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Updated on: 03 Nov 2025, 09:33
Originally posted by MBADecoder on 31 Oct 2025, 09:13.
Last edited by MBADecoder on 03 Nov 2025, 09:33, edited 2 times in total.
Last edited by MBADecoder on 03 Nov 2025, 09:33, edited 2 times in total.
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LBS MBA Essay Analysis
Part I
What Differentiates the LBS application from other B-school’s?
Networking with students and alumni takes time and planning, so start this process early.
In the following essay analysis, we have attempted to give you directions on almost all essays in the application.
Career and Goals related question:
Current employment:
Tell us about your responsibilities. Describe your day-to-day role, details of any clients you work with/for, the level/title of the person you report to, the size of budget for which you are directly responsible and the number of people in your team. (400 words max)
This prompt is self-explanatory, as LBS has given a clear guideline on what to include. Ensure that you cover every element of the prompt (day-to-day role, clients, reporting line, budget ownership, and team size) clearly and completely.
A few tips for writing a great answer are:
1. While your work may be technical, omit the technical details and use language the adcom will understand. They don’t come from your industry and will not know your jargon, so avoid using it. Also, define any essential acronym once.
2. Rather than randomly listing your responsibilities, use a structure to report them. Organising responsibilities under 3-4 subheadings makes it easier for a layperson to understand them (for example, I have three key responsibilities, which are ...).
3. This essay gives an excellent opportunity to showcase specific skills that matter to LBS. For example, rather than building a narrative that shows you as a person who carries out support activities, highlight instances where you took leadership or where you thought/acted strategically to achieve outcomes. Include experience collaborating with global/cross-functional teams, as well as your ability to adapt to communication styles and different cultural contexts.
4. If you took initiatives outside your primary responsibilities, such as mentoring colleagues, creating a knowledge repository that helped your department, then mention these in the closing paragraph.
Overall, your write-up should demonstrate that you are a valuable employee with strong leadership skills, a global mindset, and excellent team and interpersonal skills,
who consistently leaves a positive impact.
Other Questions in the application form:
Reason for taking on this role - about 220 characters
If you've now left this job, please tell us why- - about 220 characters
If you are currently not working, or if you plan to leave your current employer more than three months before the programme starts, please explain your activities between leaving your last role and the start of the programme (max 300 words).
Previous Employment:
Q. What were your responsibilities- 200 words
Similar to your response in the current responsibility essay, your team size, reporting, budgets and what you did. Highlight your leadership experiences and achievements.
Q. Reason for taking on this role- 250 characters
Q. Reason for leaving this job- 250 characters
Goals Related Questions:
Questions in the application form:
Please tell us which country you hope to work in after graduation (a few words)
Which industry are you looking to work in? (drop down menu)
What job function are you aiming for? (drop down menu)
Mandatory Essay:
What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
This is a straightforward goals essay with three parts: your goals, prior experiences that led you to them, and how LBS will help you achieve them.
However, some aspects in storytelling are essential for your goals essay to feel complete. Chief among them is the motivation behind these goals- what is your passion and what impact do you wish to achieve through your career? Once you state this, your goals feel far more coherent. We therefore suggest mentioning your career vision or passion to give context to your goals.
Explain how this vision /passion developed. You may use stories of achievement, impact and leadership to illustrate how your past experiences informed this vision. Perhaps a successful project created the desire to have a bigger impact. Or, your experiences have exposed some challenges in your industry/function that you wish to address and transform.
How do you plan to do this? This is where the goals statement comes in.
Where do you envision yourself working after completing your MBA? Mention the names of a few companies, the role, and what you will do there. Additionally, outline how your career will evolve in the mid-term to long-term, and what impact you will achieve in line with your career vision.
Next, demonstrate self-awareness about the skills and strengths you already possess, as well as the gaps you need to close to achieve these goals. How will the LBS MBA help?
Specific areas to cover are:
Other Essays:
Mandatory Essay:
What makes you unique? Question 3 (200 words)
This essay is a new addition to the LBS application, being introduced in 2024. You’ve already mentioned your personal interests and hobbies that add colour to your candidature. This prompt offers you another chance to differentiate yourself through your background, values, strengths, passions and unique experiences, so you come alive as someone who will add texture to the LBS MBA class.
To answer this, identify the most compelling feature(s) of your personality and why they matter? Show how these traits have shaped you into the person you are today. Then, follow this up with concrete examples that support your answer.
Optional Essay:
Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?
Until 2024, LBS asked only for the goals and the optional essay (besides the shorter prompts in the application). So, attempting this question became an implicit requirement. Last year, LBS added the “what makes you unique essay”, where you will highlight traits that would earlier be mentioned in the optional essay.
Our suggestion is to ask yourself: What else do you want the adcom to know that has not been covered elsewhere and is relevant to your candidacy? Do not copy-paste achievement stories written for other B-schools. Instead, focus on what would help LBS understand how you will fit in the LBS community and contribute with your specific skills and profile. For example, one of our applicants wrote about her upbringing as an immigrant and how it shaped her personality and life choices. She then connected this with how she would contribute to the LBS community.
You can also use this essay to provide any clarifications regarding career choices, transitions, gaps or other circumstances not addressed elsewhere in the application.
Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
www.mbadecoder.com
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011 with offices in India and the UK
Part I
What Differentiates the LBS application from other B-school’s?
- The LBS application is one of the most elaborate applications among all business schools. While they have only 2 required essays and one optional essay, there are multiple small essays interspersed through out the application form. These essays have word limits up to 400 words, which signifies they need to be written beforehand. While for other b-schools. applicants focus on the essay first and fill up their application forms towards the end, but for LBS, this approach would compromise the quality of their applications. So, we strongly suggest that you start the LBS application early. Download the essay questions and start working upon them early along with the mandatory essay questions.
- In several parts of the application, LBS asks about your research on their MBA programme. This signals that they expect you to really dive into the LBS MBA programme and build your understanding on how the b-school will benefit you and how you will contribute to its community. You need to attend events organized by the b-school and connect with students and alumni to gain deeper insights about LBS. Many applicants don’t take this first-hand research seriously and are unable to answer the questions asked in an impressive manner, which can again hurt their chances.
Networking with students and alumni takes time and planning, so start this process early.
In the following essay analysis, we have attempted to give you directions on almost all essays in the application.
Career and Goals related question:
Current employment:
Tell us about your responsibilities. Describe your day-to-day role, details of any clients you work with/for, the level/title of the person you report to, the size of budget for which you are directly responsible and the number of people in your team. (400 words max)
This prompt is self-explanatory, as LBS has given a clear guideline on what to include. Ensure that you cover every element of the prompt (day-to-day role, clients, reporting line, budget ownership, and team size) clearly and completely.
A few tips for writing a great answer are:
1. While your work may be technical, omit the technical details and use language the adcom will understand. They don’t come from your industry and will not know your jargon, so avoid using it. Also, define any essential acronym once.
2. Rather than randomly listing your responsibilities, use a structure to report them. Organising responsibilities under 3-4 subheadings makes it easier for a layperson to understand them (for example, I have three key responsibilities, which are ...).
3. This essay gives an excellent opportunity to showcase specific skills that matter to LBS. For example, rather than building a narrative that shows you as a person who carries out support activities, highlight instances where you took leadership or where you thought/acted strategically to achieve outcomes. Include experience collaborating with global/cross-functional teams, as well as your ability to adapt to communication styles and different cultural contexts.
4. If you took initiatives outside your primary responsibilities, such as mentoring colleagues, creating a knowledge repository that helped your department, then mention these in the closing paragraph.
Overall, your write-up should demonstrate that you are a valuable employee with strong leadership skills, a global mindset, and excellent team and interpersonal skills,
who consistently leaves a positive impact.
Other Questions in the application form:
Reason for taking on this role - about 220 characters
If you've now left this job, please tell us why- - about 220 characters
If you are currently not working, or if you plan to leave your current employer more than three months before the programme starts, please explain your activities between leaving your last role and the start of the programme (max 300 words).
Previous Employment:
Q. What were your responsibilities- 200 words
Similar to your response in the current responsibility essay, your team size, reporting, budgets and what you did. Highlight your leadership experiences and achievements.
Q. Reason for taking on this role- 250 characters
Q. Reason for leaving this job- 250 characters
Goals Related Questions:
Questions in the application form:
Please tell us which country you hope to work in after graduation (a few words)
Which industry are you looking to work in? (drop down menu)
What job function are you aiming for? (drop down menu)
Mandatory Essay:
What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
This is a straightforward goals essay with three parts: your goals, prior experiences that led you to them, and how LBS will help you achieve them.
However, some aspects in storytelling are essential for your goals essay to feel complete. Chief among them is the motivation behind these goals- what is your passion and what impact do you wish to achieve through your career? Once you state this, your goals feel far more coherent. We therefore suggest mentioning your career vision or passion to give context to your goals.
Explain how this vision /passion developed. You may use stories of achievement, impact and leadership to illustrate how your past experiences informed this vision. Perhaps a successful project created the desire to have a bigger impact. Or, your experiences have exposed some challenges in your industry/function that you wish to address and transform.
How do you plan to do this? This is where the goals statement comes in.
Where do you envision yourself working after completing your MBA? Mention the names of a few companies, the role, and what you will do there. Additionally, outline how your career will evolve in the mid-term to long-term, and what impact you will achieve in line with your career vision.
Next, demonstrate self-awareness about the skills and strengths you already possess, as well as the gaps you need to close to achieve these goals. How will the LBS MBA help?
Specific areas to cover are:
- What will you learn academically? Mention names of electives, professors or specific academic projects and how they will help you.
- How will you take advantage of the experiential learning opportunities, internships, global expeditions, clubs, leadership modules or other opportunities on campus?
- How will you contribute to your classmates’ learning?
Other Essays:
Mandatory Essay:
What makes you unique? Question 3 (200 words)
This essay is a new addition to the LBS application, being introduced in 2024. You’ve already mentioned your personal interests and hobbies that add colour to your candidature. This prompt offers you another chance to differentiate yourself through your background, values, strengths, passions and unique experiences, so you come alive as someone who will add texture to the LBS MBA class.
To answer this, identify the most compelling feature(s) of your personality and why they matter? Show how these traits have shaped you into the person you are today. Then, follow this up with concrete examples that support your answer.
Optional Essay:
Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?
Until 2024, LBS asked only for the goals and the optional essay (besides the shorter prompts in the application). So, attempting this question became an implicit requirement. Last year, LBS added the “what makes you unique essay”, where you will highlight traits that would earlier be mentioned in the optional essay.
Our suggestion is to ask yourself: What else do you want the adcom to know that has not been covered elsewhere and is relevant to your candidacy? Do not copy-paste achievement stories written for other B-schools. Instead, focus on what would help LBS understand how you will fit in the LBS community and contribute with your specific skills and profile. For example, one of our applicants wrote about her upbringing as an immigrant and how it shaped her personality and life choices. She then connected this with how she would contribute to the LBS community.
You can also use this essay to provide any clarifications regarding career choices, transitions, gaps or other circumstances not addressed elsewhere in the application.
Namita Garg,
Founder, MBA Decoder
www.mbadecoder.com
Email: [email protected]
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011 with offices in India and the UK
03 Nov 2025, 09:28
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LBS MBA ESSAY ANALYSIS PART II
Here's an analysis of the other questions interspersed in the rest of the LBS application.
Academic Performance:
Q. Do you feel that your academic performance so far gives an accurate indication of your potential for success on the programme? If so, why? If not, why not?
The best way to address this prompt is to first give a straightforward answer—do your academics indicate your ability to succeed on the LBS programme?
We have read many essays where, instead of directly addressing the question, applicants mention their ECAs or other college achievements. There are more essays and a résumé where you can highlight notable ECAs; in this essay, focus on proving only your academic competency.
If you answer in the affirmative, you can mention subjects where you excelled or ranked at the top. You can also note where you explored specific subjects beyond the coursework through their practical application, or where you undertook notable academic projects, wrote research papers or won awards for academic performance.
If your undergraduate grades were low, briefly explain the reason without giving excuses. Additionally, identify and mention trends that explain the low GPA. These could be an upward trajectory in later semesters or stronger performance in specific subjects (such as practical/quantitative modules over theoretical ones). Many applicants cite ECAs as the reason they did not perform well; however, ECAs should not be a justification for poor academic performance, as this signifies a lack of judgment and priorities.
You should also assure the Admissions Committee that you have the quantitative and analytical skills needed to succeed at LBS. If your GMAT/GRE supports this, state your score and note that it better represents your current ability to handle quantitative rigour. If you hold a Master’s degree or a professional certification, such as CPA/CA/CFA, include it as evidence of your quantitative strength. Similarly, if your work is highly analytical—such as building models or working with data—use it to demonstrate your academic readiness.
If you are applying with a lower GMAT/GRE score, you can use this essay strategically to highlight your quantitative and analytical capabilities, which were more prominent in your undergraduate coursework.
If your undergraduate coursework didn’t have many quant-focused subjects, you can reference a high GMAT/ GRE score or quant skills that you have developed at work.
Keep the word limit within 300.
English Language Ability:
Q. Please outline your experience of working or studying in an English-speaking environment. Do you plan to take further English language tuition before the programme starts? (300 words max)
This should be a factual answer outlining your experience of studying and/or working in English-speaking environments. Briefly explain the setting (e.g., degree taught in English, years in an English-first workplace) and note how you demonstrated competency in both written and verbal communication (reports, decks, meetings, presentations).
If you consistently collaborate with global teams of varying English proficiency, describe how you adapt your communication to ensure their understanding. Conclude with a direct statement on taking tuition: either confirm you do not plan further English study because your day-to-day work and/or test evidence already meet LBS's expectations, or specify any planned steps (e.g., a short business writing or pronunciation course) before the programme starts.
Additional Information:
This section has a multitude of questions
Q. Tell us about your main interests and activities in your free time. (300 words max)
Most business schools offer a plethora of student-led features, including professional and social clubs, events, and co-curricular activities, to make the MBA program vibrant. Applicants who have meaningfully invested time in such pursuits in the past are more likely to contribute on campus and enrich their classmates’ experiences. With this question, LBS aims to determine whether you have interests beyond work that add layers to your personality. They’d also want to assess whether you will contribute to the student community, not just focus on your own development, but also support your classmates’ growth.
Use this essay to describe interesting pursuits outside work . These may include (but are not limited to):
1. Hobbies and interests (Example- being part of a book club, photography, playing an instrument, cooking),
2. Personal development activities (example- language learning, challenging yourself through endurance sports)
3. Volunteering and social impact (example- working with an NGO, helping your local community, or undertaking CSR initiatives)
4. Community building initiatives (example- being part of a cricket club, Women in Business group or PRIDE allyship at work; managing an online community of finance enthusiasts, mentoring as a YouTuber).
Given the 300-word limit, select 2-4 activities and cover:
The activities you choose—and the joy you take in them—reveal your personality and values. Therefore, choose wisely and focus on what is most relevant to a business school community.
Q. Please tell us your most significant international experiences to date. (100 words max)
With a 100-word limit, highlight 1–2 of your most notable international experiences. Briefly state the context, your role, the outcome, and what you learned or how the experience shaped your growth. You may use personal or professional examples, or a combination of both. If you haven’t travelled abroad, highlight work with global teams: explain how you contributed across cultures and what you learned from international teammates and stakeholders.
Caution: We’ve seen applicants mention a country’s scenery, its infrastructure, or other features that are common and generic observations. Don’t bother about these as they don’t offer insights into how you process new experiences. Instead, highlight situations and experiences that challenged your existing assumptions, gave you a new way of thinking or made you appreciate something new and different. Possibly, even adapt it.
LBS Related Questions:
This section has a bunch of questions. Some of them have a drop down menu and you are required to only select an option. Some other require you to write a few characters upto a few words of essays. LBS is possibly the only b-school that asks so many questions related to their programme, which again proves how much they value your research and conviction that LBS is the right programme for you. Read the questions here:
Reapplicants Essay:
How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please comment on how you have grown personally and professionally. (300 words)
Namita Garg, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Testimonials: https://mbadecoder.com/testimonials/
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011 with offices in India and the UK
Here's an analysis of the other questions interspersed in the rest of the LBS application.
Academic Performance:
Q. Do you feel that your academic performance so far gives an accurate indication of your potential for success on the programme? If so, why? If not, why not?
The best way to address this prompt is to first give a straightforward answer—do your academics indicate your ability to succeed on the LBS programme?
We have read many essays where, instead of directly addressing the question, applicants mention their ECAs or other college achievements. There are more essays and a résumé where you can highlight notable ECAs; in this essay, focus on proving only your academic competency.
If you answer in the affirmative, you can mention subjects where you excelled or ranked at the top. You can also note where you explored specific subjects beyond the coursework through their practical application, or where you undertook notable academic projects, wrote research papers or won awards for academic performance.
If your undergraduate grades were low, briefly explain the reason without giving excuses. Additionally, identify and mention trends that explain the low GPA. These could be an upward trajectory in later semesters or stronger performance in specific subjects (such as practical/quantitative modules over theoretical ones). Many applicants cite ECAs as the reason they did not perform well; however, ECAs should not be a justification for poor academic performance, as this signifies a lack of judgment and priorities.
You should also assure the Admissions Committee that you have the quantitative and analytical skills needed to succeed at LBS. If your GMAT/GRE supports this, state your score and note that it better represents your current ability to handle quantitative rigour. If you hold a Master’s degree or a professional certification, such as CPA/CA/CFA, include it as evidence of your quantitative strength. Similarly, if your work is highly analytical—such as building models or working with data—use it to demonstrate your academic readiness.
If you are applying with a lower GMAT/GRE score, you can use this essay strategically to highlight your quantitative and analytical capabilities, which were more prominent in your undergraduate coursework.
If your undergraduate coursework didn’t have many quant-focused subjects, you can reference a high GMAT/ GRE score or quant skills that you have developed at work.
Keep the word limit within 300.
English Language Ability:
Q. Please outline your experience of working or studying in an English-speaking environment. Do you plan to take further English language tuition before the programme starts? (300 words max)
This should be a factual answer outlining your experience of studying and/or working in English-speaking environments. Briefly explain the setting (e.g., degree taught in English, years in an English-first workplace) and note how you demonstrated competency in both written and verbal communication (reports, decks, meetings, presentations).
If you consistently collaborate with global teams of varying English proficiency, describe how you adapt your communication to ensure their understanding. Conclude with a direct statement on taking tuition: either confirm you do not plan further English study because your day-to-day work and/or test evidence already meet LBS's expectations, or specify any planned steps (e.g., a short business writing or pronunciation course) before the programme starts.
Additional Information:
This section has a multitude of questions
Q. Tell us about your main interests and activities in your free time. (300 words max)
Most business schools offer a plethora of student-led features, including professional and social clubs, events, and co-curricular activities, to make the MBA program vibrant. Applicants who have meaningfully invested time in such pursuits in the past are more likely to contribute on campus and enrich their classmates’ experiences. With this question, LBS aims to determine whether you have interests beyond work that add layers to your personality. They’d also want to assess whether you will contribute to the student community, not just focus on your own development, but also support your classmates’ growth.
Use this essay to describe interesting pursuits outside work . These may include (but are not limited to):
1. Hobbies and interests (Example- being part of a book club, photography, playing an instrument, cooking),
2. Personal development activities (example- language learning, challenging yourself through endurance sports)
3. Volunteering and social impact (example- working with an NGO, helping your local community, or undertaking CSR initiatives)
4. Community building initiatives (example- being part of a cricket club, Women in Business group or PRIDE allyship at work; managing an online community of finance enthusiasts, mentoring as a YouTuber).
Given the 300-word limit, select 2-4 activities and cover:
- What motivated you to pursue this activity, and what joy do you derive from this?
- What do you do, what is your level of involvement, and what impact have you created?
- What have you learned or how has this activity enriched you?..
- If space allows, demonstrate how you will continue one or two of these activities at LBS, naming relevant clubs and explaining how you would contribute.
The activities you choose—and the joy you take in them—reveal your personality and values. Therefore, choose wisely and focus on what is most relevant to a business school community.
Q. Please tell us your most significant international experiences to date. (100 words max)
With a 100-word limit, highlight 1–2 of your most notable international experiences. Briefly state the context, your role, the outcome, and what you learned or how the experience shaped your growth. You may use personal or professional examples, or a combination of both. If you haven’t travelled abroad, highlight work with global teams: explain how you contributed across cultures and what you learned from international teammates and stakeholders.
Caution: We’ve seen applicants mention a country’s scenery, its infrastructure, or other features that are common and generic observations. Don’t bother about these as they don’t offer insights into how you process new experiences. Instead, highlight situations and experiences that challenged your existing assumptions, gave you a new way of thinking or made you appreciate something new and different. Possibly, even adapt it.
LBS Related Questions:
This section has a bunch of questions. Some of them have a drop down menu and you are required to only select an option. Some other require you to write a few characters upto a few words of essays. LBS is possibly the only b-school that asks so many questions related to their programme, which again proves how much they value your research and conviction that LBS is the right programme for you. Read the questions here:
- Are you interested in the option of completing your studies in under 21 months? (Minimum 15 months)
- Roughly when did you start researching MBA programmes in general? (drop down menu)
- How did you first hear about London Business School? (Max 200 characters)
- How did you hear about this programme? (Max 100 characters)
- When did you decide to apply for this programme? (drop down menu)
- What's your main reason for wanting to do this programme at this point in your career?
(drop down menu that has the following choices: Advance current career, change industry, educational advancement, start own business, Other) - Have you attended an event on or off campus, or online where you met with representatives from the school? If yes, please tell us when, where and who you met (100 words max).
- If you know any London Business School Alumni or Students, please give their names, graduating class and tell us how you know them. (300 words max)
Reapplicants Essay:
How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please comment on how you have grown personally and professionally. (300 words)
Namita Garg, MBA Decoder
Email: [email protected]
Testimonials: https://mbadecoder.com/testimonials/
Reach out to us for a Profile Evaluation : https://mbadecoder.com/services/free-pr ... valuation/
Helping applicants achieve their MBA dreams since 2011 with offices in India and the UK
