Are you seeking an MBA program with a strong record of job placement in the technology industry, consulting, or consumer products? Then the University of Washington Foster School of Business may make an excellent choice for you. One of the rare programs with 4 application rounds, Foster’s upcoming deadline is November 15th.
Foster has a vast alumni network from its graduate and undergraduate business programs – 50,000 alumni in total. Many of those alumni are immersed in Seattle, Washington’s startup and technology ecosystem – with companies like Amazon.com, EMC, and Microsoft. A full 41% of the class joins the technology industry after graduating.
Foster has two required and one optional essay. My tips are below in blue.
Essay 1: Post-MBA Plans (750 words maximum) – Tell us your ideas about what lies ahead for you in your career. What are the gaps or deficiencies currently preventing you from pursuing these potential career paths? How do you plan to use your time in the Foster MBA program to fill these gaps and advance your career?
This is a nice amount of space to explain what you’ve gained so far in your career and what you need to learn to reach your career goals. As with any goals essay, make sure to show the connection between your future goals and the career you have established thus far. At least half of this essay should discuss the gaps/deficiencies in your knowledge and skills and how Foster’s curriculum and activities will fill them.
Essay 2: Inspiring Experience Essay (500 words maximum) – Please tell us about an experience that inspired or confirmed your decision to pursue the MBA.
The experience that you share in this essay not only has to have inspired you to pursue the MBA, it needs to inspire the admissions committee to want to meet you! Experiences in which you have stepped out of your comfort zone to lead new initiatives and make exciting impacts will demonstrate that you have the potential to thrive at Foster and in your future career.
Essay 3: Optional essay (500 words maximum) – Please include this essay if you have additional information that you believe would be helpful to the admissions committee in considering your application.
Most people cannot be summarized in two essays. If that is the case for you, then you should consider submitting this additional, optional essay. Obviously, you can use this space to explain a gap or GMAT/GPA weakness, but if you do so, I recommend sharing some additional information to assuage any admissions concerns. For example, if your Verbal GMAT score is lower than you would have liked, you might consider sharing an example of your strong communication and presentation skills to counterbalance that weakness.
Resume:
Outline your work experience, in reverse chronological order. Be sure to include company name, a brief description of the organization (or a web address), your job title and detailed information about your responsibilities. Please feel free to use up to three pages for your resume, and include all significant work experience since graduating from high school. Include educational background as well as your activities and community involvement.
This is one of my favorite things about the Foster application: you cannot fit all of your achievements into your application essays or the little text boxes in the application, so go ahead and share details of your accomplishments in your resume. The three-page limit allows you to describe the challenges you overcame and impacts you made in each professional role and in the community.
Application Deadlines and Notification Dates
By Jennifer Bloom , a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), Jennifer Bloom has gained great experience in crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your Foster application, there are a variety of options for working with her on any budget.
Related Resources:
• Why do You Need an MBA?
• 9 Do’s And Don’ts For Your Application Resume
• 7 Signs An Experience Belongs In Your Application Essay
This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com.
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