mbaMission is proud to introduce a first-of-its-kind MBA application writing class led by a veteran mbaMission admissions consultant. Throughout this four-session, 12-hour course, we will guide you step-by-step through the process of creating a compelling MBA application that reveals your unique character and will inspire the admissions committee to grant you that coveted letter of acceptance. This class is designed to jump-start your application process—you will brainstorm for unique ideas, practice the techniques of effective storytelling and resume construction and learn how to structure and draft essays for your target school—so that you are headed in the right direction with all your applications.
Expected Outcomes
In this class you will accomplish the following:
Understand how to view essays through the lens of the admissions committee
Learn to identify the characteristics of a great essay and avoid common pitfalls
Dig deep into your past experiences to reveal your most compelling stories
Start constructing your essays with feedback and direction from your peers and the instructor
Benefit from the workshop leader’s deep expertise on the admissions process and top programs
Workshop your essays in an online session after the formal instruction sessions to enhance your drafts and move your work toward the final draft stage
Get a head start on your recommendations and interviews in an extra hour of recorded content and develop a process for completing the rest of your applications
Class Dates:
Online A –
Thurs., Sept. 8 (8-11 p.m.)
Sat., Sept. 10 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.)
Sat., Sept. 10 (3-6 p.m.)
Mon., Sept. 12 (8-11 p.m.)
Online B–
Tues., Oct 11 (8-11 p.m.)
Wed., Oct. 12 (8-11 p.m.)
Thurs., Oct. 13 (8-11 p.m.)
Wed., Oct. 19 (8-11 p.m.)
New York A–
Fri., Sept. 23 (6-9 p.m.)
Sat., Sept. 24 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Sat., Sept. 24 (2-5 p.m.)
Tues., Sept. 27 (6-9 p.m.)
New York B–
Fri., Oct. 28 (6-9 p.m.)
Sat., Oct. 29 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Sat., Oct. 29 (2-5 p.m.)
Wed. Nov. 2 (6-9 p.m.)
Chicago A*–
Sun., Sept. 25 (10 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Sun., Sept. 25 (2-5 p.m.)
Mon., Sept. 26 (6-9 p.m.)
Wed., Oct. 5 (6-9 p.m.)
*Chicago times are listed in Central Time Zone. All other times listed in Eastern Time Zone.
Fees: Online A & B – $525, New York A & B – $650, Chicago A – $650
In the past, we have advised MBA candidates to exercise caution in choosing to write the optional essay. (See our Monday Morning Essay Tip: The Optional Mistake.) Our philosophy has not changed on this point, but we do want to make MBA candidates aware of certain circumstances, other than discussing a problem area, that may necessitate writing an optional essay.
For example, if you have achieved something absolutely extraordinary that is relevant to your candidacy—something that truly strikes at the essence of who you are—but that will simply not fit as an answer to any of the school’s essay questions, then you should consider writing the optional essay to illuminate the experience and its importance to you. We would advise a candidate to make this exception only in the most unique of circumstances and remind applicants that they should still be quite conservative in their use of this space. Again, this is not the place for a 500-word “extra” essay, but a few sentences illustrating the extraordinary experience and its significance would be appropriate. Such an experience should be able to stand on its own, so you do not need to belabor the point and agitate the admissions committee with a long essay detailing a variety of themes and accomplishments.
Let’s play a quick game of word association. We’ll start… “Kellogg.” Ok, go ahead… “Entrepreneurship.” Right? No? Aspiring MBAs may be surprised to learn that Kellogg offers approximately 29 courses in this discipline and that roughly 16% of each student class typically completes an Entrepreneurship and Innovation major—defying the stereotype that Kellogg produces only marketing MBAs. But Kellogg’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program offers more than classes; it provides a variety of hands-on opportunities, including the Entrepreneurial Internship Program, in which rising second-year students intern with small businesses to help facilitate career transitions (while earning a $1,000 weekly stipend).
Kellogg also has an Entrepreneur in Residence program, wherein an experienced entrepreneur hosts half-hour sessions with students who aspire to careers in this field or are seeking advice on their already active projects. MBA student entrepreneurs coming from or planning to enter a family business will likely be interested to learn that Kellogg’s Center for Family Businesses not only publishes research and cases on family business, but also confidentially consults to family-run companies. Indeed, this is all just the tip of the iceberg…
Go beyond the stereotypes. For in-depth information on Kellogg and 14 other leading business school programs, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.
Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose a business school to attend, but the educational experience is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Each Wednesday, we profile a standout professor as identified by students. Today, we focus on Harry Kraemer from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
A winner of the Lavengood Award for Outstanding Professor of the Year (2008), Harry Kraemer (“Management and Strategy”) is a Kellogg alumnus (MBA ’79) and was CEO and president of Baxter International (a $9B health care firm) before becoming an adjunct professor at Kellogg. Kraemer remains active in the business community as an executive partner at Madison Dearborn, a Chicago-based private equity firm. Students we interviewed described how Kraemer fuses theory and practice, bringing CEOs from some of the biggest companies in the United States to his class, but outsiders need not worry that such a successful individual would be out of touch with the common student—Kraemer is known for offering students one-on-one career guidance, even if they are not enrolled in his class.
For more information about Kellogg and 14 other top-ranked business schools, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guides.
“The semester I spent in France during high school was a unique experience.”
“I want to attend Columbia Business School because of its unique Entrepreneurial Club.”
“The opportunity to do hands-on consulting at Ross is unique.”
“My finance background and strong interpersonal skills will allow me to make a unique contribution to Cornell’s Investment Management Club.”
One of mbaMission’s consultants recently counted five uses of the word “unique” in a single 600-word essay. What’s more, not one of the uses actually fulfilled the term’s correct definition: “existing as the only one or as the sole example.” Applicants tend to use the word “unique” as a way of trying to make themselves stand out to the admissions committee. However, because they use the word imprecisely—and often, too frequently—it instead has the opposite effect of making the essay lose its distinctiveness. Another danger of using the term too casually is that you risk exposing your lack of research about the school if you claim something is unique to the school when it really is not.
Here are the same four statements written without the generic “unique.” In each case, the sentence is far more descriptive and therefore much less likely to appear in any other applicant’s essay!
“The semester I spent in France during high school was eye-opening, from the frogs’ legs I was served at dinner to the concept of shopping daily for my food.”
“I want to attend Columbia Business School because its Entrepreneurial Club offers an incredible range of activities that will prepare me to better run my own company.”
“The opportunity to do hands-on consulting at Ross will complement the theoretical background I will gain by taking classes on consulting.”
“My finance background and strong interpersonal skills will ensure that I will effectively coach and mentor classmates new to finance through Cornell’s Investment Management Club’s mentorship program.”
A first-of-its-kind, on-demand MBA application experience that delivers a personalized curriculum for you and leverages interactive tools to guide you through the entire MBA application process.
