GUIDE TO WRITE ESSAYS : ESCP BUSINESS SCHOOL

ESCP Europe, referred to as one of the "Trois Parisiennes" (Three Parisians) in France, is the oldest business school in the world and is renowned for its Master in Management (MiM) Program. The university holds an employment rate of 99% within 3 months of graduation and has maintained its place in the Top 10 Business Schools in the world. The program is taught in six urban campuses in Europe - Berlin, Paris, London, Madrid, and Turin, with specializations offered on particular campuses. For example, the London Campus offers the opportunity to specialize in Business Consulting and Creativity Marketing Management.

The application procedure for ESCP might seem straightforward at first, but to write the essays in a way that brings out your true story is the most challenging part. In this blog, we will suggest some guidelines to be followed to answer the three essays required to be submitted by ESCP.

1. Please comment on an international experience that has influenced you in particular and explain why? (200 words)

ESCP Europe looks for global experiences and perspectives in their applicants. One way to tackle this question is to talk about your experiences from the time you took a trip abroad or went for an exchange program in another country, and highlight how it has helped you develop new career goals for yourself. For example, you can write about how you saw a positive impact on yourself after gaining international exposure and decided to pursue a graduate program from a school that offers ample opportunities to travel and immerse yourself in a multicultural environment. Students can also talk about any fellowship and volunteering experience they have been a part of in any other country and how working in a multicultural environment has shaped their personality.

Another approach can be to highlight how you overcame your stereotypical thinking and transformed yourself into an open-minded and adaptable individual. The main thing in this answer is to avoid talking about the monuments you visited or how beautiful it was, and instead mention the changes that reflected in your personality and mindset after the trip or experience. An applicant must mention the importance of international exposure in his life and why it holds significance. You can also include instances from a solo trip you took and what things you learned from that experience and how it made you an independent person. Moreover, if you have been to countries like France or Spain or Italy, mention how you overcome the language barrier. While brainstorming, visualize the experiences and include details to help the reader truly understand your experiences. This will personalize your essay and leave a long-lasting impression on the committee.

On the other hand, there is nothing to be worried about if you haven’t been to any other country; you can still write a beautiful essay on this topic. You can either describe the multicultural environment of your own country or talk about your interaction with international students in your school. Mainly, the essay needs to savor your experience with people who are different from those you usually interact with and how you interacted and worked with them. International remote work experience or international certifications can compensate for the absence of international exposure and you can add them as well. Applicants should also remember to mention the role that ESCP will play in helping them achieve their goals in the future and how the diversity of the university and abundant internship opportunities is going to provide the exposure required to thrive.

2. Please comment on your most significant work experience. (200 words)

This is one of the most frequently asked questions in a college application or an interview. It is going to serve as an indicator of whether or not you will be adding value to their MiM class. A general suggestion for this answer would be to be specific and align the work experience with your course, the field of interest, as well as career goals. Since the question specifically asks the applicant to comment only on one significant work experience, avoid being too broad with your essay. Focus on one experience, some of the accomplishments associated with it, and the skills you gained. Here, the choice of your experience will also affect the thought process of the committee. For example, choose an internship in a start-up, where you truly enjoyed the daily responsibilities, over a renowned company, where you could not contribute much because it would reflect your mindset on what's important and what motivates you.

An ideal case would be to mention your management experiences. However, if you don’t have any direct experience in this field, you can mention any significant role you played in an organization and highlight the managerial tasks you performed or any management skill you gained while working. For instance, if you have worked with a technical firm as a data scientist, outline how you have developed analytical skills and would want to use this knowledge while working as a consultant in the future. The ability to write this answer clearly and precisely could be the difference between receiving an admit or a rejection letter from ESCP. Therefore, it's wise to be extra careful while choosing the right experience and the right words to describe it.

3. Please comment on the positions of responsibility you have held at school, in clubs and/or societies (Outline hobbies, general interests, and other activities) (200 words)

Through this essay, the committee wants to learn about any other qualities, values, or experiences you have that define you as a person. This question is very broad and a great way to paint a very holistic picture is by including various diverse experiences. ESCP, like all other business schools, select candidates who are involved in activities outside of academics, interact with others, and care about their community.

You can talk about any sport and cultural events you have participated in or any hackathon or competition you won. Furthermore, this is the space to talk about your volunteering and leadership experiences too. Applicants can highlight any position of responsibility they have held, like being a house captain in school or event manager in college. Though it is recommended that you talk more about your college life experiences, here. If you are confused, you can also refer to several extra-curricular essays online to get inspiration for the kind of activities that can be listed in this essay. However, instead of merely listing the activities, don't forget to write about their impact on your life. You can also write about being a part of different school clubs or societies in your college and convey how you would want to get involved in other similar opportunities offered in ESCP.

Since these essays are very subjective, students sometimes find it elusive to craft and analyze all their documents by themselves, which eventually leads to a futile effort. These documents should be very well structured and reviewed several times as they carry a lot of weightage in your application process. We at Rubeus consultancy aim to eliminate this back-breaking effort and work towards providing an edge to your application. We have consultants who themselves have secured admissions in ESCP and who can tell you what it takes to receive the admit. They can help you identify your mistakes and shortcomings.

You can register for one of our Propel Packages that offers a complete solution for all your documents, including the essays. Or on the other hand, if you need help only with your essay content, you can book a one-hour brainstorming and consulting session with our experts to structure the material in the best possible way. You can drop a mail, and we will come to the rescue. Good luck!