Writing an essay?
I’ve known about yoga for decades, yet only began to practice it regularly last summer. Now, I can’t live without it. This morning, during my practice, my yoga master kicked off class by talking about wabi-sabi, which is a concept rooted in Japanese aesthetics. It emphasizes the beauty of imperfection, impermanence, and authenticity. She was reminding us to keep this concept in mind during our practice. When I fell on my face during crow practice, keeping wabi-sabi in mind helped me appreciate the moment for what it was: a simply beautiful, yet humbling, part of my day. It wasn’t a representation of me, my whole day, or who I am as a person. I was able to move on and try again.
It occurred to me that the essay writing process, whether for business school or college, is like anything else we try to do perfectly, and without fissure. The competition to get into a prestigious school or top program feels like a whirlwind at times—sucking up everything and everyone in it’s wake. So it’s no surprise when clients ask me to give them tips on writing ‘perfect’ essays so that they can gain admission into their dream program. And while I appreciate where they’re coming from, I believe the best, most powerful pieces are heavy on authenticity and honesty and short on anything that isn’t deeply connective to the writer.
What I tell applicants is this: striving for perfection may actually detract from the effectiveness of the essay. And so, we apply the concept of wabi-sabi to the admissions process. The strategy we employ is to embrace imperfections and vulnerabilities. Those pieces are exactly what make the story human, which makes it memorable, and THAT is where the power lies. We highlight the beauty that can be found in unconventional narratives and perspectives and celebrate unique backgrounds, challenges, failures, and triumphs. Most importantly, they stop trying to contort their story into what they think Admissions wants to hear, and step into the light with who they really are.
If you’re about to start the writing process, remember this: admissions essays are not static entities but reflections of a moment in time. Embrace the journey of self-discovery and growth that accompanies the admissions process, and know that your story will continue to evolve well beyond the application deadline. There’s beauty your story—approach it with mindfulness and self-compassion.
