A well-told professional story can be the highlight of your MBA essay, showcasing your leadership, problem-solving, and impact. But one mistake can significantly weaken its effect: overemphasizing team achievements without clarifying your personal role.
While collaboration is vital, admissions officers need to understand exactly what you contributed. Without that clarity, your story risks blending into the background, making it difficult to assess your abilities. For example, “Our team launched a new product in three months” sounds impressive — but it leaves the reader wondering: Did you lead strategy? Resolve key challenges? Manage execution?
By clearly stating your role, you show initiative, decision-making skills, and individual impact within a collaborative effort. This balance demonstrates that you can work well with others while driving results yourself.
Other issues — such as unclear career changes, misaligned examples, or unlinked personal growth — can also weaken essays, but lack of ownership in your stories is the most damaging.
In a competitive admissions process, your individuality is your advantage. Make sure every professional example you share leaves no doubt about the value you personally delivered.