise, you’ll waste your time doing something that
might end up sounding pompous anyway.
- Spelling and grammar count, but not that much.

For the ambitious, keep the above tips in mind and have your go at superior, sophisticated writing (if writing’s your
thing and you’ve got the essays in the bag already). For those who just want a winning formula and don’t want to
give the essays a second thought, here’s a basic structure that will ensure clarity and a solidly organized
argument:

ANALYSIS OF AN ISSUE
The prompt is always something for which there’s no right or wrong answer. While it’s true that the best writing
tends to find a middle ground, on the GMAT, make your life easy. Pick a side. Here’s an example of a prompt:

"Responsibility for preserving the natural environment ultimately belongs to each individual person, not to
government."

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
- First point: I hate introductions. Open with some good ol’ b.s. about how this issue/debate/discussion is
one that has intrigued people over the course of history or across cultures.
Ex: The debate over who ultimately holds responsibility for preserving the environment has been
going on for decades, since humans first realized the need to protect our natural surroundings.
- Second point (optional): If you wish, follow this general b.s. statement with some more specific b.s. by
giving an example of what you just said. Do this neutrally without biasing/favoring one side.
Ex: In America, for example, many of those on the Right of the political spectrum argue that since
each person has a different effect on the environment, the responsibility lies with each individual.
Many on the Left, however, argue that the responsibility lies with the government.
- Last point (YOUR THESIS): State your side.
Ex: Although it is true that individuals both damage and benefit the natural environment to varying
extents, the responsibility of preserving the environment ultimately lies with the government.

BODY PARAGRAPHS (YOUR EXAMPLES):

- Give examples from either 1) Current events/history; 2) Literature; or 3) Your own life. This means that if
you blank, don’t freak out- make something up. The FBI’s not going to check. Just don’t say anything
ridiculous, such as “I know this from when I single-handedly defeated Napoleon….”

- You’ll be golden with two thoroughly explained examples. Successful essays have been done before with
one long, drawn-out example, or three well-selected and concisely described ones, but two are sufficient.
 - Each body paragraph should be at least 3 sentences long. If you start exploring an example in-depth,
and the paragraph is getting rather long, split it up into two paragraphs.

- Each example should begin with an appropriate introductory sentence (and transition words come in
nicely here).
Ex: The current, pressing situation in China, for example, illustrates why the government should
ultimately take responsibility in mediating environmental preservation.

- After you introduce the example, the next 1-2 sentences should give brief background info/describe the
example.

- You then need to explain why this example illustrates and supports your point with 1-2 more sentences.

CONCLUSION:
- I hate conclusions too. You don’t even really need to have a conclusion, especially if you’re pressed for
time. But you probably should. Your conclusion should do the following:

- First point: Acknowledge (and explain if you choose) and dismiss the other side, if you haven’t yet done
that in the body paragraphs. This is super important, and it’s especially important to note that this must
be done in a very neutral way. Do not say that the other side could be right. Instead, say that “some may
argue…” or “many say that…”
Ex: (Acknowledge…) Many proponents of little to no government involvement in such
decisions argue that this sort of action would represent (or lead to) a violation of basic freedoms.
(Explain…) The argument is that government intervention regarding environmental matters is
excessively paternalistic, and that citizens must be allowed and trusted to take on responsibility
over preserving the environment. (Then dismiss…)This, however, overlooks one of universal
dangers in removing such responsibility from the government—to regulate activities should a
situation come to a point that endangers the well-being of its citizens.

- Final point: Touch on implications/discuss what the future might hold in a very loose, general (b.s.) way.
Ex: As evidence of global warming spreads across countries, it would be interesting to see ideas
about government responsibility and the environment converge much in the same way that
globalization has created a growing global market.
 ANALYSIS OF AN ARGUMENT

This essay will always start out with an argument that you are asked to comment on. If you ever find yourself
convinced by the argument, you're in trouble. The arguments are always fatally flawed. Please don't spend too
much time or energy picking the arguments apart. Here's a winning formula, if you'd like to use it:

INTRODUCTION (Recap the argument; state your thesis)

- First point: Recap the argument. Use the building block words! (Premise, conclusion, concludes,
assumption....)
Ex: In this argument, the author concludes that the implementation of a new toll will greatly
reduce traffic congestion in Landmark City. He comes to this conclusion by first
introducing the premise that....... He also states that ..........

- Second point (THESIS): You always must say that the argument is a bad one! This can be done in many
different ways.
Ex: This argument, however, is fatally flawed because the author relies on faulty assumptions and
on insufficient, scarce, or entirely absent evidence.

BODY (State and explain weaknesses)

- Dedicate one paragraph to each weakness

- You should have 2-4 weaknesses identified

- If nothing else, talk about the lack of supporting evidence because this is always a problem with at least
one (if not many) of the author's claims!

- Other common weaknesses deal with faulty/unsupported assumptions, which is why it's so important
to review your notes from the CR Assumptions lesson.
(What are the four types of assumptions? What are the red flags in conclusions that can signal
holes in assumptions?)
1) New language --> logic gap; 2) Premise attached to conclusion or a chain of events -->
establish feasibility of premise; 3) Superlative language --> eliminate alternatives; 4)
Cause and effect --> consider the opposite cause/effect relationship....Any of this sound
familiar??)

- **It is very important to note that you need to address the holes in the author's argument and NOT
involve yourself in a head-to-head battle with the author.
For example, let's say the author makes the following argument: "Billy is stupid. Therefore, he
can't deliver pizza." It is unwise to go head-to-head with his claim that Billy is stupid. Don't
talk about why you know Billy is not stupid (in essence, trying to take issue with one
of his premises.) Don't say, "The author says Billy is stupid, but this is untrue. Billy got a
perfect score on his SAT's, so he clearly is not stupid." Instead, your job is to talk about the logic
gaps and holes in the author's argument. Talk about why it doesn't matter that Billy is
stupid or not (in essence, saying that the premise is unrelated to the conclusion or that
there is a missing link). "The author fails to explain how stupidity and intelligence are
relevant to the task of delivering pizza. He assumes that stupid individuals cannot deliver
pizza but fails to give supporting evidence that would relate the two issues."**

CONCLUSION (Improvements)

- Talk about improvements that could be made to his argument. This should be fairly easy at this point,
since you just went through a bunch of different weaknesses.
- If you wish, you can end the essay by talking about implications for the future or what it would be
interesting to see through additional studies (similar to how you ended the Analysis of an Issue essay).