MBA Essays
Application essays are a critical part of the application and are perhaps the most important MBA admission requirement. They give admissions officers the opportunity to get to know more about you aside from your job title and a few statistics. It is recommended that you are honest about your feelings and that you really write about what’s important to you and why. Your main goals you want to attain through your essays should be:
- Differentiating yourself from the competition
- Being memorable
- Showing the need for an MBA at this point
- Showing fit and passion for a specific MBA program
The career vision essay...
Every MBA application will ask you what your short and long-term career goals are. In your
short term career vision essay, feel free to write about changing industries (or remaining in the same one if you like to). It really doesn’t matter, as long as you have valid reasons for your decision. If you are a career switcher, your work experience to date should support a change (meaning you should provide examples of skills you gained that you will be able to utilize to get your post-MBA job). This means that your switch to a new industry has to look feasible. Think of the AdComs as hiring managers. They want to see that your post-MBA job is within your reach. This is important for MBA rankings (% of students who found a job within 3 months of graduation). Make sure to describe the job role well (e.g. type of company, industry, position) and match the job requirements with the skills you obtained from previous jobs. Of course don’t forget to research the MBA program and identify courses or clubs that might help as well.
In the long-term career vision part you can write about your true passion. But be sure that you can back up this vision with past interests in this field. For example, if you want to found a non-profit one day then it helps if you did some volunteering before. Or if you want to start your own fashion company in India, then it helps if you had a previous interest in the fashion industry and the Indian market in some way. This will allow you to be more memorable (and credible). Remember that in general the career vision essays are also part of the differentiation objective. So be creative but credible at the same time.
For both the long and short-term career vision, don't forget to always incorporate the "Why MBA program XYZ" question, even when it is not specifically asked. This means you'll have to identify specific resources (e.g. classes, clubs, faculty, alumni network, etc.) for each MBA program which will help you attain those goals.
Your most significant accomplishments...
This essay usually is also part of most essay questions and provides a great opportunity to differentiate yourself as well. Make sure that not all examples given for this essay question revolve around your work experience (this rule also applies to other essay questions as well). Extracurricular activities often provide great material and so do personal experiences, especially those that emotionally touch the reader (e.g. when you had to struggle in life to overcome a challenge). This is especially important for those with typical backgrounds (e.g. consulting, finance, IT, etc.).
Show fit...
Another important MBA admission requirement that should be evident from your essays is fit. You will want to show your excitement for each business school and demonstrate that you are the perfect match (even if the direct question "Why MBA program XYZ" is not asked, you need to address this question somewhere, usually in your career vision essay). This will require you to do some research on each business school (read more under finding the right MBA). Remember that the yield rate (% of accepted applicants actually attending the institution at the end) is critical for MBA programs because of the rankings so they will try to accept those who demonstrated a strong interest in their program and are likely to attend in the end. Yield percentages are around 50-70% for most top 20 programs (Harvard has the highest with 90%).
Moreover, your story should explain why you need an MBA at this point (in case you are not asked this directly in one of the essay questions). Fit also means how the MBA program you're targeting can help you become successful after your MBA. For example, if you write in your career vision essay that you would like to work in Europe after completing your MBA, then you will most likely stand a better chance at European top programs such as London Business School, INSEAD, IMD or IESE. However, if you want to go into investment banking in New York then these European business schools will probably tell you that you're better off applying to US MBA programs.
Some last quick tips...
- Stick to the word limit (going over by 10% is ok if absolutely necessary)
- Avoid repeating too much information in your essays that you already provided somewhere else in your application (e.g. your resume) since you don't want to bore your readers with repetitive stuff
- Use the optional essay to address any weaknesses in your application (not a low GMAT, however, you'll just have to live with that)
- And needless to say, don't lie in your essays (or any part of your application) - anything that appears to be unusual typically will be uncovered at the latest point during your interview (not to mention the Kroll Background Screening on your job, salary, etc. that many MBA programs require before you enroll)
MBA program specific essay tips...
Using consultants...
Opinions about using consultants are split. Some argue that they skew your stories to what the admissions committee wants to hear and give you an unfair advantage over other applicants, while others say that they just help you structure your essays and suggest edits to bring your point across better. One quick fact: The majority of admitted applicants (est. 80%) does not use admissions consultants. The authors of
Getting into a Top 5 MBA Program have some harsh words left over for them: "
...the people that need those services the most are the weakest candidates, and they’re on their own when it comes to a final interview. But beyond that, admissions consultants are invariably not the kind of people that a candidate to a top business school wants advice from. Most did not ever attend a top business school themselves, and those few that did were essentially not successful enough to find reasonable jobs afterwards – and thus got into the essay editing business." There are also some books out there with a bunch of essays of applicants who got admitted to top MBA programs. However, they are only of limited help because they might skew you towards their style and their story, and not towards who you really are.
An alternative to consultants...
Ask family and friends for their opinion. Tell them to be as honest as possible (even if it hurts!). Friends who already went through the admissions process are especially valuable critics. But don’t ask too many people for advice (your essays might end up being incoherent) and don't let them influence you too much. At the end it should still be your story you tell.
- Don't have any friends or family with MBA admissions experience? Check out
MBAvolunteers is a group of current or former MBA students providing MBA application reviews in exchange for a donation to charity.
Recap...
Be honest in your essays. Demonstrate fit and package your application to be memorable (and emotional) with a certain theme. Include some examples from extracurricular activities and personal experiences. This will also give you the chance to differentiate yourself from the competition.
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Continue to finding the right MBA for you.