Applicants to the HEC Paris’s MBA program have their work cut out for them as far as writing application essays goes. Candidates must submit a total of five essays (and may add a sixth, if they wish) that cover a wide range of topics. One submission is a fairly standard personal statement, but then applicants are asked to describe a particularly significant achievement, share an instance at the intersection of leadership and ethics, and envision a completely different life for themselves. Lastly, candidates must choose whether to highlight a favorite place or monument from their homeland; critique an otherwise universally popular book, movie, or play; or discuss a person they admire. If they still have more story to tell, they can do so in an optional essay. Read on for our more detailed analysis of the 2025–2026 essay prompts for HEC Paris.
We still think that asking MBA candidates about their goals is plainly absurd, because so many students change their goals while they are in school. Further, isn’t an MBA supposed to be about career development and exploration? Well, regardless of how we feel, during a time when the economy is down and many firms are cutting back on their MBA hiring, you must ensure that (if a school asks via its essay questions or an interview) you have a compelling story for where you believe your MBA will take you. Two years ago, getting that banking job may have sounded compelling to you. Are you really capable of making that transition today? Certainly, fewer jobs are available now in the real estate world. Is this a likely next step for you during a prolonged real estate drought? Venture capital and private equity jobs are challenging to land during the best of times—are you able to compete with the elite during a downturn?
These are just a few examples of questions that you should honestly ask yourself. Keep in mind that not only are MBA admissions committees examining your story to determine whether you would add something unique to the class, but, this year, they will also likely send any borderline cases to the career services office to help confirm whether your stated goals are realistic and you won’t be difficult to place by or after graduation (i.e., that you won’t hinder the school’s employment stats and thereby negatively affect its standing in the rankings). So, pay special attention to your goal statements and make sure that you can credibly stand behind them—and, as we have written in the past, even consider preparing to discuss some alternate goals.
The application essays for IE University’s International MBA Program are not overly taxing from a length perspective, but they require candidates to make some important decisions as to what they choose to share and how. We imagine most applicants will end up devoting a good bit of time to considering their options as far as topics to cover and just as much (if not more) time to crafting the presentation of that information. The school’s broad personal statement prompt instructs candidates to essentially tell the admissions committee the most important thing about themselves that has not been discussed elsewhere, and applicants can do so in a video, via a PowerPoint presentation, or in writing. At the other extreme is IE’s “online assessment,” which gives candidates almost no time to prepare their responses in advance. Read on for our advice on approaching the school’s essays for this season.
Emory University’s Goizueta Business School demands three short-answer questions, two relatively brief written essays, and a one-minute “small talk” video essay from its applicants. Two of the three short-answer questions address common MBA essay topics: one’s short-term career objectives and how the school can help the applicant achieve them. The third, however, asks candidates to share a “fun fact” about themselves. Applicants have a choice of two prompts for the school’s first essay question, though both deal with a past leadership experience. And for the second essay, candidates are asked to discuss a person, event, or circumstance that has influenced who they are today. The school’s video essay might cause some applicants a bit of anxiety, because Goizueta provides no advance information about what the question will be. Candidates must therefore be ready to respond extemporaneously. If needed, applicants can use the optional essay to provide clarification or explanation about elements of their candidacy. Read on for our full analysis of all Goizueta’s 2024–2025 application essay questions.
What exactly is business school, and how does one successfully navigate the application process? Whether you are just beginning to consider pursuing an MBA or are already deep into drafting your essays, this episode ofThe mbaMission Podcastoffers valuable guidance. Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and mbaMission Founder and President Jeremy Shinewald begin by examining the fundamentals: what an MBA entails, who benefits most from the degree, and the transformative impact it can have on one’s career. From there, the duo walk through each stage of the application journey, including school research, standardized testing, personal storytelling, securing strong recommendations, and preparing for interviews.
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