This post is the fourth of five posts in our Why MBA series.
Short- and long-term goals
Before you start drafting your goals essays, work out three levels of goals: short-term, intermediate, and long-term. It helps to have this whole picture in your mind regardless of where you’ll “zoom in” for a particular essay. Short-term is immediately post MBA to about two years later; intermediate is about two to five years post MBA; and long-term is the rest. Usually essays ask for short- and long-term goals, but you’ll need intermediate as the bridge between them.
Short-term goals are the most specific, for obvious reasons – they’re closer in time and they’re also the direct link to the MBA program. As you describe successive steps, use less and less detail in each, because the further out you project, the less certain things are. Don’t go beyond what’s practical, e.g., describing in detail what you’ll be doing in twenty years. Adapt each phase to reality too. If your targeted industry (say, healthcare) is in great flux, that point should be reflected in your goals.
Responding to specific goals questions
Different sets of essay questions will emphasize different aspects of the goals; they’ll require different lengths and have different tones. Some are open; other are focused and directed. They key is to “read” not just the words but the tone of the question. Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a trend toward short, focused goals essay questions; there are fewer 1,000 word goals essays (Haas is an exception), fewer essays asking for your “vision” (Fuqua is an exception). Most want the facts, straight. Columbia asks you to define goals in 200 characters. Wharton gives you 300 words to answer, “What are your professional objectives?”
Read the question carefully, and emphasize in your essay what the question emphasizes (e.g., short-term or long-term equal or do they just mention post-MBA goal?). In other words, be guided by the question. That doesn’t mean you can’t bring in other elements, but they should support your main points. In the Wharton essay, for example, you’d boil down your experience and motivation to a contextual sentence or two.
Often the question asks why you want an MBA or want to attend the particular program. Link these points directly to your goals. If you can weave in your school visit and/or interactions with students and alumni, great!
By Cindy Tokumitsu, author of numerous ebooks, articles, and special reports. Cindy has worked with hundreds of successful MBA applicants in her last ten years with Accepted. She can help you assess your strengths and weaknesses and develop a winning MBA admissions strategy.
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