London Business School is an internationally focused program in one of the most exciting cultural centers in Europe. LBS has a diverse student body, with 92% of its students coming from 69 countries.
| Round | Application Deadline | Application Decision |
| Round 1 | September 8, 2023 | November 30, 2023 |
| Round 2 | January 03, 2024 | March 27, 2024 |
| Round 3 | March 25, 2024 | June 07, 2024 |
All application deadlines are 17:00 UK time. All Admissions Committee decisions are communicated via email and will be sent on the relevant deadline day by 23.30 UK time.
LBS's essay questions also remain the same. Applicants are asked to discuss their career goals, how they align with their past experiences, and the resources provided by LBS. There is also an optional essay of 500 words where applicants can provide additional information about themselves.
Let's take a closer look at the essays:
Required Essay 1: What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School program contribute towards these? (500 words)
This is a straightforward Goals Essay question. Begin this essay by articulating your post-MBA career objectives. Then, explain what you plan to do after your MBA. Make sure your career objectives are both ambitious and realistic. Be specific about the industry, your role, and the companies that resonate with your aspirations.
To demonstrate how your professional experiences are aligned with these goals, provide a brief career history focusing on your progression and the skills and knowledge you acquired at each job position. Elaborate on your rationale behind each career move and how your professional experiences have propelled you to your goals.
Then describe where you stand now, and what skills you lack to fulfill your career aspirations. Illustrate how an MBA from LBS can fill these gaps and align with your goals. That is, you must provide a logical connection between your experience, your current need for an MBA degree from the LBS, and your future career goals. For this, conduct in-depth research on the program to draw out a link between specific resources/ offerings of the LBS and your career aspirations and interests. Provide specific information about classes, professors, clubs, or other clubs and student organizations that will contribute to your success. In addition, connect with current students and alumni for their insights into the program and attend admission events to learn more about the school.
You may organize the essay in the following manner:
- Short-term goals (approximately 100-150 words)
- Career history & accomplishments (approx. 100-150)
- How LBS can help you fulfill your post-MBA goals (approx. 200 words)
While the essay prompt does not explicitly require you to discuss your contribution to the school, it still makes sense (if space permits) to wrap up your essay by briefly stating what value you will bring to London Business School. This can provide a well-rounded conclusion to your narrative.
Please read our blog on common mistakes to avoid in goals essay:
Avoid These 13 Mistakes in Career Goals Essay
Essay 2: Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (Optional) (500 words)
The optional essay is an excellent opportunity to address other key aspects of your candidacy that you did not get a chance to discuss in other parts of the application, such as the main essay, résumé, and application form. While the online application offers fields to address academic weaknesses, such as academic probation and class withdrawal, this essay allows you to address other flaws (if any) in your application, such as employment gap, low GMAT, choice of recommenders, or any other extenuating personal circumstances.
Even if you do not have any apparent weaknesses, we recommend writing this space to elaborate on your accomplishments or leadership experiences since the required single essay does not leave you much space to share your achievements. However, the data form provides enough space to discuss various topics (academic performance, English language ability, main interests and activities, and international experiences), so you may not discuss these in this essay.
Please note the word 'should' in the essay prompt, so you must think of the best way to use this essay to your benefit by sharing your life experience or achievements that you could not fit in any other part of the application. For example, perhaps you have a stellar leadership story, an entrepreneurial venture, or a life experience that sets you apart from the crowd, so you can use this space to showcase that. You may also outline your potential contribution to the program.
This open-ended question allows you to delve into almost any topic you want to clarify or elaborate on. Its 500-limit enables you to spotlight any aspects of your background or experience (professional or personal) that make you a perfect 'fit' with the culture of LBS. For example, if you have issues like the choice of recommender or employment/ education gap, you can address them here because the data form doesn't include these subjects.
Please read our blog to learn about 12 reasons you should write an optional essay:
12 Reasons Why You Should Write an Optional Essay
Free Resources
MER Students Share their Success Stories
Essay Analysis of Other Top Programs-2023-24
About MER (myEssayReview)
Poonam Tandon, the founder of MER (myEssayReview), is a Ph.D. in English with 12 years of MBA consulting experience and three decades of teaching experience in India and the US. A master storyteller, Poonam has successfully guided hundreds of students from around the world to gain admission into the esteemed MBA, EMBA, and specialized Masters's programs in the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Throughout her four-decade-long professional career, she has reviewed 10,000+ essays written by applicants worldwide. Poonam is recognized as one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club (143 reviews).
Do you have questions about your application for the 2023-24 application cycle? E-mail Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com or sign up here for a free consultation.
This blog was first published in myEssayReview.
