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The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) requires only two essays of its candidates, though its long-standing first essay question—about “what matters most” to applicants—is one we have seen many people struggle with over the years. The largely open-ended nature of the prompt often stymies candidates, who understandably want to avoid making any wrong moves … Read More  

For the 2026–2027 application season, Harvard Business School (HBS) requires three application essays that each focus on a different element of the MBA program’s admissions criteria. For the school’s first required essay, you will need to reflect on your past and explain how certain choices you have made have influenced your professional aspirations. Leadership is … Read More  

For its first required application essay, the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, wants candidates to succinctly introduce themselves and then dig deep on a personal level and discuss something about which they are passionate. For the second year in a row, the school is asking for this information via video. … Read More  

In an admissions blog post, Allison Jamison, the assistant dean of admissions at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, noted the importance of keeping things straightforward in the application process. Reflecting this mindset, Fuqua’s demands with respect to application essays are on the minimal side, which most candidates likely appreciate. Applicants must respond to one … Read More  

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 … Read More