MBA

The MBA application process is challenging and time-consuming, and a well-planned approach is critical to your ultimate success. Before sitting down to write your essays, spend the time necessary to research and truly understand a variety of programs. There are more qualified applicants than spaces in “Top 5” programs, so make use of published class profiles; it is important to apply to at least one or two schools that have admissions standards you comfortably meet.

Many applicants are frustrated by the fact that each school maintains its own application process and set of essay questions, and indeed the subtleties of each package do demand significant attention since readers have a strong aversion to essays that seem hastily adapted from other applications. Nevertheless, the differences between packages can be helpful to applicants—the questions a school chooses to ask and the values it chooses to emphasize can be a good way to gain insight into a school’s culture and often reveal the qualities it desires in applicants.

Despite the many differences from school to school, major themes do emerge in any MBA essay package. The ideal business school applicant takes initiative and exploits opportunities, has varied professional experience, can lead others comfortably, fits well into teams, maintains non-business interests, and is dedicated to the community. Not every applicant must possess all of these properties, but you should be conscious of demonstrating as many as possible while you write.

Strong, specific anecdotes from your professional experience are of chief importance. Simply stating in general terms that you are a good leader or that you exceed expectations will not be rewarded; instead, strive always to create a clear picture of the situations that you faced and the actions that you took. Remember also that variety and diversity are valued and try to pull from your personal, musical, or athletic experience on occasion. Do not use the same topic or information twice in the same application package and try to reveal something unique and interesting about yourself at some point along the way.

The following are the most commonly asked question types:

 Experience, goals, and school. A formulaic question that asks you to address these three topics is often the first question a school asks and will usually have a higher word limit than other essays for the same school. The task here is straightforward but demanding: you must provide a brief overview of your career that highlights some successes, explain how this experience has helped you set longer-term goals, and convince your reader that an MBA program will help you realize your plans. Additionally, each school will ask you to give reasons for choosing that particular school. Real research will be required to avoid simple “name dropping.” Each time you mention a professor, course, center, or institute by name, you should also explain the specific value that it will offer to you.  Leadership. The key to effective leadership essays is specificity. It is easy to write that you “motivated teammates,” “identified synergies,” and “forged compromises,” but an essay that uses such ill-defined terms will be quickly forgotten by an admissions reader. In most cases, your objective should be to explain what challenges you faced as a leader and precisely how you approached them. Use actions verbs (“presented,” “persuaded,” “argued,” “organized,” etc.) wherever possible.

 Ethical Dilemma. Many applicants consider the “ethics questions” to be the most challenging of them all. To make matters worse, the question can be phrased very differently from one school to the next. Many applicants tell stories about privileged information in the context of major financial deals or corporate mergers; this can be effective but is certainly no longer unique. In truth, most situations in which you felt conflicted over a choice could be used for this essay. What to do about an incompetent or lazy teammate? Whether to use a competitor’s weakness to win a deal or competition? Whether to accept the business of a client who is unlikely to really benefit from your services? Any of these could become the basis for a good essay. Whatever you choose, be sure to present a “real” dilemma, meaning the right choice is not completely obvious, and never choose a situation that you look back on with regret or guilt.

 Your greatest accomplishment(s). This is usually a fairly straightforward and flexible essay, but again, be sure you answer with specificity. Some writers confuse accomplishments, which are local and concrete achievements, with more abstract qualities and habits. Making regular donations to a hospital is noble, but it is not an accomplishment. Helping a hospital establish a network of donors, on the other hand, is an accomplishment. If asked for multiple accomplishments, diversity is good, but it is not worth a major sacrifice in quality. Community service accomplishments are usually well-received, but you should only focus on this topic if you have actually done meaningful community work.

 Failure or setback. Most people have failed in some context, and everyone has encountered a significant setback. This essay is an opportunity for you to demonstrate resilience in the face of a challenge, the maturity to honestly assess your own mistakes and weaknesses, and the flexibility to adapt your approach to similar problems. There is a fine line between honesty with respect to your mistakes and negativity surrounding your failure, so be sure never to denigrate yourself or reveal hidden bitterness about the incident. The failure should be completely in the past, and ideally you can also describe steps you have taken to improve.

 Your passion. The “passion” essay is usually a shorter piece that is placed near the end of an application package. You have plenty of freedom in addressing this question, but your main goal should be to leave your reader wanting to get to know you better. Choose a topic for which you can express honest excitement and you will be well on your way.