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Compilation of 2018-2019 MBA Deadlines and Essay Question Analyses

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The 2018-2019 MBA application season is well under way. Most schools have released this year’s deadlines and many have released or confirmed the application essays. Here is a round up from Personal MBA Coach along with our tips for tackling the released essay questions.
HBS, Yale SOM, LBS, Kellogg and Stanford have all chosen to leave their questions unchanged this year. Others, including Wharton, Booth, Columbia, Stern and Ross have changed things up for this year’s group of hopefuls.
2018-2019 Application Deadline & Essay Summary

Read below for Personal MBA Coach® Founder Scott Edinburgh’s tips on tackling this year’s questions!
Harvard
Harvard Business School first kicked off the application season with an announcement that the application question will remain the same for class of 2021 hopefuls.
“As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA Program?”
This is an open invitation to tell HBS what is truly interesting about your profile. This question allows you to hone in on what is important and unique, without feeling the need to discuss every aspect of your profile. While we recommend that most applicants show their professional accomplishments, make sure to share enough so that the admissions committee can learn more about you on a personal level.
Successful essays have included some sort of personal anecdote at a minimum and often a much more detailed personal story. Check out our tips on how to handle HBS's essay question here!
Chicago Booth
Chicago Booth has made some major changes this year by replacing the Booth Moments with two new essay questions. Stay tuned for Personal MBA Coach's complete analysis on these questions!
"How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals?"
"Chicago Booth immerses you in a choice-rich environment. How have your interests, leadership experiences, and other passions influenced the choices in your life? "
Wharton
For the first time in 3 years, Wharton has changed the second essay question, while keeping the first question unchanged.
Essay 1: What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words)
Essay 2: Describe an impactful experience or accomplishment that is not reflected elsewhere in your application. How will you use what you learned through that experience to contribute to the Wharton community? (400 words)
I like the new question because it gives you a chance to cover three things. I advise that all candidates consider each of these three areas as they draft the essay.
First, you can share additional information about yourself that will further illuminate your unique strengths. In case you missed our recent blog – MBA Applications - How To Stand Out, this is a great essay for leveraging those recommendations.
Second, by sharing your learnings from this experience, you will be able to show a bit about your character as well as how you are able to adapt to and grow from situations.
Finally, it gives you a chance to tell admissions committee members specifically how you will add value on campus.
Read below for our tips on tackling this year’s questions for Wharton in one of our most recent blog posts.
Stanford
Stanford, as expected, did not change the essay questions this year.
1. What matters most to you, and why? (750 words suggested )
2. Why Stanford? (400 words suggested )
This challenging first question requires candidates to speak from the heart. As Stanford advises, think more about your values here and WHY you made the choices you have made than WHAT you have done.
The best way to begin here is to do some serious soul searching! Focus on being yourself vs. writing what you think the admissions committee wants to hear. Check-out Stanford’s complete tips on this question and stay tuned for a more detailed analysis from Personal MBA Coach.
Yale SOM
Yale School of Management has released its essay for the 2018-2019 application year, leaving the question unchanged for the third year in a row.
Essay 1: “Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made (500 words)”
As you craft your essay, keep in mind that Yale strives to “educate leaders for business and society.”
With a passionate and committed student body, Yale takes pride in the small group learning teams and close-knit community. This question gives candidates a chance to provide admissions committee members with a glimpse of who they are and what matters to them, confirming they can and will live up to the school’s lofty mission. Check out this blog post that goes in depth on Yale’s question for tips on how to show your unique story.
Michigan Ross
Ross has made some minor changes this year to the school’s MBA application essays. While the three short answer prompts remain, Ross has narrowed the choices and altered the career goals essay.
Part 1: Short Answer Questions: Select a prompt from each group of the three groups. Respond to your selected prompt in 100 words or fewer (<100 words each; 300 words total)
Group 1 · I want people to know that I: · I made a difference when I:
Group 2 · I was humbled when: · I am out of my comfort zone when:
Group 3 · I was aware that I am different when: · I find it challenging when people:
Part 2: Essay
Michigan Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. Please share your short-term career goal. Why is this the right choice for you? (300 words).
For the short career goals essays, there is a lot to cover in a small amount of space. As advised, be straightforward here. If you need help thinking through your goals, we have published a blog with our general tips.
Check out this postto go more in depth on how to tackle Ross’s changes!
Columbia
This year, Columbia has updated questions two and three, while leaving the first question unchanged.
Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3 - 5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)
Columbia again specifically asks that candidates not repeat their resumes in this career goals question. While some mention of your past is still expected, it should be brief and used as context to further elaborate on why your goals are attainable. This question explicitly asks for both a short-term goal and a long-term dream job so be sure to include both.
Essay 2: How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? Please watch this short video featuring Dean Glenn Hubbard (250 Words)
This question was asked two years ago, but with a longer word limit. With only 250 words and a lot to potentially cover, it is important to be focused and specific.
Essay 3: Please provide an example of a team failure of which you have been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (250 Words)
Unlike in past years, essay 3 does not ask about your personal interests. Instead, by asking about a team failure and what you would change, Columbia is probing into both your teamwork and leadership skills. It is important to show how you are and can be a team player while remaining humble and willing to grow.
Be sure not to repeat yourself across the essays and try to have the three all work together to paint an accurate and consistent picture of your candidacy. See our advice on how to blend together your story for Columbia here.
London Business School
The first essay is a straightforward career goals essay. Candidates will be best served thinking about it in three distinct parts, all of similar weight. The second is optional.
Essay 1: What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School program contribute towards these? (500-word limit)
Explain your goals: If you need help thinking through your goals, we have published this blog with our general tips. Be sure to include both your short-term and long-term goals. Succinctly discuss your career to date, and explain why LBS!
Essay 2 (optional): Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500-word limit)
Everyone will have a different approach to this optional question and there is no one right topic. Instead, think about your best selling point(s) and cover them here. This is the chance to tell LBS a bit more about you, who you are and what makes you unique. See our in depth analysis here.
NYU Stern
This year Stern has cut back to two questions, both of which were asked last year. The career goals question and the school's unique "Pick Six" have remained.
Essay 1: Professional Aspirations (500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
• What are your short and long-term career goals? • How will the MBA help you achieve them?
Essay 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")
Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:
• A brief introduction or overview of your "Pick Six" (no more than 3 sentences). • Six images that help illustrate who you are. • A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.
Check-out this blog from last year which includes our thoughts for addressing each of these questions.
Kellogg
Kellogg’s questions also remain unchanged this year.
Essay 1: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
Most candidates are likely to share a professional story with this first essay. However, strong leadership examples in your extra-curricular activities could also work well here. Be sure to think of a significant undertaking where you can clearly demonstrate the value you added.
Essay 2: Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)
This essay is fairly straightforward and is a great opportunity to talk about unique and impressive aspects of both your personal and professional background. There is a lot to discuss here and a short word limit so choose your words very carefully. Think about projects at work that stretched you, required you to tackle a fear or particular area of weakness or demanded that you learn a new skill.
If you would like individual and personal support while applying to any of these programs and more, please find information about Personal MBA Coach’s comprehensive packages or contact me to discuss your profile as well as how I can help! As a Wharton and MIT graduate, I regularly help many applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former top 10 interviewers on our team. Email me at: scott@personalmbacoach.com or call +1 617-645-2424 today.Unsure How To Craft An MBA Resume?