The one required application essay for the Fisher College of Business at The Ohio State University gives candidates the opportunity to provide a little context, detail, and depth to complement the statistics and other basic data conveyed in the rest of the application. The essay is essentially a rather traditional career goals statement, allowing candidates one single-sided page in which to outline their professional aspirations and explain their need for an MBA. Applicants with unusual or unclear elements in their profiles, or who simply have more they feel they need to share with the admissions committee, can take advantage of a 500-word supplemental essay. All aspiring Fisher students must complete a video interview in conjunction with their application, and although this is not technically an essay, we offer tips on preparing for it as well in our complete analysis, which follows.
In the past, we have addressed (and debunked!) the myth that you must personally know alumni from the top MBA programs to gain acceptance into those schools. Another admissions myth that is somewhat similar—in that it pertains to who you know instead of who you are—is that your recommendation must be written by someone with a flashy title. Each year, many candidates will persuade either someone from outside their workplace (e.g., a congressperson) or an insider who does not know their work all that well (e.g., a managing director or CEO) to write a recommendation on their behalf.
Sometimes, MBAs are so eager to land their next role that they say yes to the first job offer they get, but we want to caution you to be more intentional with your career. Your goal is not to find just any job, it is to find the right job for you. And, to be clear, you could very likely find multiple jobs that would be right for you. So how do you avoid the wrong ones?
In this episode of The mbaMission Podcast, mbaMission Senior Consultant Harold Simansky and Managing Director Gavriella Semaya tackle the topic of candidates using AI when preparing their MBA applications. Although they both see value in applying the tool for grammar checks, light research, and brainstorming, the trouble starts when applicants let AI do more than support the writing process. When the technology begins shaping a candidate’s ideas or tone too significantly, the result is a loss of authenticity and singularity.
Candidates for Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business must provide just one written essay (of a somewhat succinct 500 words) in response to their choice of three questions. Applicants can discuss how their personal attributes and experiences could be additive to the school’s community, the leadership qualities they possess and how those will enable them to contribute to the McDonough community, or a particularly significant “win” from their professional life. McDonough also requires a short video essay in which candidates reveal something they have enjoyed within the recent past that is separate from their professional life. The school’s optional essay gives applicants the leeway to discuss anything they feel is necessary, so it should be sufficient to meet everyone’s needs. Our full analysis of McDonough’s essay prompts for 2026–2027 follows.
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