The Kelley School of Business at Indiana University is a top-tier business school with an innovative program that cultivates strong recruiting relationships with companies. These Kelley School of Business essays focus on understanding you. From the moment you decide to attend Kelley, you will be focusing on your career and leadership development.
For example, even before you start classes, you will be part of an orientation program called Me Inc. to help you refine your career goals. After you start school, you will continue to receive personalized coaching, leadership training, and real-world industry projects.
This will help you focus on the right career path and job openings for your internship and full-time job search. Consider these factors as you prepare your answers to these Kelley School of Business essays.
Kelley’s program is unique and close-knit, so your fit with the program and your desire to participate fully will be important to the admissions committee. Kelley has an academically strong class of students. A large number come from outside the United States, and the diverse class also includes a significant number of women.
To learn more, visit the Kelley School of Business website. Need help with your Kelley School of Business essays? Contact us for a free evaluation.
REQUIRED MBA ESSAYS
Essay One: Discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider? (500 words)
Kelley’s curriculum is tailored to help you reach your career goals. Therefore, entering Kelley with a career vision will help you take full advantage of the program. For example, students can specialize almost immediately by choosing one of the first-year Academies in your industry area of focus. Think about these opportunities at Kelley when you answer this career goals question. And, be specific about how you see yourself using the tools available.
When you discuss your career experience in this essay, make sure that you are focusing on the most important moments in your career. That means, not reciting your jobs like a resume.
Consider the times when you had to stretch to accomplish the goals set out for you. Such as, when you had to step up to be a leader, or when you learned more about yourself and your aspirations. Those are the stories that will explain how your professional experience will help you achieve your goals.
The second half of this question deals with your flexibility around your career goal and your ability to handle change. Change is constant in most industries, and your ability to recognize opportunity, even outside your anticipated career goals, will be critical to your success. Therefore, think about the core elements that are important to you in forming your career goals and how they can be realized in different career opportunities.
For example, perhaps you are passionate about the food industry and want to be involved in updating the world of packaged goods. However, you could imagine pursuing either a strategy role or a finance role within consumer packaged goods.
Or, you love marketing but could see yourself either marketing a film or a jewelry line. In this case, the most important factor is practicing the craft of marketing. Showing that you can pivot while staying true to your core values and interests will position you well in this set of Kelley School of Business essays.
Essay Two: Please respond to one of the following short essay prompts. (300 words)
My greatest memory is…
I’m most afraid of…
My greatest challenge has been…
I’m most proud of…
While the prior essay focuses on your career path and goals, this essay is about your core personal motivations. Consider, what are the formative moments in your life? The story you choose to tell in this essay will be revealing to the admissions committee, and will show your personality and values.
Therefore, think about the moments in your life when you have changed or matured. Was there an experience that led you to learn more about yourself? Or, perhaps you interacted with someone who challenged or inspired you. Another experience might have been travel outside of your comfort zone. For example, either literally outside your home country or in a transition like leaving home for college.
Option b, “I’m most afraid of…” is the one prompt that does not specifically call on a past experience. However, it’s likely that your fear has its roots in a formative moment in your life.
Once you have a story to tell, make sure you are explaining why this moment is important to you. To clarify, you can narrate your thoughts, reactions, and opinions as you retell the story. Another idea is to take time at the end of the essay to reflect upon what you learned and why it was important to you.
Essay Three: Share a brief fact about yourself that your classmates would find interesting, surprising, or noteworthy. (25 words)
The admissions committee has read your career goals, read about a pivotal experience, and likely has reviewed your resume and application fact sheet. What you describe in this Kelley School of Business essay is something that didn’t come up in any of those demographic or background data sheets in your application. Also, it’s something short and easy to explain in 25 words.
Perhaps you were a competitive swimmer in high school but didn’t pursue it in college. Or, your grandmother was from Sweden and taught you traditional cooking techniques that no one else in your life knows. Maybe you are heavily involved in a hobby that has impacted your life.
If you are struggling to come up with an interesting or surprising fact, this is a great question to poll friends and family about. Because your friends and family likely know the elements of your background and personality, this can be an effective way to come up with a unique story. Those elements are deeper than your resume or application fact sheet.
Optional Essay: Is there anything else you think we should know as we evaluate your application? If you believe your essays and credentials represent you fairly, you shouldn’t feel obligated to answer this question. (300 words)
The last of the Kelley School of Business essays is open-ended. Such a question allows you to add almost any story or additional background data you would like. However, before you take full advantage of the extra space, make sure you are truly adding to your application. If you have done the work on a comprehensive resume, excellent recommendations, and finely-honed essays, you likely don’t need this space.
Finally, if there is anything to explain in your Kelley School of Business essays, use this space to do it. It could be a poor grade in a quantitative course in college, academic probation, or the lack of a recommendation from a current supervisor. In any case, make sure you are focused on explanations rather than excuses. Provide solid, recent evidence that you have done better since the event.
The post Tuesday Tips: Kelley School of Business Essays, Tips for 2020-2021 appeared first on Stacy Blackman Consulting - MBA Admissions Consulting.
