CMU Tepper 2010 MBA Application Questions, Deadlines, Tips.

CMU Tepper 2010 MBA Essay Questions

My comments are in red.

A. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you to achieve these goals? (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about the Tepper School.

Straight-forward goals question. What do you want to do immediately after earning your MBA? What do you want to do 5-10 years down the road? Yes your longer term goals can be fuzzier, but you should be able to show clear direction. Then discuss how Tepper's program (not ranking, reputation, or other generalities that apply to all top programs) will help you achieve your goals.

As you do your research, attend info sessions, and visit campuses, look for the distinctive pieces to any MBA program that appeal to you. Then use that data to demonstrate how well you know the program and what a great fit you are for the given school.

At CMU, you may want to refer to its mini-semester structure or its MBA tracks and cross-campus curriculum . Explain how any or all of these elements will help you achieve your goal. If Tepper professors are prominent in your area of interest, discuss how their research jives with your professional interests. Your ability to connect these details and your goals contributes to a stellar goals essay.

B. The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be active contributors to our community. With your values, experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples may include: classroom interaction, student activities, career development, community service, etc.

Tepper changed this question slightly this year, but the fundamentals are the same: Show how you have contributed actively in the past to your team at work or on the field, to your community, club, class, or church. Did your suggestion enable the team to finish the project on time? Did you inspire and unite your teammates and lead them to unprecedented victory in college? Then, how will the qualities, values, and interests you developed or utilized during this experience enable you to contribute to Tepper's community?

C. Please answer two of the following three questions or statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two pages or less.

1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how did it foster your development?

2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from it?

3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is . . .

Choose the two questions that will best allow you to present yourself while complementing the required questions. You want each essay to present a different perspective on you and your talents.

D. Is there anything additional that you think we should know as we evaluate your application? Note: if you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a place for you to add information that you think is important but is not covered elsewhere in the application.

Use this optional essay,  or lose a great opportunity to provide even more reasons for Tepper to admit you.

If you would like help with your CMU Tepper MBA application, please consider Accepted.com's MBA essay editing and admissions consulting or a CMU Tepper Comprehensive Package.

CMU Tepper 2010 MBA Deadlines

*April 26, 2010 deadline reserved for U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents, as well as FlexTime and FlexMode candidates. International applicants for the FullTime MBA program must apply by March 08, 2010.
**June 01 deadline reserved for FlexTime and FlexMode candidates.