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When admissions officers read your MBA application, they want to feel inspired by your personal statement; they want to know that you have a strong sense of purpose and will work energetically to attain your objectives. Thus, you must ensure that you are not presenting generic or shallow post-MBA goals. Although this problem is not … Read More  

IESE, like all business schools, is in search of capable, ambitious candidates who know why they need an MBA and what they want to do once they have one. The school’s two required essays provide applicants with the opportunity to show that they understand the program’s specific resources and opportunities. Candidates must also record a … Read More  

The University of Toronto Rotman School of Management does not require applicants to provide any prewritten essays as part of their application. However, after submitting their application, candidates will receive a link to a timed written assessment, for which they must compose spontaneous responses to two questions. Read on for our analysis of this portion … Read More  

The International Institute for Management Development (IMD) requires two 400-word essays of its applicants. The first essay’s topic—“tell us your story”—is so open-ended that it will likely be challenging for some candidates, especially considering the limited word count. IMD’s second essay is more traditional, asking applicants what they hope to gain from the program. Candidates … Read More  

Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business has only one required written application essay, and applicants are given a choice of two prompts to respond to. The first asks candidates to discuss a time when they navigated a complicated situation, and the second tasks applicants with explaining how they will use the Tepper program to … Read More