write an essay on the star

TopAdmit- Online Application Essay Editing

College admissions essay editing, the “star” approach to writing admissions essays.

Confounded by that admissions essay ? Don’t know where to start? Just remember that you have a story to tell, and this is your chance to shine: be a “STAR!”

S – Situation

It’s all about telling a story. Remember the last dramatic movie you watched? Very likely there was an opening shot to establish what the story was going to be about–the situation. Soon after that, the hero or heroine made an appearance and it became clear exactly what kind of challenge might be confronting him or her in the course of this film–they had a task before them. And then–Action! The heroine made her moves, did her thing, and moved the story forward, until finally the original situation was resolved and there was some sort of closure. In the end, the audience knew the result.

The Situation

This is the set-up of the story, giving TIME, PLACE and CONTEXT. It could be a general setting, but it might also include the broader challenge or conflict that you or your organization faced.

For example an applicant might write: “Last year, I volunteered to chair a fundraising committee for cancer research at my company, where we were challenged to meet a fundraising goal of $10,000.”

This answers the question: What was the situation that I (or my team) faced *before* I started taking action?

This is your role in the story. It often takes the form of a GOAL, an OBJECTIVE STATEMENT, or an IMPORTANT DECISION to be resolved. It’s important to highlight your collaboration with others, but remember that for purposes of the essay, you are the star of your own story.

For example: “My main functions were to assign specific jobs to committee members, check on their progress, and help establish and meet deadlines for obtaining donations.”

This answers the question: What specific challenge did I face, given the aforementioned situation?

The Action

Here’s the heart of the story: admissions officers want to know how you work in action. Offer the highlights and don’t get bogged down in too much detail. This could be in a team context, but remember to show how your actions made a contribution.

For example: “I motivated the team by having them meet recovering cancer patients. I assigned tasks and checked in regularly, and successfully mediated team disputes. I led the team to visit 20 local businesses and ensured that deadlines were met.”

This answers the question: What actions did I take to resolve the situation and advance toward my (our) goal?

It’s very important to show that there were indeed concrete results and that your actions made a difference. Specific details count here, and you should quantify your results.

For example: “My team convinced 25 businesses and 18 individuals to make donations, directly helping to raise $15,000 for the organization and exceeding our fundraising goal by 50%.”

This answers the question: What was the impact of my actions, and what was the final resolution of the dilemma outlined at the beginning of the story?

If this is ambiguous, muddled or uncertain, then you may want to go back and re-frame the situation or pick another story to tell altogether. On the other hand, a positive outcome and happy ending will make your story more powerful and establish you as its star.

It is always useful to read other people’s work to get a sense of what good essays are. To assist you, TopAdmit provides you some college admissions essay samples written by counselors and editors hailing from prestigious schools including Harvard. This page contains personal statement samples, statement of purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. But please remember, these are for your reference only; it is not to your benefit to copy their style or concepts. It not only violates academic ethics and could lead to an automatic rejection by the admissions committee — the point of our service is to help you construct a unique essay — not one similar to other essays.

University of California Admissions 2017

2 thoughts on “ The “STAR” Approach to Writing Admissions Essays ”

thanks for sharing the information..hope you guys will do the same work in future

January 25, 2017 at 5:28 am

Thanks for your nice words 🙂 We are trying our best!

May 18, 2017 at 6:14 am

What Is the STAR Method? Here’s How To Use It in Your Next Interview (With Examples)

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results—and it’s a great tool for answering interview questions. Here’s how to use the STAR method, with examples.

Free course: Introduction to UX Design

What is UX? Why has it become so important? Could it be a career for you? Learn the answers, and more, with a free 7-lesson video course.

If you’ve ever had a job interview, you’re probably familiar with questions like “Tell me about a time when…” or “How do you handle [insert tricky situation].”

You’re probably also familiar with how stressful these questions can be. You know you’re supposed to provide some kind of example, and you know you’ve got loads you could draw from…but you just can’t think of any right now.

After some umming and ahhing, you eventually pull an example from your mental archives. But you’re feeling a bit flustered and realise you’re rambling. You’re not conveying the point you wanted to make, and the interviewer is looking rather lost.

Fortunately, there’s a very simple solution to this common conundrum. It’s called the STAR framework , and it’ll help you to answer behavioural interview questions concisely and coherently.

If you’re new to STAR, this guide is for you. It contains everything you need to know about the STAR method, including useful examples to help you model your own answers.

Keep reading to learn:

What is the STAR method?

What is the star/ar method, why is the star method useful.

What kind of interview questions is the STAR method used for?

How to use the STAR method in your next job interview: 3 expert tips

Some star and star/ar example answers for ux designers, the takeaway, more career tips for ux designers.

So, what exactly is the STAR framework? Let’s begin.

[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]

STAR stands for Situation , Task , Action , and Results .

It provides a helpful framework for structuring your answers to interview questions. Specifically, the STAR method is useful when you need to tell a concise and logical story—usually in response to behavioural questions such as “Tell me about a time when…”

Here’s how the STAR framework helps you format your answer:

Situation . This is where you set the scene and provide necessary context. This usually involves laying out the problem or challenge you had to solve. For example: “I was working as a junior UX designer at an e-commerce startup. We noticed that there was a really high rate of users abandoning their shopping carts at the last step in the purchase process, so we needed to improve the experience.”
Task . Here you outline the specific role you played, including any goals or objectives you were tasked with reaching. For example: “I was responsible for reviewing and redesigning the checkout process to reduce ‘abandoned cart’ rates by at least 55%.”
Action . This is where you share the actions you took to solve the problem/tackle the challenge and to meet your goals. For example: “I started by conducting usability tests to identify the main pain-points in the checkout process. I then conducted some competitor research to see how similar e-commerce sites were structuring the process. Based on my findings, I redesigned our process, removing a very time-consuming step which asked users to fill out a long form with unnecessary information. I also implemented additional payment options as we were previously only allowing customers to pay via PayPal.”
Results . Here you state the results and outcomes you were able to achieve. For example: “A month after the redesign was live, we saw a 75% increase in customers completing their purchases. The redesign not only improved the user experience of the site, but also significantly increased sales.”

But what if you’re asked to tell the interviewer about a project which didn’t quite go to plan?

There’s an expansion of the STAR method which comes in very handy for such questions: STAR/AR . We explain in the next section.

The STAR/AR framework adds two extra elements to your story: (alternative) Action and (alternative) Result .

This is useful when you didn’t achieve the desired results and want to share your learnings.

Here’s how the STAR/AR method works:

Situation . As with STAR, this is where you outline the context and the challenge.
Task . Again, outline your role on the project and the outcomes you were aiming for.
Action . Here, you share the specific steps and actions you took to address the challenge.
Results . This is where you explain the outcomes (or consequences) and reflect on why the action(s) you undertook weren’t successful.
Alternative Action . Here, you share what you learned and what you could have done differently/would do differently next time. In other words, what alternative actions could you have taken for better results?
Alternative Results . Explain how your alternative action(s) could have impacted the results differently. What could you have achieved if you had pursued a different course of action?

The STAR/AR framework is a great tool for sharing unsuccessful projects and framing them in a positive light which showcases your ability to reflect, learn, and improve.

The STAR and STAR/AR frameworks are useful because they help you to provide logical, well-structured answers which tell a relevant story.

When following the STAR method, you’ll ensure that you cover all the necessary details that the interviewer is looking for—and that you do so in a coherent, easy-to-follow way.

By focusing on the four points of STAR, you can also avoid rambling, going off on a tangent, or diving into too much detail and losing the point you wanted to make.

Communication is a critical skill (one of the top 10 skills to put on your resume , in fact)—not just for UX roles , but for pretty much any job you apply for. Interviewers will be looking out for your ability to communicate effectively and concisely—and the STAR method will help you do just that.

What kind of interview questions is the STAR framework used for?

The STAR framework is ideal for answering behavioural interview questions. Behavioural questions are those which focus on how you behaved in a specific situation, and they typically require you to share specific examples.

Here are some common behavioural interview questions which can be answered using the STAR method:

You had to take on a new task which you had no experience of doing before
You made a mistake at work
You had to delegate to other colleagues or team members
You have clashing deadlines and not enough time to meet them all?
You and a colleague can’t reach an agreement on something?
A last-minute request comes in and you’ve already got lots on your plate?
A successful project you worked on
A time when you had to work with a difficult or uncooperative colleague or client
An unsuccessful project you worked on

The interviewer won’t always formulate their behavioural questions in the same way. But, if it sounds like they’re digging for insights into how you approach certain challenges and situations, the chances are that they’re looking for a concrete example or an anecdote. That’s your cue to apply the STAR framework.

[UX DESIGN FUNDAMENTALS COURSE]

1. Plan ahead and have some STAR stories at the ready

You can’t anticipate exactly what questions will come up in your interview. But you can—and should—spend some time reading through the job description to get an idea of the skills and qualities the hiring manager will be looking out for.

You can then plan some STAR stories which highlight those critical skills. For example, if you’re applying for a UX design role with a heavy focus on user research , you’ll definitely want to prepare a STAR anecdote based on a time you successfully contributed to a user research project.

Maybe the job you’re applying for requires lots of involvement in UX strategy . In that case, you’ll want to come up with an example of a time when you took on a strategic role or contributed to a strategic initiative.

In short: Pull out the key skills, qualities, and behaviours the job description focuses on and come up with STAR stories which highlight and demonstrate these.

2. Formulate you STAR answers using only the most relevant detail

When using the STAR method, it’s important to follow the framework to the letter. The goal is to share every story or example in a concise, logical manner—delivering the relevant points and making it easy for the hiring manager to follow along.

For example, when it comes to the Situation aspect, you don’t need to provide too much historical background or unnecessary detail. You want to set the scene without going round the houses. Share some context about where you were working, who you were working with (if relevant) and introduce the problem, project, or challenge you’re going to focus on. Good: “During my UX design internship at a software company, I was responsible for onboarding new clients. Our new client surveys reported a low satisfaction score, so I was then responsible for improving the experience.” Not so good: “I once did a UX design internship at a software company. I worked there for about six months in total and had lots of contact with new clients. They were mostly clients in the telecoms industry and I was responsible for onboarding them, which I usually did via video calls but sometimes they came by to the office. For every new client, we gave them a survey to complete after onboarding and sadly our client satisfaction scores were quite low so my manager asked me to look into ways to improve it.”

Can you see how the second answer is much longer and includes detail which isn’t necessarily relevant to the story? If you do this for each point of the STAR, you run the risk of telling a long, winding story which loses the listener’s interest before you’ve been able to demonstrate your skills and achievements.

In short: Keep your answers focused and concise. Go through each aspect of the STAR and come up with just two or three key points for each.

3. Practice using the STAR method on the fly

It’s great to go into your interview with some STAR stories at the ready. At the same time, it’s important that you’re able to implement the STAR method on the fly, too. You don’t know what the interviewer will ask you, after all, so it’s good to be prepared for some curveballs.

If you can, find a friend, colleague, or relative who can roleplay the interview with you. Ask them to come up with some behavioural questions based on the job description and practice answering them using the STAR framework—with no prior preparation.

This will get you well-versed in structuring your answers under pressure—a task which can be tricky when you’re already feeling those interview nerves. And, if you do find yourself struggling to come up with something right away, don’t be afraid to ask the interviewer if you can have a moment or two to think.

In short: In addition to planning some STAR answers ahead of the interview, practice answering behavioural questions under pressure. This will ease your nerves going into the interview and reinforce your confidence in the STAR framework.

Now we know exactly what the STAR method is and how it’s used, let’s share some example answers for UX designers. These should provide some inspiration for your own STAR anecdotes.

STAR example #1: Tell me about your most successful UX design project

With this question, the hiring manager is asking you to describe a specific project and, most importantly, to explain how you contributed to the project’s success.

Here’s an example answer based on the STAR framework.

Situation : “I once volunteered with a non-profit organisation which taught coding skills to primary school-age children. I volunteered to help them redesign their digital learning portal.”

Task : “I was responsible for planning and conducting user research to determine what features could be added to the platform, and then sharing my findings with key stakeholders, including the CEO and the product manager. The goal was to increase the average learner engagement time by 10 minutes per day, per user.”

Action : “I conducted user interviews with eight kids who had already used the platform, and with their parents. This allowed me to gain insights from direct users (the kids) and also from their parents who are able to access the learning platform and see their kids’ progress. From these interviews, I identified three new features that could improve the experience for both learners and their parents. I also discovered that there were some existing features that weren’t being used. I presented my findings and recommendations to the CEO and product manager, suggesting that they build and integrate three new features and remove two unused features.”

Results : “They followed my recommendations and launched those new features a few months later. After three months, the average learner engagement time had increased by 17 minutes per user, per day—much higher than the original target. Students also reported a net promoter score (NPS) that was three points higher than the six months prior.”

STAR example #2: Think back to a time when you and your colleague couldn’t agree on the direction a project should take. How did you handle it?

This question is all about collaboration, conflict resolution, and overcoming challenges. Here’s how your answer might take shape with the STAR method.

Situation : “I was working as the only UX designer at an insurance company. I collaborated closely with the product owner who didn’t really believe in user research. They wanted me to provide prototypes for the new company app without conducting any research, but I wanted to do at least a brief round of user research before moving forward.”

Task : “I was set the task of coming up with prototypes for the new app within one month. They then wanted the new app to launch three months after that.”

Action : “I came up with a plan for how I could conduct user research on a low budget and still have the prototypes ready in time for the planned launch date. I put together a brief presentation outlining the steps I would take to conduct research, as well as the suggested cost and timeline, and a summary of how it would be useful for the end results. I shared this with the product owner to show them that I could still meet their deadlines and complete the project within budget if I included user research in the process. They appreciated that I had come up with a solution and a plan, and agreed that I could go ahead with the research.”

Results : “I conducted the user research as approved by the product owner and made sure to share my findings and insights with them so they could be involved in the process and see the value. We were able to launch the app on time and everyone was happy. For the next project, the product owner was immediately on board with user research and I didn’t have to go through the approval process again.”

The STAR framework will help you to answer behavioural questions logically and coherently, telling a well-structured story which highlights the key skills and qualities the hiring manager is looking for. It will also allow you to showcase your excellent communication skills—earning you a big tick from any interviewer.

Use it when preparing for your next job interview, and remember: you can always turn to the STAR/AR variation when you’re talking about unsuccessful projects or learning curves.

The STAR method is just one tool that will help you in your UX career. If you’re a newcomer to the field, you can accelerate your chances of interview success by reframing your previous experience and using it to your advantage . You’ll also want to make sure that your UX portfolio is ticking all the boxes , and that your UX CV and cover letter are well-primed to catch the hiring manager’s attention.

STAR method

Subscribe to our newsletter

Get the best UX insights and career advice direct to your inbox each month.

Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter

You'll now get the best career advice, industry insights and UX community content, direct to your inbox every month.

Upcoming courses

Professional diploma in ux design.

Learn the full UX process, from research to design to prototyping.

Professional Certificate in UI Design

Master key concepts and techniques of UI design.

Certificate in Software and Coding Fundamentals for UX

Collaborate effectively with software developers.

Certificate in UX Design Fundamentals

Get a comprehensive introduction to UX design.

Professional Certificate in Content Design

Learn the skills you need to start a career in content design.

Professional Certificate in User Research

Master the research skills that make UX professionals so valuable.

Upcoming course

Build your UX career with a globally-recognised, industry-approved certification. Get the mindset, the skills and the confidence of UX designers.

What is graphic design and how does it relate to UI/UX?

Featured image for the blog about inspiring product design examples

5 inspiring product design examples (and what we can learn from them)

7 programming languages that UX designers should know about in 2024

Build your UX career with a globally recognised, industry-approved qualification. Get the mindset, the confidence and the skills that make UX designers so valuable.

8 October 2024

Every other Tuesday, you’ll get actionable tips to land your dream job. Subscribe

Behavioral Interviews

The STAR Interview Method: How to Answer + Examples

STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result, and this method will help you create structured, concise, and engaging responses to behavioral interview questions. Whenever you need to tell a story to demonstrate your skills, STAR is your go-to.

If “telling a story” sounds intimidating, don’t worry. We wrote this guide with the help of career coach Pamela Skillings, recognized as “A guru in the world of interviewing” by the Wall Street Journal. Her insights and tips will help you learn the STAR method and quickly create engaging answers to increase your chances of landing a job.

After reading this article, you’ll know:

What is the STAR method and how to use it for the greatest impact
How to make your STAR answers shine bright (samples included)
How to easily prepare your answers before the interview

Big Interview: the best interview preparation tool

Don’t waste days compiling overused interview techniques. Get original answers to every single question you could expect.

What Is the STAR Method?

The STAR (Situation-Task-Action-Result) method, a.k.a. the STAR format, is a way to answer behavioral interview questions and other common questions that require storytelling. It proves you’ve got the skills needed to excel in the position you applied for — based on a story about how you used those skills in the past.

Usually, you’ll need to use the STAR technique when answering behavioral interview questions , that is, questions that begin with:

Tell me about a time when…
Can you recall a situation in which…
Give me an example of a time when you…

The STAR method can be useful in answering any question, whenever you’d like to use a story or illustrate something with an example. For instance, questions about:

Your proudest accomplishments
Times you failed
Your strengths
Your weaknesses
Situational questions – questions about a hypothetical situation

“I recommend that when it’s possible, candidates add a short STAR example to the hypothetical. Like: ‘Here’s a description of how I would generally respond. For example, I recently had a situation…’ Not always possible but definitely helpful. A real example is much more memorable and convincing than theorizing.” — says Skillings.

For more information on behavioral interviewing and how to answer these questions using the STAR method, check out the video:

If you want to learn more about how to answer the most common interview questions, how to sell yourself in an interview, or negotiate your salary, sign up for our free course .

How to Create Answers Using the STAR Method

Let’s break down each component of the STAR method and learn the best way to craft compelling stories.

We’ll use an example of a retail sales associate being asked the following question: “Tell me about a time when you initiated a successful project or an idea.”

Describe the situation so that your interviewer understands the context. There’s no need to be too detailed. Providing a general context with the most important facts should be enough. This should take around 15% of the total answer time.

For example:

Briefly describe your specific task or responsibility in that situation. No need to go into detail here either, just make sure to highlight what your role was.

This is usually the shortest part and should account for 10% of the whole answer.

The main part of your STAR answer. You need to be as detailed as possible when describing what actions you took to achieve something. The Action part should take up around 60% of your answer (it might seem a lot, but remember, you have to describe what you did — step by step).

Here, interviewers will look for clues about your experience and skills. Depending on the skill the question is supposed to assess, this bit will show them:

How you think.
How you organize work.
How well you work with others.
If you have an analytical mind.

✅ Pro tip: The question hints about what skills you’ll need to highlight in the Action part. For example, in our case, the question “Tell me about a time when you initiated a successful project or an idea,” will look to assess:

Your ability to take initiative (because you initiated a project)
Your analytical skills (because you spotted potential areas of improvement)
Your problem-solving skills (how you completed that project or idea)
Your communication skills (because you had to successfully present an idea and get approval for its realization)

Here, you should mention the tangible results of your actions. Ideally, these will be quantifiable data (%, $), but you can also include qualitative things (bonuses, positive feedback, promotions, awards).

✅ Pro tip: You can also touch upon lessons learned from your experiences. This is especially important for questions about less flattering experiences you had, like the ones about your failures or weaknesses.

Here’s what the entire answer would sound like.

Sample answer using the STAR method

Interviewer: “Tell me about a time when you initiated a successful project or an idea.”

STAR Method in Action: Sample Questions and Answers

Sample star answer to a question about teamwork, industry: it consulting.

Interviewer: “Share an example of when you had to adapt to a team member’s working style.”

Situation: A few months ago, I was assigned to work on a project with a coworker from another department.

Task: Our task was to develop processes for several new services our agency introduced to our clients. After the initial meeting, I noticed big differences in how he and I approach work. I’m flexible and tend to focus on the big picture. He’s detail-oriented and prefers a structured approach.

Action: We decided to split the work accordingly. I focused on the goals of these new services and how to best follow them through procedures. I also worked on identifying key milestones and major project components. He, in turn, worked on granular steps, created structured plans for each project phase, and developed in-depth documentation and manuals explaining the processes.

Result: We ended up completing the project a week before the deadline and with minimal reiterations from the management team. The experience taught me that such a big difference in working styles is not a disadvantage: on the contrary, it’s a complementary strength that helps us contribute to the team and the company in the best possible way.

Why we like it: The candidate saw a way to turn a potentially difficult clash into a productive experience, displaying positivity and great interpersonal skills. They also proved their problem-solving skills by devising a plan where both people could contribute to the project through their unique strengths.

For a detailed guide on all behavioral questions related to teamwork, check out How to Answer Teamwork Interview Questions (Tips and Examples) .

Sample STAR answer to a question about problem-solving

Industry: hr.

Interviewer: “How did you approach a situation where you had multiple problems to solve at the same time?”

Situation: In my last position where I worked as a recruiter, we got into a high-demand hiring season where we had to fill in several key positions across several departments simultaneously.

Task: At first, I didn’t know what to focus on, as I was in charge of managing open positions and moving candidates through the hiring process effectively.

Action: I decided to structure my approach and began by researching each position thoroughly to gauge the urgency and criticality of the role. It helped me prioritize and allocate resources accordingly. I made strategic use of our applicant tracking system to streamline the sourcing and screening processes to filter out only the best, relevant candidates. I also used industry-specific platforms and forums to track people.

Result: This helped me meet the hiring goals and decrease the time needed for hiring. 2 years later, all the people I hired then are still in the company, which proves they were a good fit.

Why we like it: The candidate explained in detail their process for solving the problem, which gives the interviewer insight into their approach, problem-solving skills, prioritization, and analytical thinking.

If you want to learn all about how to answer problem-solving skills, we’ve got a super detailed guide for you: Answering Problem-Solving Interview Questions: Tips and Examples .

Sample STAR answer to a question about leadership

Industry: email marketing.

Interviewer: “Tell me about a time when you had to lead under pressure or a tight deadline.”

Situation: Last year, my team got a big ad-hoc project from one of our main clients.

Task: The deadline was tight, and we had to conceptualize and create 30+ BFCM promo emails.

Action: As soon as we got the brief, I scheduled a meeting to organize and divide the workload and set clear timelines. I prioritized tasks based on the email’s scheduling date and offer importance. I established the order of operations, and we had a clear process on who was doing what and when. Still, there were times when we had to improvise but transparent communication made it easy. Each person was like a piece of a puzzle and we worked tirelessly.

Result: It was like watching a well-organized sports team — their efficiency was admirable. We finished all emails on time and generated $850K in revenue from them. The client was thrilled.

Why we like it : The candidate kept their cool in a high-pressure situation and relied on their leadership and organizational skills to set an efficient process and inspire their team to give their best.

If you want to learn more about how to answer leadership questions, check out Behavioral Interview Questions: Leadership [How to Answer + Examples] .

If you’re applying for your first leadership position, head here: 20+ First-Time Manager Interview Questions and Answers + Tips

Sample STAR answer to a question about communication

Industry: education.

Interviewer: “Tell me about a situation when you persuaded someone to see things your way at work.”

Situation: Two years ago, I wanted to integrate some practical, real-world examples into classes and courses.

Task : I especially wanted to do this in my lessons and I wanted my students to get some hands-on experience in marketing.

Action: For this, I thought about involving a local retail business. So I had to convince my coworkers, teachers, and school administration to apply this unconventional approach. To make it convincing and enjoyable, I created a mini-game where teachers would play the role of students engaging in a simulated marketing project. Before the game, during the presentation, I put a lot of emphasis on how students could benefit from this and apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.

Result: They appreciated my efforts and ideas and agreed to explore the possibility of collaborating with one of our local businesses. Eventually, we did manage to make it happen, and I learned how important it is to be relatable, creative, and fun when pitching new ideas.

Why we like it: The candidate found a new angle for persuading someone to see things their way — they were relatable and used humor and entertainment as their main weaponry.

If you want to learn more about how to answer questions about communication and working in diverse teams, check out Answering Behavioral Interview Questions: Intercultural Fluency .

Sample STAR answer to a question about initiative and ownership

Industry: marketing.

Interviewer: “Tell me about a time when you worked with little to no supervision.”

Situation: I worked in an internal marketing department in a marketing agency. We used to launch quarterly reports about industry trends and events that shaped the previous quarter.

Task: During a particularly busy season, the entire company was focused on client work. My coworker and Iwere left to write, design, publish, and promote the report without any help.

Action: We decided to split the tasks: I wrote the report, she edited it and added insights from industry experts we got in touch with. She designed the report, and I wrote the copy for the landing page and other promotional materials. Finally, we found a simple drag-and-drop page builder and created the landing page, connected it to our website and email service provider, and tested everything. Everything went pretty smoothly, and we managed to publish the report on time, as if nothing had happened.

Result: We got a lot of positive feedback from the readers. I realized I wouldn’t have been able to do it all by myself, and this experience taught me how important it is to work with someone you trust.

Why we like it: The candidate displayed resourcefulness and the ability to do the work independently. They also showed they can get along with others in high-pressure situations, and that they’re a reliable person who can deliver the work even if the circumstances are not ideal.

How to Prepare STAR Answers Before the Interview

Research the job.

You can’t properly prepare unless you know what exactly you’re preparing for. So you’ll need to research the job to understand what skills and competencies the position requires, and what kind of experience an ideal candidate would have.

Your best bet is the job ad itself. Read it carefully, and pay special attention to sections like “What you’ll be responsible for” or “Your duties.”

You can also check the company website — perhaps you can find the company structure there, and details about the team your potential position is in, as well as how it’s connected to other teams internally.

Check out the company’s social media and website for clues about company culture, as that can help you gauge what soft skills might be a nice addition to your experience and existing skills.

Reflect on your past

Think about your achievements that might be similar (or identical) to what’s expected of you in the job you’re interviewing for.

Think about:

Things you achieved on your own
Things you achieved with your coworkers
Your failures and weaknesses
Your strengths and interests
Lessons you learned from certain experiences

Then, think about typical skills that behavioral questions tend to explore. These are usually:

Communication
Problem-solving
Decision-making
Initiative and ownership

Then, connect the dots. What is your proudest accomplishment, and what’s the skill that helped you achieve it? What’s your biggest failure? What caused it?

Write down these ideas and details and include them in the final version of your answer.

Finally, connect your past achievements or duties to potential interview questions. Draw parallels between the skills and experiences you have and the ones they need. Find a way to illustrate how you can contribute to their company.

More tips below:

Practicing for interviews is key, but especially so when it comes to delivering STAR-based answers.

If you don’t practice, here’s what will happen:

You won’t have relevant stories to illustrate your skills.
Even if you manage to think of something on the spot, you won’t provide all the relevant details.
You won’t figure out the key skill they’re looking to assess.
You’ll be nervous and scramble to find the right words.
Your delivery will be a mess.

Practicing will prevent all of these problems and make sure both your answer and your delivery are perfect — it takes some time, yes, but it also makes all the difference between “we’ll call you” and “you’re hired!”

You can use an Interview Simulator to practice for just about any behavioral question. The tool will assess the quality of your answer and suggest how to make it better by adding more power words, improving your pace of speech or vocabulary, reducing filler words, and much more.

You can have as many takes as you like, until you feel confident and excited about that interview.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Being too general.

Get specific in all the components of your STAR answer! Sure, you already know that the Action part needs to be the longest and most detailed, but don’t skip over important info in other components.

If a piece of information is relevant to the story, contributes to the context, and illustrates your experience or skills, include it.

Missing the point

If a piece of info doesn’t contribute to your point in any way — drop it. There’s no need to use irrelevant details. Although there’s no fixed limit to the length of a STAR answer, it should be long enough to provide only key details that illustrate your point.

If you’re having doubts about whether or not to include a detail, ask yourself “So what?” If you can’t find a direct connection to the story, skip it.

Focusing on the wrong story

A story that doesn’t connect to the job you’re applying for or that doesn’t illustrate the right skill is useless, no matter how fun.

Anticipate common behavioral interview questions, research them, and think about what skill(s) they’re trying to assess.

The situation from the question will reveal what skill they’re trying to assess (usually what goes after “Tell me about a time when”). Once you discover what it is, you can think of additional, complementary skills that would be nice to have.

Below is a list of common behavioral questions and skills they’re seeking to uncover. The bolded elements are the main skill the question is targeting, the rest are complementary, desirable skills to display.

Describe a time when you had to handle a conflict between two team members ( Conflict resolution , teamwork, interpersonal relations, communication, leadership)
Can you share an instance where you went over and above to help a team member? ( Teamwork , taking initiative)
Can you give an example of a time when your team disagreed with your decision, and how did you manage it? ( Conflict resolution , leadership, persuasion, communication)
Describe a situation where you had to make a tough decision with limited information ( Decision-making , resourcefulness, analytical thinking, calculating risk)
Discuss a situation where you implemented a creative solution to a problem ( Problem-solving , analytical thinking, creativity)
Share an experience of leading a team through a major organizational change ( Leadership , problem-solving, interpersonal relationships, communication)
How have you handled a non-performing team member? ( Interpersonal relationships , handling feedback, leadership, problem-solving)
How have you persuaded someone to see things your way at work? ( Persuasion , communication, interpersonal relationships, teamwork)
How have you handled communicating with a diverse group of individuals? ( Communication , teamwork, creativity)
Talk about a project or task you started on your initiative ( Taking initiative , task ownership, problem-solving, analytical thinking)

Not preparing ahead of time

As we already said, preparation is key. Not preparing your stories and STAR answers in advance will seriously mess up your chances of landing that job for all the reasons discussed in the headings above: your answer will be messy, you’ll miss the point and tell the wrong story, you’ll sound unconvincing, you won’t be able to provide relevant detail, and you’ll probably get confused and start stuttering.

For this reason, anticipating the most common behavioral questions and preparing a few stories in advance is key.

Plus, a single story can serve you multiple times for multiple different questions.

Not to mention, you’ll be ready for job interviews that will come in the future. All it will take is just a bit of refreshing your memory.

The STAR Interview Method: Popular Opinion vs. Expert Advice

Assignmenthuge102 posted on Reddit :

Does anybody else feel demoralized after a STAR method interview? I can’t stand STAR method interviews (situation, task, action, result). It seems so fake and it doesn’t seem to get the most out of the candidate because of how manufactured their responses are. What are your thoughts on this method? Has anyone had success with it? What are your experience?

Career expert comments:

Like any other framework, the STAR is the template to be adjusted and changed according to a candidate’s unique experience. If used lazily, it will produce inauthentic answers.

But if used properly, it’s just a way to create meaningful answers quicker and easier – not a tool for mass-producing manufactured answers. So it’s likely that the STAR answers this person heard from others and used themselves were not correctly made.

If a candidate has strong achievements, their STAR answers won’t be boring or predictable because it’s not likely that someone else managed to earn that amount of money, or reduced churn by that percent, and similar. So I’d say to focus on results and quantify them in the STAR answer.

From there, candidates are allowed to play around. I would say that reordering the STAR elements can be a fun way to stand out. For example, starting your answer with:

“I once saved $23K for my company simply by introducing a detailed QA checklist.” is a great way to hook the listener and make them want to hear more. From there, you can work your way back and explain how you did it and why it needed to be done in the first place.

In the same thread, Confident-Mushroom80 said:

The best way to get through them is to literally sit down with a Google Sheet and copy/paste STAR questions onto it and then methodically formulate the best possible answer for them. Format it nicely so it’s effective for your eyes. Refresh the answers in any way you see fit according to the new job you are interviewing for. If you’re on Zoom or whatever you can literally have it open on a second screen and scroll through to find things in real time in case your brain flies out your ass in mid-interview.

… and BootyMcSqueak answered:

I did this too. Until they asked questions I wasn’t prepared for and tried doing STAR on the fly. I felt flustered trying to word everything in that specific format. I did not get the job.

Career expert comments:

Don’t do this unless you want to get flustered and ruin your chances of landing a job. Interviewers can easily spot a canned answer, doesn’t matter if you’ll read it from a Google Sheet or learn it by heart. They might not comment on it, but that doesn’t mean you’ll get away with it.

A better approach here would be to focus on the stories and how you can adjust them to answer several different questions – not on individual questions and a canned answer for each.

So prepare several strong stories that showcase your skills and then adjust them to answer the question you get in an interview. If you prepare them for the key skills relevant to pretty much any position (teamwork, problem-solving, communication, analytical skills…), you’ll be covered.

You’ll have an answer to the question, you’ll know exactly what you need to say, but you’ll do a bit of improvisation to adjust it, which will prove it’s authentic and not scripted.

Summary of the Main Points

The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
STAR is used to answer all behavioral interview questions, but it can be useful whenever you want to tell a story, regardless of the type of question you get.
When using this framework, you should provide enough relevant information to set the context, describe the problem and your part in it, your action (how you solved it), and the results.
The Action part of your answer needs to be the longest and most detailed: it needs to take up around 60% of your STAR answer.
Always include quantifiable results. If this is not possible, mention qualitative results like bonuses, promotions, positive feedback, and similar.
It’s best to mention the lessons learned in the Results part, especially when answering questions about your less flattering side: your failures and weaknesses.

_____________________

Need a hand? There are 4 ways we can help you:

Getting invited to interview but not landing the job? Discover actionable lessons and interview practice here (Rated with 4.9/5 by 1,000,000 users).
Want to charm your interviewer? Learn how to sell yourself and leave a positive impression.
Discover how to write a post-interview follow-up email and prove your interviewing etiquette.
Not getting as many interviews as you’d like? Polish up your resume with our brand new Resume AI tool .

What is the START method? Is it different from the STAR method?

START stands for Situation, Task, Action, Result, Takeaway. Essentially, it’s the same as STAR, with another component, Takeaway, in which you talk about lessons learned from the experience. That said, you should list lessons learned in the Result section whenever possible, so essentially, START and STAR are the same.

Can I use the STAR method when answering questions other than the behavioral ones?

Yes, you can use the STAR method whenever you want to tell a story to illustrate your point — at pretty much any time during the interview, not only when asked a behavioral question. You can also use it when answering situational questions, to add a realistic picture in addition to your hypothetical reaction.

Why do I find the “tell me about a time” questions so hard?

You might find the behavioral questions hard or challenging in case you don’t prepare in advance. In such cases, it’s hard to think of relevant stories on the spot, it’s difficult to properly describe relevant skills and experience, and your delivery will be poor because you’re nervous. This is why preparing and practicing answers for these questions is crucial for informative, engaging answers and confident delivery.

How to use the STAR method if I can’t think of an example of a specific situation?

If you haven’t experienced the exact situation that a question refers to, think of a similar one, or analyze the question, figure out which skill it seeks to assess, and provide a story where you displayed a similar skill. If this doesn’t work, think of situations that share similarities or certain aspects with the question asked. If that doesn’t work either, create a hypothetical scenario that demonstrates the skills from the question. However, you’ll need to be transparent and communicate that this is a hypothetical situation. In the Situation and Task parts of your answer, briefly describe the scenario you’re using as a basis for your response. In the Action part, describe what actions you would take in a situation, explaining why you made that particular choice. In the Result part, discuss the potential outcomes or the expected results.

Can I use the STAR interviewing technique effectively if I have no experience?

Yes, because your answers don’t need to be based solely on your work experience. You can draw upon other aspects of your life, like education, volunteering experience, internships, extracurricular activities, personal projects, hobbies, or any other situations where you demonstrated relevant skills or qualities.

Which interview questions, in particular, should I answer using the STAR format?

Primarily behavioral interview questions (the ones that begin with “Tell me about a time when” or “Can you recall a situation when”). But you can use the STAR method regardless of the type of question, whenever you want to showcase your experience and skills through storytelling.

Maja Stojanovic

Fact Checked By:

Industry Expert Contributions:

Pamela Skillings

Turn interviews into offers

Share this article

Big Interview
Plans & Pricing
Higher Education
Editorial Process
Resume Templates
Interview Preparation
Interview Q&A
Career Advice
Create an Account
Knowledge Base

©️ 2024 Skillful Communications, Inc. | Big Interview is a trademark of Skillful Communications, Inc.

Terms | Privacy Policy

MBA Resources

STAR Approach MBA Essay

MBA & Beyond Team

15/11/2023 | 8:16 pm

Here is the Snapshot of the article:

Crafting an application essay for top-tier MBA programs can be an intimidating challenge. It requires not just hard work and commitment but also thorough research, accuracy, and clear articulation. The key to a successful application lies in making your essay stand out from the myriad of others. A popular method among applicants to achieve this uniqueness is the STAR approach MBA essay. STAR, which stands for Situation-Task-Action-Result, is a structured approach often used to address behavioral questions effectively. Incorporating the STAR approach into your Why MBA essay can help you present your experiences and achievements in a compelling and organized manner, enhancing your chances of making a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Following a sequenced approach based on STAR writing format would earn for uniqueness and allow you to present your relevant skills more elaborately.

This article will share elaborate STAR approach MBA essay, STAR essays format, and dynamics of the STAR approach to ace your MBA application essays and personal statement.

STAR Approach to Essay Writing Method

The STAR approach MBA essays, is a widely-used technique for organizing examples, whether it’s for crafting a CV, composing an achievement essay, filling out an application form, or responding to queries in an interview.

The STAR Writing format helps employers and admission councils evaluate the skills, qualities, and experiences you have that would help you fit with the job, program, company, or institution.

While drafting achievement essays for your B school application letters, remember that the two most crucial parts of the story are the actions you took on time and the results you achieved because of it.

The actions you describe offer a glimpse into how you handle specific situations, revealing your strengths and capabilities. The outcomes demonstrate your ability to effectively influence and execute the necessary actions when it matters most. Utilizing the STAR approach MBA essays can serve as an effective tool to articulate your thoughts both clearly and concisely.

Following the STAR Writing Method

The STAR writing format is a clever and bold way to approach a behavioral question presented at an interview which involves citing a situation, the task at hand, the action you took, and the subsequent results.

While setting up the situation in your essay, try not to indulge in citing unnecessary details the school won’t be interested in; always keep in mind that you are elected to write essays for interviews. Moreover, avoid industry jargon and uncommon acronyms.

Be precise when listing the tasks you were responsible for; you don’t have to add random details.

Amongst all, the action portion of your essay should be the lengthiest. It should clearly illustrate how you exceeded expectations if you can conclude with both quantitative and qualitative results and the impact you made, even better.

STAR Application Examples

In the below paragraph, we would deal with different essay and interview questions commonly framed by Top B Schools to get the most out of their candidates.

Want to pursue an MBA but not sure if your profile fits?

Talk to our Profile Experts to know your chances for a top MBA Program.

Questions are precisely put to know any challenging situation you faced at your job or personal life and how you deal with it. This helps the admission council to understand what comes next and set expectations. Always remember that the admission council reviews a vast amount of highly qualified applicants, so the context is most important or else, you’ve lost them right out of the gate. Utilizing the STAR approach MBA essay can ensure that you provide the necessary context and engage the admission council effectively.

Classically, the context you are giving is one of the problems at work. Typically such problems include hitting sales targets, quality control issues, or just plain dysfunction among team members. The stage is being set for you to come in and save the day.

Explain the situation that you were faced with briefly. You could start sentences like: ‘during my degree’ or ‘while working in the company.’ Set up the situation for your reader as succinctly and clearly as possible. Leave out any “inside baseball” details that will bore the adcom. Remember, they want to learn about “what YOU did” and not about the intricate complexities of your organization, team, or client’s issues.

Any job that your manager or team assigned you to resolve or improve the situation you described above can be counted as your “Task.” Moreover, suppose a manager didn’t give the task. In that case, it could work on your side as you can explain how you decided on accomplishing the task yourself – which is an excellent opportunity to showcase to the interviewer how you have the initiative to go beyond discrete tasks assigned to you by a higher up. Briefly, you also need to explain what you did and how you met the criteria for success. If it was group work, demonstrate the overall group task but mainly focus on your role since B-schools are looking for team players in their top candidates.

But if the opposite happens, they ask you to describe your most impressive accomplishment; they want to understand your complete orders.

Action taken

This is the most substantial part of the essay writing method; action” is what you did to remedy that situation. It should cover around 55-70% of your article. While writing a perfect action scenario, there are four significant questions that you should keep in mind:

Highlight your unique sales turnaround plan, innovative manufacturing method for quality control, and how you motivated team members in your admissions materials. Admissions are keen on these achievements and your strategies.

The Action section is where you should expand a bit more and use this chance to shine. First, explain what you did specifically, and ideally, show how you went above and beyond in your role. Then, you can finally wrap up the essay by revealing what Results you achieved. Moreover, if you somehow can quantify the results of the impact you made, even better.

Keep in mind that both qualitative and quantitative outcomes are essential to include, if possible.

Before moving on to the next part in the STAR writing format, one specific word in the above paragraphs is highly imperative – “YOU.”

Well, to be honest, this is a widespread mistake made over and over again, even with well-prepared applicants. The admissions council doesn’t care much about what the “team” did – they want to know what YOU did exclusively. They want to understand how much of a force you are for an innovative change, how you exercise your leadership, analytical, and communication skills, and how you implement all that.

The Results

Results” is the conclusion to your answer. Given the above context and given what you did to resolve it.

What happened afterward
After your idea, did the sales numbers go up
Did those quality issues were resolved
Did your team start getting along

All these questions are answered in the concluding part

Moreover, the critical thing to remember while writing the results section is to add data wherever possible. Mention the numbers in your answer; data input increases the relevancy of your essays. It’s crucial to show that there were indeed concrete results and that your actions made many differences.

Quantify your Results

The numbers illustrate the amount of experience you have. Specific details count here; you should try to quantify your results. These numbers will also display your level of authority and responsibility. For example: “the sales number went up, directly helping to raise $15,000 for the organization and exceeding our goal by about 50%.” moreover, the numbers also illustrate the level generic, but of your success and the effectiveness of your actions

A positive outcome and happy ending will make your story more critical, establishing you as its star.

Using the STAR writing format to answer all your behavioral – make admissions life easy, as they are precisely looking for those things in an answer. Moreover, think of a handful of compelling examples and keep those at the top of your mind. Then, you can adapt those to polish your answers whenever you get hit with any behavioral questions.

Last but not least, always remember that it should be YOU, not the team, not your manager, who should be doing the task; if you were a bystander in the actions you are describing, look for a better, more compelling example.

How to Incorporate the STAR Approach in Your Personal Statement for an MBA Application

Crafting an Effective MBA Personal Statement: Tips and Techniques

1. Conduct Thorough Research

Understand the school and MBA program thoroughly before crafting your statement. Research forms the foundation of your writing.

2. Focus on Relevance

Write specific responses to questions, avoiding irrelevant information. Keep your statement concise and impactful.

3. Proofread and Edit

Ensure your statement is error-free. Even the best content loses credibility with numerous errors.

4. Create an Engaging Introduction

Hook the readers with a captivating introduction that sets the tone for the entire statement. Be concise and specific.

5. Practice Makes Perfect

Mastering the art of writing a compelling personal statement takes practice. Keep refining your skills through consistent practice.

Moreover, suppose you want someone to assist you at our organization, “ MBA and Beyond .” In that case, we provide you with college admissions essay samples written by our expert team of counselors and editors hailing from prestigious business schools.

We would provide you with personal statement samples, purpose samples, and application essay samples for college. Our team of experts dedicates themselves to helping you construct a unique essay — not one similar to others while following the STAR writing format.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the STAR method important?

Writing essays and drafting application letters for admission to a top B-school requires a lot of research work, creativity, and precision. Since the admissions council gets around thousands of application letters, the question arises what makes your letter better than anyone else? Following the STAR approach to describe a behavioral situation earns you points on the uniqueness. Also, even though many candidates are still following the STAR approach, your task, problem, action, and results may very well differ to a more considerable extent.

How do you write the STAR Method?

Results

Also, while following the STAR Writing format, the action paragraph is suggested to be the longest, covering almost 55-70% of the essay. Also, try to quantify your results as numbers illustrate the degree of your success and the effectiveness of your action.

What is a star statement?

A STAR personal statement is meant to describe your goals and ambitions to the admissions council. incorporating the STAR Writing format in your personal statement helps you to follow a step-wise approach in describing your statement of purpose. The best suggestion to follow for writing a STAR statement is to keep it specific and to the point rather than wasting your words and space in mentioning topics deemed irrelevant to the admissions council.

How do you use the STAR method on a job application?

While filing a job application, always remember that the company looks for individual leadership qualities, analytical skills, and teamwork. The STAR approach can be beneficial in establishing a compelling example of yourself.

What are STAR interview questions?

To be completely honest, the STAR interview comprises mainly of behavioral questions such as : Tell us about a specific situation where you needed to work beyond your discreet roles? What was the impact of your actions, and what was the final resolution of the dilemma outlined at the beginning of the story? These questions may look very generic, but answering any of them requires a lot of creativity, precision, clarity, and research work.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Articles You Might Like

Should an International Candidate go for an INSEAD R3 MBA?

Top MBA programs starting in January 2025

Upcoming Events

Ace Your INSEAD Application: Proven Tips to Stand Out

September 5, 2024 | 9:00 pm – 10:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENT: Ace Your INSEAD Application: Proven Tips to Stand Out. Register now

We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application.

Note: You must have javascript enabled to submit the form.

STAR Method for MBA Essay Writing

Have you heard of the STAR interview technique? It’s when an interviewer asks you a behavioral question (which usually begins, “Tell me about a time when you…”), and you respond by laying out the Situation, the Task you received, the Action you took, and then the Result you achieved. It’s an excellent method for MBA hopefuls to leverage in adcom or alumni interviews. But did you know you can use the STAR method for MBA essay writing as well?

We’ve found that it’s a helpful way to organize essays, short-answer responses, and even resume bullet points. For example, let’s take an essay that asks you to describe your greatest professional achievement — in only 300 words. When you use the STAR method for MBA essay writing, it helps you pare down all of the information you could possibly include.

You’ll want to set up the Situation for your reader as succinctly and clearly as possible. Leave out industry jargon, acronyms, and “inside baseball” details that will bore the adcom. Remember, they want to learn about what YOU did — not the intricate complexities of your company or client’s issue.

Next, pinpoint the Task for which you were responsible. Sure, business schools are looking for team players. But if they’ve asked you to describe your most impressive accomplishment, they want to understand what your marching orders were.

The Action section is where you should expand a bit more and use this chance to shine. Explain what you did specifically, and ideally, show how you went above and beyond in your role. Then, you can wrap up by revealing what Results you achieved. Keep in mind that both qualitative and quantitative outcomes are important to include, if possible.

After you’ve got your S, T, A, and R information covered in your essay, read through it again. Ensure the emphasis is on the Actions you took and the Results you achieved. We know it’s hard to condense what may sometimes be a years-long project into only a few sentences at the beginning. But it’s better to keep the focus on why YOU will be a welcome addition to any MBA program.

Your final task of the STAR method for MBA essay writing is to ensure that you’re within the word count limit. Also, make sure that you’ve told the story of your achievement in a compelling, memorable way.

Finally, if you’re currently writing your essays, be sure to seek out the several essay-centric episodes of our B-Schooled podcast. Subscribe now (on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , Stitcher , or TuneIn ), so new episodes will be waiting for you every Wednesday morning.

And when writing your essays, remember:

Until next time,

The team at Stacy Blackman Consulting

If you enjoyed this article, please sign up for the SBC newsletter , where you’ll receive our expert advice on all aspects of the MBA application process delivered straight to your inbox each week.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Harvard HBS, Wharton and every elite business program in the US and Europe. These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Andrea , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions Marketing at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

3 Unconventional Steps to Writing Great MBA Essays

3 Surprising Application Mistakes Prospective MBAs Make

B-schooled podcast episode #69: the star method for organizing stories.

4 Cases Where MBA Applicants Should Write an Optional Essay

Learn About Our All-In Service

Meet the sbc consulting team.

(323) 934-3936 info@StacyBlackman.com

Latest Blog Post

Choose the best mba recommenders.

As the round one deadlines for your MBA applications approach, have you secured the best possible candidates to write your recommendation letters (LORs)? These letters, a critical component of your application, often raise questions ... →

How To Use the STAR Method To Write MBA Essays That Sell Your Profile

Sep 30, 2021

Adcoms of top MBA programs read thousands of essays annually; needless to say, they are presented with plenty of stories and examples of candidates who want to prove to them that they stand out.

So, while you are writing your MBA application essays , how can you make your stories stand out while ensuring your impact and strengths are highlighted , while doing so in a relatively short amount of space?

One of the best ways to craft an efficient, detailed, and well-organized example is to use the STAR method . By the time you’ve finished reading this blog, you should have a solid understanding of what this successful technique is and how you can use it to market your experiences effectively!

What is the STAR method?

“STAR” is an acronym that stands for s ituation, t ask, a ction(s), r esult(s). Let’s break down exactly what these terms mean.

Situation

This is the part of your story where you describe the context for your experience. This should include all context and background information that the reader should know about the situation you were going into.

For example, if you are going to discuss that time that you were able to save 100 employees’ jobs through your analytics skills and leadership, your situation would be the reasons why these employees were going to lose their jobs (such as a necessary budget cut) and why this was a problem (for example, you knew that most of these employees were older and would have a difficult time finding replacement jobs to support their families).

Basically, in this section, you want to answer all of the “why” questions that your reader might have about the situation you were in.

For the task section, you will build from your situation by describing your own role and responsibilities as a part of this context. You should also include what specific challenges you would have to be facing.

Continuing with our previous example, the task could be written as follows:

“ As a senior data analyst, I proactively decided to leverage my technical skills and leadership position to try and save these employees’ jobs by taking a new look at the company’s budget-saving model. ”

Notice that this narrows down your story slightly, by focusing on how YOU were relevant to the broader situation you first described.

Now, in discussing action(s), it is time to focus on exactly what you did to tackle the issue and complete your task at hand. This should include all necessary steps to achieve the results.

For example, to show how you tackled the previous challenge, you can discuss the efforts you made to compile new data that was not previously included in the company’s model, how you developed a new analysis to highlight non-human budget cuts that coil benefit the company, and what you did to present this effectively to senior management.

This section should illuminate what made you stand out from others who might have been tasked with similar responsibilities — what approaches did you take? What work did you do to ensure success? How did you go above and beyond to solve the problems at hand? These are all questions that can help you choose which actions are most important to highlight — those that make you stand out and show how you achieved your results.

Finally, it is important for you to discuss the impact of your actions. This can include both immediate results and, if possible, broader/long-term results.

For example, you could discuss how you were able to save all 100 employees’ jobs by making previously overlooked unnecessary material costs, and, in the long-term, the company decided to implement a policy of annually updating their cost-saving models as you had highlighted the importance of maintaining the trust of workers.

The main objective in this section is to show why, given your situation and task(s), your particular actions were important. In most cases, your results will prove to the reader how your decisions were meaningful. Additionally, discussing results will provide a sense of conclusion to your story.

Note: for some essays, you may need to demonstrate failure or weakness . In these cases, it is perfectly acceptable to report either failed results, or no results at all. However, it is extremely important that you discuss why these results happened and what you learned!

How can you use STAR effectively?

Now that you know what STAR stands for, let’s focus on how to use this framework effectively to ensure your story is highlighting your most important ideas in a clear and interesting way!

Explain how you achieved your results, don’t just name actions

One mistake that our clients often make while discussing their actions is that they either are too general about what they did, or simply list a series of statements about what they did without explaining how they got there.

Instead, think of your results and everything that contributed to them, and describe what you did. If possible, provide the reasoning behind them as well.

While in most cases, you could write about every action and process you took, but you are most likely limited by word count. Even if you’re not, it’s always a good idea to stay focused, so choose only the most significant actions and those that are most relevant to your results!

Focus on YOU!

The STAR method should make it very easy for your reader not only to understand what took place, but to also see your role in all of it. Therefore, it’s very important that the focus of your story is you and not your team or company.

Even if it was a team effort, highlight your own actions within the team . You can discuss how you complemented your own approaches with others’, or discuss how you contributed to bigger results, but the emphasis should be on your own part of the story.

Highlight uniqueness

This brings us to the next important aspect of using STAR. While this gives you a framework to organize your story, you must still ensure you are telling the most impactful and interesting aspects of it.

To make sure you are telling the most important parts of the example while emphasizing your own uniqueness, think of the actions that you took that were different from what others may have done. How did you think outside the box, demonstrate exceptional thoughtfulness (for example, about other people or about long-term consequences), or go above and beyond? Be sure to include actions that answer these questions.

When discussing your results, be sure to also explain how these specific actions contributed to the results . This will really emphasize the impact of your uniqueness!

Highlight change

For examples of successful results, most candidates will illustrate what this success looked like (for example, increased revenue or a closed deal). While this is certainly a good way of discussing results, you can go even further if you can also show that you created some kind of positive change .

Not only will this really prove the value of your uniqueness, but it will also show that you are able to exceed expectations and drive progress . For example, some of our clients have discussed how they improved methodologies, built trust amongst their team members despite a previous history of lacking collaboration, or introduced environmentally-friendly production processes.

Include lessons learned

We often work with clients who use the STAR method effectively, but end the paragraph simply with numerical results.

What we must remind them is that it is critical to discuss what you learned from your example . If you are describing an example in which you succeeded, you should be discussing what strengths or approaches that were most important to your success. Discussing lessons learned shows the reader that you are able to make the most of your experiences and that you take that information forward with you to improve.

If you are discussing a failure, this aspect is even more important, as you must demonstrate to the reader that you have been able to grow from your mistakes. In this case, show what you realized that you did wrong and how you plan to do things differently in the future.

Adapting STAR to your experiences

STAR is a helpful way to organize and market your stories, but sometimes it can be extremely difficult to choose what details to include or exclude, or how to tailor your story to specific schools and questions.

If this is something you are concerned about, no need to stress! Our award-winning team has just the expertise you need to write the ideal essay to get accepted at the best MBA programs.

Whether it is choosing the best story to write about, prioritizing aspects of your examples to highlight, or effectively describing your strengths (or weaknesses) and lessons learned, we are here to make sure you are doing it all just right !

Our expert team is happy to help — sign up to work with us today !

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted

Get Access Now

98.9% Success Rate

With our expertise and 98.9% success rate in placing our consulting clients in at least one of their target schools, we can add more value to your application than you ever thought possible.

Recent Articles

2024-2025 IMD MBA Essay Tips

Aug 9, 2024

UPDATE: This article was originally posted on June 8, 2020. It has been...

Vanderbilt Owen MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Aug 6, 2024

If you’re preparing for the Vanderbilt Owen MBA (check out our essay tips and sample essays here!), ensuring you finish everything on time is essential. Here are the deadlines for the Class of 2027. Round 1 Application Deadline: October 8, 2024 Interview...

Oxford Saïd MBA Deadlines for 2024-2025

Aug 5, 2024

If you’re preparing for the Oxford Saïd MBA (check out our essay tips and sample essays here!), ensuring you finish everything on time is essential. Here are the deadlines for the Class of 2027. Round 1 Application Deadline: September 2, 2024 Interview...

Ready to start your MBA Success?

Oct 31, 2022

Using the STAR Method in MBA Interviews and Essays

Updated: Feb 1

What is the STAR method?

The technique popularly known as “STAR”, is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It’s a framework you can use to structure your answers in an MBA interview and essays. It helps you keep your answer simple, clear and well structured so you don’t miss any critical details. It will focus your answer on the actions you took and the results you achieved. It stops you from giving a waffly and unstructured answer to a potentially tricky question.

At Sam Weeks Consulting, we have adapted STAR to SCAR , replacing “Task” with “Challenge”, which we feel is more interesting and broader. For example, a challenge can include interpersonal conflict between two people, which often makes for impactful stories. Anyway, STAR and SCAR are very similar.

How do you use the STAR Method?

Situation: Start by describing what happened in a particular situation, including any relevant points that you’ll refer to later. Skip unnecessary details that might distract the reader.

Task: Next, discuss the task you had to deliver, the goal you were working towards, or the challenge you had to overcome. This task should be aligned with the question you’re asked. For example, if you’re asked “How do you manage stress?”, the task would be prioritization for multiple deadlines or multitasking.

Action: Then, describe the steps you took to address the situation. This is your chance to demonstrate your character traits, the skills you applied, and your attitude to a particular type of problem.

Result: Now, describe the outcome you achieved. You should quantify or qualify the results, so it’s clear how you turned the situation around. Don’t feel shy about taking credit for the hard work you put in!

STAR Method for MBA Essay Writing

Not every MBA essay requires you to use STAR, but for certain types of essay questions it’s a perfect framework. These are some actual MBA application questions that you could use the STAR framework for:

Cambridge Essay 2

Describe a difficult decision that you had to make. What did you learn from this and how have you changed as a result? (up to 200 words)

Cambridge Essay 3

Describe a time where you worked with a team on a project. What did you learn from the experience and how might you approach it differently today? (up to 200 words)

Darden Short Answer 2: Inclusive Environment

Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating an inclusive global community at Darden. (300 words)

Tuck MBA Essay 3

Tuck students are encouraging, collaborative and empathetic, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a meaningful experience in which you exemplified one or more of these attributes. (300 words)

Kellogg MBA Essay 1

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

Example of STAR Method for an MBA Essay

Wondering how to write a STAR answer? Here’s an example of a STAR essay used by a former SWC client for his MBA applications, which got him admitted to a T-15 MBA program in the United States with scholarships. (We anonymised the details for privacy!).

Situation: Last year, I tried to convince my team at EY to adopt a new work process to improve collaboration between product managers, analysts and testers to deliver better products. Task: The product managers resisted. I was changing the routines they had used for 15 years. I knew that to implement this change, I needed to make them feel comfortable and earn their trust. Action: I admitted that the change would be time-consuming at the start, but eventually our meetings would be shorter. I promised we’d revert if it didn’t work and built trust in the team by being transparent at each step of the new process. Result: Our average product development time fell by 30% and the project managers agreed to continue to use the concept.

This was my first experience of organization restructuring and process improvement, and my favorite part of my role at EY. It taught me that implementing change in the workplace was only possible through healthy communication and transparent leadership.

STAR Method for Interviews

In an MBA interview, the STAR method is especially useful for behavioral interview questions. These are questions which focus on a “typical” workplace situation usually based around leadership, teamwork and team-building, collaboration, communication, flexibility and adaptability, responsibility and accountability, crisis management, diversity, time management, determination, and values.

These questions usually have a classic opener, such as:

“Tell me about a time when…”

“Have you ever…”

“Describe a time when you…”

“Give me an example of…”

As humans, we have evolved to communicate using stories, so dig into your bank of professional and personal stories to find a situation that matches the question. Use STAR to structure your response, so your answer is easy for the listener to follow and your narrative is tight. Your role in the story must be clear and quantified, which the STAR method encourages.

What are the 10 STAR interview questions?

Here’s a list of ten of the most commonly asked STAR interview questions to help you form your responses. For more guidance to ace your interview, check out our blog on Behavioral interview questions where we’ve compiled a comprehensive list of 30 STAR interview questions that we use with our clients in their mock interviews.

Have you ever handled a difficult situation with a senior or someone in the leadership? How did you tackle that situation?

Tell us about a time when you successfully achieved your targets and how?

Tell us about a time when you failed to meet your targets. How did you handle this situation?

Tell us about a time when you made an unpopular choice. How did you implement the decision?

What is your risk tolerance? Did you ever make a risky decision? Why? How did you handle it?

Have you ever postponed a decision? Why?

Have you ever delivered something under tight deadlines? How do you manage stress?

Have you ever convinced a team to work on an assignment they weren’t enthusiastic about? How did you convince them?

Tell us about a time when you felt your boss made a poor call. Then, please explain how you would have done it differently.

Have you ever been in a situation where you were underworked?

Want to learn how to use the STAR method ahead of your interviews? Book a free chat with us now.

How to apply for an MBA

Recent Video

Mba essay guides.

MBA Essay Analysis Blog Banners (10).png

Client Testimonials

Connect with us.

GMAT CLUB TESTS
FORUM QUIZ - NEW!
QUESTION BANKS
DECISION TRACKER
SCHOOL DISCUSSIONS
MARKETPLACE
T&C and Privacy Policy
GMAT Club Rules
Login Register Forgot password?
${glob_var/L_LOGIN_LOGOUT}
Quick Search

Use The STAR Method With Your Business School Essays

When you are writing your business school application letters, remember that the two most important parts of the story are the actions you took and the results you achieved. The actions taken show your approach to a situation and provide some insight into your strengths and abilities. The results indicate that you were able to make an impact.

For the essays with the most potential, we recommend that you go one step further with your notes. For each story, complete the "STAR framework" to refine your thoughts and summarize the key parts of the story and what was accomplished. Remember if in the story you are not the primary protagonist then it might not be the best story to promote your brand. The acronym STAR stands for Situation - Task - Action - Result.

This acronym will help you stay focused and write an answer that provides background, tells exactly what you worked on, and will end with results.

• Situation - Start by explaining the situation and presenting the issue. An example could be: My company was losing market share to a new startup.

• Task - Identify what your initialize was and how you worked on it. An example could be: I decided to change our strategy to aim for a more expensive market.

• Action - Explain the steps you took to accomplish your goal. An example could be: I listened to customers to see what they were looking for and changed the product accordingly.

• Results – Discuss the outcome and how your team made an impact. An example could be: By the end of the year, we gained 15% additional market share.

For more robust guidance on your MBA application essays, check out the Stacy Blackman Consulting Essay Guide Series – school specific guides with essay tips, sample essays, information on what your target schools value and more.

Visit https://www.stacyblackman.com/essay-guides/ to learn more.

Founded in 2001, Stacy Blackman Consulting has helped thousands of MBA applicants gain admission to the most selective business schools in the world. The Stacy Blackman team, comprised of MBA graduates, former admissions officers and expert writers, editors and marketers, helps clients develop and implement a winning marketing strategy. Stacy Blackman clients have a significantly increased probability of admission to top schools and are frequent recipients of merit scholarships. The company is regularly featured in publications such as BusinessWeek, the Wall Street Journal and the Economist. Visit the Stacy Blackman blog for daily news updates and admissions tips, and check out the company’s e-publications for more in depth school-by-school guidance.

stacyblackman

Stacy Blackman Consulting is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from every M7 program and the elite European MBA programs. If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, we can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.

Published in MBA and Applications

I’ve only heard about the STAR Method as it refers to job interviews, but I guess it really can be applied in a number of different scenarios. Thanks for the insight.

Comments are closed.

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

Knowledge Base

The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay | Steps & Examples

An academic essay is a focused piece of writing that develops an idea or argument using evidence, analysis, and interpretation.

There are many types of essays you might write as a student. The content and length of an essay depends on your level, subject of study, and course requirements. However, most essays at university level are argumentative — they aim to persuade the reader of a particular position or perspective on a topic.

The essay writing process consists of three main stages:

Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline.
Writing : Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion.
Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Essay writing process, preparation for writing an essay, writing the introduction, writing the main body, writing the conclusion, essay checklist, lecture slides, frequently asked questions about writing an essay.

The writing process of preparation, writing, and revisions applies to every essay or paper, but the time and effort spent on each stage depends on the type of essay .

For example, if you’ve been assigned a five-paragraph expository essay for a high school class, you’ll probably spend the most time on the writing stage; for a college-level argumentative essay , on the other hand, you’ll need to spend more time researching your topic and developing an original argument before you start writing.

1. Preparation	2. Writing	3. Revision
	, organized into Write the	or use a for language errors

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

Before you start writing, you should make sure you have a clear idea of what you want to say and how you’re going to say it. There are a few key steps you can follow to make sure you’re prepared:

Understand your assignment: What is the goal of this essay? What is the length and deadline of the assignment? Is there anything you need to clarify with your teacher or professor?
Define a topic: If you’re allowed to choose your own topic , try to pick something that you already know a bit about and that will hold your interest.
Do your research: Read primary and secondary sources and take notes to help you work out your position and angle on the topic. You’ll use these as evidence for your points.
Come up with a thesis: The thesis is the central point or argument that you want to make. A clear thesis is essential for a focused essay—you should keep referring back to it as you write.
Create an outline: Map out the rough structure of your essay in an outline . This makes it easier to start writing and keeps you on track as you go.

Once you’ve got a clear idea of what you want to discuss, in what order, and what evidence you’ll use, you’re ready to start writing.

The introduction sets the tone for your essay. It should grab the reader’s interest and inform them of what to expect. The introduction generally comprises 10–20% of the text.

1. Hook your reader

The first sentence of the introduction should pique your reader’s interest and curiosity. This sentence is sometimes called the hook. It might be an intriguing question, a surprising fact, or a bold statement emphasizing the relevance of the topic.

Let’s say we’re writing an essay about the development of Braille (the raised-dot reading and writing system used by visually impaired people). Our hook can make a strong statement about the topic:

The invention of Braille was a major turning point in the history of disability.

2. Provide background on your topic

Next, it’s important to give context that will help your reader understand your argument. This might involve providing background information, giving an overview of important academic work or debates on the topic, and explaining difficult terms. Don’t provide too much detail in the introduction—you can elaborate in the body of your essay.

3. Present the thesis statement

Next, you should formulate your thesis statement— the central argument you’re going to make. The thesis statement provides focus and signals your position on the topic. It is usually one or two sentences long. The thesis statement for our essay on Braille could look like this:

As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness.

4. Map the structure

In longer essays, you can end the introduction by briefly describing what will be covered in each part of the essay. This guides the reader through your structure and gives a preview of how your argument will develop.

The invention of Braille marked a major turning point in the history of disability. The writing system of raised dots used by blind and visually impaired people was developed by Louis Braille in nineteenth-century France. In a society that did not value disabled people in general, blindness was particularly stigmatized, and lack of access to reading and writing was a significant barrier to social participation. The idea of tactile reading was not entirely new, but existing methods based on sighted systems were difficult to learn and use. As the first writing system designed for blind people’s needs, Braille was a groundbreaking new accessibility tool. It not only provided practical benefits, but also helped change the cultural status of blindness. This essay begins by discussing the situation of blind people in nineteenth-century Europe. It then describes the invention of Braille and the gradual process of its acceptance within blind education. Subsequently, it explores the wide-ranging effects of this invention on blind people’s social and cultural lives.

Write your essay introduction

The body of your essay is where you make arguments supporting your thesis, provide evidence, and develop your ideas. Its purpose is to present, interpret, and analyze the information and sources you have gathered to support your argument.

Length of the body text

The length of the body depends on the type of essay. On average, the body comprises 60–80% of your essay. For a high school essay, this could be just three paragraphs, but for a graduate school essay of 6,000 words, the body could take up 8–10 pages.

Paragraph structure

To give your essay a clear structure , it is important to organize it into paragraphs . Each paragraph should be centered around one main point or idea.

That idea is introduced in a topic sentence . The topic sentence should generally lead on from the previous paragraph and introduce the point to be made in this paragraph. Transition words can be used to create clear connections between sentences.

After the topic sentence, present evidence such as data, examples, or quotes from relevant sources. Be sure to interpret and explain the evidence, and show how it helps develop your overall argument.

Lack of access to reading and writing put blind people at a serious disadvantage in nineteenth-century society. Text was one of the primary methods through which people engaged with culture, communicated with others, and accessed information; without a well-developed reading system that did not rely on sight, blind people were excluded from social participation (Weygand, 2009). While disabled people in general suffered from discrimination, blindness was widely viewed as the worst disability, and it was commonly believed that blind people were incapable of pursuing a profession or improving themselves through culture (Weygand, 2009). This demonstrates the importance of reading and writing to social status at the time: without access to text, it was considered impossible to fully participate in society. Blind people were excluded from the sighted world, but also entirely dependent on sighted people for information and education.

See the full essay example

The conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It should generally take up no more than 10–15% of the text . A strong essay conclusion :

Returns to your thesis
Ties together your main points
Shows why your argument matters

A great conclusion should finish with a memorable or impactful sentence that leaves the reader with a strong final impression.

What not to include in a conclusion

To make your essay’s conclusion as strong as possible, there are a few things you should avoid. The most common mistakes are:

Including new arguments or evidence
Undermining your arguments (e.g. “This is just one approach of many”)
Using concluding phrases like “To sum up…” or “In conclusion…”

Braille paved the way for dramatic cultural changes in the way blind people were treated and the opportunities available to them. Louis Braille’s innovation was to reimagine existing reading systems from a blind perspective, and the success of this invention required sighted teachers to adapt to their students’ reality instead of the other way around. In this sense, Braille helped drive broader social changes in the status of blindness. New accessibility tools provide practical advantages to those who need them, but they can also change the perspectives and attitudes of those who do not.

Write your essay conclusion

Checklist: Essay

My essay follows the requirements of the assignment (topic and length ).

My introduction sparks the reader’s interest and provides any necessary background information on the topic.

My introduction contains a thesis statement that states the focus and position of the essay.

I use paragraphs to structure the essay.

I use topic sentences to introduce each paragraph.

Each paragraph has a single focus and a clear connection to the thesis statement.

I make clear transitions between paragraphs and ideas.

My conclusion doesn’t just repeat my points, but draws connections between arguments.

I don’t introduce new arguments or evidence in the conclusion.

I have given an in-text citation for every quote or piece of information I got from another source.

I have included a reference page at the end of my essay, listing full details of all my sources.

My citations and references are correctly formatted according to the required citation style .

My essay has an interesting and informative title.

I have followed all formatting guidelines (e.g. font, page numbers, line spacing).

Your essay meets all the most important requirements. Our editors can give it a final check to help you submit with confidence.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

An essay is a focused piece of writing that explains, argues, describes, or narrates.

In high school, you may have to write many different types of essays to develop your writing skills.

Academic essays at college level are usually argumentative : you develop a clear thesis about your topic and make a case for your position using evidence, analysis and interpretation.

The structure of an essay is divided into an introduction that presents your topic and thesis statement , a body containing your in-depth analysis and arguments, and a conclusion wrapping up your ideas.

The structure of the body is flexible, but you should always spend some time thinking about how you can organize your essay to best serve your ideas.

Your essay introduction should include three main things, in this order:

An opening hook to catch the reader’s attention.
Relevant background information that the reader needs to know.
A thesis statement that presents your main point or argument.

The length of each part depends on the length and complexity of your essay .

A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay . Everything else you write should relate to this key idea.

The thesis statement is essential in any academic essay or research paper for two main reasons:

It gives your writing direction and focus.
It gives the reader a concise summary of your main point.

Without a clear thesis statement, an essay can end up rambling and unfocused, leaving your reader unsure of exactly what you want to say.

A topic sentence is a sentence that expresses the main point of a paragraph . Everything else in the paragraph should relate to the topic sentence.

At college level, you must properly cite your sources in all essays , research papers , and other academic texts (except exams and in-class exercises).

Add a citation whenever you quote , paraphrase , or summarize information or ideas from a source. You should also give full source details in a bibliography or reference list at the end of your text.

The exact format of your citations depends on which citation style you are instructed to use. The most common styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago .

Is this article helpful?

Other students also liked.

How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay
How to write an essay introduction | 4 steps & examples
How to conclude an essay | Interactive example

What is your plagiarism score?

Essay on Stars

Students are often asked to write an essay on Stars in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Stars

Introduction.

Stars are glowing balls of gases, mainly hydrogen and helium. They are found in galaxies, including our own Milky Way.

Stars form from clouds of gas and dust. Gravity pulls these materials together. As the cloud collapses, it heats up forming a star.

Stars go through a life cycle – birth, maturity, and death. Their lifespan depends on their size. Larger stars burn out faster.

Stars are vital for life. They provide light and heat. Also, many elements on Earth originate from stars.

Also check:

250 Words Essay on Stars

The cosmic marvels: stars.

Stars, the celestial bodies that twinkle in the night sky, are profound cosmic entities. They represent the most fundamental components of galaxies, including our own Milky Way.

The Birth of Stars

Stars are born within the confines of vast molecular clouds composed primarily of hydrogen. These clouds collapse under their own gravitational pull, forming dense cores. As the pressure and temperature escalate, nuclear fusion ignites, giving birth to a star.

Life Cycle of a Star

The life cycle of a star is dictated by its mass. Smaller stars, like our Sun, evolve into red giants, shedding their outer layers and leaving behind a white dwarf. In contrast, massive stars explode as supernovae, leaving behind neutron stars or black holes.

Importance of Stars

Stars play a pivotal role in the universe. They produce heavy elements, which are later incorporated into other stars, planets, and eventually, life forms. They also provide clues about the universe’s age, evolution, and large-scale structure.

Stars and Human Perception

For millennia, stars have captivated human imagination. They’ve guided sailors, inspired myths, and led to significant scientific breakthroughs. Today, they continue to inspire us to explore the cosmos.

In conclusion, stars are more than mere specks of light in the night sky. They are cosmic laboratories and celestial timekeepers that provide valuable insights into the workings of the universe. Their study is central to our understanding of the cosmos, making them a fascinating subject of astronomical research.

500 Words Essay on Stars

Introduction to stars.

Stars are the most fundamental entities in the universe, responsible for the production and dispersion of chemical elements that form the basis of life. They are celestial bodies made primarily of hydrogen and helium, held together by their own gravity, and emitting light and heat from nuclear fusion at their cores.

The Life Cycle of Stars

The life of a star is characterized by a continuous struggle between the force of gravity, which pulls matter inward, and the pressure of the gases inside the star, which push outward. This balance, or hydrostatic equilibrium, defines the size of the star during its main sequence phase, which accounts for about 90% of its life.

The death of a star is as significant as its birth. When a star exhausts its nuclear fuel, the balance between gravity and pressure is disturbed. Stars of different masses meet different fates. Low-to-medium mass stars, like our sun, will shed their outer layers, creating a planetary nebula, and leave behind a dense core, or white dwarf. Larger stars will explode in a supernova, potentially leaving a neutron star or black hole at their core.

Stars have a profound impact on the universe. They are the primary source of light and heat in the universe, enabling life to exist on planets like Earth. Stars also produce and distribute the chemical elements necessary for life. Through nuclear fusion, stars convert hydrogen and helium into heavier elements, such as carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. When a star dies, these elements are dispersed into space, where they can form new stars and planets.

Stars and Human Understanding

In modern times, the study of stars, or astrophysics, has revealed much about the universe’s age, size, and future. Stars have also served as laboratories for testing theories of physics under extreme conditions.

In conclusion, stars are more than just twinkling dots in the night sky. They are complex, dynamic entities that play a crucial role in the universe. They are the creators and disseminators of life’s essential elements, the beacons that guide our way, and the keys to unlocking the secrets of the universe. As we continue to study stars, we can look forward to new discoveries and insights into the universe’s past, present, and future.

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, children of military - college scholarships.

Hey everyone, I'm a junior and my parent is in the military. I've heard something about children of military personnel being eligible for certain college scholarships. Can anyone clarify if this is true, and if so, how I might apply for these scholarships?

Absolutely, as a child of a military service member, you have access to an array of scholarships designed specifically for military dependents, covering partial to even substantial amounts of college cost. Here's a brief rundown of some you may find applicable.

The Armed Forces Crossroads Scholarships for Military Children Program offers scholarships to eligible children of active-duty, reserve/guard, or retired military commissary customers. Grades, community service, leadership, and extracurricular activities are all considered in this process.

Another notable scholarship is the American Legion Legacy Scholarship. It is available for children of veterans who died on active duty post 9/11 or have a combined disability rating of 50% or greater from the Veterans Affairs office.

Additionally, the Blue Star Families Scholarship offers programs for military dependents aiming to ease financial stress. The Fisher House Foundation's Scholarships for Military Children program is another option, as well as the Heroes' Legacy Scholarships for deserving youth of those who have fallen or become disabled through their active military service since September 11, 2001.

In terms of applying, each scholarship has its own process and timeline. Generally, they require filling out an application form, including information about your military parent, providing your academic records, and often writing an essay. Always make sure to closely read the eligibility requirements and application instructions.

Lastly, remember to also explore scholarships beyond those tied to your parent's military service. Many colleges, organizations, and companies offer scholarships based on academic merit, community service, extracurricular activities, or other specific criteria.

And of course, remember to fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to qualify for need-based financial aid. The student aid index (SAI) derived from this document will help colleges determine your eligibility for financial aid.

Best of luck with your scholarship search!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

The Star ePaper
Subscriptions
Manage Profile
Change Password
Manage Logins
Manage Subscription
Transaction History
Manage Billing Info
Manage For You
Manage Bookmarks
Package & Pricing

Food, sports and celebrations are the ties that bind

Saturday, 31 Aug 2024

Related News

'Merdeka Gig in The Sky' set to become annual event at Menara KL on National Day Eve

Proud malaysian janny lee never misses national day celebration, anwar hopes spirit of independence, unity lasts beyond national day.

Proud Malaysians: (From left) Nurfatyha, Venishaa, Mukmin, Kwong, Choong, Nurul Aina, Nurul Izzati and Shuhaidah. — AZMAN GHANI/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Put differences aside and come together to celebrate our diverse cultures and traditions to preserve the country’s unity, say young Malaysians. Entrepreneur Nurfatyha Farhana, 24, said Malaysians should continue to embrace the diversity that the country is blessed with.

“The fact that we share a lot of common things such as sports, food and celebrations – including the National Day – is what unites us all.

“As Malaysians, we should stick together and I hope the new generation will continue to enliven our diversity,” she added.

Student Larra Venishaa, 18, said the diversity of Malaysian culture and food is what makes her love the country the most.

She is hopeful that Malaysians, regardless of backgrounds, will come together amid challenges.

“To all the Malaysians, don’t bother about race because we are all one Malaysia, we are all family. Malaysia Boleh!”

Musician Mukmin Hamdan hopes for Malaysians to continue staying united for the future.

“Everything brings us together, from sports to our love of food.

“We also need to continue being tolerant of different races and cultures.

“I also hope that our various cultures can be further promoted abroad as they symbolise our diverse yet united front,” said the 40-year-old.

May Kwong said Malaysian unity has come a “long way”.

“We’re all working together towards the same goal and to be one as Malaysians.

“We’re all here to celebrate this weekend... all races, traditions together,” said Kwong, who organised the Pasar Merdeka Hitam Putih Festival at Central Market here.

Freelancer Choong Lihva, 31, said Malaysians are able to put aside their differences and live under one roof for the country.

“We’re all friendly and even share the holidays together!

“We work well together, regardless of our skin colour,” she said.

Executive Nurul Aina Amiela said Malaysia’s diverse population is indeed one of its unique values.

“In Malaysia, we do not just have the Malays, Chinese and Indians, there are also the diverse ethnic groups from Sabah and Sarawak with each having its own culture.

“I hope we continue staying united as this is our strength,” said the 24-year-old.

Nurul Izzati Ahmad Roslan and Shuhaidah Ainaa, both 24, described Malaysia’s food as a uniting point for its people.

“There are so many foods that each race enjoys. Take roti canai for example, every Malaysian loves it!” said Nurul Izzati.

“Food itself brings us together,” agreed Shuhaidah.

Tags / Keywords: National Day , Merdeka , young Malaysians , youth , diversity

Found a mistake in this article?

Report it to us.

Thank you for your report!

Proud Malaysian Janny Lee never misses National Day celebration

INNOVATING NATION’S AGRICULTURE SECTOR

Next in nation.

Trending in News

Air pollutant index, highest api readings, select state and location to view the latest api reading.

Select Location

Source: Department of Environment, Malaysia

Others Also Read

Best viewed on Chrome browsers.

We would love to keep you posted on the latest promotion. Kindly fill the form below

Thank you for downloading.

We hope you enjoy this feature!

IMAGES

Write an essay on The Stars in English || Paragraph on The Stars in English || #extension.com
Essay on Stars
Star project essay
Essay on Star
Life Cycle Of A Star Essay Free Essay Example
📚 Essay Sample on Stars ABA

VIDEO

Anakin Skywalker Character Analysis [Part 2B] (Best Star Wars Character of All Time Series)
how to write an essay on Importance of Trees#shortsviral #english
Video Essay: Star Wars Influence on Representation of Race, Gender, Class, and Sexuality in Cinema
Reading 1374 Super Why “The Stars in the Sky”
Should We Fear Technology?
How to Introduce a Character

COMMENTS

The "STAR" Approach to Writing Admissions Essays
The Task. This is your role in the story. It often takes the form of a GOAL, an OBJECTIVE STATEMENT, or an IMPORTANT DECISION to be resolved. It's important to highlight your collaboration with others, but remember that for purposes of the essay, you are the star of your own story. For example: "My main functions were to assign specific ...
How to Use the STAR Method In Your Essays
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we feel that the best way to do so is by talking about examples from your past in your admissions essays using the tried-and-trusted STAR method.
What Is the STAR Method? (& How To Use It, With Examples)
STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Results—and it's a great tool for answering interview questions. Here's how to use the STAR method, with examples.
The STAR Interview Method: How To Answer + Examples
The STAR method will help you craft engaging, informative answers to all behavioral interview questions. In this guide, we'll teach you how to use it.
STAR Approach MBA Essay
STAR Approach to Essay Writing Method. The STAR approach MBA essays, is a widely-used technique for organizing examples, whether it's for crafting a CV, composing an achievement essay, filling out an application form, or responding to queries in an interview. The STAR Writing format helps employers and admission councils evaluate the skills ...
STAR Method for MBA Essay Writing
Your final task of the STAR method for MBA essay writing is to ensure that you're within the word count limit. Also, make sure that you've told the story of your achievement in a compelling, memorable way. Finally, if you're currently writing your essays, be sure to seek out the several essay-centric episodes of our B-Schooled podcast.
How To Use the STAR Method To Write MBA Essays That Sell Your Profile
The STAR method should make it very easy for your reader not only to understand what took place, but to also see your role in all of it. Therefore, it's very important that the focus of your story is you and not your team or company. Even if it was a team effort, highlight your own actions within the team. You can discuss how you complemented ...
PDF The STAR Approach
The STAR Approach The STAR approach - Situation, Task, Action and Result can be used to answer situational questions on an application form or in a job interview e.g "Describe a time when you....." or "Give an example of....." It's a bit like a mini essay.
The Star Approach For Chevening Scholarship Essays Explained
99% of selected scholars that I have interacted with used the STAR approach in writing their Chevening essays. I also used it and I believe it was key to me writing fantastic essays.
PDF The S.T.A.R. Essay Method
The S.T.A.R. Essay Method A useful approach to writing essays is using the S.A.R. method. STAR stands for: ST - Situation or Task: Provides context for the story you're about to tell; describes the objective/goal/problem, or decision that needed to be made A - Action The actions you (and others) took to advance the goal or resolve the problem
Using the STAR Method in MBA Interviews and Essays
What is the STAR method?The technique popularly known as "STAR", is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result. It's a framework you can use to structure your answers in an MBA interview and essays. It helps you keep your answer simple, clear and well structured so you don't miss any critical details. It will focus your answer on the actions you took and the results you achieved ...
Use The STAR Method With Your Business School Essays
Use The STAR Method With Your Business School Essays. Published October 13, 2011 by stacyblackman. 1. When you are writing your business school application letters, remember that the two most important parts of the story are the actions you took and the results you achieved. The actions taken show your approach to a situation and provide some ...
How to Start an Essay: 7 Tips for an Essay Introduction
Stuck on writing your essay introduction? Get our pro tips on how to start an essay that will hook your reader instantly.
The Star: An Essay Format for Writers
The Star is a simple essay format you can utilize in your collegiate studies. It is a slight derivation on the five-point essay format, with the inclusion of...
How to Write an Essay Outline
Learn how to write an effective essay outline with clear guidelines and examples, and improve your argument and structure in academic writing.
How to Write an Essay Introduction
A good introduction paragraph is an essential part of any academic essay. It sets up your argument and tells the reader what to expect.
The Beginner's Guide to Writing an Essay
The essay writing process consists of three main stages: Preparation: Decide on your topic, do your research, and create an essay outline. Writing: Set out your argument in the introduction, develop it with evidence in the main body, and wrap it up with a conclusion. Revision: Check your essay on the content, organization, grammar, spelling, and formatting of your essay.
Essay on Stars
High-quality essay on the topic of "Stars" for students in schools and colleges.
Reach For A Star
Reach for a Star - Free download as Word Doc (.doc / .docx), PDF File (.pdf), Text File (.txt) or read online for free. The document discusses the importance of planning for one's future career from a young age. As a child, the author planned to be a doctor, police officer, engineer, or architect but was unsure of which path to take. In high school, the author realized life is short and one ...
Children of Military
In terms of applying, each scholarship has its own process and timeline. Generally, they require filling out an application form, including information about your military parent, providing your academic records, and often writing an essay. Always make sure to closely read the eligibility requirements and application instructions.
Kolkata doctor's rape case: Parents remember daughter who was ...
The doctor's death has sparked a nation-wide conversation on violence against women in India The rape and murder of a trainee doctor in India's Kolkata city earlier this month has sparked ...
NASA Is Planning On Launching An Artificial Star Into Orbit To ...
The mission is to launch a CubeSat satellite, which will be used to simulate a star. Jamie Tayar is an assistant professor of astronomy at the University of Florida and explained in a statement :
Food, sports and celebrations are the ties that bind
KUALA LUMPUR: Put differences aside and come together to celebrate our diverse cultures and traditions to preserve the country's unity, say young Malaysians. Entrepreneur Nurfatyha Farhana, 24 ...

TopAdmit- Online Application Essay Editing

Related Posts

2 thoughts on “ The “STAR” Approach to Writing Admissions Essays ”

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

What Is the STAR Method? Here’s How To Use It in Your Next Interview (With Examples)

Free course: Introduction to UX Design

What is the STAR method?

How to use the STAR method in your next job interview: 3 expert tips

What kind of interview questions is the STAR framework used for?

1. Plan ahead and have some STAR stories at the ready

2. Formulate you STAR answers using only the most relevant detail

3. Practice using the STAR method on the fly

STAR example #1: Tell me about your most successful UX design project

STAR example #2: Think back to a time when you and your colleague couldn’t agree on the direction a project should take. How did you handle it?

Subscribe to our newsletter

Thanks for subscribing to our newsletter

Upcoming courses

Professional Certificate in UI Design

Certificate in Software and Coding Fundamentals for UX

Certificate in UX Design Fundamentals

Professional Certificate in Content Design

Professional Certificate in User Research

Upcoming course

You may also like

What is graphic design and how does it relate to UI/UX?

5 inspiring product design examples (and what we can learn from them)

7 programming languages that UX designers should know about in 2024

8 October 2024

The STAR Interview Method: How to Answer + Examples

What Is the STAR Method?

How to Create Answers Using the STAR Method

Sample answer using the STAR method

STAR Method in Action: Sample Questions and Answers

Sample STAR answer to a question about problem-solving

Sample STAR answer to a question about leadership

Sample STAR answer to a question about communication

Sample STAR answer to a question about initiative and ownership

How to Prepare STAR Answers Before the Interview

Reflect on your past

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Missing the point

Focusing on the wrong story

Not preparing ahead of time

The STAR Interview Method: Popular Opinion vs. Expert Advice

Summary of the Main Points

What is the START method? Is it different from the STAR method?

Can I use the STAR method when answering questions other than the behavioral ones?

Why do I find the “tell me about a time” questions so hard?

How to use the STAR method if I can’t think of an example of a specific situation?

Can I use the STAR interviewing technique effectively if I have no experience?

Which interview questions, in particular, should I answer using the STAR format?

Maja Stojanovic

Fact Checked By:

Industry Expert Contributions:

STAR Approach MBA Essay

STAR Approach to Essay Writing Method

Following the STAR Writing Method

STAR Application Examples

Want to pursue an MBA but not sure if your profile fits?

Action taken

The Results

Quantify your Results

How to Incorporate the STAR Approach in Your Personal Statement for an MBA Application

Crafting an Effective MBA Personal Statement: Tips and Techniques

Leave a Reply

STAR Method for MBA Essay Writing

You May Also Like

3 Unconventional Steps to Writing Great MBA Essays

3 Surprising Application Mistakes Prospective MBAs Make

4 Cases Where MBA Applicants Should Write an Optional Essay

Learn About Our All-In Service

Latest Blog Post

How To Use the STAR Method To Write MBA Essays That Sell Your Profile

What is the STAR method?

Situation

How can you use STAR effectively?

Explain how you achieved your results, don’t just name actions

Focus on YOU!

Highlight uniqueness

Highlight change