Essay Questions
For programs that start in 2011
Last change made on this
page on: October 27, 2010
Important Note!
Schools rarely change essay topics after they were already
published.
In addition, we may rarely make a mistake in copying
content.
In such cases, it may be that a topic presented here is not
accurate!
It is essential that you visit the
school website to be 100% certain about the exact essay
topics.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Please note that for re-applicants the essay topics
are often different from the below!
Anderson - UCLA
Booth - Chicago
Columbia (January and September
2011)
Darden
Fuqua - Duke
Haas - Berkeley
Very Common Topics
Harvard
Very Common Topics
IE Business School
IESE
INSEAD
Common Topics
Johnson - Cornell
Judge - Cambridge
Kellogg
Somewhat Common Topics
LBS
Common Topics
Ross - Michigan
Somewhat Common Topics
Sloan - MIT
Stanford
Somewhat Common Topics
Stern - NYU
Tepper - Carnegie
Mellon
Tuck
Common Topics
Wharton
Yale
Very Common Topics
Find Schools
That you can Add Easily
Since different school's essay topics are similar, you might
be able to take an essay you wrote for one school and adjust
it for other schools.
However, it's important to give all schools the impression
that you care about them and their essay topics. Some
admission readers are put off if they feel they are reading
a "recycled" essay. Therefore, customize and tailor the
essay content to the exact phrasing of the question asked.
Make sure you answer all parts of the questions, and not
much beyond it. Pay attention to the instructions and word
limit.
Questions about career vision/goals are very common and are
asked by almost every school, so those are not mentioned
here.
Harvard:
Essay 1 –
With minor adjustments, you can
use it for INSEAD (essay 2). With some adjustments, you can
use it for Yale (P.S 1) or Johnson (essay 1) or IESE (essay
3) or Haas (S.A 2) or LBS (essay 5b).
Essay 2 – With
some adjustments, you can use it for Kellogg (essay 4c).
Essay 3[3] –
Without adjustments, you can use it for Ross (essay
3).
Essay 3[4] –
With some adjustments, you can use it for Ross (essay
1) or INSEAD (essay 1) or Columbia (essay 2).
Stanford:
Essay 1 –
With minor adjustments, you can
use it for Ross (essay 4a) or Haas (S.A. 1).
Essay 3b – With
some adjustments, you can use it for Johnson (essay 1).
Essay 3c – With
minor adjustments, you can use it for Sloan (essay 2).
Essay 3d – Without
adjustments, you can use it for Sloan (essay 1).
Columbia:
Essay 2 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for Ross (essay 1) or INSEAD (essay 1) or Harvard (essay
3[4]).
Kellogg:
Essay 2 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for IE (essay C) or Yale (P.A 3) or Tuck (essay 2) or
Haas (essay 1).
Essay 4b -
With minor adjustments, you can
use it for Tepper (essay C3)
Essay 4c -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for Harvard (essay 2).
Wharton:
Essay 3 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for INSEAD (essay 3) or Ross (essay 3).
Essay 4 -
With minor adjustments, you can
use it for IE (essay B) or IESE (essay 5) or Tepper (essay
C1) or Tuck (essay 3).
INSEAD:
Essay 1 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for Ross (essay 1) or Columbia (essay 2) or Harvard
(essay 3[4]).
Essay 2 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for IESE (essay 3) or Harvard (essay 1). With minor
adjustments, you can use it for Yale (P.S 1) or Johnson
(essay 1) or Haas (S.A 2) or LBS (essay 5b).
Essay 3 -
With some adjustments, you can use
it for Ross (essay 3) or Wharton (essay 3).
Essay 5a -
With some adjustments, you can use it for LBS (essay 4).
MIT:
Essay 1 -
With some adjustments, you can use it for Stanford (essay
3d).
Essay 2 -
With some adjustments, you can use it for Stanford (essay
3c).
Tuck:
Essay 2 -
With some adjustments, you can use it for IE (essay C) or
Yale (P.A 3) or Kellogg (essay 2) or Haas (essay 1).
Essay 3 -
With minor adjustments, you can use it for IE (essay B) or
IESE (essay 5) or Tepper (essay C1) or Wharton (essay 4).
Berkeley:
S.A 1 -
With minor adjustments, you can use it for Ross (essay 4a)
or Stanford (essay 1).
S.A 2 -
Without adjustments, you can use it for Yale (P.S 1) or
Johnson (essay 1) or LBS (essay 5b) or INSEAD (essay 2).
Essay 1 -
With some adjustments, you can use it for IE (essay C) or
Yale (P.A 3) or Tuck (essay 2) or Kellogg (essay 2).
LBS:
Essay 4 -
With some adjustments, you can use it for INSEAD (essay 5a).
Essay 5b -
Without adjustments, you can use it for Yale (P.S 1) or
Johnson (essay 1) or Berkeley (S.A 2) or INSEAD (essay 2).
We are interested in getting to know
applicants on both a professional and personal level. We
encourage you to be introspective, genuine, and succinct.
Remember that we are more concerned with the content of your
essays than their form or style.
All responses to essays must be on double-spaced pages that
are uploaded in document form, except for the optional
essays for first-time applicants, which may alternatively be
submitted as an audio or video file instead. (Please note
the word limits indicated in parentheses below.)
First-time applicants -- 2 required
essays:
REQUIRED ESSAYS:
Please be introspective and authentic in your responses.
Content is more important than style of delivery. We value
the opportunity to learn about your life experiences,
aspirations, and goals.
1. What event or life experience has had the greatest
influence in shaping your character and why? (750 words)
2. Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. What
is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA
Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words)
OPTIONAL ESSAYS:
The following essays are strictly optional. These essays are
for individuals who would like to provide additional
information. No preference is given in the evaluation
process to applicants who submit optional essays.
1. You may respond to the following question via written
essay, audio, or video clip: What is something people will
find surprising about you?
Please limit your submission: audio response (up to
2 minutes), video response (up to 1 minute), or essay (250
words).
2. Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile
about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250
words)
Supported File Types:
Audio: .avi, .wmv, .wav, .mp3, .midi, .wma, .aiff, .au, .mp4
Video: .avi, .wmv, .mov, .mpeg
Note: Please do not e-mail audio files to the admissions
office.
REAPPLICANT ESSAY QUESTIONS
REQUIRED ESSAY:
Reapplicants who applied for the entering Fall 2009 or 2010
class are required to complete the following essay. Please
be introspective and authentic in your response. Content is
more important than style of delivery. We value the
opportunity to learn more about your aspirations and goals.
1. Please describe your career progress since you last
applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy.
Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as
well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750
words)
OPTIONAL ESSAYS:
The following essays are strictly optional. These essays are
for individuals who would like to provide additional
information. No preference is given in the evaluation
process to applicants who submit optional essays.
1. You may respond to the following question via written
essay, audio or video clip: What is something people will
find surprising about you?
Please limit your submission: audio response (up to
2 minutes), video response (up to 1 minute), or essay (250
words).
2. Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile
about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250
words)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Booth (Chicago)
Below are the essay questions for the Fall
2011 application: (Click
here to see the essay questions on Booth's website)
1. The Admissions Committee is interested in
learning more about you on both a personal and professional
level. Please answer the following (maximum of 300 words for
each section):
a. Why are you pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in
your life?
b. Define your short and long term career goals post MBA.
c. What is it about Chicago Booth that is going to help you
reach your goals?
d. RE-APPLICANTS ONLY: Upon reflection, how has your
thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or
getting an MBA changed since the time of your last
application?
2. Chicago Booth is a place that challenges its students to
stretch and take risks that they might not take elsewhere.
Tell us about a time when you took a risk and what you
learned from that experience (maximum of 750 words).
3. At Chicago Booth, we teach you HOW to think rather than
what to think. With this in mind, we have provided you with
“blank pages” in our application. Knowing that there is not
a right or even a preferred answer allows you to demonstrate
to the committee your ability to navigate ambiguity and
provide information that you believe will support your
candidacy for Chicago Booth.
Essay Question 3 Guidelines
We have set forth the following guidelines:
* The content is completely up to you. Acceptable file
formats are PowerPoint or PDF.
* There is a strict maximum of four pages, though you can
provide fewer if you choose.
* The document will be printed in color and added to your
file for review; therefore, flash, hyperlinks, embedded
videos, music, etc. will not be viewed by the committee. You
are limited to text and static images to convey your points.
* The file will be evaluated on the quality of content and
ability to convey your ideas, not on technical expertise or
presentation.
* Files need to be less than 9 megabytes in order to upload.
If your file is too large you may save your file as a PDF
and upload your essay.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Columbia (January and September 2011)
In addition to learning about your
professional aspirations, the Admissions Committee hopes to
gain an understanding of your interests, values and
motivations through these essays. How you answer these
essays is at your discretion, there are no right or wrong
answers and we encourage you to answer each question
thoughtfully.
Dual Degree applicants: Please address the following
questions within your response to Essay 1: How will the Dual
Degree enhance your short-term or long-term goals?
Reapplicants: If you have applied to Columbia Business
School within the past year, you are required to submit only
the reapplication essay. If your last application was more
than one year ago, you must answer essays 1 and 2.
Essay 1
What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How
will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals?
(Recommended 750 word limit)
Essay 2
Please tell us about yourself and your personal interests.
The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are,
rather than what you have achieved professionally.
(Recommended 500 word limit)
Optional Essay
Is there any further information that you wish to
provide to the Admissions Committee? (Please use this space
to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your
academic record or your personal history.) (No word limit)
Reapplication Essay
How have you enhanced your candidacy since your
previous application? Please detail your progress since you
last applied and reiterate your short-term and long-term
goals. Explain how the tools of the Columbia Business School
will help you to meet your goals and how you plan to
participate in the Columbia community. (Recommended 750 word
limit).
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Click here to see the essay questions on Darden's website
MBA Application Essay Questions 2010–2011
1. The Darden MBA program expects students to actively
participate in learning teams, the classroom, and the
broader community. Please share one or two examples from
your past experience that best illustrate(s) how you will
contribute to this highly engaging and hands-on learning
environment. (500 words)
2. Please discuss how a global event that has taken place in
the past two years has impacted the way you think about
leadership broadly and personally. (500 words)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Essays for Fall 2011 Entry:
(Click
here to see the essay questions on Fuqua's website)
Three essay questions must be completed before submitting
your application. Prepare your essays carefully. The
Admissions Committee considers your responses to the
following questions important in the selection process.
Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line
spacing. Your response to each question should be no more
than 2 pages in length, with a font size no less than
10-point.
Candidates who applied to The Duke MBA between September
2009 and April 2010 are considered re-applicants. All
re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant
Essay in addition to the Applicant Essays.
All applicants have the opportunity to submit an optional
essay to explain any extenuating circumstances of which the
Admissions Committee should be aware.
Applicant Essays : Answer all 3 essay questions.
Today, companies must navigate through complex and
interdependent issues. They must deal with health and
security matters, environmental impact questions, and
diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability,
imagination, emotional intelligence, and business acumen.
Thus, Duke is in the midst of an ambitious global venture
that will embed and connect us around the world, and we are
seeking future leaders of consequence, who value diversity
and collaborative leadership, and who aspire to impact the
companies and communities of which they are a part in a
lasting and positive way.
In an effort to identify, engage, and foster the development
of future leaders of consequence, the Admissions Committee
would like to get to know our applicants in a more holistic
manner. We would like to know who you are, what has shaped
you into the person you are today, and how you hope to
impact both Duke and the communities of which you will be a
part in the future. The essays are your opportunity to
convey that to us. Please be open, genuine, and passionate.
Share with us what makes you a dynamic, multi-dimensional
person.
1. Describe your vision for your career and your
inspiration for pursuing this career path.
2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities
enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add
value to Fuqua's diverse culture?
3. Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific
concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please
discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.)
Optional Essay (not required)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the
Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them
here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of
recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic
performance, significant weakness in your application).
Re-applicant Essay
All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant
Essay. Please limit your response to two pages. Write an
essay describing how you are now a stronger candidate for
admission compared to the application you submitted the
previous year.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Haas - Berkeley
Listed below are the
supplemental questions, short answer questions, required
essays, and optional essays for the fall 2011 application.
Click here to see the essay questions on Haas website
Supplemental Information
1. If you have not provided a letter of recommendation from
your current supervisor, please explain; otherwise, enter
N/A.
2. List in order of importance all community & professional
organizations and extracurricular activities in which you
have been involved during or after university studies.
Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates
of involvement, offices held, & average number of hours
spent per month.
3. List full-time and part-time jobs held during
undergraduate or graduate studies, indicating the employer,
job title, employment dates, location, and the number of
hours worked per week for each position held prior to the
completion of your degree.
4. Please explain all gaps in your employment since earning
your university degree.
5. Please identify the course(s) you have taken or intend to
take to demonstrate quantitative proficiency. Provide the
course name and institution. Beyond courses, please discuss
other ways in which you have demonstrated strong
quantitative abilities.
6. If you have ever been subject to academic discipline,
placed on probation, suspended or required to withdraw from
any college or university, please explain. If not, please
enter N/A. (An affirmative response to this question does
not automatically disqualify you from admission.)
Short Answer Questions
1. What are you most passionate about? Why? (250-word
maximum)
2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment.
(250-word maximum)
3. At Haas, our distinctive culture is defined by four
key
principles — question the status quo; confidence without
attitude; students always; and beyond yourself. Give an
example of when you have demonstrated one of these
principles. (250 words maximum, Review
Berkeley-Haas’
Defining Principles)
4. There are many ways to learn about our program, what
steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA?
(250-word maximum)
Required Essays
1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed
leadership. (500 word maximum)
2. What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career
goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these
goals? How will an MBA from Berkeley help you achieve these
specific career goals? (1000 word maximum)
Optional Essays
1. (Optional) Please feel free to provide a statement
concerning any information you would like to add to your
application that you haven't addressed elsewhere. (500 word
maximum)
2. (Optional) Please provide the occupation of, and
highest degree obtained by, your parent(s) or guardian(s).
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Essays for the Class of 2013
(Click
here to see the essay questions on Harvard's website)
As an opportunity to present your distinctive qualities,
your essays are an important part of your MBA application.
You will be asked to submit your personal statements online
with the balance of your application materials.
First, compose your responses to the essays in a
word processing document.
Please abide by the following instructions:
* Limit your responses to the lengths indicated.
* Single-space your essays.
* Please use Times New Roman font type and 12 pt font size.
* Write the question at the top of each essay.
* Refrain from using images and/or any other nonstandard
English characters in your essays. They may prevent the system
from processing your application.
All applicants must answer questions 1 and 2. For question
3, please choose two of the four questions listed below, and
upload individually your response to each of the two
questions you've chosen. If applying to a joint degree
program, please upload an additional essay in the Joint
Degree candidates section below.
Please note: Do not send an extra copy of your essays to our
office, as this will complicate the processing of your
application.
Essays:
* What are your three most substantial accomplishments and
why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)
* What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)
* Please respond to two of the
following (400-word limit each):
1. What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know
about your undergraduate academic experience?
2. What is your career vision and why is this choice
meaningful to you?
3. Tell us about a time in your professional experience when
you were frustrated or disappointed.
4. When you join the HBS Class of 2013, how will you
introduce yourself to your new classmates?
Joint degree applicants:
* How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit
you on both a professional and a personal level? (400-word
limit)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
IE Business School
The main objective of the following questions is to have more information regarding your candidature. Please answer the questions corresponding to you. You must answer each question in a separate page with a minimum of 250 words and a maximum of 500 (1.5 line spacing).
All Applicants must
answer the following essay questions:
A. If you had the opportunity, what would you ask
the president or leader of your country, and why?
B. Cite the most difficult situation you have faced in your
professional life and how your input helped to resolve it.
Applicants for MBA and General
Management programs should also write an essay on the
following topic:
C. Cite at least one example in which your leadership
impacted or changed a situation and discuss how you think IE
Business School will help you refine, focus, or enhance this
skill.
Other
open questions from the application form:
Additional Information
1. What is your motivation for you to study
a Master degree? Describe how you believe a Master degree
fits with your future career objectives.
(200 words)
2. What are your reasons for applying to IE?
(200 words)
3. Have you applied to any other schools? If so,
please state which ones. (200 words)
4. What contribution could you make to a highly
dynamic and interactive program? (200
words)
5. Which of your personal characteristics could be
considered valuable for teamwork? (200
words)
6. Which of your personal
characteristics would you like to improve through the
program? (200 words)
7. What, in your opinion, have
been your most important achievements?
(200 words)
8. Please indicate other
extra-curricular activities, internships or voluntary work
relevant for Admissions. (200 words)
9. What are your aspirations...
...personal? (100 words)
...professional? (100 words)
...financial? (100 words)
Professional Experience
Please describe your former job, stating your
responsibilities and tasks. State the position of the person
you reported to. (125 words)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Essay Questions
1. Please describe your short term professional goals (post
MBA). (200 word limit)
2. Please describe your long term professional goals
(post MBA). (200 word limit)
3. Describe two substantial accomplishments and one
failure in a professional or private endeavour. (600 word
limit)
4. Describe your job responsibilities.
(250 word limit)
5. Describe the most difficult project (personal or
professional) that you have faced recently (within last two
years). (200 word limit)
6. I wish that the application had asked me... (200
word limit)
Additional questions
IESE
Scholarship Essay 1
In addition to the academic and professional activities
already mentioned, describe any other activities in which
you were or are currently involved. This includes
university, college, community, athletic, political and
cultural organizations, articles published, awards won,
professional titles obtained, etc. (200 word limit)
IESE Scholarship Essay 2
How do you plan to finance the IESE MBA and what
financial needs do you think justify awarding a scholarship
in your case?
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Word limit policy - please
keep it to 5% of the word limit at the most.
Job Essay 1
Please give a detailed description of your job,
including nature of work, major responsibilities;
and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size
of budget, number of
clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)
Job Essay 2
Please give us a full description of your career since
graduating from university. If you were to
remain with your present employer, what would be your next
step in terms of position? (250
words)
Essays
1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the
personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and
weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your
personal development, giving examples when necessary. (400
words approx.)
2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial
accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as
such. (400 words approx.)
3. Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil
or military life, where you did not meet your personal
objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words
approx.)
4. Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to
gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to
your professional career. (500 words approx.)
5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:
a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean
to you? (250 words approx.),
or
b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home
country? (250 words approx.)
6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in
the above essays that you would like the Admissions
Committee to know? (200 words approx.) This essay is
optional.
7. In case of reapplication,
please use this page. Your essay should state any new
aspects of
professional, international, academic, or personal
development since your last application. We would
also like you to explain your motivation for re-applying to
INSEAD. This essay should not exceed 400
words.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Johnson - Cornell
The essay portion of your application gives you the opportunity to candidly demonstrate your attributes and your compatibility with our rich and vibrant program. Formatting suggestions: 12 pt. font, Times New Roman, single spacing. Please observe the 400 word limit for each essay.
Essays Required for All Applicants
1. Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you added value to your organization. (400 word limit)
2. What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 word limit)
3. You are the
author for the book of Your Life Story. Please write the
table of contents for the book.
Note: Approach this essay with your unique style. We
value creativity and authenticity. (Required essay) (400
word limit)
Essay Required for All Re-applicants
How did you strengthen your application since
you last applied to the Johnson School?
(400 word limit)
Optional essay
Complete this essay if you would like to add additional details regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate record or test scores) do not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School. (400 word limit)
Activities
Create and upload
a document outlining your activities according to the
instructions below. Formatting suggestions: 12 pt. font,
Times New Roman, single spacing. (400 word limit)
Collegiate Activities and Employment - List your
extracurricular activities while in college in order of
importance to you. You may include details about your
positions and the time commitment, honors or awards
received, and dates of participation. The list may also
include part-time and summer employment held while in
college. Please list your employer, job title,
responsibilities, hours per week, and the dates for each
position.
Post-Collegiate Activities - List community
activities (clubs, church, civic, etc.) and professional
associations you contributed to since graduation from
college. Please include the organization name, your role,
hours dedicated, elected offices held, and dates of
participation.
Hobbies and Activities - Please describe any hobbies
or activities that hold special significance for you.
Park Fellowship
The Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows
Program is only available to US Citizens applying for the
Two-Year MBA program during the first three rounds.
The Park Fellowship is the Johnson School´s most prestigious
award and we offer twenty-five fellowships to entering MBA
students each year. The two-year award includes full tuition
and a stipend.
Park Fellows complete a rigorous leadership program in
addition to academic classes. As part of the fellowship
obligation, each Park Leadership Fellow also makes a
significant public service contribution to the Johnson
School, Cornell University, or the surrounding community.
To receive consideration for the fellowship, you must submit
your online application and complete an essay regarding
leadership.
If applying for the Park Fellowship, please answer the essay
question below and upload your response:
What is your greatest example of leadership and what
personal qualities helped you succeed in that role? (400
word limit)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Judge - Cambridge
1. What are the key
issues facing organisations in your sector over the next
three years? What course of action would you recommend to
such organisations? (up to 300 words)
2. What did you learn from your most
spectacular failure? (up to 200 words)
3. Please provide a personal statement. It should not exceed
500 words and must include the following:
* What are your short and long term career objectives?
* What skills/characteristics do you already have that will
help you to achieve them?
* What do you hope to gain from the degree programme and how
do you feel it will help you achieve the career objectives
you have?
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
2011 Application Essay Questions - 1Y,
2Y & MMM questions
Essay #1
a) MBA Program applicants - Briefly assess your career
progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and
your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 word limit)
b) MMM Program applicants – Briefly assess your career
progress to date. How does the MMM Program meet your
educational needs and career goals? (600 word limit).
Essay #2
Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what
leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA
experience (600 word limit).
Essay #3
Assume you are evaluating your application from the
perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions
Committee. Why would you and your peers select you for
admission, and what impact would you make as a member of the
Kellogg community? (600 word limit).
Essay #4
Complete one of the following three questions or statements.
(400 word limit)
Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this
grouping, but this is not required.
a) Describe an instance where you encountered resistance in
a professional team setting. How did you address the
situation?
b) People may be surprised to learn that I…..
c) The best mistake I ever made was…….
Required essay for
re-applicants only – Since your previous
application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your
candidacy? (400 word limit)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Essay Questions for Class of 2013 (beginning August 2011): (Click here to download the questions from LBS website)
Instructions:
The Admissions Committee will consider carefully your
answers to the following questions. Please complete all of
the essay questions beginning your answer below each
question and giving word counts for each answer. Once
complete, please attach this document to your online
application following the instructions given on the web
form.
Please do not write more than the specified word
limit for each essay. Any extra words or essays may be
disregarded.
You should complete just one essay for Question 5,
choosing option 5a or 5b.
Question 1 (750 words)
Give us a brief assessment of your career progress to date.
In what role do you see yourself working in immediately
after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?
How will your past and present experiences help you to
achieve this?
How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute
to this goal?
Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?
Question 2
(300 words)
Give a specific example of when you have had to test your
leadership and team working skills. Given this experience
what role will you play in a first year study group?
Question 3
(300 words)
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the
London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected
in the character of students on campus. Please describe how
you will contribute to student clubs and the community and
why?
Question 4
(300 words)
London Business School offers a truly global and diverse
experience. Describe any significant experiences outside of
your home country or culture. What did you gain and how will
your experience contribute to London Business School?
Please choose ONE of
the following options.
Question 5a
(150 words)
You have decided to stand for the role of Student
Association President. Announcing your campaign to the
London Business School community for the first time, please
describe your manifesto.
OR
Question 5b
(150 words)
What is your most substantial achievement to date and why?
Question 6 (300 words)
(This question is optional)
Is there any other information that you believe would help
the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your
application?
Question 7 (300 words)
(This question is for re-applicants only)
How has your candidacy for the London Business School MBA
improved since your last application? Have your views of
London Business School or the MBA programme changed since
you last applied?
Question 8
Please provide a CV/Resume. This CV must only be one page in
length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment
history, please tell us why on a separate sheet.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Ross (Michigan)
1.
Introduce yourself in 100 words or less.
2. Describe your career goals. How will the Ross MBA help
you to achieve your goals? (500 word maximum)
3. Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated
or disappointed. What did you learn from that experience?
(500 word maximum)
4. Select one of the following questions:
• What are you most passionate about and why? (300 word maximum)
• We expect that Ross MBAs will not only be effective leaders, but also
effective teachers. How will you contribute to the learning
experience of your peers at Ross? (300 word maximum)
5. Optional question: Is there
anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know
about you to evaluate your candidacy? (500 word maximum)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Sloan - MIT
Click here to see the essay questions on Sloan's website
Resume
Please prepare a business resume that includes your
employment history in reverse chronological order, with
titles, dates, and whether you worked part-time or
full-time. Your educational record should also be in reverse
chronological order and should indicate dates of attendance
and degree(s) earned. Other information appropriate to a
business resume is welcomed and encouraged. The resume
should not be more than one page in length (up to 50 lines).
Cover Letter
Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in
the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and
include an example of how you had an impact on a group or
organization. Your letter should conform to standard
business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia,
Director of MBA Admissions.
Essays
We are interested in learning more about you and how you
work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief
overview of the situation followed by a detailed description
of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss
to those which have occurred in the past three years.
In each of the essays please describe in detail what you
thought, felt, said, and did.
Essay 1: Please describe a time
when you went beyond what was defined, expected,
established, or popular. (500 words or fewer, limited to one
page)
Essay 2: Please describe a time
when you convinced an individual or group to accept one of
your ideas. (500 words or fewer, limited to one page)
Essay 3: Please describe a time
when you took responsibility for achieving an objective.
(500 words or fewer, limited to one page)
Supplemental Information (Optional)
You may use this section to address whatever else you want
the Admissions Committee to know. (250 words or fewer,
limited to one page)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Essay Questions for Class of 2013 (entering Fall 2011): (Click here to see the essay questions on Stanford's website)
We read your essays to get to know you as a
person and to learn about the ideas and interests that
motivate you. Tell us in your own words who you really are.
In other parts of the application, we learn about your
academic and professional accomplishments (i.e., what you
have done). Through your personal essays (Essays 1 and 2),
we learn more about the person behind the achievements
(i.e., who you are).
Because we want to discover who you are, resist the urge to
"package" yourself in order to come across in a way you
think Stanford wants. Such attempts simply blur our
understanding of who you are and what you can accomplish.
We want to hear your genuine voice throughout the essays
that you write and this is the time to think carefully about
your values, your passions, your hopes and dreams.
In your short answer responses (Essay 3, options A, B, C, or
D), we learn more about the experiences that have shaped
your attitudes, behaviors, and aspirations.
Truly, the most impressive essays are those that do not
begin with the goal of impressing us.
Essay Length
Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot
exceed 1,800 words.
You have your own story to tell, so please allocate
the 1,800 words among all of the essays in the way that is
most effective for you. We provide some guidelines below as
a starting point, but you should feel comfortable to write
as much or as little as you like on any essay question, as
long as you do not exceed 1,800 words total.
* Essay 1: 750 words
* Essay 2: 450 words
* Essay 3: 300 words each
Formatting
* Use a 12-point font, double spaced
* Recommended fonts are Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman
* Indicate which essay question you are answering at the
beginning of each essay
* Number all pages
* Upload all four essays as one document
* Preview the uploaded document to ensure that the
formatting is true to the original
* Save a copy of your essays
Editing Your Essays
Begin work on these essays early, to give yourself time to
reflect, write, and edit.
Feel free to ask your friends or family members to provide
constructive feedback. When you ask for feedback, ask if the
essays' tone sounds like your voice. It should. Your family
and friends know you better than anyone else. If they do not
believe that the essays capture who you are, how you live,
what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely the
Committee on Admissions will be unable to recognize what is
most distinctive about you.
There is a big difference, however, between 'feedback' and
'coaching.' There are few hard and fast rules, but you cross
a line when any part of the application (excluding the
Letters of Reference) ceases to be exclusively yours in
either thought or word.
Appropriate feedback occurs when you show someone your
completed application, perhaps one or two times, and are
apprised of errors or omissions.
In contrast, inappropriate coaching occurs when your
application or your self-presentation is colored by someone
else.
You best serve your own interests when your personal
thoughts, individual voice, and unique style remain intact
at the end of your editing process.
It is improper and a violation of the spirit of the
Fundamental Standard and Honor Code to have someone else
write any part of your Stanford MBA Program application.
Such an act will result in denial of your application or
withdrawal of your offer of admission.
Tell us in your own words who you really are. Answer essay
questions 1, 2, and two of the four options for essay 3.
Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why?
- The best examples of Essay 1 reflect the process of self-examination that you have undertaken to write them.
- They give us a vivid and genuine image of who you are—and they also convey how you became the person you are.
- They do not focus merely on what you've done or accomplished. Instead, they share with us the values, experiences, and lessons that have shaped your perspectives.
- They are written from the heart and address not only a person, situation, or event, but also how that person, situation, or event has influenced your life.
Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? What do you need to learn at Stanford to achieve them?
- Use this essay to explain your view of your future, not to repeat accomplishments from your past.
- You should address three distinct topics:
-
your career aspirations
- the role of
an MBA education in achieving those aspirations
- and your
rationale for earning that MBA at Stanford, in particular.
- The best examples of Essay 2 express your passions or focused interests; explain why you have decided to pursue graduate education in management; and demonstrate your desire to take advantage of the opportunities that are distinctive to the Stanford MBA Program.
Essay 3: Answer two of the four questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.
- Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
- Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
- Option C: Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative.
- Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected
Additional Information
If there is any other information that is critical for us to
know and is not captured elsewhere, please include it.
Examples of pertinent additional information include:
- Extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance
- Explanation of why you do not have a Letter of Reference from your current direct supervisor or peer
- Explanation of criminal conviction, criminal charges sustained against you in a juvenile proceeding, and/or court-supervised probation
- Explanation of academic suspension or expulsion
- Any other information that you did not have sufficient space to complete in another section of the application (please begin the information in the appropriate section)
- Additional work experience that cannot fit into the space provided
- Additional information about your academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Stern - NYU
Click here to see the essay questions on Stern's website
Please note the following
details when completing the Essays section of the 2010-11
online application.
The following essay questions give you the opportunity to
more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and
to provide insight into your experiences, goals and thought
processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. An
offer of admission will be revoked if you did not write your
essays. Please note the following:
• Essays 1, 2 and 4 must be typed and submitted using the
standard U.S. 8 1/2” x 11” format, double-spaced, in
12-point font.
• Please adhere to the essay word limits provided for each
question.
• Word limits apply to the total question. For example, your
response to Essay 1 should answer part (a), part (b) and
part (c) with a total maximum of 750 words.
• Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date
of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number
(e.g.: Joe Applicant, January 1, 1983, Essay 1, Page 1)
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer
the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current
position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern?
What is your long-term career goal?
Admissions Tips:
• Listen to our podcast:
Essays.
• Proofread your essays carefully.
• Make sure you have fully answered the essay questions.
• Be genuine in your essays - tell us about the real you.
• Follow the essay instructions, including word limits and
font size.
Essay 2. Your Stern Experience
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
We take great care to shape the Stern community with
individuals who possess both intellectual and interpersonal
strengths. We seek individuals who are highly intelligent,
collaborative and committed to flourishing as Stern leaders.
Please answer the following questions:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern
community? Tell us what actions you have taken to learn
about us.
(b) Describe what most excites you about Stern from both an
academic and extracurricular perspective.
(c) How do you anticipate making your mark on the Stern
community? Be specific about the roles you will take on and
the impact you hope to achieve.
Admissions Tip:
• To see if Stern is a fit for you, come
visit us in New York City or at one
of our
events around the world.
Essay 3. Personal Expression
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use
almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words,
illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
If you will submit Essay 3 via mail or by providing an
online link, please provide a brief description of your
submission and its relevance to your MBA application.
Please note the following guidelines
and restrictions:
Your submission becomes the property of NYU Stern and cannot
be returned for any reason.
If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words
maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
If you have a multimedia submission, you may:
• Mail a CD, DVD or USB flash drive.
• Include an online link in your submission description.
The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request an
alternate Essay 3 if we are unable to view your submission.
Do not submit anything perishable (e.g. food).
Mailed materials must be postmarked by the deadline date. To
submit Essay 3 by mail, please follow the
mail and labeling instructions.
Please note that mailed Essay 3 packages are subject to size
restrictions. Essays that exceed the stated size
restrictions will not be accepted for review by the
Admissions Committee. Please see the table below for the
maximum package size guidelines:
|
Packaging Type |
Dimensions: Metric |
Dimensions: Non-metric |
|
Box |
36cm x 31cm x 8cm |
14” x 12” x 3” |
|
Cylindrical tube |
8cm x 91cm |
3” x 36” |
|
Triangular tube |
97cm x 16cm x 16 cm x 16 cm |
38” x 6” x 6” x 6” |
Admissions Tip:
• Listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA
Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on
Public Radio's "Marketplace".
(Please note that we have updated Essay 3 size restrictions
and multimedia submissions including CDs, DVDs, USB flash
drives and online links are now accepted.)
Essay 4. Additional Information (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would
like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee.
This may include current or past gaps in employment, further
explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported
academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE and/or
TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a
recommendation from your current supervisor, you
must explain your reason in Essay 4.
If you are a re-applicant from last
year, please explain how your candidacy has improved
since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree
program, please explain your decision to pursue a
dual degree.
Uploading Formats
You may upload documents into the online application in the
following formats: word, excel, PDF, .txt, .rft and .wpd.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Tepper - Carnegie Mellon
Suggested length -
2 double-spaced pages per essay
ESSAY A* (Required)
What are your short term and long term goals? How will a
Tepper MBA help you achieve these goals? (Please include any
information regarding what steps you have taken to learn
more about Tepper.)
ESSAY B* (Required)
The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be
active contributors to our community. With your values,
experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique
contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples may
include: classroom interaction, student activities, career
development, community service, etc.
ESSAY C* (Required)
Please answer two of the following three questions or
statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are
answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two
pages or less.
1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional
or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how
did it foster your development?
2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How
did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from
it?
3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is…
ESSAY D (Optional)
Is there anything else that you think we should know as we
evaluate your application?
Note: If you believe your credentials and essays
represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to
answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a
place for you to add information that you think is important
but is not covered elsewhere in the application.
Note: You must complete this essay if you answered 'yes' to
either of the 'additional information' questions above.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Click here to see the essay questions on Tuck's website
(PDF)
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay
questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate
document files and upload them individually in the
appropriate spaces below. Although there is no
restriction on the length of your response, most applicants
use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no
right or wrong answers. Please double-space your responses.
1. Why is an MBA a
critical next step toward your short- and long-term career
goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are
applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the
additional degree will contribute to those goals.)
2. Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What
did you learn about your own individual strengths and
weaknesses through this experience?
3. What is the greatest challenge or hurdle you have
overcome, either personally or professionally, and how did
you manage to do so?
4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can
bring new perspectives to our community. How will your
unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences
contribute to the culture at Tuck?
5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or
information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may
be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual
choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance,
unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this
question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully
represented by this application.
6. (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you
strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please
reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally.
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Click here to see the essay questions on Wharton's website
The Admissions Committee is interested in getting to know
you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage
you to be introspective, candid, and succinct. Most
importantly, we suggest you be yourself.
Focus your energy on painting a concise, complete, and
well-thought-out picture of who you truly are, rather than
present what you think the Admissions Committee is looking
for in response to essay questions. Use essays to elaborate
your candidacy while answering the specific questions at
hand within the suggested guidelines. It is important to
answer all questions that we present, using good judgment
with respect to length.
We provide guidelines for word count that reflect
our strong sense of how long an essay should be. We don't
count words or expect you to list a word count, but if your
essays are twice as long as the guidelines suggest, there
may be a more concise way to address the question.
Candidates who have worked in nontraditional careers (or for
companies that may not be as familiar to the Admissions
Committee) will need to explain issues in a little more
detail. If that's your situation, please feel free to write
more while still using your good judgment.
The optional essay is truly optional, and may be presented
in one paragraph of 250 words or less. It should be used to
highlight any inconsistencies your application may need to
address, or you can use it to explain your choice of
recommenders, if you believe they are not a traditional
choice. We recommend that you don't skip over any issue that
may present a concern to an evaluator.
If there is a potential issue (e.g., one poor semester/term
at university within an otherwise impressive academic
experience, a year out of your career to explore), explain
its context, what you learned from the experience, as well
as how it may affect your time at Wharton. If you do not
explain the context, the Admissions Committee may make
uninformed assumptions.
Required Question:
What are your professional objectives? (300 words)
Respond to 3 of the following 4 questions:
1. Student and alumni engagement has at times led to the
creation of innovative classes. For example, through
extraordinary efforts, a small group of current students
partnered with faculty to create a timely course entitled,
“Disaster Response: Haiti and Beyond,” empowering students
to leverage the talented Wharton community to improve the
lives of the Haiti earthquake victims. Similarly, Wharton
students and alumni helped to create the “Innovation and the
Indian Healthcare Industry” which took students to India
where they studied the full range of healthcare issues in
India. If you were able to create a Wharton course on any
topic, what would it be? (700 words)
2. Reflect on a time when you turned down an opportunity.
What was the thought process behind your decision? Would you
make the same decision today? (600 words)
3. Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role
did you play, and what did you learn about yourself? How did
this experience help to create your definition of failure?
(600 words)
4. Discuss a time when you navigated a challenging
experience in either a personal or professional
relationship. (600 words)
Optional essay:
If you feel there are
extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be
aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in
work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or
questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in
your application). (250 words)
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
Aringo
Note to candidates, due to Yale's
policy which forbids applicants from
getting any assistance with their essays:
If you are "recycling" an essay from another school to
create a Yale essay, use the non-edited first draft
that you created for the other school.
Click here to see the essay questions on Yale's website
Short Answers
Please answer each of the four questions below with
a short paragraph of no more than 150 words. This is an
opportunity to distill your core ideas, values, goals and
motivations into a set of snapshots that help tell us who
you are, where you are headed, and why. (150 words maximum
per question)
1. What are your professional
goals immediately after you receive your MBA?
2. What are your long-term career aspirations?
3. Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA and why now? (If
you plan to use your MBA experience to make a significant
change in the field or nature of your career, please tell us
what you have done to prepare for this transition.)
4. What attracts you specifically to the Yale School of
Management’s MBA program?
Personal Statements
Choose two (2) of the following topics and answer them in
essay form. Please indicate the topic numbers at the
beginning of your essays. (500 words maximum per essay)
1. What achievement are you
most proud of and why?
2. What is the most difficult feedback you have received
from another person or the most significant weakness you
have perceived in yourself? What steps have you taken to
address it and how will business school contribute to this
process?
3. Describe an accomplishment that exhibits your leadership
style. The description should include evidence of your
leadership skills, the actions you took, and the impact you
had on your organization.
4. An effective leader for business and society is one who
is able to hear, understand and communicate with people from
all segments of society. In order to educate such leaders,
Yale SOM is committed to promoting diversity and creating a
community that cultivates a wealth of perspectives. In this
spirit, describe an instance when, as part of a team, you
played a role in bringing together individuals with
different values or viewpoints to achieve a common goal.
5. For Reapplicants (answer this topic plus one (1) of the
other topics): What steps have you taken to improve your
candidacy since your last application?
Additional Information (Optional)
If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation,
please provide any additional information that you would
like the Admissions Committee to consider. (250 words
maximum).
Found a mistake?
Please update us at
mistake@aringo.co.il. Thank you!
קצת הסטוריה...
