2008-09 ISB ESSAY QUESTIONS ANALYSIS:

Please give three reasons why ISB should admit you into the class of 2010. These reasons should ideally differentiate you from your competition. (300 words max)
Be prepared for a thorough introspection. This is a twist to the uniqueness question.
The AdCom vigilantly scans your application to find out the abilities where you stand out in comparison to other applicants. Think about your unique selling points in academic, professional, personal and special areas. ISB might not want to admit any two people with same profile. Think about how you can contribute to ISB in unique ways, if accepted. List all facets of your personality and ask your friends to identify any unique characteristic from that list.
Alternatively, did you handle a project or a crisis situation or team demands or conflicts uniquely? Sell your profile on that basis. Do you have the leadership potential? Can you think out of box and get things done . . . The qualities you choose to describe yourself are important and equally important is how well you back them up. You may describe yourself by many adjectives but you should try to back them with solid examples so that the essay does not look like a bulleted list of qualities desired in any ISB aspirant but presents a real picture.

You are contesting the election to be the President of the ISB Student Body. Write a speech you will deliver to the student body on why they should elect you as the President? (300 words max).
Ok, can you just start going gaga over your leadership potential and how you have handled positions of importance earlier? Not at all.
You must know what the functions of the ISB student body president are. The more you know the better. And how can you know? Research, research and research. Talk, talk and talk.
Attend the info sessions and ask questions about the functioning of student body and its president. Ask about the structure, vision, mission, goals, past accomplishments and key tasks at hand. You will be amazed at the end how much you have learned about ISB. This will also help you later in interviews.
Once you gain this information, juxtapose your profile and identify points where you will be able to make a strong case. Make it a business case. Identify avenues where you will be able to add value and as always, back up your claims with solid examples and reasoning. This essay is also about your ability to sell your profile in any manner you want.
Talk about your skills which can help you serve as a President of ISB Student Body. You should also talk about any previous experience that you may have had in a leadership position.

CASE: You have been appointed to head the team to build a dam across the River Zumba. Success in this project is critical for your company and would earn you a promotion. Failure would mean that your company would be bankrupt and will take along with it, its investors and its employees. Building a dam across the river would result in deforestation of a portion of the rainforests and would mean relocation of the tribals and destabilization of wild life at Zumba. There is resistance from environmental groups against your project. You are meeting the head of the resistance movement in one hour wherein you would have to explain your decision. Describe what you would do and why? (You will be evaluated on the creativity and practicality of your solution). (300 words max)
Do not try to impress the admission committee with any right answer. There is not any. This case has been designed to evaluate your reasoning skills and ability to find solutions of complex problems. Try to make a structured roadmap and start ?thinking outside the square?.
Let us elaborate more. An idealistic and emotional person might immediately decide not to go ahead because of environmental reasons. A very business-mind person would try to go ahead and help in nation?s progress. Both solutions lose something and gain something. But as a shrewd ISB applicant, you may not want to lose anything. Now show AdCom the win-win solution using your ingenuity and innovation.

(Optional) Please provide additional information, if any that will significantly affect the consideration of your application to the ISB. Please do not repeat information which has already been stated elsewhere in the application. You may use this to clarify any breaks in education/work, inform about any other item which you think has not been covered elsewhere etc. (300 words max)
Utilize this space only for providing the information which could not be covered in the application form, essays and resume. If you have been an average person in your life, we would advise you not to write this essay. Use the space to tell about any exceptional things which may have happened.
This essay can also serve as an opportunity to illustrate any weaknesses in your profile. The weaknesses can be low GMAT score, average academics, less work experience, gap in education or employment, unconventional career path or any personal attribute or incident which is worth mentioning. Remember, even if you do not write this essay, your application is still complete.