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The Graduate Management Admissions Council found that 2002 MBA graduates expected a mean salary on graduation of around $75,000. The reality is that most MBA graduates saw a much higher starting salary.

According to a 2002 survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit, the average MBA salary hovered around $84,316. Graduates from the top six schools can expect a six-figure MBA salary plus bonuses.

Given that the average undergraduate starting salary was around S$41,000, an MBA graduate's starting salary represents an increase of $34,000 over undergraduate degrees alone.

Of course, a higher salary isn't the only reason to pursue an MBA, but given that the average full-time student can expect to graduate with debts of around $100,000 assuming they have paid all their own costs – and most have.

Your MBA admission essay is an important exhibition of your potential. There are some very easy ways to ensure that your MBA essay communicates both your desire to purse an MBA and your value to the school.

The first rule? Check your aspirations to write the great American novel at the door. Weak writers tend to overstate their case, use fancy words, and pepper their papers with colloquialisms. These mistakes should be avoided if you want to impress admissions officers with your MBA essay. Here are some other rules that should be in the back of your mind:

Topic Choice: Nothing spells disaster quicker than a topic that is uninteresting. Many MBA essays focus on Mom and Dad and family hardships. If you want to stand out, you'll find innovative ways of calling attention to your upbringing.

MBA Essay Length: Communicate your idea in as few words as possible. Just because the school doesn't put a cap on MBA essay length doesn't mean there is no limit.

Avoid Overly Creative Writing: It's hard to write a poem as an MBA admission essay without it coming off as an ode to Dr. Seuss. If you're going to do it, you better have a background in poetry.

Keep these rules in mind and your MBA admission essay will work for you, rather than against you.