Applicants to the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University must submit just one written essay, though the essay prompt has two distinct parts. For the first, candidates are asked to explain their rationale for pursuing an MBA, while providing context to explain what led to this decision. The second part of the prompt deals with how applicants will contribute to their fellow students during their time in the Kellogg program. In addition, the admissions committee requires that candidates respond to five brief questions via video. Kellogg’s written and video submissions cover a lot of territory, so together, they should allow you to share a good deal of information about your past, your personality, and your strengths. For more advice on interpreting and approaching the school’s prompts for 2026–2027, read on.
Although admissions officers want to know that you are interested in their school, they do not want to read your repeated professions of love for it. Some candidates mistakenly believe that in their essays, they must constantly repeat enthusiastic statements about how they will improve their skills at their target school, regardless of whether the school asks for such information.
MBA applicants often wonder whether their background will be an advantage or a disadvantage in the competitive admissions process. Consultants and investment bankers are concerned with how they can stand out in a crowded applicant pool, while teachers, military officers, entrepreneurs, and other less-conventional MBA candidates worry that admissions committees will not take their candidacies as seriously.
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The MBA admissions process is unpredictable and highly subjective. Every year, the applicant pool is packed with highly qualified applicants—too many for the schools to admit, in fact—and as a result, incredible candidates are invariably rejected. Over the past 20 years, we have seen both the good and the bad of MBA admissions, and on a daily basis, applicants ask us, “What is the secret to getting accepted to a top MBA program?”
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