In addition to completing a short video, applicants to Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management must submit two somewhat brief statements (400 and 300 words) as part of their application. The first prompt is professionally focused, requesting that candidates expound on their intentions for their career after graduation and explain the motivation behind their choices as well as what capabilities they already possess that will position them for success. The second prompt asks applicants to discuss a challenging or difficult situation they navigated and what they took away from the experience. The brevity and scope of the program’s required statements do not offer much opportunity for creativity, but we encourage applicants to try to make their responses as personal as possible to help them stand out better among the multitude of similar submissions Owen will receive. The school’s optional “explanatory statement” prompt allows candidates who might need to clarify any elements of their profile to the admissions committee to do so. Our more in-depth analysis of Owen’s statement prompts and video component follows.
Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2025–2026
Statement 1: Our Career Management Center offers resources, guidance, and support to students as they navigate their anticipated post-MBA career paths. Examples of popular industry career paths are Consulting, Financial Services, Consumer Products, Healthcare, Human and Organizational Performance, Technology, and beyond. It is noteworthy that many students opt to concurrently explore multiple industry career paths.
As you contemplate your post-MBA aspirations, walk us through your career journey thus far and share two post-MBA career paths you aim to explore during the Vanderbilt MBA program. Please articulate what in your career journey has led to your decision to pursue an MBA, and touch on skills you’ve developed that will help you achieve your post-MBA career plans. (400 words)
With this question, Owen is asking for a standard element of a traditional personal statement—one’s intended career trajectory—with the addition of one rather nonstandard component—a second intended career trajectory. In a way, then, the admissions committee is asking you share your Plan B, but without requiring you to specify which path you consider your Plan A. Candidates often feel they must be totally unequivocal in their career goals to impress the admissions committee, but in this case, Owen actually wants you to broaden your view and to speculate on and articulate multiple options. The admissions committee understands that sometimes even the best-laid plans do not play out as expected, and they want to know that you are also aware of this possibility. Even more, they want proof that you are prepared to switch gears and commit to a different path, if necessary—and that you are fully capable of doing so. The key in answering this question is showing that both goals you present are equally connected to your skills, interests, and ambitions, so that neither seems to come “out of left field,” so to speak. For example, you would probably have a difficult time convincing the admissions committee that you hope to enter either technology consulting or human resources, because these industries, for the most part, require entirely different skills and personalities. Both options you present must be plausible and achievable.
Understandably, then, Owen wants to know what you already bring to the table with respect to your potential to be successful in your target career(s). To be convincing (and to best work with your limited word count here), you need to highlight skills that are relevant and helpful to both paths you have presented, rather than specifying different capabilities for each goal. This is a chance for you to demonstrate that you understand what is required of someone in the professional roles or industries you are targeting and have the self-awareness to know which of those requirements you already meet.
Again, this question concerns some of the core topics covered in a traditional personal statement, so we encourage you to download your free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide, which helps applicants write this style of essay for any school. This complimentary publication offers detailed advice on approaching and framing such content, along with multiple illustrative examples.
Statement 2: Reflect on a challenge or stressful situation you have faced. How did you respond to this challenge, and what did you learn about yourself through the process? (300 words)
A challenge or obstacle can be the catalyst for a powerful learning experience, whether you were able to completely overcome the impediment or not (note that Owen’s prompt asks how you “responded to” the issue). So, for this essay, you can discuss a one-time occurrence or an ongoing issue that you deal with regularly. And because the school does not stipulate that the challenge you share be strictly professional or personal, you can (and should) consider every possible option you have from the various facets of your life—your workplace, academic background, family, personal life, community engagements, and so on. The one you ultimately choose should be the one that has made the most significant impact on how you view and/or operate in the world today. Owen’s admissions committee wants to understand how and what you learn from situations in which things do not go as planned. Your goal is to convey that you are not easily discouraged by setbacks but that you instead use them as learning tools or stepping-stones on your path forward.
Consider using a narrative approach to tell your story, rather than simply stating the facts outright. Including vivid anecdotal details will help you most effectively convey the nature of your challenge. You want to ensure that the admissions reader fully grasps your struggle. Then, your explanation of what you learned from the experience—and of how you dealt (or are dealing) with the obstacle—will reveal your character. Avoid clichéd lessons, such as “gained resilience.” In what substantial way has the situation changed you, and how do you now apply what you took away from it (or expect to in the future)?
One important note: do not be afraid to reveal a weakness or error on your part. Although this is not a “failure” essay, if your own actions helped create the obstacle or you failed to see the obstacle right before you (and should have), you should not shy away from an honest discussion of your responsibility. Such incidents are usually very effective learning opportunities and could therefore make for a compelling essay. The key is in conveying what your takeaways are from the experience and explaining how it has influenced you and your life since.
Optional Explanatory Statement: You may provide an additional statement to briefly explain anything that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application. This could include employment gaps, lack of recommendation from your current or most recent supervisor, violations of the law, academic misconduct, sub-par academic performance, or anything else that is relevant to your application. Bullet points are acceptable for this statement when appropriate.
With this rather “catchall” prompt, Owen obviously wants to give applicants an opportunity to clarify any potentially problematic elements of their profile, but the admissions committee is definitely not interested in long-winded expositions or unnecessary filler. The admissions committee’s use of the word “briefly” and note about using bullet points substantiate this. So do not view this as a chance to squeeze in another accomplishment story or pander to the school in any way, and only take advantage of this optional statement if you have complementary information the admissions committee truly needs to hear to be able to fully and fairly evaluate you as a candidate. For help in deciding whether and how best to respond to this kind of prompt, download a free copy of the mbaMission Optional Essays Guide.
Video Response: The video response is a chance for you to provide a glimpse of your authentic self, speaking without a script. The video questions are designed to be easy to answer, “small talk” questions to help us to get to know you. You will have time to prepare your response and the application will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to record your answers.
First, take a deep breath. We understand that video essays can be intimidating and nerve-racking, but the admissions committee is truly not trying to scare you or set you up to fail. Video essays are generally meant to provide a more dynamic representation of an applicant’s personality than can be conveyed in a written essay. Owen is not looking for the next prime-time anchor or expecting an Oscar-worthy performance—the school just wants to get a sense of your spoken communication style, personality, and perhaps demeanor. Because the different questions you might encounter are not provided in advance, the admissions committee is likely also using the video as a way of gauging how you deal with the unexpected, think on your feet, and convey relevant answers in a time-conscious way. This is, after all, similar to what you will be doing in the Owen classroom as an MBA student.
When the time comes to record your video submission, you will receive a question and then be given 30 seconds to prepare your response. You then have 90 seconds to record your response. If you are not satisfied with your submission after reviewing it, you can actually record another video to replace it. The twist, however, is that you will not be asked the same question, and you are limited to just three attempts, so you cannot simply keep repeating the process until you perfect your response. Take care to not be too exacting, or you might paint yourself into a corner.
Again, you will not know ahead of time what question(s) you will receive, but this does not mean you cannot prepare in advance. You could, for example, ask a friend or family member to help you get ready by asking you questions and providing feedback on the content and presentation of your responses. To find practice questions, consider Googling “MBA interview questions” and/or downloading a free copy of the mbaMission Interview Guide, which includes a list of 100 questions commonly posed in MBA admissions interviews. This will give you a feel for what delivering an oral response within the school’s 90-second timeframe feels like (ideally without speaking at lightning speed!). As you practice, strive to minimize your use of filler words and phrases (e.g., “um,” “uh,” “like,” “you know”) so that you are less likely to depend on or default to them when the time comes for your actual video submission. Do not feel that you must fill the entire 90 seconds if you do not have good content with which to do so, but also, take care to not be too brief. This is the admissions committee’s chance to get to know you better as an animated, three-dimensional person, so do not shortchange them on getting to see how you speak and behave.
And do not panic. If you make a small mistake or bungle your words, just pause, smile, and get back on track. If you make a more significant blunder—perhaps you run out of time before you have finished answering the question or totally draw a blank and fail to provide any real answer at all—take comfort in knowing that you can try again.
Let us reassure you that none of the questions will have a “correct” answer, and you are not going to be judged on how energetic or enthralling you are in delivering your response. You should speak as naturally as possible so that the admissions committee can get a feel for your true character and bearing. If possible (meaning you can do so without forcing the issue), sharing a story from your life that helps illustrate or support your answer will make your response even more compelling. Otherwise, simply breathe, relax, and give the school insight into the unique individual you are. Respond to each query honestly and as smoothly as you can (despite any nervousness you might be feeling), and be yourself.
