The MIT Sloan School of Management aims "to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice." MIT Sloan School of management has retained cover letter, self-introduction video, and organization chart for the 2020-21 application season.
Application Deadlines:
The application deadlines are as under:
| Round | Application Deadline | Decision Released |
| Round 1 | October 1, 2020 | December 16, 2020 |
| Round 2 | January 19, 2021 | April 2, 2021 |
| Round 3 | April 12, 2021 | May 20, 2021 |
*Applications must be submitted by 3 pm Eastern Time. The application for 2021 entry will be available starting in August.
From MIT Sloan Website: The most important information you can provide is a candid look at your personal story and the experiences that have shaped who you are today. We welcome applications from college graduates from all areas of concentration, including the humanities, the social and physical sciences, business, and engineering.
Let us take a look at the various components of the MIT Sloan MBA Application.
MIT Sloan MBA Application Components:
Following are the different components of the MIT Sloan Application:
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Video Statement
- 1 Letter of recommendation
- Two additional references and
- Company Organization Chart (outlining the internal structure of your department)
Here is MER's analysis of different parts of MIT Sloan application:
MIT Sloan MBA Application Cover Letter:
MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative— true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems and strive to pre-empt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.
Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia, and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).
MIT has used the cover letter format for many years now to select its MBA students. Applicants should take it as an opportunity to market themselves for a seat in the MIT classroom the same way they would do for a job. It is a great place to demonstrate your key accomplishments, your career objectives, and your 'fit' with the admission requirements of the MIT. Write your letter in a professional letter format with a date, address, header, salutation, and close.
Though MIT has not asked the direct career goals or why MIT essay, these themes will also find their place in the letter. However, your focus should be primarily on who you are and what you have accomplished and how you are a good fit for the program. Make sure to highlight your three biggest hits that present you as a dynamic and innovative leader. For example, you may discuss a time when you approached a business problem and provided a creative solution, or took a decision with insufficient information, or convinced someone of your innovative ideas, or innovated a process at work, or suggested a new approach to a customer problem.
Thorough knowledge of the program is vital to an effective response. Visit the website to learn about MIT's curriculum, faculty, special programs, and extracurricular activities. Also, connect with current students and alumni to get their insights, and attend virtual events to gain deeper insights into the feel of the culture. With only 300 words to showcase your candidacy, make every word count.
How to organize the MIT Sloan MBA Application Cover Letter?
Introduction: A couple of sentences about the purpose of writing this letter, who you are and what you would bring to the school. (100 words)
Para 2 & 3: Brief account of your career goals and professional accomplishments (including entrepreneurial experience, if any). (100 to 150 words)
Para 4: "Why MIT" section explaining why Sloan is aligned with your career goals and your fit with the school. Conclude the letter with a thank you. (50 words)
MIT Sloan MBA Resume:
Please submit a one-page resume (Times New Roman 10-point font preferred) that includes your employment history and academic record in reverse chronological order. Other information appropriate to a business resume is welcomed and encouraged, including extracurricular activities, awards, and achievements. Please REDACT your name, address, and contact information. For formatting purposes, please list the information in the following order:
• Education- please feel free to include relevant awards, scholarships, professional societies
• Work Experience- Please write in reverse chronological order and include company name, title, results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your skillset, and dates.
• Additional information- languages, extracurricular activities/community service, technical skills/certifications, special skills/interests (if appropriate)
Tips for Creating a Standout Resume:
Your resume should showcase your above-average career progression, accomplishments, leadership, and team working skills, innovation, your interests, and extracurricular activities. Show your creativity and contribution and demonstrate that throughout your professional career, you have picked up new skills and have assumed new responsibilities. Also, whenever possible, quantify your impact on your company/ organization with measurable results or achievements. Projecting the achievements in numbers will highlight your performance and problem-solving skills, making your case stronger. For example: Spearheaded a flagship project for the company– built a team of 5 analysts, translating into a revenue of $100K.
Click here for common mistakes in creating a strong MBA résumé.
MIT Sloan MBA Application: Video Statement:Please take a minute to introduce yourself to your future classmates via video. Include a bit on your past experience and why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your MBA. Videos should be a single take (no editing) lasting no more than one minute and consisting of you speaking directly to the camera. We recommend using an application such as QuickTime or iMovie to record yourself.
Upload the video file according to the detailed instructions within the application. We support the following file formats: .avi, .flv, .m1v, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .webm, .wmv
Should you experience difficulties uploading your file, please ensure that you're using a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) on the fastest wired internet connection available. An intermittent or slow internet connection can cause uploads to timeout.
The video statement was introduced at MIT Sloan four years ago. The purpose of the video is to see you and know you personally. You may consider it as having facetime with the admission committee members. T
Tips for Recording the Video Statement:
Since you need to record this video in one take, I recommend preparing for it as you would do for an interview For each experience/story that you highlight, include details using the STAR method (the situation, the task, your actions, and the results)
"Recording a video can be a bit intimidating but be as natural and poised as possible. Though you are addressing your future classmates, the video is actually for the Ád Com' and 'you' are at center stage. Make a script of 60 seconds introducing yourself to your future classmates. Be creative, highlight your personality, including the details not covered in the cover letter and resume. Please note that Authenticity is key to a compelling video. You have only 60 seconds to make an impression, so make the most of it.
Practice, and practice your stories until you feel comfortable to record on the webcam. Review your practice videos and do a self-critique. Also, it will be helpful to ask a family member or a friend to review your practice videos and provide you feedback on areas of improvement.
"While recording the video speak clearly, make sure that your background is tidy and free of any other sounds or visual distractions. To make sure 'You' remain the focal point of the video statement, keep the background blank. Make sure your face is well-lit so the ad com can see you. Dress appropriately in a business suit or business casuals as though you are going for an interview. Lastly, and most importantly, smile and speak naturally to the camera.
In the following video, Diana Jordan, Associate Director of Admissions at MIT Sloan, shares 5 tips for applicants on how to approach the 60-seconds video
Additional Requirements:
Applicants must provide contact information of two additional references besides the individual they choose to write their letter of recommendation. Also, applicants need to upload an organizational chart that outlines the internal structure of your department and company. (limit to 2 pages)
In the following video, Kristen Lindeman, the associate director of admissions at the MIT, provides some tips on how to complete the organizational chart:
Free Resources:
10 Key Essay Tips with Examples
Essay Analysis of Other Top Programs-2020-21
MER Students Share their success Stories
Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including MIT. (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)
For further guidance and writing that resonates well with MIT, you may email Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com with questions about your MIT application.
This article was first published in myEssayReview blog.
