Cover Letter

Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

MIT Sloan has finally changed the wording of its unique request for a cover letter, streamlining its language and incorporating some of the text from its “impact” essay question of past years. In some ways, by requesting an example of your impact, MIT Sloan is challenging you to reveal how worthy you are of taking your place in their classroom. Candidates would be wise to offer a powerful example and then connect it with expected contributions to MIT Sloan and personal/professional benefits that will be derived from its MBA experience. (Although it is not entirely clear in the wording of the essay, we think that it is implicit that if you are asked to explain why you are seeking a place at MIT Sloan that you should offer details of your connection to the school.)

A quick point about your introduction: for some reason, candidates feel compelled to start cover letters with “my name is X and I am applying to MIT….” This is a typical and boring introduction offering information that the school already possesses. By creating a different and compelling opening, you will grab and hold the attention of an Admissions Officer who has read thousands of these essays.

While the MIT cover letter is different form the typical personal statement, there are still some “global” fundamentals that apply. Thus, we offer our “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide” to you, free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today.

Essays

We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years.

In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.

Essay 1: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

It is important to note that “challenging” need not be interpreted as “heated.” In this essay, you do not have to tell the story of a confrontation, but need to show the reader that you encountered a dynamic that was difficult to navigate and, of course (despite the fact that the question does not ask for it), diplomatically attempted to resolve or did in fact resolve a problem. Through your efforts at resolution, you will reveal your character and management/team/interpersonal style to the Admissions Committee. So, it is important that you carefully consider the message that you send via your actions. Ask yourself objectively, “Am I revealing ‘Sloan-friendly’ qualities?”

Essay 2: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Each year, Sloan has a question about your ability to advocate, persuade or, in this case, defend an idea. In terms of semantics, the word to take notice of in this essay is the “your” in “your idea.” This is not an opportunity for you to discuss a time when you advocated for someone else – you need to “own” this idea to answer the question properly. Of course, your ownership will have its foil – those who do not believe in it. While it is important that you show that you defended your idea passionately, it is also vital that you show that you were not stubborn or inflexible. You want to show that you were willing to consider alternatives and reason through counterarguments. Although this is not a rule, many successful essays will show that you were persuasive and succeeded in changing minds. 

Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

In this essay, you will lead the reader not through the mechanics of a business implementation, but through your process as you were taken by a possibility and gathered the resources and momentum to see it through. What is important to note is that this should not be a “hard” business case, but should be an opportunity for the Admissions Committee to understand your personality through your actions. So, you will need to concentrate on the “soft” aspects of the process (indeed – “what you thought, felt, said and did”). We remind you to think of this as a narrative, not as a formal essay. Tell the story of how you executed, not the results at the end of a successfully executed plan. 

Essay 4: Please tell the Admissions Committee whatever else you would like us to know. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

Considering that MIT limits your choices above and forces you to answer all of its questions, it will likely be a relief to many candidates to have this free opportunity to convey something that is not captured in the essay questions above. If you have a unique passion, hobby, activity or life experience that you have not had the opportunity to share, but shapes you personally, then this would be a good place to write about it. Candidates should take note of the fact that there is still an additional 250 word area in the supplemental information space to explain academic/GMAT problems. So, essay four should be viewed as an opportunity to reveal character, not explain how you can or have overcome academic obstacles. 

1. What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA?  How does it fit into your short- and long- term goals? If you are interested in a joint degree or the Health Sector Management program, please address in this response.

Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer this guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today. 

2. How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers at The Duke MBA?

Although this essay question does not explicitly ask you to share your accomplishments, clearly you cannot express your contribution to the Duke MBA without this context. Of course, your accomplishments cannot stand alone either. You need to think of them thematically and then apply these experiences to the Duke MBA. In doing so, you have the opportunity to reveal your strengths and also your awareness of the program. A strong essay will truly connect you to the program and show that you have a nuanced understanding of the Duke experience/environment and that you indeed “fit” the school.

3. Discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and explain why. Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.

With respect to this question, take note of their note. In contrast, to the essay question above which offers an opportunity for you to discuss and apply your accomplishments, this one provides a place for you to explore your values. Duke leaves open a variety of possibilities via their request for a “person, event or experience.” You should ensure that you are not just offering an interesting biography or the history of an event, but that you apply the focal point of this essay to yourself. Indeed, the “shaping” aspect needs to be clear and the reader needs to understand the tangible impact that this person, event or experience has had on you. A good test of whether you are answering this question would be to consider whether you have presented a “before and after” scenario. Indeed, the reader will understand the impact if he/she can identify a clear change in your behavior and values after this life experience.

Long Essay - Answer the long essay question below.

Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns.  Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.

Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence - able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community.  What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?

The lead in for this question is quite long and is bound to confuse many applicants. So, in short, you need to reveal that in your career you will be able to engage multiple constituents and successfully navigate uncertain situations. Candidates may want to use this question to further explore issues that pertain to their proposed career, detailed in essay one, and show that they truly have a nuanced understanding of the demands of the job. Such a strategy could have the positive side effect of reinforcing your profound interest in your area of professional interest. While taking an industry specific approach to exploring future complexities can be successful, you could also consider broader issues that affect any industry, but show that you are particularly aware of them and will take them on in your own unique way.

CBS’s essay questions have changed dramatically from last year – all that remains is essay one, an old standby. What will be disappointing to some is the disappearance of the longstanding fourth essay on a passion – a surefire way to diversify an MBA candidacy and ensure that personality is revealed. Our analysis of CBS three essays follows…

What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit) : *

Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer this guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today. 

For additional information on the Columbia Business School experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.

Master Classes are the epitome of bridging the gap between theory and practice at Columbia Business School. View link below. Please provide an example from your own life in which practical experience taught you more than theory alone. (Recommended 500 word limit) :

View with Real Player: http://merlin.gsb.columbia.edu:8080/ramgen/video1/faculty/MasterClass-promo.rm

View via Google: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4698876883776961370&hl=en

CBS has replaced a fairly confusing question about how an MBA will prepare you for a rapidly changing world, (an essay that frustrated many applicants last year) with a far more straightforward question that (like last year) forces the reader to go online and learn about a facet of the Columbia experience – in this case, the Master Class. While the information itself is entertaining and educational, the video is only tangentially related to the core question, which requires you to describe a time when practice trumped theory. Candidates should resist the temptation to fawn on CBS and laud the Master Class and should instead focus on providing an example of such a case.

Although we noted that this question is more straightforward than last year’s, it will still be challenging to answer. An obvious starting point for candidates is to consider times when they have learned something theoretically. However, you need not only think of times when you were in a college classroom or some sort of corporate training event. You should expand your concept of theory to include all times when you were presented with orf considered ideas. Indeed, a commentator on TV or the fellow who owns the breakfast shop that you frequent (not to forget your own times of reflection and imagination) can all present valid theories that you have actually put into practice.

You should certainly show that you were/are open to ideas and that you are willing to test them. However, it is the process of testing that you, like CBS, should emphasize. So, if the first part of your essay is an explanation of how you were captivated by an idea, the second part should be the testing and learning. Clearly, we need to understand a contrast between these two phases in order to validate the argument that CBS presents. In this essay question, CBS does not explicitly ask for your key learnings, but it is appropriate for you to offer them nonetheless. By reflecting on your experience, you will emphasize the power of practice, in teaching/learning enduring lessons. 

Please provide an example of a team failure of which you’ve been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (Recommended 500 word limit) :

The crucial word in this essay question is “team.” Indeed, this is not a question about an individual failure. So, you should not attempt to stretch an essay about an individual failure to fit this question. You should, instead, attempt to identify a time when a team did not achieve its desired results (it will be important to “show” this time through a narrative structure) and analyze how and where the breakdown occurred, generally being diplomatic about assessing responsibility and sharing some of the “blame” yourself. 

It is important to note that a team failure does not need to be the story of a chaotic breakdown with people throwing chairs at each other. A failure can occur due to a passive approach to a problem – for example, the team does not understand its responsibilities and those senior to the team are not empowering the team to make choices. Regardless of the nature of the failure itself, it will be important for you to show that you have a nuanced understanding of the dynamics and that you are able to reflect and present a compelling theory (yes, theory!) for how you would have otherwise approached this situation.

Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career?  (750 word maximum).

Candidates will no doubt be relieved to find that Chicago’s previous “Why MBA?” question has been reduced by 750 words and that its scope has been narrowed. In previous years, candidates were forced to address career progress, short- and long-term goals, steps they have taken to learn about Chicago and their fit with the school. Now, ironically, by offering a far more open-ended question, Chicago is limiting the information it requires.

We feel that a successful response will be one in which a candidate anecdotally “shows” his or her growth to the reader. Rather than simply reciting any and all of your projects and accomplishments to date, you should showcase a selection of stories that best illustrate your strong career trajectory and then reveal the MBA as the clear culmination of your experience—the next point from which you will accelerate your progress.

Notably, the Chicago Admissions Committee has commented that they do not expect to identify candidates’ short- and long-term goals via this essay, but will be defer the discussion of such objectives to the interview. Still, a broad presentation of your goals is certainly warranted, as would be a thoughtful survey of the resources you will use at Chicago to move closer to ultimately reaching these goals.

While this essay does not represent the conventional personal statement, some of the “rules” of writing one still apply. So, we remind candidates that our Personal Statement Guide is available for free via our online store.

For additional information on the Chicago GSB experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.

Please select one of the following two questions to answer. (1,000 word maximum)

1a) Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations. How did you decide which obligation deserved your attention? b) Did you try and predict other people’s reactions to your decision? If so, how accurate were you? Why do you think you were or were not accurate in your prediction? c) Reflecting on this experience, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB might have aided in your decision making process?

As you contemplate this essay, you will need to carefully consider its foundation. Many candidates will mistakenly recount a time when they faced an easily resolvable choice—one in which the candidate’s ultimate selection is more or less obvious or readily understandable. Remember, you are not discussing a day when you faced a troubling but rather mundane issue, such as a timing conflict, but a moment when you had to make a difficult choice between “two equally important obligations”—likely a time when you had to choose one direction over another. You can test whether the choices you are considering discussing were truly competing obligations by determining that significant costs were associated with choosing either one. Indeed, the magnitude of this decision is everything in setting up this essay. So, the reader must truly experience and understand the stark contrast between the options and in some ways feel perplexed him/herself as he/she reads.

Of course, the manner in which you reasoned your way through this dilemma is also quite important. Again, if only limited thought went into your resolution of the conflict, then you are most likely choosing the wrong story. The reader wants to understand your thought process, the manner in which you weighed your options and considered the outcomes. Ultimately, your commitment to one obligation over the other is not as relevant as how you reached that commitment—the “how” is what will make this essay interesting, as it will offer a window into your psyche.

Finally, reflections on how your MBA from the Chicago GSB “might have aided you” should be specific to your case You must be sure to connect your developmental opportunities to the GSB’s resources in a clear and compelling way.

-or-

2a) Have you ever made a decision that caused you to go against popular opinion? Please describe that situation and your rationale for your decision. b) Did you feel at any point that people misperceived your motives? Explain? c) In retrospect, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB would have affected your decision?

In this essay, as in the first choice above, the GSB is trying to develop an understanding of your character and thought processes by asking you about a time when you had to make a decision that had costs associated with it. Again, establishing a strong foundation for this essay by illustrating a sharp contrast between the opposing points of view is critically important. In this case, you will benefit from revealing the overwhelming momentum of opinion in one direction and your reasoned and principled stand in opposition, preferably in the face of palpable pressure (think Twelve Angry Men). Again, in this essay, clearly explaining how you resolved this conflict—and thereby showing yourself to be persuasive and diplomatic in reaching a resolution or compromise—is key.

(Note: While presenting yourself as the “victor” in this situation is not crucial, portraying yourself as someone with strong opinions and who is reasoned in his/her approach to resolving impasses or problems definitely is. Again, as explained earlier, you must clearly convey the GSB’s potential role in educating you to better deal with such a situation by avoiding generic language and tying in the school’s resources.)

Slide Presentation

We have asked for a great deal of information throughout this application and now invite you tell us about yourself. Using four slides or less, please provide readers with content that captures who you are.

We have set forth the following guidelines for you to consider when creating your presentation.

The content is completely up to you. There is no right or wrong approach this essay. Feel free to use the software you are most comfortable with. Acceptable formats for upload in the online application system are PowerPoint or PDF.  There is a strict maximum of 4 slides, though you can provide fewer than 4 if you choose.  Slides will be printed and added to your file for review, therefore, flash, hyperlinks, embedded videos, music, etc. will not be viewed by the committee. You are limited to text and static images to convey your points. Color may be used. Slides will be evaluated on the quality of content and ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or presentation. You are welcome to attach a document containing notes if you feel a deeper explanation of your slides is necessary. However the hope is the slide is able to stand alone and convey your ideas clearly. You will not be penalized for adding notes but you should not construct a slide with the intention of using the notes section as a consistent means of explanation.

We are quite pleased to see that the GSB has changed this “essay”slightly to allow the submission of PDFs. Last year, because the slide presentation was restricted to Powerpoint, we felt that some candidates who had limited exposure to this software were disadvantaged. Now, all candidates are truly on equal footing,

At mbaMission, we really welcome this creative approach to self-expression. Chicago’s unique slide presentation is truly a blank slate and thus presents an incredible opportunity for candidates to differentiate themselves by creating a concept that is entirely distinct from thousands of others. What is great about this option is that in a traditional essay, your task is to differentiate yourself using only your content, but in this presentation, you can showcase your unique attributes through your content while also captivating your audience via your design.

Because this presentation is so open, we would need to collaborate with candidates to devise personal strategies. As a general rule, however, we recommend that candidates first consider their content and then devise a design that will allow them to best communicate all of this important content in a unique and compelling format. You do not want to make the mistake of choosing a method of presentation that is distinct and captivating but that limits your ability to tell your story in its entirety. Fully understanding and crafting your content first will prevent this from happening and start you on the right track.

1. Describe your career progress to date and your future short-term and long-term career goals. How do you expect an MBA from Wharton to help you achieve these goals, and why is now the best time for you to join our program? (1,000 words)

Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer our guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today. 

For additional information on the Wharton experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.

As for Wharton itself, experience has shown, and successful candidates who have gone on to work with Wharton admissions have confirmed, that Wharton pays special attention to “Why Wharton/Why now” and that your reasons must be thorough and compelling. This is not exactly news, as every school wants to see this emphasis, but Wharton is more inclined to “ding” those who don’t nail this section. Your “Why Wharton” rationale should not just offer praise for the school, but should illustrate your clear connection, academically, professionally and socially (meaning that you understand the environment that you will be entering).

2. Describe a setback or a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? (500 words)

The best failure essays are often those that show reasoned optimism and tremendous momentum toward a goal – a goal that is ultimately derailed. In most cases, you will need to show that you were emotionally invested in your project/experience, which will enable the reader to connect with your story and vicariously experience your disappointment. If you were not invested at all, it is hardly credible to discuss the experience as a failure or learning experience.

With respect to setbacks, the door swings open to a range of personal experience as well. For example, you could not discuss an injury that prevented you from competing for an elite college athletic competition as a failure, but it would certainly qualify as a setback. You can carefully consider setbacks in which you bear no responsibility for creating the situation. In such a case, again, it is crucial that you show that you were emotionally invested, that events were going in a certain direction and that the situation quickly turned in an unfavorable direction.

Of course, the second part of the story, the reflective element, is vital. It is very easy to offer trite and clichéd statements about your response to the problem and what you learned about yourself (Note: everyone learns resiliency – consider another key learning). It will take time to truly create a unique statement about your road forward and lessons learned, but the payoff will come in an essay that is much more personal and self-aware than thousands of others.

3. Where in your background would we find evidence of your leadership capacity and/or potential? (500 words)

In this essay, you have an opportunity to offer more than a single experience in one essay. It is possible to select two instances (three would likely be pushing it) in your background that showcase your distinct leadership skills. If you do choose to select two experiences, you would be wise to offer those that highlight different aspects of your style. For example, an “on the field” athletic leadership may exemplify strength of personality, while work experience might highlight skills of persuasion and diplomacy.  Regardless of the story or stories that you select, it is important that you prove to the Admissions Committee that you have an understanding of your own style and how you can be effective in leadership roles. Although there is no specific request for reflection in this essay, it would still be appropriate for you to contemplate your actions and show self-awareness.

4. Please respond to one (1) of the following questions:

a. Describe an experience you have had innovating or initiating, your lessons learned, the results and impact of your efforts. (500 words)

It is interesting that the Admissions Committee chose “innovating or initiating”. Although both actions require you to show your impact on a process, they are in and of themselves quite different. (Innovation means changing an existing process, while initiating means commencing a process.) It is possible that the Admissions Committee felt that because choosing only one word would be limiting in terms of accessing candidate experiences (some candidates struggle with Haas short essay three, where one must offer an “innovative solution) that they would at least give two opportunities for candidates to brainstorm around.

Of course, this essay becomes all the more challenging, coming after a mandatory leadership essay, where you must offer more than one example of leadership. Clearly, there can be some overlap between innovating/initiating and leading. So, you would be wise to brainstorm and really map out your strategy for these essays, lest you exhaust your stories before you have written this one.

After identifying your distinct idea, we would recommend that you focus on the “how?” and “why?” aspects of your actions. Innovation and initiation are the result of maintaining awareness of yourself and your surroundings and then recognizing a need or a problem that can be solved. How did this idea come to you? How did you and why were you capable of taking action and driving a process forward? Remember, the story in and of itself is not enough. The Admissions Committee wants to understand your results (which should flow naturally from the narrative), but more importantly, your lessons learned, which will require reflection. 

b. Is there anything about your background or experience that you feel you have not had the opportunity to share with the Admissions Committee in your application?  If yes, please explain. (500 words)

Essentially, this question is a “catchall” in which the Admissions Committee is ensuring that you will not miss the opportunity to offer something vital. If you happen to have unique experiences that do not fit neatly into the questions above, you can explore them here. While this question is open-ended, it is still a mistake to create an essay that lacks scope. This should not be a collection of ideas that you could not incorporate above, but a focused and compelling statement about your candidacy.  It would be wise for you to think through a thesis statement before you start to write.

When we posted our analysis of Kellogg’s essay questions, we noted that Kellogg’s were likely the most demanding. Even though awarding this “crown” is obviously entirely subjective (and entirely irrelevant), we would still like to note that Kellogg has a solid competitor in Haas, with its four short essays questions and two long essay questions. Indeed, Haas has maintained its challenging and quirky questions, changing only its first and tweaking the others ever so slightly.

With respect to Haas, the test that applicants will face is keeping their applications “fresh.” With so many Haas essays to “juggle”, candidates will need to consistently offer new experiences in order to maintain the interest of the admissions committee. So, candidates should strive to showcase a mix of personal, professional and community accomplishments throughout, with an eye toward avoiding repetition. 

Short Answer:

1. If you could change one thing you’ve done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently? (250 word maximum)

While many candidates are no doubt relieved to see that the abstract question about a hypothetical dinner partner is now gone, Haas has replaced this question with a challenge; candidates must discuss a change, meaning that an element of regret must enter the question. As you consider your response, you should keep Haas’ phrasing in mind, wherein they are asking for something “you’ve done” and asking “How would you do it differently?” Because of this particular word choice, it seems Haas is asking you to narrow in on one choice and then take personal responsibility for your actions. While they are not explicitly asking for a mistake, many candidates will no doubt answer with one. Remember though, a change can also be represented in a missed opportunity. While it may seem difficult, in only two-hundred and fifty words, it is still entirely possible to construct an interesting narrative. Remember to “show” the reader a story and to fully explain your initial reasoning and the flaws therein, as you resolve the hypothetical situation with a stark contrast via your “new” choice. 

2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)

Your most significant accomplishment can be from any sphere –professional, community, academic, personal– but you should try to maintain a balance and represent as many dimensions of your candidacy as possible through these short answers – meaning that you will have to exercise judgment. Again, even in 250 words, you can tell a brief story. The key to this essay is to choose an experience that is simple but powerful – one that speaks for itself and draws the reader in, allowing the reader to come to a clear conclusion about your capabilities.

3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)

If you have not yet offered a professional experience at this point, now is the time – for the sake of balance. Your example of innovation need not be earth-shattering, but can simply be the story of you thinking differently or making a unique choice. When telling a story, even in 250 words, you still need to provide a discernible beginning, middle and end, which in this case probably will be your discovery of the idea, actions you took to implement and clear results brought forth by your actions.

4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)

Quite simply, Haas wants to know that you are applying for the right reasons – for the program’s brains (academics, environment, etc.), not its beauty (rankings). You need to explain your connection with the program and show that you have engaged in a process of discovery and self-evaluation in coming to the conclusion that Haas is for you. The more personal and detailed you are in your approach, the more compelling your answer will be.

A good test of your sincerity is deleting any reference to Haas and inserting the name of another school. If your essay still makes sense with another school’s name inserted, the odds are that your response is too generic. If it your statement becomes nonsensical because you have another school’s name relating to Haas-specific resources, you have done your job (and should reinsert Haas!).

Required Essays: 

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)

You might feel relieved to find a 500 word maximum at this point. However, by now, your depth of experience might be challenged; some find it difficult to offer a strong answer to this question, after discussing their most significant accomplishment in short answer two. Clearly, you should reserve a story that is more complicated for this essay and one in which your actions are methodical. Whereas the short essay demands an impressive “blast” of experience, in this essay the AdCom is more interested in understanding your leadership style and thus your process orientation. Your results are still quite important, but the characteristics that you display on the path to these results should be revealing. 

2. What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)

Haas inverts the traditional structure of this essay question, placing your goals before your career experience. You too can invert your answer or you can begin with your career context; it does not really matter, as long as you answer the question in full. Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer our guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today.

With Harvard Business School scaling back to four essays (from five in 2007 and six in 2006) and Stanford making a similar reduction (its main essay has “shrunk” from a seven-page limit two years ago to a 750-word limit today), Kellogg now demands the most in terms of volume of writing required to complete an application. The minimization of such demands at other schools seems to have a great deal to do with rising application volumes and overtaxed admissions staffs. So, Kellogg’s Admissions Committee might be lauded for taking on such a challenging task. Last year, Kellogg made the first major changes to its essays in years. This year, it has merely tweaked essays 3 and 4, with essays 1 and 2 remaining longstanding, traditional questions. 

All applicants are required to answer questions 1, 2 and 3 in addition to two of the essays in question 4. For questions 1-3, please limit responses to 2 pages.

1: Briefly assess your career progress to date.  Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg.

Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer this guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today. 

For additional information on the Kellogg experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.

2: Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students.

This essay is broad and sweeping in nature, so it allows you to strategically showcase a mix of your greatest strengths—professional, community, academic and personal. You should strive to select a diversity of experiences and present them in such a way that you will be able to relate them back to your ability to contribute to Kellogg in a variety of areas, such as the classroom, your study group and/or the community at large. A successful essay will be one that not only details unique personal strengths, but also clearly illustrates how these strengths will be put into action at Kellogg—meaning that you will have an opportunity to show your intimate understanding of and connection to the school.

Please see our Monday Morning Essay Tip: Your Contribution.

3: Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experience.

Because essay two is so open-ended, you will need to carefully consider how and where to “spread” your stories. In essay 3, you must discuss your leadership experiences (note: “experiences” is plural), so you will have to “save” certain stories for this essay and not expend all of your ideas in this area in essay 2. You might offer two simple vignettes that showcase your leadership via a narrative, then evaluate yourself and illustrate certain areas for development. Although you are expected to be critical in discussing these areas for development, you should not deride your existing skills. Rather than thinking about ways in which you are lacking as a leader, you should focus on true opportunities to become a more complete and capable one. Again, in this essay (much as in essay 2), specific reference is made to your MBA experience. In answering this question, you should seize the opportunity to create a connection between yourself and Kellogg by showing that you understand how the school’s resources will facilitate your development as a leader.

Choose two of the following three essays…

4. Applicants must answer two of the below essays.  (Re-applicants must answer question 4D and one other essay).  Please keep responses to two paragraphs. 

4A - Describe a time when you had to motivate a reluctant individual or group.

Because of space limitations, starting this essay in a detailed and descriptive way is essential to conveying the intensity of the experience—to essentially paint a picture of the situation’s troubled dynamics. You will then need to transition quickly and analyze the actions you took to diplomatically navigate the situation and motivate the seemingly immovable individual or group. Your goal is to ensure that as the Admissions reader completes this essay, he/she understands both that you exercised sound judgment and discretion and how you did so. Implicitly, the reader should be able to extrapolate that as part of a study group at Kellogg, you would be an effective facilitator and leader— one who legitimately cares about others’ contributions, even when those others are reluctant to contribute.

4B  - I wish the Admissions Committee had asked me…..

This essay is essentially an open invitation to present anything vital about yourself—compelling stories or differentiators—that you have not otherwise been able to showcase. Basically, you could not ask for a better opportunity to explain to the Admissions Committee how you are unique. Many candidates use this essay to discuss a particular hobby or interest. If this is your choice as well, your inordinate passion for the activity in question must be fully and clearly expressed—otherwise, this window into your life will be boring and unconvincing. Ask yourself, “How can I show that I take this passion further than others?” This essay should not be a fallback option you choose because you have run out of creative ideas. Rather, it should allow you to offer your reader something exceptional about yourself and add depth of character to your application.

4C - What do others admire about you?

This essay challenges the notion that MBA candidates must remain humble and let their actions talk for them. If you choose to answer this question, be very careful not to brag or display arrogance. You will need to show that you have truly excelled in a certain area or way and ideally show “proof” of others’ admiration of you, perhaps by including a well-placed quote or referencing an award you have received. In general, we recommend that candidates tread carefully in this space. The line between displaying a favorable trait and offending others with a lack of self-awareness is a fine one—and easily crossed. To be honest, we are surprised that this question is offered as a choice.

4D - For re-applicants only: Since your previous application, what are the steps you’ve taken to strengthen your candidacy?

Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement or taken on a personal challenge of sorts, the key to this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Kellogg wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a Kellogg MBA is vital to you. This essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, as each person’s needs and experiences will differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that the above requirements are met.

Stanford continues to tweak its essay questions, moving from an almost “write what you want” approach two years ago to a much more narrow approach this year. Gone are the four- to seven-page limits of past years and even the three-page limits seen last year. Instead, Stanford is now embracing hard word limits, making “stretching” their essay questions difficult. While many of the questions remain the same, the first two options in Essay C have been “refreshed,” although their spirit remains unchanged.

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (750 Words)

Clearly, because of the very personal nature of this essay, you must thoroughly contemplate your response. We always brainstorm in depth with our candidates, pushing them to explore the psychological and philosophical motivations behind their goals and achievements, to best help them determine their Stanford themes. We cannot emphasize this enough—you should not make a snap decision about the content of this essay. Even after candidates have identified their themes, we encourage them to discuss the ideas we have generated with those with whom they are closest; this step helps to validate deeply personal and authentic themes and thereby results in an essay that truly stands out.

Once you have challenged yourself and identified your main themes, you should not simply provide a handful of anecdotes that support your idea—or worse, recycle the ideas you used in your HBS three accomplishments essay. The best Stanford essays are true explorations of the concept or issue posed by the essay question, involving a thorough analysis of decisions, motives and successes/failures. In other words, your anecdotes constitute a recounting of moments of personal exploration and so are not ends in and of themselves. If you are merely telling stories and trying to tie in your preconceived conclusions, you are most likely not analyzing your experiences, but rather forcing a theme on the reader—a decision that will be transparent to the experienced eyes of Admissions Committee members. In short, be sure to fully consider and develop your most sincere answers, outline your essays accordingly and then infuse your responses with your personality, thoughts and feelings. These are the first steps to crafting a compelling essay.

Essay B: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them? (450 Words)

You will notice that Stanford does not explicitly ask about your short- and long-term career goals, but instead about your “career aspirations.” Short- and long-term goals can be somewhat confining; Stanford’s “aspirations” provide a level of flexibility and allows you to provide a broader and more reasoned compendium of your objectives and the path you hope to take to reach them. Once you have provided this sketch, you will need to explain precisely how Stanford will help you achieve your goals. Essay B is not an opportunity to simply sing the school’s praises, but rather to profoundly connect with Stanford’s pedagogy and resources. You must convincingly explain how Stanford has the resources necessary for you to make your dreams and goals a reality.
 
Because Personal Statements are similar from one application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer this guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.  Please feel free to download your copy today. 

For additional information on the Stanford GSB experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.

Essay C: Short Essays—Options 1-4 (300 Words Each)

Answer two of the questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.

Option 1: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team.

While this question is somewhat straightforward, you should absolutely go beyond the basic query itself and show that you not only assembled a team with a sense of purpose but also that the team ultimately performed. Clearly illustrating a cause-and-effect relationship between your actions and the subsequent effectiveness of your team is incredibly important. You must be sure that your essay conveys not merely that you were part of a high-performing team, but rather that you played a direct and integral role in the make-up, character and performance of that team. 

Option 2: Tell us about a time when you felt most effective as a leader.

As with the previous question, clearly outlining the causative effect your actions had on the actions and reactions of others is of primary importance. Following the GSB’s instructions provided above, you should convey not just your results, but the route you took to success as well (“Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it”). With respect to leadership, the “how you did it” becomes crucial. Candidates often become caught up in detailing their results and focus only on them in their writing, leaving the reader entirely confused as to how these results were achieved.  Far too often, candidates also feel that they must offer examples of rousing leadership to write a compelling essay. If you are not a master orator and led “most effectively” via subtle persuasion or example, that is not only completely acceptable, but also an interesting point of differentiation. Again, if you focus on the means, and not simply on the ends, your essay’s power will naturally shine through.

Option 3: Tell us about a time when you tried to reach a goal or complete a task that was challenging, difficult, or frustrating.

This question offers you the opportunity to convey your resilience and determination, but these are obvious traits that any candidate could claim in such a situation—a successful essay will include more. You must not fall back on cliché here; that the reader understands that you took creative action in a distinct manner is vitally important. Simply overcoming is not enough—you need to effectively explain to the reader your thought processes and how you used your personality to effect change. Note: Writing a successful essay using an example in which you did not achieve your goals is certainly possible; the end result is not as important as the actions you took to succeed.
 
Option 4: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

In this essay, you can show yourself to be an independent thinker, capable of finding your own “true” path and/or adhering to morals and principles that you hold dear, particularly when those with influence are advising you otherwise. By creating a clear picture of what was expected of you and then contrasting your choice—by both describing your actions and outlining your reasoning and thoughts—you can present a compelling picture of yourself as a strong-minded and adventurous “hero.”

As we noted on our blog the other day, Harvard Business School (HBS) has released its essay questions—and is the first major MBA program to do so—thereby marking the start of the 2008–2009 MBA application season. We are interested to see whether other schools rush to follow HBS’s lead or whether they will wait to release their questions until the first week of July, when the questions are typically released. If Wharton is any indication, some schools will not be in a hurry to match HBS’s accelerated agenda.

As those who follow all things HBS will quickly discern, this year’s application differs in only a few small ways from last year’s. HBS’s first two essay questions remain the same. Thereafter, candidates need to complete two of four essay choices, rather than three of five, and two new essays are included among these options (“Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization” and “What area of the world are you most curious about and why?”). We can’t help but speculate that the Admissions Committee, coming off a year when the number of applications increased by 15% (to approximately 8,500), chose to reduce the number of required essays to make processing the applications more efficient.

(Note: For additional information on the Harvard Business School experience, please consult the MBA Mission Insider’s Guide series.)
 
1. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)

This mainstay of the Harvard MBA application challenges the applicant to quickly “wow” the reader with three individual accomplishments that, together, reveal a true depth of experience. Generally, the candidate should showcase different dimensions of his/herself within the three subsections of this essay. Candidates can select from their professional, community, personal, academic (must be truly outstanding), athletic, interpersonal, experiential and entrepreneurial accomplishments, but certainly, no formula for the right mix of stories exists.

While this is HBS’s longest single essay in terms of word limit, many candidates treat it as three mini essays, and constructing individual stories within 200-word subsets is quite challenging. Candidates must remember that the experiences described are crucial, but they are not everything. Indeed, two elements need to be addressed in this essay—the story of your accomplishment and an analytical reflection on that story (“why do you view them as such?”). The second half of this question should not be ignored; your personal thoughts and reflections are yours alone and will differentiate you from the pack.

2. What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit) 

What is interesting about this question is that the Admissions Committee is not asking you to recount a failure or setback, which would allow you to shift the blame onto others or external circumstances. Instead, they are asking about a mistake that you made or were in some way involved in making—which means that you cannot avoid taking personal responsibility for the error. We cannot emphasize this enough: the Admissions Committee wants to know that you can honestly and critically assess yourself. You do not need to be brutal, but your essay must leave you exposed in some way. Attempts to hide or minimize your mistake, or your role in it, will be transparent and will lessen the import of what you learned from it—as well as the strength of your essay.

Fundamentally, this essay is not so much about the mistake itself as it is about what you learned from the mistake. So, you will need to explain the error, take responsibility in a mature manner and then be introspective, showing that learning occurred and led to real change in your thoughts and actions.

3. Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):

a. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?

This question is quite open-ended, so you are not constrained to a historical recounting of your entire academic career; you can be selective and showcase the aspects that present you in the most positive light. This is an opportunity to explain your choices (of school/major) and highlight your intellectual vitality, not to review your coursework (the Admissions Committee has your transcript) or justify bad grades.

While “academic” is the operative word in this essay question, it can be interpreted broadly. Your academic experience can extend beyond the classroom and into, for example, vigorous discussions with professors during office hours. The idea is to show that while you were an undergraduate, you seized various opportunities to explore ideas and develop your own interests, thoughts and world view. You should try to create momentum, illustrating how you worked to discover your passions and committed yourself to a course of study. However, this does not mean that you can only discuss your major; that quirky “surrealist cinema” or fascinating “modern architecture” class that was well outside of your core course of study might be the perfect fodder to prove your intellectual growth.

Note: we generally do not recommend this essay question to candidates who are several years removed from their undergraduate experience, but exceptions are made for those who had truly extraordinary academic careers.

b. Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.

“How” is the key word in this essay question. The Admissions Committee does not want you to simply recite your activities (they will have access to a complete list of these from the “short answer” section of your application). They want to understand the thought process behind your involvement and the actions you have taken to create your impact.

Clearly, a candidate should choose this essay only if he/she has a profound connection to a community or organization. In many ways, this essay should be an expression of that connection, showing the spirit, meaning and purpose that inspired the engagement, as well as the efficacy of the involvement. Indeed, mere participation will not suffice. The Admissions Committee must take away from this essay that the applicant is a leader and has influenced a community or organization in an indelible way.

c. What area of the world are you most curious about and why?

This essay question presents quite a challenge. Candidates have to identify an area of the world that intrigues them and then create an immensely personal connection to it that justifies its selection. Simply choosing the Asia Pacific region or China because these areas are experiencing immense growth, for example, will not suffice. If you imagine yourself as a reader for the Admissions Committee, you will realize that you will not be drawn in by a stranger informing you of things you already know about certain areas or countries. So, if you choose to answer this question, you will be obliged to provide evidence of or the background behind an intense intellectual, spiritual and/or professional connection to the place that is driving this curiosity. Indeed, candidates are best advised to focus on the curiosity (what is personally intriguing) more than on the merits of the area (what everyone tends to know). 

d. What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?

Many candidates feel anxious about not answering this question, because, for the most part, every top school asks candidates to directly discuss their goals. Well, for the record, mbaMission worked with candidates who were admitted to HBS last year without answering this question. It is, indeed, optional.

Essentially, we feel that if you are truly passionate about a certain career path and this path has some distinctiveness to it, then you should answer this question. However, if you are still contemplating your career or can reveal something unique about yourself by answering one of the other essay questions instead, then you need not use this one.

If you choose to address it, this question offers you flexibility in discussing your career path, because the Admissions Committee wants to hear about vision, not narrow goals. Still, even though no blatant request is made for a description of your short- and long-term goals, you cannot afford to be whimsical. To ensure your credibility, you must show that you are focused in your ambitions and ensure that your desired career path is built on a legitimate, existing foundation.

HBS strives to restrict the illustrious HBS experience to those with clear vision, potential and purpose. The latter portion of this essay question (“why is this choice meaningful to you?”) places the onus on you to explore and explain your motivations. The question’s structure prevents superficial answers and forces you to show a fundamental understanding of, and personal connection to, your goals going forward.