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Provocative Opening Line (Stanford MBA What Matters Essay)

The opening line is 

"African American fathers are more likely to stop child support than any ethnicity in the world. ."

The opening line is a brutal stereotyping. You should never write such a line unless you are also coming from the same ethnicity.

This is an example of a bias creeping into Generative AI and how easy it is to believe in AI when the lines are presented with a lot of confidence, 

Identity Crisis as Opening Line (Stanford MBA What Matters Essay)

The opening line is 

"I hid my family name for two years. "

A lot of candidates at Stanford are coming from wealthy families and many of you might also relate to this essay even if you are not coming from a wealthy family. 

The core of the narrative is the applicant's journey of finding her voice, initial aversion to the idea of business as a force of good, to finally, after serving UNHCR - the UN's agency that assists refugees, realizing that businesses play a crucial role in rebuilding communities affected by wars. 

Shame as Opening Line (Stanford MBA What Matters Essay)

The opening line is,  "When my teacher asked where I lived, I used to say near "x" – a cover not to let them know that I lived in a slum." 

The essay obviously immediately takes the reader to the insecurities of a low-income applicant. Stanford has the BOLD fellowship to fund low-income students and student groups exclusively to support candidates who are first-generation college attendees.

The essay is for those who have risen through the economic hurdle to take the family out of intergenerational poverty. 

Downbeat Theme (Stanford MBA What Matters Essay Opening Line)

The opening line is 

"When a nation is impoverished, the route to relief is an endless maze with frequent sorrow and desperation. "

The opening line is a downbeat theme. I get this question a lot - "should I start an essay with an extremely discouraging or sad line?" It doesn't matter how you start the essay. But the essay should end on an inspiring note if you are covering themes of poverty, addiction or inequality.

The essay is about  Zimbabwe's hyperinflation. 

Value Statement (Stanford MBA What Matters Essay Opening Line)

The opening line is 

Repeat after me, "I am nobody without education."

When you start with an attention-grabbing line as an opener, you must come from a background where such lines mean something to you. Don't use shocking lines just to get attention. For the Uruguayan applicant, education was the single biggest determinant in getting out of poverty. This line is not a rhetorical line but a mantra his mother, who was working three jobs, forced the applicant to chant to escape the temptation to join a gang. 

About Atul Jose

I am Atul Jose - Author and Consultant. 

Most of my work over the past 15 years can be found at F1GMAT, where I guide applicants with tips on writing persuasive essays and help them shortlist the right post-MBA career and schools. 

I am the author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, MBA Research Guide, and MBA Admissions Interview Guide, in addition to Mastering GMAT Critical Reasoning and Essential GMAT Reading Comprehension Guide.

You can purchase the books through F1GMAT's Store

For Consulting and application-related help in Master's and MBA Admissions, use F1GMAT's Contact Form to reach me

Why I started a Blog

Through my blog, I hope to share concepts & ideas on writing that works in any admission or job application.

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