When I wrote my own MBA admissions essay, I remember feeling lost, rambling without a clear direction. Crafting a standout essay requires self-awareness, authenticity, and alignment with the program.

Simply sign up to the Business education myFT Digest -- delivered directly to your inbox. Writing the perfect MBA application essay involves brevity, a degree of literary panache, and total honesty.

Smile! You're on camera -- a video camera, now integral to our lives. Video Conferencing applications have gone from nouns to verbs. Most of us Skype, Google Hangout, or FaceTime friends and relatives ...

The personal essay is an essential component of your application. How compelling it is — or isn't — can make or break your acceptance.