MIT Sloan MBA Application Deadlines and Tips

MIT Sloan School of management has retained cover letter and self-introduction video, for the application season 2019-20. The directions given for the video statement have changed this year. The candidates are also asked to talk about their past experiences and why MIT Sloan is the best place for them to pursue an MBA.

Application Deadlines:

Here are the deadlines for the 2019-2020 season.

	Application Deadline*	Admissions Decision Posted
Round 1	October 1, 2019	December 18, 2019
Round 2	January 21, 2020	March 31, 2020
Round 3	April 9, 2020	May 7, 2020

*Applications must be submitted by 3 pm Eastern Time.

From MIT Sloan Admissions Team, “ MIT Sloan students are informed and responsible global citizens with the vision, drive, and practical experience to make significant contributions to their organizations and to the world.”

Thus, with this in mind let us take a look at how to tackle 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
2 recommendations
Company Organizational 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 a 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 hasn’t asked the direct career goals or why MIT essay, these themes will also find their place in the letter. However, your focus should be largely on who you are and what you have accomplished, and how you are a good fit for the program. Make sure to highlight your 3 biggest hits that present you as a dynamic and innovative leader. For example, you may discuss a time when you have approached a business problem and provided a creative solution, or a time when you had to take decision with insufficient information or when you convinced someone of your innovative ideas , or you innovated a process at work, or suggested a new approach to a customer problem.

Thorough knowledge of the program is vital to write an effective response. Visit the website to learn about MIT’s curriculum, faculty, special programs, and extracurricular activities, connect with current students and alumni to get their insights, and if possible, visit the campus to have a 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 -150 words

Para 4 – “Why MIT” section explaining why Sloan is aligned with your career goals and your fit with the school, concluding 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 list in reverse chronological order and include company name, title, results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your skill set, 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 extra-curricular 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 more tips on 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 three 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. As the MIT admissions committee advises in a short video, the video essay is all about getting to know you better.

Tips for Recording the Video Statement: Since you need to record this video in one take, I recommend preparing for it as you would prepare 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. You have only 60 seconds to make an impression, so make the most of it.

Practice, and practice your stories until you feel comfortable; 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.

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)Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs including MIT Sloan School of Management . (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.