{"id":3577,"date":"2010-06-28T12:00:40","date_gmt":"2010-06-28T20:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=3577"},"modified":"2010-06-29T12:02:03","modified_gmt":"2010-06-29T20:02:03","slug":"2011-mit-sloan-emba-essay-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2011-mit-sloan-emba-essay-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"2011 MIT Sloan EMBA Essay Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,sans-serif;font-size: 12px;line-height: 18px;text-align: left\"><em>This<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> MIT EMBA <\/span>2011 MBA Application tip post is one of a series of posts providing MBA application and essay advice for applicants to top MBA programs around the world. You can access the entire series at <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/acceptedcom_blog\/tag\/2011-mba-application-tips\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/blog.accepted.com\/acceptedcom_blog\/tag\/2011-mba-application-tips<\/a>. Our tips for answering the MIT EMBA essay questions are in blue below.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\" lang=\"EN\">Looking at the 2011 MIT Sloan EMBA essay questions holistically, it\u2019s clear that they seek to draw out a person who, assuming basic qualifications, is focused and self-aware, and also confident and mature enough to change and adapt when warranted.\u00a0 The questions convey a balance of broad and specific.\u00a0 The statement of purpose and essay 1 present a more conceptual challenge, and essays 2 and 3 probe your ability to take action and then identify and communicate your motivations and rationale for it.\u00a0 Another way these essays summon a holistic perspective is in asking you to discuss your purpose for pursuing the EMBA, which presumably relates to your future goals, followed in the last question by a request to identify a time that you have pursued, and met a goal (albeit organizational).\u00a0 Given how these essays interrelate, I suggest sketching out your topics for each and ensuring that they resonate as a whole before writing.\u00a0 For example, for the objective you portray in the statement of purpose, you might select stories for essays 2 and\/or 3 that amplify some experience, knowledge, skill, or quality that would support that objective.\u00a0 Finally, note that the essays enable you to discuss either all professional topics or a mix of work and non-work. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A <strong>statement of purpose<\/strong>, indicating your qualifications and why you are pursuing the MIT Sloan MBA for Executives. (500 words or less, limited to one page)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\" lang=\"EN\">I suggest starting by conceptualizing the second part of this question (why you are pursuing the MBA) first.\u00a0 Presumably the reason relates to your professional goals and objectives.\u00a0 However, do not focus only what you want to do, i.e., become the CIO, but rather on what you want to accomplish for the organization and\/or its customers\/market \u2013 the former will be competent and acceptable, the latter will be exciting and will have a better chance of\u00a0 turning your readers into your cheerleaders.\u00a0 This goals\/objectives portion should be succinct.\u00a0 The details come in the next portion: how the goals\/objectives require the learning that the Sloan MBA for Executives will provide. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\" lang=\"EN\">In selecting the qualifications to discuss, remember that the adcom will have your resume.\u00a0 Hence, you don\u2019t have to present <em>all<\/em> your qualifications.\u00a0 Select those that (a) are really distinctive and relevant to the MBA and\/or (b) support your goals directly or indirectly. Have a short point to make about each, such as the insight it lends or its influence on you.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Three essays<\/strong> (all three are required of all candidates):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The educational mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to \"develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world.\" Please discuss how you will contribute toward advancing this mission. (500 words or less, limited to one page)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\" lang=\"EN\">This is a relatively open question.\u00a0 Early in the essay, briefly convey what \u201cimproving the world\u201d means to you, creating context. For the \u201chow,\u201d you can discuss factors outside of work as well as work-related.\u00a0 There is a danger lurking: \u201c\u2026 how you <strong>will<\/strong> contribute\u201d \u2013 the use of the word \u201cwill\u201d might lead you to cast the whole essay in the future tense.\u00a0 You do have to address how you will contribute, but your answer will have more credibility if you cite a previous time or two when you already have contributed toward the stated mission.\u00a0 The bulk of the essay will focus on how you will do so in the future \u2013 don\u2019t give a list of 10 ways, but identify 1 to 3 and provide some succinct but meaningful discussion of them.\u00a0 Your future contributions may be related to your goals, or you may cite other initaitives.\u00a0 Bear in mind that the stated mission is not just \u201cimproving the world,\u201d but \u201cto develop principled, innovative leaders\u201d who do so. <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Please describe a time when you changed your opinion, and why. (500 words or less, limited to one page)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\" lang=\"EN\">Since you will write about work in the statement of purpose, and probably essay 1 and 3, you can choose a work or non-work topic here \u2013 whichever best illuminates and ehnances your profile.\u00a0 While the essay doesn\u2019t require it, I believe the essay will have more substance and heft if you can find a topic that involves your taking some action based on your change of opinion.\u00a0 Also, choose something not too far in the past, ideally within the last few years.\u00a0 First, tell the story (no\u00a0 need for an introduction in this short essay \u2013 just jump into the story).\u00a0 If you use the story approach, the \u201cwhy\u201d will appear naturally as you progress in the narrative.\u00a0 But still provide a short summary paragraph reflecting on the \u201cwhy,\u201d and ideally showing the action you took as a result.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Please discuss an occasion when your resources and time were limited and you needed to achieve a significant organizational goal. What did you do, and how did you do it? (500 words or less, limited to one page)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\">This essay will offer evidence in the application that you meet goals and that you make things happen when faced with real-world constraints (as all executives are)\u2014you literally move the organization forward.\u00a0 Hence, choose a story that is substantive, and one that occurred within the last few years \u2013 the bigger the impact, the better.\u00a0 If you have some good stories to choose from, think about other factors you might like to highlight in your essay for strategic purposes: international dimension (in a given region or generally), leadership in a given context such as healthcare or IT, integrating organizations due to a merger or acquisition, etc.\u00a0 Here too keep the structure simple: present the story straight off, skipping an explanatory intro paragraph.\u00a0 As you describe what you did, integrate how you did it, going right through the narrative.\u00a0 No fancy ending needed; just a concise summary sentence or two. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\"><strong>The MIT EMBA application deadline is August 15.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\"><strong><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>If you want to start now on your MIT EMBA application, please keep in mind that Accepted.com is running an<span class=\"Apple-converted-space\"> <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/essayediting.aspx\">Early Bird Special: 10% off all MBA essay consulting and editing<\/a>.\u00a0 Consider also our <a title=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/services\/mba\/MITSloanembapackage.aspx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/services\/mba\/MITSloanembapackage.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">MIT EMBA Consulting and Editing Packages.<\/a>They too are 10% off thru July 31.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\"><em><span style=\"color: black\" lang=\"EN\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/aboutus\/editors.aspx?editorid=3\" target=\"_blank\"><span class=\"full-image-inline ssNonEditable\"><span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"\/storage\/Cindy%20Tokumitsu.JPG?__SQUARESPACE_CACHEVERSION=1277707196891\" alt=\"\" \/><\/span><\/span><\/a> By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/aboutus\/editors.aspx?editorid=3\">Cindy Tokumitsu<\/a>, co-author of The <a href=\"https:\/\/accepted.squarespace.com\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Microsoft\/Windows\/Temporary%20Internet%20Files\/Content.Outlook\/51OO5MWQ\/Where%20Should%20You%20Apply%20BLOG%201%20v2.doc\">Finance Professional\u2019s Guide to MBA Success<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/accepted.squarespace.com\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Users\/Linda%20Abraham\/AppData\/Local\/Microsoft\/Windows\/Temporary%20Internet%20Files\/Content.Outlook\/51OO5MWQ\/Where%20Should%20You%20Apply%20BLOG%201%20v2.doc\">The Consultants\u2019 Guide to MBA Admission<\/a>, T<a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/Ecommerce\/mba\/EMBAEssay.aspx%20\"><span style=\"color: #000088\">he EMBA Edge<\/span><\/a>,\u00a0and author of several articles and the free, email mini-course,<\/span><\/em><span style=\"color: black\" lang=\"EN\"><a title=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/embaadmissionscourse.aspx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/embaadmissionscourse.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"><em><span style=\"color: #000088\"> \"Ace the EMBA.\"<\/span><\/em><\/a><em> Also author of the\u00a0 NEW online mini-course, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/Choosingprograms.aspx\">Best MBA Programs: A Guide to Choosing the One for You<\/a>.<\/em><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: blue\"><span style=\"color: black\" lang=\"EN\"><strong>Learn More:<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: blue\"><span style=\"color: black\" lang=\"EN\"><a title=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/embaadmissionscourse.aspx\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/mba\/embaadmissionscourse.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"><em><span style=\"color: #000088\">Ace the EMBA, a free email course.<\/span><\/em><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><a title=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/Ecommerce\/mba\/EMBAEssay.aspx%20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.accepted.com\/Ecommerce\/mba\/EMBAEssay.aspx%20\" target=\"_blank\"><em>The EMBA Edge: A Guide to EMBA Admissions<\/em><\/a><span style=\"color: blue\"><em><span style=\"color: black\" lang=\"EN\">, an ebook<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This MIT EMBA 2011 MBA Application tip post is one of a series of posts providing MBA application and essay advice for applicants to top MBA programs around the world.&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,6],"tags":[520,60,39,40],"class_list":["post-3577","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-current-events","tag-2011-mba-application-tips","tag-emba","tag-mba-admissions","tag-mit-sloan","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3577","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3577"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3577\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3578,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3577\/revisions\/3578"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3577"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3577"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3577"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}