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mbaMission Admissions Consultant
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How to Get Into Kellogg School of Management: Northwestern Kellogg Ess [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Kellogg School of Management: Northwestern Kellogg Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Kellogg_logo.jpg?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Kellogg_logo.jpg?resize=300%2C84&ssl=1[/img][/url]
Applicants to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University must provide two required written essays. The first deals with a leadership experience that resulted in some form of ongoing merit, while the second focuses on candidates’ guiding principles. Interestingly, both essays center on “value(s)” but in very different ways, according to two separate definitions of the term. Kellogg’s questions thereby seem to address two key aspects of business today, and candidates will need to demonstrate their awareness of both and their potential to fulfill them. In addition, the admissions committee requires that applicants submit three brief video essays, but thankfully, it gives candidates some information in advance as to what the questions are (or at least are about) as well as significant opportunities to practice before recording their official responses. For more advice on interpreting and approaching the school’s essay and video prompts for 2022–2023, read on.

[b]Required Essay 1: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip, and inspire leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words) [/b]
This is a fairly straightforward essay prompt, and we recommend responding in an equally straightforward manner. Launch directly into the story of your leadership experience, and detail the specific actions you took in directing others to achieve some kind of enduring result. The key here is to show that you shared a valuable experience with colleagues, extracted the most from your team members, and attained a desired outcome. Although we often note that not all great leadership stories necessarily have to end in success, Kellogg’s request for evidence of “lasting value” certainly implies that the school wants to hear about a situation that had a positive resolution. You will need to convey not only your role in spearheading a group to achieve what you did but also how that achievement has persisted.

Note that Kellogg does not specify that the experience you share must be related to your workplace or career. Leadership does not need to have an official title attached to it, and it can be expressed in a community service or even family life setting just as much as in a workplace, so explore all the different areas of your life for possible stories. We recommend using a narrative approach to present your story, but be sure to also share the thought process and motivation(s) behind your actions. This way, the admissions committee will take away a clear picture not only of what you accomplished but also of the aspects of your character that inspired you and helped enable your success.

That said, the school acknowledges within the prompt that even endeavors that have a positive result are rarely smooth sailing from beginning to end—hence the question about challenges faced. A mistake applicants often make in writing this kind of essay is presenting a strong narrative in which they are incredible leaders, and then near the end, making a brief (and typically disjointed) reference to a hardship or conflict encountered along the way, meant to fulfill the “challenges” element of the essay query. To be effective and believable, your ups and downs must be woven intrinsically into your narrative, rather than simply acknowledged at the end. Clearly explaining how you approached and prevailed over the challenge at hand is crucial, so go beyond simply describing the roadblock itself and ensure that you detail your response and the inner workings of your decision making at that point.

Lastly, do not forget or neglect to explain what you learned from the experience—Kellogg specifically asks you to do so! And keep in mind that for your takeaways to be “meaningful,” they have to be profoundly connected to your narrative. The admissions reader should be able to easily understand the connection between the situation you describe and your subsequent learnings.

[b]Required Essay 2: Values are what guide us in our life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words)[/b]
Kellogg offers another very no-nonsense essay question here, so not a lot of interpretation is needed. In its explanation of what it looks for in applicants, the admissions committee states that it “takes everything into account, including your values,” so a frank query on the topic only makes sense. Kellogg wants to know how your values influence your decisions and actions, and in particular, which ones tend to guide you the most often or the most intensely. Simply stating that you embrace certain values is easy, so the admissions committee is understandably asking for illustrations of this phenomenon to better gauge this for itself. Having an idea of how you tend to incorporate your core beliefs into your life will help the school better envision how you might fit into its classrooms and the business world after you graduate.

Perhaps at the most basic level, Kellogg wants to know that you understand how values come into play in “life and work.” This final phrase seems to open the door to stories from your personal life or from your career, with no particular emphasis on either, so consider all your options to identify the most fitting and revealing one. Although in theory, describing a situation from your personal or community activities would provide a nice balance if you chose a professional story for the school’s first essay (and vice versa), what is more critical is sharing the experiences that best convey the concepts you wish to highlight. Given the 450-word maximum for this essay, you should skip or at least minimize any preamble and dive into your response, clearly identifying your selected core values and describing specific situations that illustrate them in action. Your ultimate goal is to clearly illustrate for the admissions committee how you have been (and are) guided by your fundamental beliefs.

Believe us when we say that Kellogg does not have a set list of values that it expects applicants to demonstrate and that by not choosing the “right” ones, you will not be accepted to the school. As always, focus on simply being authentic and sincere and letting your true character show through. That said, we would encourage you to learn what you can about the values Kellogg students tend to display or that would likely be compatible with the Kellogg community. Contact students and alumni to get a sense of what these might be, and if you identify one or two that match some of your own, those might prove strong fodder for your essay. To clarify, we are not saying that you should claim values that are not naturally yours in a misguided attempt to impress the admissions committee, but simply consider highlighting ones that appear to be mutual.

[b]Certain applicants will respond to additional questions:[/b]
[b]1Y applicants: Please discuss your post-MBA career goal, the current experience you will leverage to support the transition, and the Kellogg One-Year MBA opportunities that will help you reach this goal. (250 words)[/b]
[b]JD-MBA applicants: Please discuss your post-JD-MBA career goals and why the JD-MBA Program is the right program to help you reach those goals. (250 words)[/b]
[b]MMM applicants: The five core values of the MMM Program are curiosity, creativity, empathy, open-mindedness and a learning mindset. Describe a situation in which you demonstrated one of these values. Why is this value an important part of the MMM experience for you? (250 words)[/b]
[b]MBAi applicants: The Kellogg McCormick MBAi Program is designed to train the next generation of leaders who can help businesses deliver successful outcomes through AI-driven technology. Tell us about your firsthand experience with this disconnect between business and technology and how MBAi will prepare you to successfully lead businesses at the intersection. (450 words)[/b]
Kellogg adds depth and specificity to these essay prompts by providing a separate one for each special program. If you are applying to one of these options, you should be ready to demonstrate a great deal of intentionality. After all, you are committing to a specialized path that may require additional time and cost. With a limit of just 250 words for most of them, you have no choice but to cut to the chase. Applicants to the One-Year MBA and JD/MBA programs must outline how the degree is necessary to achieve their particular desired outcomes and then tie those goals specifically to the Kellogg program they are targeting and its associated resources. This essay is essentially another opportunity to explain your distinct need to attend Kellogg, only here, you can focus on showcasing the non-MBA portion of your intended degree. In many ways, these prompts are asking for a typical (if brief) MBA personal statement, so we encourage you to download your free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/url][/b]. This complimentary guide offers detailed advice on approaching and framing these topics, along with multiple illustrative examples.

MMM applicants are asked to discuss values, and the school even presents the specific ones it wants candidates to choose from. Obviously, if you are applying to this program, you will need to plan out your response to this essay in conjunction with Essay 2 to ensure you do not repeat any choices or illustrative stories.

The school’s MBAi applicants are tasked with writing the longest additional essay, at 450 words, perhaps in part because Kellogg wants to see evidence of capability in two areas—business and technology. In addition, candidates must share their personal experience with how these two can clash or be incompatible and then explain the role the degree will play in helping them navigate these areas as a leader in the future. Be sure to fulfill all the different parts of the school’s prompt and not devote too much of your essay to any one in particular. Artificial intelligence is a field that naturally engenders a lot of excitement, but it also demands a great deal of responsibility, foresight, and understanding—and Kellogg wants to know that you recognize this fact and are ready to embrace and act on it.

[b]Reapplicants: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 words) [/b]
Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Kellogg wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a Kellogg MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.

[b]Additional Information: If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.). [/b]
However tempted you might be, this is not the place to paste in a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer a few anecdotes that you were unable to incorporate into any of your other essays. Instead, this is your opportunity, if needed, to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your candidacy. We encourage you to download our free [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url], in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, along with multiple sample essays, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your profile.

[b]Video Essays: The video essays provide you with an additional opportunity to demonstrate what you will bring to our vibrant Kellogg community—in an interactive way. You will respond to several short video essay questions. The questions are designed to bring to life the person we have learned about on paper.[/b]
[b]After submitting your application and payment, you will be able to access the video essay through your application status page. You will be asked to answer three questions:[/b]
[b]Video essay 1: Please introduce yourself to the admissions committee.[/b]
[b]Consider this your opportunity to share what you would want your future Kellogg classmates and our admissions committee to know about you. What makes you, you?[/b]
[b]Video essay 2: What path are you interested in pursuing, how will you get there, and why is this program right for you?[/b]
[b]This is an intentionally broad question so you can answer honestly and meaningfully. We want to know why you’re pursuing an MBA and why you’re choosing a particular Kellogg Full-Time Program.[/b]
[b]Video essay 3: This question will be based on a challenge you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from it.[/b]
[b]There are practice questions that you may complete as many times as you like to get comfortable with the format and technology. The practice questions and experience will simulate the actual video essay experience, so this is meant to be a useful tool to help you feel prepared.[/b]
[b]We encourage you to practice so you are comfortable with the format once it is time to complete the official questions. You will not have an opportunity to re-do the answer to the official video essay questions.[/b]
[b]You will have 20 seconds to think about the question and up to one minute to give your response.[/b]
During a Q&A session at a past mbaMission annual conference, a Kellogg admissions representative explained that the school’s video component sprang from the admissions committee’s desire to actually see and hear the applicants they were evaluating. Given that Kellogg’s interviews are conducted by alumni, the video is the committee’s only “live” interaction with candidates. Keep this in mind as you tackle this segment of the application, and make being authentic and natural your primary goal. Kellogg is not looking for the next viral TED Talk presenter or late-night TV host. They just want to get to know you as a unique individual who may one day join its community.

So, start by taking a deep breath. We understand that these video essays can make you feel like you are being put on the spot, but Kellogg is really not trying to scare you. The admissions committee simply wants a more dynamic representation of your personality than a written essay can provide. You cannot answer any of the school’s video questions incorrectly, so do not concern yourself with trying to give the “right” answer. Just respond to each query honestly, as smoothly as you can (despite any nervousness you may be feeling), and be yourself. Thankfully, Kellogg provides the questions you will encounter in the application’s video segment, so you do not have to go in totally blind.

The “introduction” question is about a topic you know very well—you! You can prepare by thinking about what you would like to know about a new person you are meeting and would find interesting, helpful, or intriguing. For example, would you consider someone’s age or undergraduate institution particularly important or compelling? Probably not, so you should skip mentioning such facts in your own introduction. (Remember, too, that your actual audience will be a member of the admissions committee, who will already know such basic information about you from the rest of your application.) You would likely be more curious about what someone does in their spare time, what interesting or exceptional skills they have, whether they are approachable/funny/hyperorganized/a risk taker/etc., whether they have extensive experience in a certain area or a more wide-ranging background, and so on.

So consider the aspects of your personality and profile that you believe truly define you as an individual—not just what you do and have done, but who you are—and fully explore your background, hobbies, talents, experiences, values, goals, and quirks. Brainstorm an extensive list and then eliminate any items that seem too common (e.g., a BA in finance) or basic (e.g., your hometown) until you have a collection of truly distinctive qualities you can weave into your response. Your goal is to provide a well-rounded picture of yourself that draws from multiple areas and shows that you possess characteristics and/or knowledge that would make you a positive addition to the Kellogg community.

Remember to bring energy and enthusiasm to your submission. You are trying to connect with others, so charisma is welcome, and a less rigid and traditionally “professional” demeanor is okay. Forego any fancy or dramatic tactics (e.g., starting with a quotation, launching into an anecdote), and just be as natural and authentic as possible. Do not pitch your candidacy, detail your career goals, or express your admiration for the program. As they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so dedicate the time and effort necessary to ensure that your introduction is engaging, substantive, and true to who you are.

For the second video, you need to briefly discuss your anticipated professional path and why Kellogg is the right program for you, so you must truly understand why you are choosing it for your MBA. By that, we do not mean that you should create and memorize a laundry list of reasons. Instead, you must have a comprehensive knowledge of the school’s resources and be able to clearly and concisely express which ones are of particular importance and significance to you—and why. Then, when recording your video, you will need to convey this information in a sincere and compelling way. That will not happen if you are listing facts you have simply committed to memory! (For a thorough exploration of Kellogg’s academic program, unique offerings, social life, and other key characteristics, be sure to download a free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/northwestern-university-s-kellogg-school-of-management-insider-s-guide]mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the Kellogg School of Management[/url][/b].)

For the third video, the school has not published the exact question you will receive but does note that it will be about a general challenge you have faced. This query gets at the core concepts of self-assessment, resilience, and dedication. The school wants to know that you are capable of learning from difficult circumstances and that you are subsequently inspired to take action to rectify the problematic situation and/or to avoid similar obstacles in the future—or at least better prepare yourself for them. The scale or scope of the challenge you discuss is not as important as how revelatory it is about you personally, and your answer needs to encompass not only what the challenge was and why it was difficult for you personally, but also what you did or have done in response. Whether you chose to address something internally (e.g., educating yourself on a certain topic) or to apply yourself outwardly (e.g., joining a volunteer effort), you want to clearly convey your motivations and intentions, so that the admissions committee can better understand how you perform under pressure and seek opportunities for improvement.

One minute is not very long, so run through several practice sessions—perhaps in front of a mirror—to get a sense of how quickly those 60 seconds will pass when you are in front of the camera. Although you can prepare as much as you want, you get only one chance at the recording. If you stumble while answering or ultimately are unhappy with your answer, unfortunately, you cannot do anything about it. You will not be able to rerecord your responses or try again another time. This may make you nervous, but we encourage you to view the situation a little differently. Kellogg wants to get to know the authentic you through these video essays. If you fumble for words or lose your train of thought, just laugh or shrug and continue with your response. Accepting a mistake with a sense of humor and grace will give the admissions committee a more positive and natural impression of your personality than rigid scripting and overpreparation ever could.

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your Kellogg Interview[/b]
Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. And to help you develop this high level of preparation, we offer our [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/collections/interview-primers][b]free Interview Guides[/b][/url]! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/northwestern-kellogg-interview-guide][b]Northwestern Kellogg Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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How to Get Into Fuqua School of Business: Duke Fuqua Essay Tips and Ex [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Fuqua School of Business: Duke Fuqua Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/duke-fuqua-logo.jpg?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/duke-fuqua-logo.jpg?resize=200%2C201&ssl=1[/img][/url]

In a 2020 [b][url=https://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mba/2020/06/17/allison-jamison/changes-to-our-mba-application-for-2020-2021]blog post[/url][/b], Allison Jamison, the assistant dean of admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had complicated the admissions process, stating that as a result, “We learned the importance of keeping things simple.” Reflecting this mind-set, the admissions committee’s demands are on the minimal side, which most candidates likely appreciate. Applicants must respond to only one short-answer “essay” question in a mere 100 words, and the maximum length for the program’s one required traditional essay is just 500 words. Lastly, the school’s distinctive “25 random things” prompt might give some candidates pause at first, but we love it for the freedom it gives applicants to get creative and paint a well-rounded picture of themselves, and it should therefore be approached with more enthusiasm than fear. (Plus, Jamison noted in the aforementioned blog post that the admissions committee enjoys reading these essays the most.) Our detailed analysis of all Fuqua’s prompts for 2022–2023 follows.

[b]Required short-answer question: Answer the following question in 100 words.[/b]
[b]What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan. [/b]
With this question, Fuqua is essentially asking for a standard element of a traditional personal statement—one’s short-term career aspirations—with the addition of one rather nonstandard component—the suggestion of an alternative path. Candidates often feel they must be totally unequivocal in their career goals to impress the admissions committee, but in this case, Fuqua is directly instructing applicants to speculate on and articulate multiple options. The school knows that sometimes the best-laid plans do not play out as expected or may even yield unintended results, and it wants to know that you are prepared to switch gears and recommit to a different path, if necessary—and that you are fully capable of doing so. The key in answering this question is showing that your backup goal is just as connected to your skills, interests, and ambitions as your original plan and does not come “out of left field,” so to speak. For example, you would probably have a difficult time convincing the admissions committee that your short-term goal is to work in technology consulting while your alternate goal would be to work in human resources, because these industries, for the most part, require entirely different skills and personalities. Just be mindful that both goals you present must be plausible and achievable.

As we have noted, this question concerns one of the core topics covered in a typical personal statement, so we encourage you to download your free copy of the [b][url=https://info.mbamission.com/MBA-Personal-Statement-Guide]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/url][/b], which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. This complimentary guide offers detailed advice on approaching and framing these subjects, along with multiple illustrative examples.

[b]First required essay: 25 Random Things About Yourself[/b]
[b]The ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit and community is one of the things that sets the MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU—beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.[/b]
[b]Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Pease present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer.[/b]
Be prepared to have fun creating this list for your Fuqua application! Before you start scribbling down random things, though, stop and take some time to thoroughly brainstorm. You cannot simply draft a list of “typical” accomplishments—remember, the school is asking for a random list, and keep in mind that your reader should learn more about you as an individual with each item presented. Make sure that every new story or tidbit of information you share gives the admissions committee a different window into your personality, into what really makes you tick and makes you you. Most important is that you own all the points on your list—that your final list could apply to no one but you. For example, a statement such as “I love the movie Goodfellas and have watched it multiple times” could easily be made by many applicants—therefore, it could not be considered truly yours. However, if you were to instead write, “At least once a year, my friends and I get together to watch our favorite movie, Goodfellas, all wearing dark suits, eating fresh pasta with homemade sauce, and reciting the dialogue line-for-line,” you would present an experience that is unquestionably yours, because few—if any—other candidates would be likely to say this exact same thing.

Although Fuqua does not want you to rehash your professional and academic accomplishments in this list, and you should certainly avoid repeating facts that already appear elsewhere in your application, you can of course still touch on significant moments that occurred in these spheres. Use detail and a narrative style (keeping things brief!) to give these elements life and ensure that they are personal. For example, rather than saying that you “won a creative thinking award for implementing an innovative training solution,” you might write that you “once won an award for instructing trainees to flip their desks upside down and face what was previously the back of the room—thereby creating an exercise to introduce new hires to the concept and value of new perspectives.”

[b]Second required essay: The Fuqua Community and You[/b]
[b]Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? [/b]
[b]Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum)[/b][b].[/b]
With this essay prompt, Fuqua clearly wants to see evidence that you have done your research on the school’s culture and community and developed a true and thorough understanding of it. Ideally, your essay will convince the admissions committee that you are eager to take advantage of opportunities to lead and contribute, that you have thoughtfully considered your place within the school’s community at length, and that as a result, you know the value of what you can offer and have a clear vision of how this will manifest when you are a Fuqua student.

By orienting the query “at Fuqua” rather than specifying either inside or outside the classroom, the admissions committee keeps the scope of the query broad, offering you equal opportunity to discuss ideas that relate to course work and those that are strictly extracurricular. Perhaps, for example, you could assist in writing a case on a topic that relates to your professional background and that will be used in future classes for several years. 

Based on counsel Jamison has offered in the past, we suggest focusing on what you believe would be the three most meaningful ways you could contribute as you consider your options. Ideally, you want to present choices that truly provide insight into your individual strengths, values, and/or interests rather than trying to offer what you think are “right” answers or what the admissions committee “wants” to hear. The 500-word maximum makes squeezing much more than three well-crafted ideas into the essay difficult anyway, but Jamison has also noted, “One of the first skills you must develop as a student is how to prioritize what’s most important to you,” so this is a chance for you to demonstrate that you can do just that.

For you to offer your strongest possible ideas in this essay, you really (really!) need to know the school well, because if you hypothesize incorrectly about how you hope to participate and contribute—meaning that what you propose is just not possible at the school or does not align with Fuqua’s values and culture—this will definitely not help you get in. The question specifically mentions “student-led government, clubs, centers, and events,” so you should probably focus your research in these areas first to find niches and opportunities that correspond with your strengths, knowledge, and experience. That said, if you feel you can contribute in a different area or way altogether, you can certainly take that approach instead. Read student blogs, peruse discussion boards, catch up on the past year or more of press releases from the school, spend some time on [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/user/FuquaSchOfBusiness]Fuqua’s YouTube channel[/url][/b]—these are all good places to start (or better, continue!) educating yourself about what life at the school is really like, beyond the course work.

For a thorough exploration of Duke Fuqua’s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community/environment, and other key facets of the program, consider downloading your free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/duke-university-s-fuqua-school-of-business-insider-s-guide]mbaMission Insider’s Guide to Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business[/url][/b].

[b]Optional Information: If you feel there are circumstances of which the admissions committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). Note that you should NOT upload additional essays nor additional recommendations in this area. The Optional Information section is intended to provide the admissions committee with insight into your circumstances only. [/b]
[b]Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).[/b]
Fuqua stipulates a maximum length for its optional information submission of 500 words. This limit, plus the rather unequivocal clarification of what “NOT” to include, essentially confirm that the admissions committee is not interested in additional information from applicants who fear that not submitting an optional essay would somehow count against them and wants to reserve this essay exclusively for those who truly need it. So be judicious in your use of this opportunity, and submit additional information here only if you truly believe that explaining a key element of your story or profile is necessary for Fuqua to have a complete and accurate understanding of you as a candidate. Consider downloading a free copy of our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay (along with multiple sample essays) to help you mitigate any problem areas in your profile.

[b]Re-applicants: Candidates who applied to the Daytime MBA program between July 2021 and May 2022 are considered re-applicants. [/b]
[b]Re-applicant essay question: It is not uncommon for it to take more than one try to achieve a goal. Please share with us the self-reflection process that you underwent after last year’s application and how you have grown as a result. How did it shape your commitment to Fuqua and inspire your decision to reapply?[/b]
[b]Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).[/b]
If you are a reapplicant, we imagine that not being accepted to Fuqua when you had hoped (and maybe even expected) to be triggered some level of self-reflection, as the school’s prompt itself notes. With this question, Fuqua wants to know that you subsequently considered and evaluated the areas of your profile you believe were lacking in your previous attempt at gaining admission and have actively been taking steps to improve your candidacy accordingly. In short, the admissions committee is seeking evidence that you are convinced an MBA from Fuqua is vital to you and is expecting you to reassert your unwavering, if not redoubled, interest in the program. For this essay, you simply need to share what you realized about yourself when processing the school’s denial and describe the very deliberate path you have taken in the past year to position yourself for a better outcome this season.

The responses to this essay question will of course vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your Duke Fuqua Interview[/b]
[b] [/b]Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. And to help you develop this high level of preparation, we offer our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/collections/interview-guides]Interview Guides[/url][/b][b] [/b]to spur you along! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/duke-fuqua-interview-guide][b]Duke Fuqua Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Do Alumni Connections Help Get You Adm [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: Do Alumni Connections Help Get You Admitted?
From time to time, we at mbaMission visit admissions officers at the top-ranked business schools, which gives us the opportunity to ask rather frank questions. On one such visit, we urged an admissions officer to give us the truth about the extent of alumni influence in the admissions process, and the response we got was rather surprising: “We get ten letters each year from [a globally famous alumnus], telling us that this or that MBA candidate is the greatest thing since sliced bread. He gets upset when we don’t admit ‘his’ applicants, but what makes him think that he deserves to decide ten spots in our class?”

Many applicants fret about their lack of personal alumni connection with their target schools, and the myth persists that admission to business school is about who you know rather than who you are or what you can offer. Of course, these latter qualities are much more important, and a standout applicant who knows no graduates at all from the MBA program they are targeting is still a standout applicant and should get in—just as a weak applicant who knows a large number of alumni or a particularly well-known graduate is still a weak applicant and should not get in. Clearly, some extreme exceptions exist where influence can be exerted, but “standard” applicants do not need to worry that every seat at the top programs has already been claimed by someone with good connections.

Keep in mind that the admissions committees want to ensure that a diversity of ideas and experiences is represented in the classroom. Every top MBA class includes people from various socioeconomic backgrounds, nationalities, religions, professional backgrounds, ages, and so on. Harvard Business School, for example, has approximately 900 students in each incoming class, and the vast majority of these students do not personally know a CEO or the president of a country. And who knows—these days, such connections could even be a liability.
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Watch Our Exclusive Webinar with Admissions Directors from CBS, Yale S [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: Watch Our Exclusive Webinar with Admissions Directors from CBS, Yale SOM, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, and Chicago Booth!
Recently, mbaMission Founder/President Jeremy Shinewald hosted a webinar with admissions directors from Columbia Business School (CBS), Chicago Booth, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, and the Yale School of Management (SOM) to discuss the rapidly changing dynamics of the MBA application landscape as we are (hopefully) nearing the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic.

Our thanks go out to these experienced officers, who shared their expectations for the upcoming 2022–2023 admissions season:

[list]
[b]Dawna Clarke[/b], Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at the University of Virginia Darden School of Business[/*]
[b]Bruce DelMonico[/b], Assistant Dean for Admissions at the Yale School of Management[/*]
[b]Diana Economy[/b], Director of Full-Time MBA Admissions at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business[/*]
[b]Michael Robinson[/b], Senior Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School[/*]
[b]Donna Swinford[/b], Associate Dean for Student Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business[/*]
[/list]
We encourage you to watch the full recording of the webinar below or on our [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHZ8oJficwY&feature=youtu.be&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_noOTQzdh-dX3EzosbP2fX0uSww9f0JafohbfGPoQOyr7GLimBw3JJB3hSmuv36fDwlDMv]YouTube channel[/url][/b] to get the inside scoop on everything the admissions directors shared.



These are a few highlights from the session:

[list]
[*]All admissions directors were very excited to have been able to host graduation ceremonies on campus for the first time in a few years! Some also hosted in-person ceremonies for the Classes of 2020 and 2021 this year.[/*]
[*]Here is some of the most exciting news from each school: [b]Yale SOM[/b] recently completed its review of the MBA curriculum. At [b]Michigan Ross[/b], students and faculty are excited to kick-start international experiences again after hosting them virtually since 2020. At [b]CBS[/b], two new buildings—the Henry R. Kravis Hall and the David Geffen Hall—opened their doors in January. The [b]UVA Darden[/b] MBA application is live and available to applicants, and the school’s Powered by Purpose capital campaign, which will support scholarships in addition to other aspects, is nearing its $400M goal. And at [b]Chicago Booth[/b], the New Venture Challenge recently hosted its finals![/*]
[*][b]Diana Economy[/b] encouraged applicants to visit the [b]Michigan Ross[/b] campus in person whenever possible, but she unequivocally stated that visiting the campus does not affect applicants’ chances of acceptance. [b]Michael Robinson[/b] reminded applicants who plan to visit the [b]CBS[/b] campus to still do their due diligence regarding the school—he noted that a lot of information about schools is available online.[/*]
[*]In terms of the upcoming 2022–2023 application season, [b]Bruce DelMonico[/b] revealed that [b]Yale SOM[/b] has not decided whether it will host upcoming admissions interviews virtually or in person. [b]Dawna Clarke[/b] is hoping that [b]UVA Darden[/b] applicants will be able to choose from the two interview formats. [b]Michael Robinson[/b] said there may be a change in the [b]CBS[/b] essays to clarify the inclusion aspect in one of the prompts, but he could not confirm the changes yet.[/*]
[*]According to [b]Bruce DelMonico[/b], the [b]Yale SOM[/b] Round 2 is usually roughly half the size of Round 1 in terms of applicants. He noted that there is absolutely no advantage in applying in either round or in Round 3. [b]Diana Economy[/b] asked [b]Michigan Ross[/b] applicants to keep in mind that if they apply in Round 1, they may have to put down a rather sizable deposit if they are admitted—this means that applying to several schools in Round 1 might result in a tricky situation if an applicant gains admission to several schools. She also mentioned that fewer applicants are admitted in Round 3.[/*]
[*]Our panelists were unsure about whether we have a recession ahead of us, but they all agreed that now is an excellent time to apply to business schools. Many of the admissions directors reported that their post-graduation numbers are back to those of pre-pandemic days, and [b]Diana Economy[/b] noted that there is particularly high momentum for consulting at [b]Michigan Ross[/b] currently. [b]Dawna Clarke[/b] estimated that the next [b]UVA Darden[/b] admissions cycle will be as competitive as the most recent one.[/*]
[/list]
In the weeks since our broadcast, CBS, UVA Darden, and Yale SOM have released their application deadlines and essay questions for the 2022–2023 application season. We encourage you to check out our school-specific [b][url=https://www.mbamission.com/blog/mba-essay-tips/2022-2023/]essay tips and examples[/url][/b] and to bookmark our [b][url=https://www.mbamission.com/resources/deadlines/]Application Deadlines[/url][/b] page to stay up to date as more business schools begin releasing application information in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions about your MBA candidacy for the current or next application season, be sure to sign up for a [b][url=https://www.mbamission.com/consult.php?utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--Rve_dngeNaByfE7POTwu08ZPvXy_MIZxeUosQ_HMuLUtBb9ymJhPxFgudCZrcXbVdD1wW]free 30-minute consultation[/url][/b] to get personalized advice from one of mbaMission’s admissions experts!
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Getting the 80/80 Score on the GMAT [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: Getting the 80/80 Score on the GMAT
With regard to the GMAT, raw intellectual horsepower helps, but it is not everything. Manhattan Prep’s Stacey Koprince teaches you how to perform at your best on test day by using some common sense.

What is the “80/80”? All schools look at your overall three-digit GMAT score (the one given on the 200–800 scale). In addition, a few of the very top business schools, such as Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton, look for the 80/80 score: an 80th percentile score or higher on the individual Quant and Verbal subsections. Essentially, if someone hits a 700 but does so by scoring 99th percentile in one subsection and only 60-something in the other, the schools might be concerned about the lower-scoring area. From their point of view, an “80/80” minimum ensures that you have got a solid base in both areas.

What if I score in the 75th percentile?

The 80/80 guidelines are just that—guidelines. The schools do not use these parameters as a hard cutoff. In other words, a score in the 70s is generally fine, as long as the overall score is also within a school’s desired target range. If, on the other hand, the overall score is a bit low, the GPA is a bit low, and one or both of the GMAT subscores are low… Well, you still might get in, but doing so just became a lot harder.

What if I score in the 60s?

Unless there is something else that is stellar in your profile and can therefore offset this lower score, the 80/80 schools will likely be concerned about a Quant or Verbal percentile in the 60s—particularly so for Quant. For Verbal, they have a whole host of other tools with which to assess your communication skills, starting with your essays. A 60s (or lower) Quant score, though, could indicate that you will have trouble handling the quantitative portions of the MBA curriculum. You might be able to offset this concern if you can demonstrate that your current job involves significant quantitative components; make sure that your recommendations highlight your quant skills. Alternatively, perhaps you excelled in quant-focused classes in school (calculus, accounting, physics, statistics), and your transcripts show A grades.

If not, then something needs to be done. Two paths are possible here, and you can follow just one or both. First, the no-brainer: take the GMAT again and get a score in the 70s (or higher!). I call that a “no-brainer” in the sense that there is no question that you should try to do this. You might not succeed, though. An alternative, then, is to take a calculus or accounting class at a local university. If you do this, you must get an A; getting a B at this stage will not inspire confidence in the admissions staff. In addition, taking such a class will involve a decent amount of lead time; these classes often run over a period of two to four months, so this is not a last-minute solution.

The big picture? Ideally, get the GMAT done well in advance of admissions season so that you have ample time to address unexpected or unwelcome surprises during the process.
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How to Use Anecdotes and Captivate with Experience in Your MBA Applica [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Use Anecdotes and Captivate with Experience in Your MBA Application Essays
Many business school candidates take a straightforward, historical approach in their personal statement essays. Although this can be an easy way to organize an essay, it may deprive applicants of an opportunity to deliver a more focused and gripping introduction. Nothing is fundamentally wrong with taking a historical approach, of course, but an anecdotal approach can better maintain a reader’s interest in certain circumstances. Of course, this all comes down to execution.

Example: Historical

“When I graduated from New York University with a finance degree, I eschewed Wall Street and pursued my own distinct path; I opened a flower shop in midtown New York, never imagining the challenges I would face as I strived to bring in new customers and locate products around the world. With time, I learned to advertise selectively (on billboards in local office buildings) and developed relationships with suppliers, particularly one in Peru, with whom I obtained an exclusive on Heliconia flowers. After one year, we started to specialize in foreign flowers, and with a niche identified, we developed a strong client base. My firm stabilized, and I was no longer bleeding cash to support my 11 employees; we were cash-flow neutral and contemplating a new location.”

This introduction is very direct and informative but involves almost no drama or emotion. To be more effective, the writer might instead consider positioning themselves as “the hero” and drawing the reader in with some anecdotal tension.

Example: Anecdotal

“My hand quivered as I signed the lease for 1,000 square feet of retail space in midtown New York. Two months later, I threw open the doors to my flower shop and was stunned when I did not make a sale until my third day. Admittedly, I began to question the wisdom of entrepreneurship and wondered if I should have joined my peers from New York University’s finance program as an analyst on Wall Street instead. However, each day, a trickle of customers came in, and more often than not, they commented on the colorful and rare flowers in my window, like the Peruvian Heliconia, exclusive to my shop. Within weeks, I had core customers picking up scheduled orders and referring friends; I bolstered this ‘word of mouth’ with select advertising on electronic billboards in the four 50-story office towers surrounding the shop. Soon, I noticed a surge of customers and was no longer bleeding cash. After one year, we were cash-flow neutral, and I was even contemplating opening another location.”

In this version, the same information is conveyed, but the tension inherent in the “quivering hand” and the empty store acts as a “hook” to draw the reader in. By taking this more personal, emotional, and indeed anecdotal approach, the writer allows the reader to identify with their struggle and thereby maintains the reader’s interest. Again, this is not a case of right or wrong, and each MBA candidate should decide what works best in their own essays.

Indeed, our philosophy is that candidates should let their experiences, not just their word choices, captivate the admissions committees. Sometimes we find that applicants attempt to emphasize their actions with “extreme” adjectives and adverbs—an approach we strongly discourage.

Example: “As others withdrew their support, I remained remarkably dedicated to our crucial fundraising efforts. I dramatically increased my participation in our strategic planning meetings and insisted that we push forward with a wildly creative guerrilla marketing plan, which brought forth tremendous results—$1M in ‘instant’ proceeds.”

In these two sentences, the writer uses the descriptors “remarkably,” “dramatically,” “wildly,” and “tremendous” to make their impression. We find that a more effective approach is to eliminate these “extreme” descriptions and let the experiences do the “talking.”

Example: “As others withdrew their support, I remained dedicated to our fundraising efforts. I increased my participation in our strategic planning meetings and insisted that we push forward with a guerrilla marketing plan that brought $1M in ‘instant’ proceeds.”

In this second example, the writer does not need to say that the results were “tremendous,” because the $1M in proceeds speaks for itself; we do not need to be told that the marketing campaign was “wildly creative,” because this is implied in the nature of guerrilla marketing. In addition to truly showing a level of humility on the part of the candidate, this approach is also less wordy. Although the eight words saved in the latter example may seem inconsequential, we removed them from only two sentences. If you can remove four words from every sentence in your original draft, you could significantly but humbly augment your essay with other compelling ideas.
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Columbia Business Schools Financial Studies Program and Increasingly F [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: Columbia Business School’s Financial Studies Program and Increasingly Flexible Curriculum
Already well known as a finance powerhouse, Columbia Business School (CBS) stepped up its finance game in 2010 with the establishment of the Program for Financial Studies. This umbrella initiative connects faculty who approach financial studies from a variety of disciplines with students, alumni, and external organizations. The program’s main goals are to support research, to enhance the CBS finance curriculum and related resources, and to create opportunities for the exchange of ideas between CBS students and faculty and members of the external finance community. The program’s recent studies have included “ABC Coalition Game: Relationships and Bargaining,” “Amazon: Taking on India,” and “Anheuser-Busch InBev and ZX Ventures: Thirst for Self-Disruption.”

The structure of CBS’s core curriculum has also evolved throughout the years and now includes an increased emphasis on cross-disciplinary thinking. The program’s core courses utilize online teaching tools in an attempt to “free up more classroom time for deeper dives and discussions,” as a 2013 Poets&Quants article explained. In addition, students may take exemption exams in areas in which they are already proficient, thereby accessing the option to replace core courses with electives. This revised curriculum was developed in response to student feedback that a full term was not needed to cover the “core” elements in certain courses, and the change has given students significantly more flexibility in the first year.

CBS has attempted to find a middle ground where students learn what the school considers fundamentals while having the latitude to specialize, and anecdotally, students have responded favorably.

For a thorough exploration of what CBS has to offer, download a free copy of the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to Columbia Business School or one of our 16 other complimentary Insider’s Guides.
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How to Get Into Chicago Booth School of Business: Chicago Booth Essay [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Chicago Booth School of Business: Chicago Booth Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/155902_10153939359275402_1622823825_n.jpg?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/155902_10153939359275402_1622823825_n.jpg?resize=250%2C250&ssl=1[/img][/url]
The two required application essay prompts for the University of Chicago Booth School of Business complement each other well, allowing candidates to offer insight into both their professional lives and their personal lives. The school also offers applicants significant leeway in how thoroughly they want (or feel they need) to respond to the questions by stipulating a minimum word count of 250 but no maximum. That said, the admissions committee does include a “response guideline,” in which it encourages applicants to “think strategically” about how long their essays ultimately are. No doubt Chicago Booth is interested in learning more about you and your story (that fits the given question, of course) but is simultaneously not interested in learning absolutely everything you can think of to share. Our full essay analysis follows.

Chicago Booth 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]Response Guidelines: We trust that you will use your best judgment in determining how long your submission should be, but we recommend that you think strategically about how to best allocate the space.[/b]
[b]Essay 1: How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum)[/b]
If this essay prompt seems rather simplistic and straightforward, that is because it is. Chicago Booth is requesting very fundamental—yet incredibly important—information and really just wants you to provide it so the school can understand your motivation for pursuing an MBA from its program and where you expect to go in your career afterward. Be as specific as possible in your description of where you see yourself after graduation and several years down the line, from the industry and role to any additional details about which you currently feel confident (perhaps specific companies or responsibilities that appeal to you in particular). Explain what has brought you to this point in your professional life, not only your career progression to date but also what has inspired you to earn an advanced degree as a vital tool in moving forward. And ideally, take the extra step of noting which of the program’s resources you believe will be most helpful to you in your pursuits. To be effective, this needs to be more than a passing mention, so do your research on the school and draw a clear picture for your admissions reader as to how and why the particular offerings you have identified relate directly to your needs and how you intend to apply them.

This essay includes many of the most elemental components of a traditional personal statement essay. We therefore encourage you to download your free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/url][/b], in which we provide much more in-depth guidance on how to consider and respond to these sorts of questions, along with numerous illustrative examples.

[b]Essay 2: An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)[/b]
As we have seen, Chicago Booth’s first essay question focuses specifically on candidates’ professional paths and aspirations, and with this prompt, the admissions committee is very explicitly directing applicants to discuss their personas and lives, separate from the workplace. The school is essentially asking for whatever information or insight you believe it needs to understand you more fully as an individual and to be able to evaluate you thoroughly and fairly.

The admissions committee will already have a lot of information about you that it can and will use to get to know you better, including your resume, extracurricular activities, recommendations, short-answer question responses, and academic transcripts. You should therefore approach this essay by first thinking about what these portions of your application convey about who you are. Whatever you discuss should complement that information and help provide the school with a more well-rounded impression of you. Do not use this essay to pander to the school or make a general pitch for your candidacy or why you need an MBA. The focus needs to be on you and on giving the admissions committee a new window into your profile. Consider elements of your personality that you feel are particularly revelatory of who you are as an individual (e.g., values, hobbies, skills) as well as significant instances from your past that illustrate something about you or influenced the person you are today (e.g., accomplishments, excursions, milestones). The ideas about which you feel most enthusiastic are likely your best options and should also be the easiest to write about.

You might also consider giving some thought to which elements of your persona or background mesh best with the Chicago Booth experience. (Dig deeper into what life at the school is really like by reading student blogs, perusing discussion boards, catching up on press releases from the school, watching videos on , and downloading a free copy of the mbaMission [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/university-of-chicago-booth-school-of-business-insider-s-guide]Insider’s Guide to the Booth School of Business[/url][/b].) If you are struggling to decide among several topic options, selecting one that aligns with Chicago Booth’s character or with specific offerings could help to illustrate your fit with the program.

In the end, as with all application essays (no matter the school), what you want to convey most is authenticity. Do not get caught up in trying to say what you think the admissions committee wants to hear or writing in a way that is incongruent with your natural communication style. And avoid just indiscriminately relating as much information as possible about yourself in hopes of stumbling on the “right” answers. Writing with sincerity and letting your true self shine through will make your essay its most compelling and memorable.

[b]Optional Question: Is there any unclear information in your application that needs further explanation? (Maximum 300 words)[/b]
Chicago Booth’s optional essay prompt is a little quirky in that the admissions committee uses the word “unclear,” which to us says, “Don’t share additional information just to ‘sell’ your candidacy. Use this space only to address a problem area.” So let us be especially clear: however tempted you may be, do not simply submit a strong essay you wrote for another school or offer a few anecdotes you were unable to include in your required essays. This is your opportunity to address—if you need to—any lingering questions that an admissions officer might have about your candidacy, such as a low GMAT or GRE score, a poor grade or overall GPA, or a gap in your work experience. For more guidance, we encourage you to download your free copy of our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, along with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application.

[b]Reapplicant Question: Upon reflection, how has your perspective regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or getting an MBA changed since the time of your last application? (Maximum 300 words)[/b]
With this essay question, Chicago Booth is testing your resolve and your reasoning. We surmise that the admissions committee wants to be certain you are not just stubbornly following a path and trying to “finish what you started,” so to speak, but that you have truly reassessed your needs in the aftermath of your unfortunate rejection. We recommend that you discuss your subsequent growth and development as they pertain to additional personal and professional discovery, which validates your need for an MBA. In the interim, some of your interests or goals might have changed—that is not a bad thing, and the admissions committee will not automatically assume that you are “wishy-washy,” unless you give them good reason to do so. Just be sure that any of your updated goals still logically connect to your overall story and desire for an MBA. Your aspirations—new or original—need to represent a compelling progression of the growth you have achieved in the past year.   

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your Chicago Booth Interview[/b]
Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. And, on your way to this high level of preparation, we offer our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/collections/interview-guides]free Interview Guides[/url][/b] to spur you along! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/chicago-booth-school-of-business-interview-guide][b]Chicago Booth School of Business Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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How to Get Into Ross School of Business: Michigan Ross Essay Tips and [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Ross School of Business: Michigan Ross Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/U-Mich-Ross.png?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/U-Mich-Ross.png?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1[/img][/url]
In our view, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan takes a very no-nonsense, just-the-facts approach to its application essays (even the scope of its optional essay is relatively narrow). The school presents three “short answer” questions, giving candidates a choice of prompts for each of the first two, and asks applicants to submit what are essentially mini essays of just 100 words. In Ross’s (again concise) 175-word-total career “essay,” candidates share and explain their short-term professional aspirations, thereby demonstrating for the admissions committee that they have a plan in mind and have given serious thought to why they need a Ross MBA to achieve their goal. No specific word limit is stated for the optional essay, but applicants are gently encouraged to use bullet points in their response, reinforcing our impression that the program really just wants the key facts about its candidates, without any extraneous filler. Read on for our full analysis of the school’s 2022–2023 essay prompts.

Michigan Ross 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]Part 1: Short Answers[/b]
[b]Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total).[/b]

[b]Group 1[/b]
[b]I want people to know that I:[/b]
[b]I made a difference when I:[/b]
[b]I was aware that I was different when:[/b]

[b]Group 2[/b]
[b]I was out of my comfort zone when:[/b]
[b]I was humbled when:[/b]
[b]I was challenged when:[/b]
The Ross admissions committee clearly hopes these mini essays will reveal distinctive facets of applicants’ personalities in a straightforward manner, unencumbered by any unnecessary wordiness. Given the mere 100-word maximum for each, you might be tempted to just jump in and start writing, but thinking strategically about who you are as an applicant is critical here.

We encourage you to first consider very carefully which option within each group feels most authentic to and revelatory of who you are as an individual. Then, thoroughly and thoughtfully brainstorm to identify your strongest possible responses. You want to be able to “own” your answer—as we like to say—meaning that no other applicant could write the same thing as you do. Using the second prompt of the first group as an example (“I made a difference when I…”), writing something like “gave back to my community by volunteering with the local homeless shelter” would be far too general a response and could likely be stated by multiple applicants. Instead, something much more specific like “dedicated every Saturday morning for three years to helping cook and serve breakfast at the local homeless shelter, where I also instituted a bulk-shopping plan that saved hundreds of dollars each year on supplies” would stand out for its originality and paint a clearer picture of the candidate who wrote it with respect to their values, dedication, and fiscal creativity. In addition, using a narrative approach is a good way to paint a dynamic picture of how you conduct yourself and to engage your reader with a compelling story that has a clear beginning, middle, and end. If you choose to simply discuss a trait without a narrative, you could risk sounding as though you are bragging, and this would be a wasted opportunity for the admissions reader to get to know you in more depth.

When you are done writing, take a look at your responses and see whether they are complementary of one another. If they seem repetitive or focus on the same general idea, story, or area of your life, you should probably rewrite one. Your goal is to have each response reveal something new and interesting about you. Another factor to consider is everything the admissions committee will already know about you from the other portions of your application; you do not want to miss this chance to paint a well-rounded picture of yourself by repeating information available elsewhere in your profile.

So, to recap, you want your responses to (1) genuinely reflect who you are as a candidate and be as specific to you alone as possible; (2) present a narrative that allows the reader to walk in your shoes, so to speak; (3) be complementary of each other, with each one revealing something different about you; and (4) not repeat an aspect of your profile that is already well explained or represented in a different part of your application.

[b]Part 2: Short-answer question[/b]
[b]Pick one thing from your resume and tell us more. (100 words)[/b]
For this mini essay, you will of course want to focus on a positive situation or standout accomplishment. However, do not immediately default to what we would call “low-hanging fruit”—the deal with the largest monetary value involved or your most significant promotion, for example. In the end, such a choice might prove to be precisely the right one to discuss, but to ensure that you are focusing on the very best possible story for this submission, you should spend some time thinking through your options more broadly and profoundly. You want whatever you ultimately choose to not just impress and/or intrigue the admissions reader but to also reveal more about who you are as an individual, what you can bring to the Ross community, and what kind of potential you possess.

Keep in mind that the accomplishment or opportunity you discuss will give the admissions committee insight into your values and priorities by revealing what kind of experiences resonate most with you and make you feel proud. And in discussing your chosen incident or achievement, you need to go beyond simply describing wat happened and also convey your working style and thought processes. Explain why it was important both to the organization and to you personally, clarify your role and contributions, and perhaps even note what you learned. Because you do not have a lot of room here, you need to really zero in on the parts of the story that are specific to you.

If you are a career changer, consider highlighting an accomplishment or event that could apply to your new path or role, which will help convince the admissions committee that you are equipped to make this transition successfully. Or you might choose something less common that would make you an interesting and valuable member of the class and position you to contribute to the educational community/classroom experience in a unique way. Again, this is not simply an invitation to brag about a success or role that anyone would objectively view in a positive light; it is an opportunity to give the Ross admissions committee a fuller sense of who you are as a professional and what you are capable of.

[b]​Part 3: Career Goal[/b]
[b]What is your short-term career goal? (25 words)[/b]
[b]Why is this the right short-term goal for you? (150 words) [/b]
With just 175 words total, you do not have any space to waste here, so you must present your answer as directly and thoroughly as possible—and give the admissions committee what it wants! In the past, the Ross admissions office has expressed a preference for responses that concentrate more on the “why” than on the “what,” which is likely why this prompt has been separated into two parts this season. The school is now prescribing just how much space candidates have for each response to ensure they do indeed focus on the information the committee wants to learn.

To effectively convey the “why” element, you should include a little context for your stated goal so that your career path makes sense. Stating your goals in a vacuum, without any connection to where you have been, can be a bit confusing for the reader, especially if you are a career changer. For example, imagine that you plan to move from consumer marketing to equity research for consumer goods companies after graduating. If you were to simply state, “Post-MBA, I want to join a boutique equity research firm” as your opening sentence, your reader could be left wondering where this interest comes from. But if you were to instead write, “For the past four years, I have basically lived and breathed Fruity Pebbles. I now understand how the tiniest increase in coconut oil prices or a ten-cent competitor’s coupon can affect a product’s margins. I have subsequently become obsessed with the big data that drive computer goods and want to spend the next phase of my career in equity research, helping investors understand the riddle.” These are two very different answers, all because of some helpful context. From here, you can delve deeper into why equity research is right for you—how you intend to grow in your role and further develop your passion for the position.

Michigan Ross does not ask you why its program is the right one for you, but we encourage you to nevertheless note a specific resource (or two, if space allows) at the school that would enable you to make this professional goal a reality. Remember to not just tout stereotypes but truly integrate your mention of these resources into your essay in a way that shows true professional need. We explain these concepts and how to achieve them in more detail in our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/url][/b], which is available free of charge, so download your complimentary copy today!

And for a thorough exploration of Michigan Ross’s academic program/merits, social life, unique offerings, and other key characteristics, check out the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/university-of-michigan-ross-school-of-business-insider-s-guide]mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the University of Michigan’s Stephen M. Ross School of Business[/url][/b], which is also available for free.

[b]Optional Statement[/b]
[b]Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate. [/b]
Michigan Ross has tightly worded its optional essay prompt to  specify that this essay is intended to give candidates space to address unclear or problem areas in their profiles and is not an open invitation to discuss anything more they wish to share with the admissions committee. The directive about bullet points seems to be a not-too-veiled implication that the school wants you to focus on imparting key information rather than offering a detailed and longwinded explanation of the issue in question. This is absolutely not the time or place to share another cool story or otherwise try to impress or pander to the admissions committee. If you do not truly need to explain an issue or potentially confusing element of your candidacy, we recommend that you not submit an option essay; if you do have issues to clarify, keep things concise. In our free [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, including multiple examples.

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your Michigan Ross Interview[/b]
Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Guides to spur you along! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/michigan-ross-interview-guide][b]Michigan Ross Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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How to Get Into Johnson Graduate School of Management: Cornell Johnson [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Johnson Graduate School of Management: Cornell Johnson Essay and Examples
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With its straightforward goals statement and single required essay, the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University seems interested in getting right to the heart of the issues it considers most valuable in evaluating its applicants. The admissions committee wants to first know your professional aspirations and motivations for pursuing an MBA degree and then how you see yourself being a contributing member of the Johnson community. An optional essay is available, if needed, to address the usual topics of problematic candidacy issues or any outstanding qualifications that are not represented elsewhere in one’s application. Read on for our full analysis of Cornell Johnson’s application essay questions for 2022–2023.

Cornell Johnson 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]Goals Statement: A statement of your goals will begin a conversation that will last throughout the admissions process and guide your steps during the MBA program and experience. To the best of your understanding today, please share your short and long term goals by completing the following sentences and answering the enclosed short answer question (350 words maximum):[/b]
[b]Immediately post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].[/b]
[b]Targeted Job Role:[/b]
[b]Target Job Company:[/b]
[b]Industry:[/b]
[b]In 5–10 years post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].[/b]
[b]Targeted Job Role:[/b]
[b]Target Job Company:[/b]
[b]Industry:[/b]
[b]How has your experience prepared and encouraged you to pursue these goals?[/b]
With this incredibly direct approach to gathering information about candidates’ professional goals, Cornell Johnson is clearly conveying a desire for information only. The school states in the preamble to this prompt, “If you’re invited to interview, you will have the opportunity to elaborate further,” signaling to us that the admissions committee really wants just the facts here. So, respect both the format and the school and be as direct and clear as possible, saving any embellishment or additional explanation for another time.

That said, the inclusion of the mini essay prompt indicates that the admissions committee wants to have some context for your stated aspirations, so do your best within the 350-word allowance to be thorough and clearly connect the dots between where you have been and where you are striving to go. An effective response will provide evidence that you (1) have done your research as to what is required to attain your goals, (2) recognize where you are on that trajectory (what skills and experience you already possess that are key to success in your desired roles and field), and, to some degree, (3) understand why/how attaining an MBA from Cornell Johnson will move you further in the right direction.

Although this prompt is not a request for a full-length personal essay, we offer a number of tips and examples in our free [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/url][/b] that could be helpful in crafting your responses. We encourage you to download your complimentary copy today.

[b]Essay 1 – Impact Essay: This essay is designed to explore the intersection of engagement and community culture. Our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. To help you explore your potential for impact, we encourage you to [url=https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/community-search-tool/]engage with our students[/url], alumni, faculty, and professional staff before submitting your application. You may choose to connect with them via email or phone or in person during one of our on-campus or off-campus events. As you seek their input and insight, please be respectful of their time and prepare a few discussion points or questions in advance.[/b]
[b]At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. Taking into consideration your background, how do you intend to make a meaningful impact on an elite MBA community? (350 words maximum) [/b]
Note that with this essay prompt, the school is not asking you to discuss a time in the past when you have made an impact but rather about your expected impact going forward, and specifically as part of the Cornell Johnson community. We always encourage candidates to connect with students, alumni, and others in an MBA program’s greater community when preparing their application, but in this case, Cornell is essentially demanding that you do so with its rather forthright “encouragement” and direct link to the resources it offers to facilitate such connections. If you have not already been making these kinds of connections, now (immediately) is the time to get busy. The admissions committee undoubtedly expects your efforts to yield useful insights, so saying that you have merely contacted a few people will not suffice. You need to show that the insider information you subsequently received has further solidified your choice to pursue an MBA at Cornell Johnson by discussing the ways and areas in which you now feel you can contribute to it.

The school’s specification that you reflect on your past as you determine your best way of adding to the Johnson community means that you need to provide some context for your proposed idea(s) that proves that you are equipped to follow through on your plans. If nothing in the rest of your application indicates that you have experience doing what you say you will do at Johnson, or that you possess the necessary capabilities or qualities, the admissions committee will have difficulty believing that you are being authentic—and might even suspect that you are offering a response you think “sounds good” rather than one rooted in reality and actual possibility. So, we recommend first familiarizing yourself with the Johnson MBA experience well beyond what the school offers in its promotional materials (e.g., read press releases, news stories, and student blogs; check out the [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/c/CornellSCJohnsonCollegeofBusiness]Cornell Johnson YouTube[/url][/b] channel) and identify elements that resonate with you. Then use that information and inspiration to prepare for thoughtful, productive conversations with multiple members of the Johnson community. And finally, use this essay to reveal what you have learned, the ideas you have developed as a result, and the reasons and ways you are prepared to put those ideas into action at Johnson.

[b]Optional Essay (required for reapplicants): You may use this essay to call attention to items needing clarification and to add additional details to any aspects of your application that do not accurately reflect your potential for success at Johnson (350 words maximum). [/b]
[b]If you are reapplying for admission, please use this essay to indicate how you have strengthened your application since the last time you applied for admission. Please also review our Application Guide for additional information about reapplying. (350 words maximum)[/b]
If you are a Cornell Johnson reapplicant, this essay should be pretty straightforward. Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. The school wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a Cornell Johnson MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.

If you are not a reapplicant, Johnson’s optional essay prompt gives you the typical opportunity—if needed—to address any lingering questions that an admissions officer might have about your candidacy, such as a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, or a gap in your work experience. Yet it is sufficiently broad to also allow you to emphasize or explain something that if omitted would render your application incomplete. We caution you against simply trying to fill this space because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. And of course, however tempted you might be, this is not the place to reuse a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer a few anecdotes you were unable to include elsewhere in your application. Keep in mind that by submitting an optional essay, you are requiring the already overtaxed admissions readers to do additional work, so avoid being overly verbose or sharing more information than is truly necessary. You must ensure that the admissions committee’s extra time and effort are truly warranted, so write just a very brief piece to explain your troublesome issue or offer the essential (and otherwise uncommunicated) aspect of your profile. If you feel you might have a reason to submit this additional essay, we encourage you to download our free [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, along with multiple illustrative examples.

[b]Park Leadership Fellows Program Essay Prompt: Describe a past formal or informal leadership experience and how it informs your goals for growth as a leader.  How would the [url=https://www.johnson.cornell.edu/programs/full-time-mba/two-year-mba/curriculum/leadership/leadership-opportunities/park-leadership-fellows-program/]Park Leadership Fellowship[/url] assist with these goals? (500-word limit)[/b]
This is a fairly straightforward essay prompt, and we recommend responding in an equally straightforward manner. Launch directly into the story of your leadership experience, and detail the specific actions you took in directing others in pursuit of a desired result. We recommend using a narrative approach to present your story, but be sure to also share the thought process and motivation(s) behind your actions. This way, the admissions committee will take away a clearer picture of the aspects of your character that inspired you and guided your actions and decisions. Note that Johnson recognizes that the leadership experience you share could have been a less formal one. Leadership does not need to have an official title attached to it, and it can be expressed in a community service or even family life setting just as much as in a workplace, so explore all the different areas of your life for possible stories.

A particularly important element of this essay is showing that you recognize where your leadership skills can improve and why doing so is important for your long-term success. Although you are expected to discuss areas for development, take care not to deride your strengths. Rather than solely discussing the ways in which you are lacking as a leader, focus on the ways you could become a more complete and capable one. Equally important is tying your educational and experiential needs to the Park Leadership Fellows Program specifically, so of course, your first step (if you have not already done so) is to familiarize yourself thoroughly with what this program entails and provides. Then, in your response, you will need to draw clear connections between the areas you hope to strengthen and the offerings in this program that will enable you to do so.

For a thorough exploration of Johnson’s academic offerings, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, community/environment, and other key facets of the program, please download your free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/samuel-curtis-johnson-graduate-school-of-management]mbaMission Insider’s Guide to Samuel Curtis Johnson School of Management[/url][/b].

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your Cornell Johnson Interview[/b]
Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Guides to spur you along! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/cornell-johnson-graduate-school-of-management-interview-guide][b]Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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Full-Time MBA versus Part-Time MBA versus Executive MBA [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: Full-Time MBA versus Part-Time MBA versus Executive MBA
When you are considering your options for earning your MBA, you have three primary types of programs to choose from: full-time, part-time, and executive. So what distinguishes each of these MBA program types from the others?

Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, or Executive MBA?


Generally speaking, full-time MBA programs are two-year, location-based, fix-cohort programs. This means you will study on one campus for two years and graduate with the class you started the program with. Every student lives the same experience, so you build strong bonds with your classmates, almost all of whom are in their mid to late 20s, and all of whom left their full-time jobs and incomes to invest themselves in their business school pursuits. A full-time MBA program is all-encompassing. Students are all in, so to speak.

Part-time MBA programs, on the other hand, are not as structured as full-time programs are. Instead of a fixed two-year commitment, part-time MBA students earn their degree in three, four, five, or even six years. Because many students in part-time programs pace their studies differently, they do not become as closely bonded with their fellow students during or after the program; they are not necessarily going to graduate alongside the same students they started the program with. Part-time MBA students keep their jobs while they pursue the degree, so they do not lose any years of income, which often allows them to see a higher immediate ROI for their decision. With respect to candidates, part-time MBA programs and full-time programs attract a similar demographic, but the experience is clearly quite different.

Executive MBA (EMBA) programs cater to a different demographic…executives! These students are generally further along in their careers, often having 10–15 years of work experience and a track record of making strategic decisions and managing people. This means that EMBA students are typically a bit older than full-time or part-time MBA students. EMBA students keep their jobs and usually attend classes in weeklong bursts and on alternating weekends. So, the format essentially involves part-time study, but students have a cohort experience in which they start and finish the program with the same class. Like full-time MBA programs, EMBA programs foster strong interpersonal bonds among students and help them build a network. Finally, EMBA programs tend to involve a significant amount of global travel throughout the program, so you are more likely to have this automatically included in your experience, which most students really enjoy!

MBA
PT MBA
EMBA

Location
Fixed
Fixed
Fluid (relative)

Commitment
2 years
2–6 years
1–2 years

Fixed Cohort
Yes
No
Yes

Employed During Program
No
Yes
Yes

Stage of Career
4–6 years
4–8 years
10–15 years

Management Experience
Preferred
Preferred
Mandatory

Career Changers
Yes/No
Yes/No
No

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How to Get Into MIT Sloan School of Management: MIT Sloan Essay Tips a [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into MIT Sloan School of Management: MIT Sloan Essay Tips and Examples
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Rather than framing its required application essay as a traditional “essay,” the MIT Sloan School of Management instead requests that applicants submit a “cover letter,” including even the standard formal correspondence elements of an address and opening salutation. Writing cover letters will undoubtedly be a large part of students’ career development efforts at Sloan, after all, so why not start now? Candidates must also submit a one-minute self-introduction video in which they are expected to convey their personality and basically “be themselves.” Some MBA programs use video essays to evaluate candidates’ communication skills, grace under pressure, and potential to contribute to classroom discussions, and even though Sloan’s admissions committee will likely be able to glean hints about these qualities through its video, its primary purpose appears to be to reveal who the school’s applicants are as living, breathing people, rather than one-dimensional aggregates of words and numbers in a folder. As we have noted in the past, while somewhat unorthodox, the school’s “essays” allow applicants to deliver a balanced view of their professional and personal profiles, with a good amount of leeway for creativity. Read on for our full analysis of MIT Sloan’s application prompts for 2022–2023.

MIT Sloan 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]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 preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.[/b]
[b]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 Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).[/b]
To start, we strongly advise that you avoid beginning your letter with a rote opening like “My name is , and I am seeking a place in the MIT Sloan Class of 2025.” Your admissions reader will likely be asleep before they even finish the sentence! Such information is obvious—we can assure you that the admissions reader is well aware of your desire to be admitted to the MIT Sloan program—and is therefore a waste of precious word count, not to mention that it is hardly the kind of gripping opening that will grab and hold someone’s attention.

The broad scope of this essay prompt allows you a great amount of freedom to choose and share the information you believe is most important for your candidacy. The 300-word maximum is equal to roughly three short paragraphs. Including specific examples of impact and leadership that clearly illustrate that you possess the qualities discussed in the prompt is crucial (we would encourage you to share at least two). Informal guidance provided by MIT Sloan’s admissions committee after the initial release of this essay question in 2017 indicated that applicants should focus on sharing their personal experiences, accomplishments, values, viewpoints, and/or skills to demonstrate (1) what they can contribute to the school’s greater community as a result and (2) why Sloan’s MBA program in particular is the best one for them. The school does not ask you to outline your post-MBA goals, but if doing so allows you to better substantiate your need or desire for a Sloan MBA specifically, a (very) brief explanation of your aspirations could be appropriate and useful.

After discussing your accomplishments—being careful not to brag!—along with any other elements of your profile that you feel make you a strong candidate for the MIT Sloan MBA program, strive to relate these achievements and qualities to the school’s offerings and community. Citing specific courses, experiential opportunities, or other relevant resources can help you make a compelling case for your spot in the next incoming class. For a thorough exploration of the MIT Sloan academic program, unique offerings, social life, and other key characteristics, be sure to download a free copy of the [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mit-sloan-school-of-management-insider-s-guide]mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the MIT Sloan School of Management[/url][/b].

[b]VIDEO: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you! Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:[/b]
[b]No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length[/b]

[b]Single take (no editing)[/b]

[b]Speaking directly to the camera[/b]

[b]Do not include background music or subtitles[/b]
Before you do anything else, stop and take a deep, cleansing breath. We know video essays can be scary, but MIT Sloan is not trying to stress you out. The admissions committee just wants a more dynamic representation of your personality than a written essay can provide, so your primary goal is simply to be as authentic and natural as possible. This is not a job interview, and you are instructed to consider your fellow students your intended audience, which certainly implies that a less rigid and traditionally “professional” demeanor is okay, though you should obviously never be inappropriate or offensive. Do not concern yourself with trying to say the “right” things in your video. The topic here is one you know very well—you! A good brainstorming tactic is to imagine meeting someone for the first time at a party or other event and to think about the kinds of questions you might ask one another in the process of getting acquainted. What kind of information would you want to know about this person, and what facts about yourself would you be most eager to share, as a way of conveying who you are and making a connection? (You can even Google “icebreaker questions” to find examples of these sorts of questions.) Take some time to delve into your personality in this way.

The admissions committee’s enthusiasm comes through very clearly in this prompt, and we encourage you to make sure your own enthusiasm comes through just as clearly in your video. In 2019, [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izfTneUk2M4]Sloan’s associate director of admissions noted[/url][/b] that this submission is “one of [their] favorite components in the application,” and we are pretty confident that is not because these videos tend to be stiff, boring recitations of applicants’ resumes and cloying compliments of the school. Spend some time really delving into what makes you you, what you are proud of, what you get excited about, what you like about yourself and feel you can offer to those around you—all the elements that make you the individual you are today. This is the content that will breathe life into your application. For further inspiration, consider asking your family members and friends how they would describe you to someone who had never met you and what they believe are your standout qualities, abilities, and/or accomplishments. Such outside perspectives can be inspiring and can alert you to compelling points you might have otherwise disregarded or forgotten.

Even though in the scenario the school presents, you are supposed to be addressing your fellow students, your actual audience will be the admissions committee, so keep in mind what the school will already have learned about you from your cover letter essay and the other portions of your application. If you have a particularly significant story or relevant aspect of your candidacy that you have not been able to convey elsewhere in your materials, this could be a great opportunity to share it (though this would not be the time or place to explain any problematic issues). Also, avoid pandering to the school or expressing your generic admiration for the program. You have only one minute in which to make an impression, and even without knowing you personally, we are confident that you have more to your character than can be conveyed in a mere 60 seconds—so do not waste any of them!

Given that this is a video, you will want to pay some extra attention to the clothing you will wear, your tone of voice, your language style, and other such details. In the end, your message is what is most important, so no fancy bells or whistles are needed, but if you are a more creative type, you might consider ways of nonverbally communicating some of your strongest attributes and key aspects of your life to help permeate your submission with as much information as possible. For example, if you are an avid cook, consider filming your video while standing in a kitchen, perhaps wearing an apron (if you typically do so) and surrounded by the ingredients and tools you need to create one of your favorite recipes. If you are a dedicated guitar player, perhaps hold your guitar as you speak. If you are especially confident, you could even sing about yourself! In short, think about what makes you who you are today, decide what you most want to share with your future classmates, and then let your creativity flow.

On a practical note, be sure to speak clearly. You naturally do not want any part of your message to be lost or misunderstood, and the admissions committee could view your communication skills and style as indicators of how you might interact with your classmates and/or speak in the classroom. Although we recommend spending some time practicing in front of a mirror or a friend, do not over-rehearse, and avoid simply reading from a prepared script. You want to come across as genuine as possible so the admissions committee can “meet” the real you.

[b]Optional Short Answer Question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity, please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background. (250 words)[/b]
[b]This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.[/b]
Although the Sloan admissions committee is very explicit in spelling out that this indeed is an optional portion of the application and that candidates will not gain (or lose) in any way if they choose to respond to this prompt (or not), we have little doubt that quite a few applicants will panic at the thought of not submitting something. Believe us when we say that you can trust the admissions committee and be confident that the school is not trying to trick or test you in any way. (If this were a test of any kind—and again, it is not—it would be of your ability to assess and respond to such opportunities appropriately, meaning knowing when to provide more information and when to leave well enough alone.) The obvious truth is that everyone is shaped by their background, but not everyone will have a worthwhile story to share for this mini essay. If you do, the admissions committee simply wants to leave the door open for you to do so. But do not force the issue.

If an aspect of your background has pushed you to develop a certain appreciation, value, or skill that is not otherwise conveyed in your application but is central to who you are and how you conduct yourself in the world, that might be worth discussing here. If you have something in your character that is perhaps more lighthearted but stems from an aspect of your upbringing or environment and would help demonstrate that you are a multifaceted individual who can add an interesting new element to the next incoming class, that, too, could be a fitting topic for this mini essay. The bottom line is to ensure that if you choose to respond to this prompt, you offer the admissions committee something that is truly additive to your profile and will help them better understand who you are and what you have to offer for the Sloan community and perhaps even the broader world post-MBA.

[b]Reapplicants: We strongly encourage you to submit new application materials and emphasize what has changed since you last applied. Re-applicants may submit their applications in any round, and will have an opportunity to highlight changes since their previous application in a short-answer question.[/b]
Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success this time around is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. MIT Sloan wants to know that you have been continuing to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the time since you last applied to do so, because earning an MIT Sloan MBA is important to you. Make sure the admissions committee is fully aware of any significant work you have done and progress you have made since your previous application.

Those candidates fortunate enough to be invited to interview at MIT Sloan (congratulations!) must respond to two additional essay questions.

[b]Pre-Interview Essay 1: The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.[/b]
The key with this submission is showing initiative and input on behalf of others and making sure your actions and motivations are readily understood. In business school—as in life in general—you will encounter people who think differently from you, operate according to different values, and react differently to the same stimuli. And success in an endeavor often involves evaluating and even incorporating the views of others. With this pre-interview essay, MIT Sloan is hoping to learn how you view and respond to such differences, using the principle that past behavior is a fairly reliable predictor of future behavior. In the MIT Sloan MBA program, you will be surrounded every day by people who are unlike you in a multitude of ways, and you will need to work in tandem with and alongside these individuals when analyzing case studies, completing group projects, and participating in other activities both inside and outside the classroom. Note, however, that the essay prompt is not about simply participating in a diverse and inclusive culture but actually helping to cultivate one. The admissions committee wants to know that you are comfortable within such a dynamic, of course, but seems especially interested in hearing about a time when you stepped up to actively bring various people together in a harmonious and productive way.

MIT Sloan does not specify that you must have led the effort you are describing, though an example in which you have played a leadership role would be ideal if you have one. What you do have to do, in any case, is be sure that both the extent and the nature of your particular contribution to the project or event is front and center. The school does stipulate that the incident you share involve “a work environment or organization,” so your selected story should not be about a time you did something of this nature completely independently. Perhaps, for example, you organized (or helped organize) a welcome-our-new hires potluck for your department after a number of new employees joined the team. Or maybe you instituted (or participated significantly in) a mentorship program at your company, in which employees with different tasks and personal backgrounds were matched to learn from and support one another. Whatever your story, we recommend using a narrative approach to present it, while also conveying the thought process and motivation(s) behind your actions. This way, the admissions committee will take away both a clear picture of what you accomplished and the aspects of your character that inspired you and enabled your success.

[b]Pre-Interview Essay 2: We are interested in learning more about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:[/b]
[b]-In 250 words to less, please describe a recent data driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF. [/b]
[b]-Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research.[/b]
The important thing to understand here is that with these prompts, MIT Sloan is testing not your ability to present data but rather your ability to use data to make decisions and to explain the data in a way that is understandable to the non-quantitatively minded. To craft an effective response, you need to create a data visualization that is clean, clear, and easy to digest. The admissions committee wants evidence that you can communicate complex ideas in simple ways—or even simple ideas in compelling ways.

We suggest you start by identifying a difficult problem you recently solved or considered at length. What were the factors involved in helping you reach your final solution or conclusion? Some were undoubtedly qualitative (what your instincts told you with respect to the situation), but many, if not most, were based on the facts, numbers, and other data involved. How was your decision-making process driven by these numbers or data? And which numbers and data? Once you have determined the answers to these questions, you will have the foundation for your submission. Your next challenge is determining the best way of presenting the data so that anyone can understand it, and this part is key. If you opt for an overly complicated or sophisticated visualization, perhaps thinking you might impress the admissions committee with your advanced analytic capabilities, you will end up with a slide that is opaque and confusing—and that will not likely bring you the response you want. Instead, imagine that you were drawing a diagram for a ten-year-old (or at least someone with absolutely no knowledge of your area of expertise) to understand; what would it look like? A regression scatter plot? Probably not. Two bar charts? That sounds about right.

Similarly, crafting and presenting your chosen situation using a narrative format will make your essay both more compelling and more accessible. Consider starting with the 250-word essay, and strive to clearly describe the problem you addressed, the factors you considered in reaching your ultimate solution/resolution, and why these factors were central to your decision(s). Then, create a diagram that uses data points to illustrate how you came to that conclusion. Remember, the enemy here is being overly sophisticated in your diagram. Presenting a straightforward argument supported by a clean, accessible diagram is your goal.

[b]The Next Step: Mastering Your MIT Sloan Interview[/b]
 Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Guides to spur you along! Download your free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mit-sloan-school-of-management-interview-guide][b]MIT Sloan School of Management Interview Guide[/b][/url] today.
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into London Business School: LBS Essay Tips and Examples

London Business School (LBS) has been posing the same application essay question since 2015. Clearly, the admissions committee feels the prompt elicits precisely what it needs when evaluating candidates for the school’s next class. Although LBS strictly requires only one essay—one that largely constitutes a traditional personal statement—you might want to seriously consider submitting the optional essay as well if you feel that doing so will facilitate a fairer or more thorough evaluation of your candidacy. In our analysis, we offer our advice on crafting your approach, whether you ultimately decide to write just one submission for LBS or two.

LBS 2022–2023 Essay Tips

Question 1: What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
As we have noted, LBS’s required essay covers several basic elements of a traditional personal statement. You will need to show that you have a long-term vision for yourself and your career and that you have a clear plan for how to get there via the LBS MBA program. The basic assumptions, of course, are that business school is the next logical step in your progress and that you need to pursue your degree at LBS in particular because the school provides specific experiences, knowledge, skills, exposure, and/or other elements that are necessary for you to attain your aspirations and thrive in your chosen career. Ideally, you have already researched the program thoroughly to discover these important resources and areas of fit, but if not, do not skip this important step and/or refer only to basic offerings most business schools have. Your essay must be LBS specific. Demonstrating your authentic interest in the program by giving concrete examples and drawing clear connections between what the school offers, what you need, and who you are is key to crafting a compelling essay response here.

Because 500 words is not a lot, avoid going into excessive detail about your past, though you will need to offer enough information to provide context and support for your stated goals. Given this essay’s significant overlap with a standard personal statement, we encourage you to download your free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide. In this complimentary guide, we present a much more detailed discussion of how to approach and craft this kind of essay, along with multiple illustrative examples.

Question 2 (Optional): Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500 words)
Applicants typically use the optional essay to explain confusing or problematic elements of their candidacy—a poor grade or GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, a gap in work experience, etc.—and LBS’s can certainly be used this way. If you feel you need to clarify an aspect of your profile, first check the other parts of the school’s application, which already includes several opportunities to address certain issues (such as academic performance and disciplinary instances). If you can discuss your concern elsewhere instead, do so, and avoid using this essay to simply repeat any information provided via that avenue. If you have a problem to address that is not mentioned in the LBS application, we suggest downloading a copy of the mbaMission Optional Essays Guide, which is also available for free, and in which we offer detailed advice on deciding whether to take advantage of the optional essay and, if so, how to do so to effectively mitigate any concerning elements of your application.

If you do not feel that your candidacy includes any elements that need further clarification, however, you might use this essay to instead offer a more rounded, positive representation of yourself—but be thoughtful about this opportunity. Do not just copy and paste an existing essay you wrote for a different school here and hope for the best. Take a step back and carefully consider what the admissions committee already knows about you from the other parts of your application, including, of course, your required essay. Then, do your utmost to develop and convey a narrative that is truly crucial to understanding your character. Because this question is so open-ended, your options are somewhat limitless. You will need to honestly check your instincts and ask yourself whether you are simply tacking something extra onto your application with this essay or whether you are offering something that is truly additive and would be helpful for the school to know to fully and fairly evaluate you. Be mindful and respectful of the admissions committee’s time, and remember that each additional file you submit requires more resources on behalf of the admissions office, so whatever you write must be truly worthwhile and clearly reveal that you made good use of this opportunity to provide further insight into your candidacy.

Business schools outside the United States are increasingly popular among MBA hopefuls, and we at mbaMission are proud to offer our latest publications: International Program Guides. In these snapshots we discuss core curriculums, elective courses, locations, school facilities, rankings, and more. Click here to download your free copy of the London Business School Program Guide.

The Next Step: Mastering Your LBS Interview
Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. And, on your way to this high level of preparation, we offer our free Interview Guides to spur you along! Download your free copy of the London Business School Interview Guide today.
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How to Get Into McDonough School of Business: Georgetown McDonough Ess [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into McDonough School of Business: Georgetown McDonough Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/mcdonough-school-of-business_416x416.jpg?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/mcdonough-school-of-business_416x416.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1[/img][/url]

Candidates for Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business must provide just one written essay (of a mere 300–350 words) in response to their choice of three question options. Applicants can discuss a time when they led a team, a challenging situation they navigated, or what and how they can contribute to the school’s dynamic community. McDonough also requires a short video essay in which candidates discuss a personal interest or hobby, allowing them to provide more profound insight into their individuality and character. The school’s optional essay gives applicants the leeway to discuss anything they feel is necessary, so it should be sufficient to meet everyone’s needs. Our full analysis of McDonough’s essay prompts for 2022–2023 follows.

Georgetown McDonough 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]We want to hear your story. When responding to our required essays, be authentic and take time to reflect on your goals and past experiences. Craft a response that explains how these experiences led you to pursue an MBA.[/b]
[b]Our goal at Georgetown McDonough is to craft a diverse class with people who have had varying personal and professional life experiences. As such, we want to give our applicants the opportunity to select one essay (from a list of three) that allows them the ability to best highlight their experiences, characteristics, and values that showcase the value proposition that they can bring to the McDonough community. Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 300–350 words (approximately one page, double spaced) and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission.[/b]
[b]Essay Option One – Principled Leadership: Georgetown McDonough places a strong emphasis on principled leadership, providing both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills. Describe a time when you have led a team in a professional environment to implement a new idea or process. What leadership characteristics did you utilize? What could you have done to be more effective? And most importantly, what skills will you be able to bring to the teams you lead at McDonough? [/b]
With this essay question, McDonough tasks you with sharing a time when you led a team specifically “to implement a new idea or process.” This means that the situation you discuss should be one in which you had to apply your skills and thought processes in a novel way rather than simply repeating ones you had executed before in a similar context. You must demonstrate, then, that the abilities and knowledge you possess are broad and keen enough to apply to unfamiliar situations and—even more—that you know how and when to exercise certain ones to fit the demands of the task at hand. This essay is about revealing not only your existing leadership qualities but also your instincts in identifying which ones are appropriate and helpful in a given situation and in using them effectively.

The specification “in a professional environment” requires that the experience you share be related to your career. The prompt does not stipulate that you must have succeeded in your effort, but you will of course want to show yourself to be effective and that your leadership skills are such that they direct people to the desired result, so we would caution against sharing an instance in which you and your team failed to attain your goal.

You want to focus on conveying the skills you engaged and steps you took to guide your team, as well as your thought processes along the way. The admissions committee will thereby gain both a clear picture of what you accomplished and the aspects of your character that inspired you and helped enable your success. Take time as you are planning your response to this prompt to carefully read the “[b][url=https://msb.georgetown.edu/executive-masters-in-leadership/academics/principled-leadership/#:~:text=A%20Unique%20Learning%20Experience,be%20global%2C%20principled%20business%20leaders.&text=Global%2C%20principled%20leadership%20requires%20conscious,that%20benefit%20all%20stakeholder%20groups.]About Principled Leadership[/url][/b]” page on the McDonough website. Although you obviously want to be authentic in conveying which skills and qualities you in fact relied on in the situation (and therefore not claim to possess any you do not because you think the admissions committee is seeking a specific “right” answer here), if any you plan to discuss align with the school’s stated values, they might warrant a little extra emphasis in your essay.

The query “What could you have done to be more effective?” constitutes an invitation to demonstrate to the admissions committee your capacity for self-assessment and both your motivation and ability to identify areas for improvement. This is also your opportunity to explain how the McDonough MBA experience will help you address and mitigate those shortcomings. Absolutely do not denigrate anyone else on your team or related to the project by saying or implying that you could have been more effective if others had acted differently. Also, note that the admissions committee does not ask what you learned from the experience, so we caution you against using valuable word count on this point.

As for which skills will enable you to contribute to your teams at McDonough, the admissions committee will already understand that the ones you applied in the situation you describe are ones you will bring with you to the program, so you do not need to reiterate those. Also, the committee is aware that the single leadership experience you highlight in your essay might not have required or allowed you to engage all the strengths and expertise you actually possess. So this part of the query opens the door for you to mention ones that are complementary and/or that you know would be helpful in other team situations to show the school the full breadth of your capabilities in this context.

[b]Essay Option Two – Hoyas for the Common Good: Georgetown McDonough embodies the ethos that people and organizations can and should contribute to the greater good. The admissions committee would like to better understand how you have demonstrated these values during uniquely challenging times. Describe a time where you’ve put the needs of others ahead of your own or ahead of the bottom line. We look forward to learning more about the challenge you faced, what unique characteristics you brought to that scenario, and what you learned from it. [/b]
We imagine that the COVID-19 pandemic could have inspired this essay prompt, given that we have all been challenged in new and often intense ways, and trying situations can really bring out the best in a person—or the worst. Some people step up when adversity arises, while others retreat, and McDonough is clearly interested in candidates who fall into the former category. The school is seeking individuals who not only naturally feel a sense of responsibility toward others but also proactively embrace opportunities to act on that value.

Because the admissions committee does not specify what part of your life the situation you describe must come from, be sure to plumb all your options to identify your strongest and most applicable story. It could be in a community service capacity, within your family, at the office, related to an extracurricular activity, with a single friend or loved one, or any of a multitude of possibilities—as long as you were inspired to put yourself second to another in some way. The scale or scope of the situation is not as important as how affecting and meaningful it was for you personally and for the other party.

You must present a complete narrative that outlines the quandary so that the different actions you could have chosen in the situation are clear. The admissions committee needs to understand what would have been gained or lost, and by whom, in the alternatives you were considering. What exactly was at stake for both you and the other person(s) involved? Also describe how these options were revealed—as in, did you recognize on your own that you could do something other than what you might have originally considered and that would put someone else’s welfare ahead of yours, or were options presented to you from which you then had to choose? Be sure to detail your thought processes as you considered which route to take.

Also make sure that the “challenge” aspect of the incident is clear; an easy choice between two positive outcomes would not fulfill this element of the school’s query. You need to have experienced some kind of struggle or conflict either within yourself or with an outside force to be able to move forward with your ultimate decision. What values, beliefs, or abilities do you possess that made you the right person to step up in that instance and be able to deliver an important benefit or kindness to another? What past experiences have you had that might have guided, informed, or inspired your decision? What made putting your own personal gain or fulfillment aside the more attractive option? And lastly, what did acting on your impulse ultimately teach you, whether about yourself or about someone or something external to you? Strive to convey these core elements of the situation so that the admissions committee gains a full understanding not only of what transpired but also of your motivations and character.

[b]Essay Option Three – The Georgetown Community: Georgetown McDonough is a diverse, global community. We look to understand the contribution that your personal background would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any obstacles or challenges you have overcome; any educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g. first-generation student, resident outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g. community service and leadership) will contribute to our community.[/b]
This essay prompt might seem a bit overwhelming to some applicants at first. Does the admissions committee want you to talk about diversity? Your uniqueness? Your anticipated contributions to the McDonough community? An obstacle, challenge, or other notable experience that helped shape you into the person you are today? The short answer is “yes,” but the full answer is more nuanced and will vary from person to person. The school’s core request is for information that will better illustrate who you are as an individual and how you will be additive to the McDonough experience for others who are in it with you. What specifically makes you you, though, and positions you to contribute something valuable might involve or stem from a diversity issue, or an unusual upbringing, or a challenge or hardship you overcame, or a compelling skill or expertise you possess, and so on. The key is to identify what you can bring to the McDonough community that would be positive in some way for those around you and then explain not only how/why it would be positive but also how you developed or gained your specific contribution.

Note that although this essay question and the school’s required video question both ask you to address something personal and interesting about yourself, for this option, you must demonstrate a clear link between the element of your profile that you highlight and an aspect of the McDonough community that you could thereby enrich. For the video, on the other hand, the characteristic you present simply needs to illuminate a compelling aspect of your personality or identity and give the admissions committee more insight into your individuality.

To understand how you could contribute to McDonough, you must first become very familiar with the community and environment you will be contributing to, so—if you have not already done so—you need to research the school in depth before attempting to craft this essay. This means moving beyond the school’s website, viewbook, and related marketing materials and making direct contact with students, alumni, and even school representatives. You can also read press releases, news stories, and student blogs, and check out the [b][url=https://www.youtube.com/user/McDonoughSB]Georgetown McDonough YouTube channel[/url][/b]. Attend an admissions event in your area, if available, and if possible, schedule a campus visit and sit in on a class. This kind of insight into and firsthand observation of what and who the McDonough program truly entails, paired with a profound knowledge of how it works, is key in identifying what is unique about you viewed against this backdrop—and will help highlight what you can bring to the mix and how. 

Pay special attention to the aspects of and areas at McDonough that speak to you personally in some way, and consider social events/clubs and professional development opportunities along with course work and academic offerings. Business school is meant to be a comprehensive environment and experience that enriches students in ways not just related directly to business, and perhaps your best potential for contribution lies in one of these areas. If you are an avid quant wizard, you could of course help your fellow students with class work and projects. If you have a depth of knowledge or years of experience in a particular area, whether through your job or in a personal capacity (such as being a dedicated wine aficionado), you could serve as a kind of subject matter expert for those around you in the program or even a valuable component in someone’s recruiting network. If you are particularly funny, creative, or athletic, you may be the ideal fit to lead an extracurricular group or play a significant role in a nonacademic project or event.

The broad scope of this essay prompt allows you a great amount of freedom to choose and share the information you believe is most important for the admissions committee to know about you, but you have only 350 words for this submission, so focus on conveying your core message(s) clearly and directly. Concentrate on the elements of your identify that are most relevant to the McDonough experience, explain for the admissions committee how those elements developed or were obtained, and show a connection between them and specific aspects of the program.

[b]Video Essay: Building a cohort of diverse and unique individuals is important to the admissions team. We want you to bring your whole self to Georgetown McDonough. Throughout the application, we’ve learned about what you would add as a professional and leader. Just as important is learning about your interests outside of work. In one minute, please describe a hobby, passion, or what you do for fun in your free time—and why.[/b]
McDonough’s video essay is intended specifically for you to offer the school a glimpse into your core character and personality as an individual, so your focus should be on ensuring that it as authentic and natural as possible. Do not use any of it to pitch your candidacy, express your admiration for the program, detail your career goals, or blatantly pander to the school, and avoid repeating any information that is already clearly conveyed in your resume.

You have only one minute in which to make an impression, and even without knowing you personally, we are confident in our belief that you have more to say about your chosen hobby, passion, or interest than can be conveyed in a mere 60 seconds—so do not waste any of them! Tell the admissions committee about whatever inspires, excites, amuses, relaxes, entertains, energizes, grounds, or galvanizes you, and go beyond a basic description to really draw a (verbal) picture of how your chosen interest manifests in your life. Compare, for example, “I love baking and make up new cookie recipes all the time” with “I find inspiration all around me for new and interesting cookie flavors and spend my commutes home in the evenings jotting down new recipes to try. At one point, I was bringing in so many dozens of cookies to my coworkers each week that they asked if I could find a different test group for some of the recipes so they wouldn’t have to sign up for Weight Watchers!” The latter is much more illustrative and entertaining—and would likely make a more lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Do not neglect to respond to the final element of the video’s prompt: the why. The school asks for this information, of course, so that already makes it essential, but beyond that, your “why” is what will help you stand out from other candidates who share the same or a similar interest. Chances are high that you and many other Georgetown applicants (if not hundreds of them)will have the same core topic for your video. After all, in recent years, the program has received [b][url=https://msb.georgetown.edu/mba/class-profiles/]more than 1,500 applications[/url][/b], and we would have a hard time thinking of 1,500 truly distinct hobbies or passions. So you must absolutely outline the reasons you are so drawn to your chosen pastime or issue.

Given that this is a video, you will obviously need to think beyond what you will say and consider the clothing you will wear, the setting or background of your video, your tone of voice, your language style, whether you will include music, and a host of other details. Brainstorm ways you could nonverbally communicate and reinforce your message to complement what you are saying and help permeate your submission with as much information and color as possible. For example, if you are an avid biker, consider using a GoPro or similar camera to film your video while you are actively riding. If you are a dedicated guitar player, perhaps strum your guitar as you speak (or, if you are especially confident, you could even sing about yourself!). Think about what you believe is an integral part of who you are today, and then let your creativity flow.

On a practical note, be sure to speak clearly in your video. You naturally do not want any part of your message to be lost or misunderstood, and the admissions committee might view your communication skills and style as indicators of how you might interact with your classmates and/or speak in the classroom. Spend some time practicing in front of a mirror or a friend, but do not overrehearse. You want to come across as genuine and natural.

[b]Optional Essay: Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included (300–350 words, approximately one page, double spaced).[/b]
We tend to believe that the best use of the optional essay is to explain confusing or problematic issues in your candidacy, and this prompt offers an opportunity to do just that. So, if you need to, this is your chance to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your profile—a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, a gap in your work experience, etc. In our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], we offer detailed advice on how best to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application.

However, because the question can be interpreted rather broadly, it does open the door for you to discuss anything that is not addressed elsewhere in your application and that you feel is truly critical for the admissions committee to know to be able to evaluate you fully and effectively. We caution you about simply trying to fill this space because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. Remember, by submitting an additional essay, you are asking the admissions committee to do extra work on your behalf, so you need to make sure that time is warranted. If you are using the essay to emphasize something that if omitted would render your application incomplete, take this opportunity to write a very brief narrative that reveals this key new aspect of your candidacy.

[b]Re-Applicant Essay: Required for re-applicants. How have you strengthened your candidacy since your last application? We are particularly interested in hearing about how you have grown professionally and personally (300–350 words, approximately one page, double spaced). [/b]
Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. McDonough wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a McDonough MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.
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How to Get Into Foster School of Business: UW Foster Essay Tips and Ex [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: How to Get Into Foster School of Business: UW Foster Essay Tips and Examples
[url=https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/UW-Foster.jpg?ssl=1][img]https://i0.wp.com/www.mbamission.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/UW-Foster.jpg?resize=200%2C200&ssl=1[/img][/url]

Applicants to the University of Washington (UW) Foster School of Business must provide two average-length essays but have the option of submitting two more, allowing candidates to cover more of what they feel are the most compelling parts of their candidacy. The school’s two required essays focus on applicants’ desire to attend business school from both a practical angle, with respect to their career plans and professional needs, and a personal angle, delving more deeply into their motivation to take this momentous step. The first optional essay provides a rather open-ended opportunity to discuss anything significant, whether positive or problematic, while the second optional essay deals exclusively with the weighty issue of encouraging and supporting diversity, inclusion, and equity. Read on for our full analysis of UW Foster’s 2022–2023 application essay questions.

UW Foster 2022–2023 Essay Tips

[b]Essay 1: Post-MBA Plans (750 words maximum) – Tell us your ideas about what lies ahead for you in your career. What are the gaps or deficiencies currently preventing you from pursuing these potential career paths? How do you plan to use your time in the Foster MBA program to fill these gaps and advance your career?[/b]
The overall essay the school is essentially requesting here covers many of the primary topics covered in a traditional personal statement—what your goals are, why you need an MBA to attain them, and why you need the degree from the school you are applying to—though the wording is obviously different in Foster’s prompt. To access our extensive guidance on how to craft such an essay, download a free copy of the [url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/personal-statement-guide][b]mbaMission Personal Statement Guide[/b],[/url] which explains ways of approaching these subjects effectively and offers several illustrative sample essays.

[b]Essay 2: Inspiring Experience Essay (500 words maximum) – Tell us about an experience that inspired or confirmed your decision to pursue the MBA.[/b]
This essay builds on the “why do you need an MBA?” element of Essay 1 and approaches the query from a different angle. In your first essay, you must explain to the admissions committee what you need to gain from the experience of earning the degree that will set you up for success in your career after you graduate. In other words, the underlying message is that you recognize that you cannot do what you want to do professionally without certain skills or knowledge and that the MBA is a great way to attain them quickly and consummately.

But actually making and acting on the decision to step out of the workforce for two years, commit to the required financial investment (including forgoing salary and retirement savings during that time period), and uproot yourself from your current community/environment—with no hard and fast guarantees that the experience will play out exactly as you hope it will—is much more difficult than realizing that it would be advantageous. That step tends to be more emotional than intellectual. For this essay, Foster wants to know more about how you made that leap. What happened to shift your thinking from “I should do this” to “I want to do this, and I am going to do this”? For example, the impetus might have been an inspiring conversation with a successful leader in your target industry who credits their MBA with helping them reach their goals. Or it might have been a more personal event, such as a health challenge or the loss of someone significant in your life, that spurred you to make big, bold changes and actively pursue your aspirations. To craft your most effective essay response to this prompt, you should clearly present a before-and-after scenario in which your consideration of the MBA switches from hypothetical and aspirational to definitive and conclusive. Describe the pivotal event that facilitated that transformation, and clearly outline your thought processes and feelings throughout.

[b]Essay 3: Optional essay (500 words maximum) – Include this essay if you have additional information you believe would be helpful to the admissions committee in considering your application.[/b]
Here is your opportunity—if needed—to address any lingering questions that an admissions officer might have about your candidacy, such as a low GRE or GMAT score, an unexplained gap in your work history, an unusual recommender choice, poor areas of academic performance, or a legal or disciplinary incident. Although Foster does not stipulate that this essay is strictly for explaining potentially problematic aspects of your profile, thereby opening the door for you to share other types of stories and information, do not simply try to fill this space because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you. And however tempted you might be, this is not the place to reuse a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer some anecdotes you were unable to include in your required essays.

If you truly feel that you must emphasize or share a key aspect of your profile that would render your application incomplete if omitted, write a very brief piece about it. Keep in mind that by submitting an optional essay, you are requiring the already overtaxed admissions readers to do additional work on your application, so avoid being overly verbose or sharing more information than is truly necessary. You must ensure that the admissions committee’s extra time and effort are truly warranted. If you feel you might have a reason to submit this additional essay, consider downloading a free copy of our [b][url=https://shop.mbamission.com/products/mbamission-optional-essays-guide]mbaMission Optional Essays Guide[/url][/b], in which we offer detailed advice on when and how best to take advantage of the optional essay (along with multiple sample essays).

[b]Essay 4: Optional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion essay (500 words maximum) – At the Foster School of Business, we embrace diversity as one of the foundations of both successful business strategy and a world-class educational experience. We share the University’s dedication to promoting the understanding and appreciation of human differences, and the constructive expression of ideas. We welcome you to share some of the ways you have practiced inclusion, promoted equity or supported the advancement of underrepresented groups.[/b]
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are inarguably important, and ubiquitous, topics these days in business school essay questions, so we are not surprised to see that Foster asks its candidates to address them, though we are a bit surprised that the query is presented as an optional essay (and the second optional essay, at that). If you have something meaningful or impressive to offer in response to this prompt, we definitely encourage you to share it with the admissions committee, but on the flip side, do not feel obligated to write this optional essay for fear that not doing so will make you look insensitive or apathetic. You are far better off skipping this essay entirely than trying to force or embellish a weak story that will not ultimately contribute anything positive or compelling to your application. 

The past few years have certainly offered a multitude of opportunities for people to “show up” for others who are different from them, such as by participating in or even organizing a protest or march, or by speaking up or stepping in when an individual was being harassed or marginalized in some way. Foster wants to know how you act on your values and ideals within this context, so you need to go beyond just sharing why you believe “practic[ing] inclusion, promot[ing] equity or support[ing] the advancement of underrepresented groups” is important and describe your actual behaviors and actions. Fully illustrating and exemplifying the “how” element is crucial for this essay to be its most effective. Because the school places no restrictions on the environment in which your experience(s) occurred, be sure to consider all the areas of your life (personal, community, professional) to uncover your strongest examples.
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MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: My Supervisor Graduated from HBSHe Kno [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: MBA Admissions Myths Destroyed: My Supervisor Graduated from HBS—He Knows!
We at mbaMission know of a man now in his 70s who graduated from a virtually unknown Canadian undergraduate school in 1963 and who, with no work experience at all, applied to Harvard Business School (HBS), Wharton, and the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB), earning acceptance at all three (though the GSB deferred his entry for one year so he could gain a little more experience first). He ultimately studied at HBS and now runs a small grain-trading business. You could not meet a nicer man, and although he is certainly wise in many respects, one thing he knows nothing about is MBA admissions. “I attended so long ago, things must have changed since then,” he says. “I did not have any work experience at all. I had studied four years of commerce, and that was it!”

Why are we telling you this? Many applicants each year tell us that their bosses, who applied to business school during far different times, have given them “sage” advice about applying and that they feel they should follow it—after all, what worked for their boss in 1966, 1976, 1986, or even 1996 must still be applicable today, right? Not quite so.

For a long time, the MBA was actually not all that desirable a degree, so the admissions process was not so competitive. To give you an idea of the MBA’s relative popularity, Duke University (Fuqua) did not even start its MBA program until 1970, but its law school was founded in 1868. Yale University was founded in 1701, but it did not offer an MBA degree until 1999. So, the MBA is a relatively new degree that has only fairly recently (as of the late 1990s) reached its current level of popularity and prestige.

What does all of this mean with regard to your boss’s advice? Although your supervisor may have gotten into one of your target schools, they likely did so years ago and therefore may not have had to contend with the steep competition you now face. Your boss may also not know anything about what the admissions process is like today and could be—however inadvertently—leading you astray. If your supervisor starts any bit of their well-intended advice with the phrase “when I applied,” you should view the coming declaration with tremendous caution.
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Essential Reading from mbaMissions Career Coaches: July 2022 [#permalink]
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FROM mbaMission Blog: Essential Reading from mbaMission’s Career Coaches: July 2022
This post was written by our resident Career Coach, Elissa Harris. To sign up for a free 30-minute career consultation with Elissa, please click here.

Whether you are getting ready for business school, looking to change jobs, or wanting to excel in your current role, we think you will appreciate these recent career-related articles that caught our attention as we reflect on the recent volatility in the stock market. Signals to watch can be found in this Wall Street Journal article: “How to Know When Switching Jobs Could Get Harder.”

  • Job Market Whiplash Is Hitting Tech and Crypto Hard” (Read time: 1–2 minutes) Although the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment is still relatively low at approximately 3.6%, we are seeing more news of layoffs from such companies as Netflix, Redfin, and Coinbase. Now is the time to evaluate your current employment situation. Are you satisfied with your role? Are you a top performer? Do you believe your organization is well-positioned in the market?
  • Some M.B.A.s Are Getting Job Offers Before They Step Onto Campus” (Read time: 2 minutes) Simply getting into an MBA program can boost your career prospects. Many consulting firms, eager for a strong pipeline of diverse talent, are engaging with and interviewing candidates early. Does participating in these early interview processes make sense for you? Will these strategies or hiring projections change if the job market softens?
  • Are You Taking On Too Many Non-Promotable Tasks?” (Read time: 3 minutes) Think about how you are spending your time at work. Are you leveraging your best skills? Are you taking steps toward achieving your career goals? Non-promotable tasks are often crucial to an organization’s success, but they rarely contribute to an employee’s career progression. Carefully evaluate the consequences of taking on non-promotable tasks.
  • When You Lose Your Job—And It’s Your Whole Identity” (Read time: 3–4 minutes) Layoffs—which we are hearing about at many companies, from start-ups to established tech firms—can negatively affect your confidence and mental health. This article shares six strategies for regaining your sense of self.
mbaMission’s Career Coaches are happy to explore with you any career-related topics, including selecting potential career paths, crafting your career narrative, and maximizing the effectiveness of your job search, during a complimentary, 30-minute career consultation. Sign up for your free session today!
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