Blog: Archive for the “Essays” Category

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania asks applicants to provide two short essays concerning their career goals, plus a longer essay, whose focus is on how the applicant’s background will enable them to contribute to the Wharton community. By discussing your professional aspirations as well as your experiences and values, you have the … Read More  

Columbia Business School (CBS) requires all its applicants to submit a short-answer goal statement of just 50 characters. In addition, January-entry applicants must respond to a second short-answer question about why they have selected the alternative program start date, while August-entry applicants are asked to describe their plans for the summer between the first and … Read More  

  Many business schools use their essay questions as an opportunity to ask about the unique contributions you will make to their particular program. Unfortunately, candidates often make the mistake of thinking that a bland summary statement like “I will bring my leadership skills to XYZ School” will sufficiently express their intended contribution. One reason we … Read More  

As you are working on your MBA applications, you will inevitably come across an opportunity to write an optional essay. Virtually every application has one. But do you need to write an optional essay? What exactly is it for? And who should use it?

MBA applicants invest significant time and effort into crafting strong applications, yet many still find themselves rejected from their target programs. The admissions process can be unpredictable, but business schools often have clear reasons for dinging otherwise qualified candidates does, and understanding those reasons is key to improving one’s chances the next time around.