Most applicants don’t have continuous involvement with one non-profit. When they learn that the spike in activity, 1 year before admissions would be judged as manipulation by the US schools, the geographic spread of their target schools widens. European schools don't have such heavy emphasis on volunteering and extra-curricular. However, if you were among those who had decent involvement (3-4 months each) in a non-profit while managing an impressive career progression, positioning the extra-curricular experience is necessary for a Winning MBA Application.
Here are 5 ways to position your volunteering/extra-curricular experience
1) Choice of Organization
Although schools don't openly share this uncomfortable trend, applicants from Fortune 100 companies have a clear advantage over applicants building their multi-functional skills in a start-up or performing above their peers in a 200 to 500 ranked Fortune company. When you have 3-4 years of experience in one organization, the sub-conscious question that admission team would have is - can the applicant excel in a highly structured organization. The processes and operational efficiency might not differ that much in a Fortune 100 and a Fortune 200 company, but most top companies stay on the list by consistently focusing on eliminating processes that hinder from serving the customers. Volunteering in one of the top recognized non-profit brands - Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, Teach for America, Goodwill, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Smile Foundation, Salvation Army, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, or Amnesty International, is a trick that applicants from lesser-known brand employ to signal that they are associated with known brands outside their professional life.
2) Leadership Role
Not everyone has the opportunity to lead in a professional environment. Flat organization divide the responsibilities based on the functions with systems and automated processes taking over the role of managers in project tracking and predicting the timeline of each phase. In such organizations, individual responsibility to take ownership of a clearly defined outcome is valued more than managing a team of 3-4.
With no room to understand the motivations of individuals within an organization and leading them towards a greater vision, volunteering and extra-curricular becomes the opportunity to highlight this vital part of your personality. Leading a team in Football, Cricket, Basketball, Soccer or a platoon (military) involve managing the short-term goals and long-term vision for each organization.
If you were leading professionally, understanding the motivations of high-performing individuals is necessary to overcome short-term challenges. Most likely you would work with such individuals in an MBA class. The biggest learning curve while leading is at developing the skill in assessing talent, incentivizing them for performance and developing training schedules to help them reach their true potential. If during volunteering, you had the chance to mentor a teammate, share the experience with the emphasis on the journey you took in improving the skills of the person.
3) Commitment
For applicants who were part of one non-profit or organization (military/professional sports team), the narrative should emphasis the loyalty, the vision of the organization, the offers from rivals or alternative career paths (military), and conclude why commitment to the team has helped you grow as an individual and a leader. Organizations value loyalty in a job market when professionals on an average switch 2-3 companies in the first 5 years of their career. If you switched jobs more than 2 times, the loyalty to one organization in the non-profit would balance out the 'commitment' questions that might arise about your professional choices. A demonstrable performance with the non-profit and the diversity of the volunteering experience would showcase how you value challenges while subtly hinting that the switch in jobs was not entirely to meet the financial goals but to fulfil the tremendous appetite to take on broader challenges.
4) Diversity of Experience
Learning in an MBA class requires the flexibility to take on multiple roles in student clubs, as an event organizer, and as an effective contributor during class discussions. Highlighting multiple facets of your personality is not entirely possible in a functional role. If the involvement in the non-profit was sporadic, try to find a narrative that highlights the diversity of the experience. Most applicants start with on-ground volunteering with several opportunities to interact with the beneficiaries. Once they experience the joy, frustration and the snail-pace with which projects are delivered in partnership with the government (the majority of projects), volunteers seek a high-impact role. Since most applicants are trying to gain cross-functional experience, highlighting the learning curve in each phase, the mistakes made, and the lessons learned would demonstrate the readiness to learn and take on complex projects in any part of the world (a key winning trait for Management Consultants).
5) Bigger Picture
For those who have started a non-profit to resolve a specific community problem, capturing the bigger vision of the organization would help you portray an ability to foresee results that applicants traditionally don't do. The most common reason for rejection is the inability to connect short-term with long-term goals or citing long-term goals that don’t make any logical sense for the profile. By repeating an ability to see the bigger picture professionally and at an organizational level, you could bring a deep understanding of market forces, technology trends and government policies to the class.
Be as specific as possible when you predict trends, citing examples of your involvement with the non-profit whenever possible.
Have questions about the value of your extracurricular experience? Start the conversation here.
Want help capturing the most relevant extra-curricular experience in your essays? Subscribe to our Essay Review Service
80+ Sample Essays + Essay Writing, Review & Editing Tips + 15 School-Specific Tips = Winning MBA Essay Guide
"Pressed against the deadline, I ordered F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay Guide as their blogs always had something interesting to say. It was by far one of the best decisions I have made in my life. Going through the Essay Guide, I learned the art of storytelling, using various ploys mentioned in the book. Most important one being the “W pattern,” a strategy of information sharing that creates a sense of excitement in the mind of the reader." - MIT Sloan MBA Candidate
Only 1 in 900 gains admission to Harvard MBA program. If you write your essay focused only on your achievements, post-MBA goals, and your pre-MBA experience, you will be among the 899 rejected applicants.
ATTENTION is the secret ingredient. How will you get the attention of the essay reviewer?
You know why parables shared 1000 years ago are still shared among us?
Storytelling!
Yes, the art of storytelling has won presidency for Obama, transformed Apple from an unknown start-up to a brand synonymous with Quality, and gained admission for the average MBA Applicant.
F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay guide will teach you how to transform your essay to an epic life journey with trials and tribulations that will move the admission team.
Who Should Buy The Winning MBA Essay Guide?
If your essay looks too bland, our Winning MBA Essay Guide will show you, with examples, on how to use the elements of Storytelling like Incorporating "The Struggle", Using Emotional connectors, narrating the Journey and the use of Chronology, Vividness and Active Verbs to transform your essays.
If you are stuck in the Writing process, our Winning MBA Essay Guide will show you how to silence the Analytic Mind and overcome mental blocks.
If you feel that the essays are not persuasive, our Winning MBA Essay Guide will teach you how to use the W-Pattern narrative, Contexts, Turning Points and "The Show Don't Tell Approach" to write a Winning MBA Essay.
If you don't have enough leadership experience, our Winning MBA Essay Guide will show you how to highlight non-obvious qualities like Trust, Focus, Listening Skills, Personal Responsibility, Humility, Self-Knowledge, and other secondary traits to prove your leadership.
If you don't know how to review your essays, our Winning MBA Essay Guide will demonstrate how to improve readability with the power of iteration, and maintain your original voice by removing review biases.
Pages: 787
Winning MBA Essay Guide Includes
+Harvard MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Gratitude & Giving Back (318 Words)
Sample Harvard MBA Essay – Entrepreneurship (Influence of Childhood) (667 Words)
Sample Harvard MBA Essay - Volunteering (Mental Health Awareness) (776 Words)
+ Columbia MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
Sample Goals Essay 1: Enterprise Technology to Consumer Marketing (496 Words)
Sample Goals Essay 2: Healthcare (Finance to Consulting) (499 Words)
Sample Goals Essay 3: FinTech (Product Manager to Strategy) (482 Words)
Sample Columbia Good Fit Essay 1: Value from NYC (237 Words)
Sample Columbia Good Fit Essay 2: Entrepreneur Mindset (237 Words)
Sample Columbia Good Fit Essay 3: Teamwork and Learning (242 Words)
Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #1 (Elon Musk) (250 Words)
Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #2 (Father) (244 Words)
Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #3 (Mother) (243 Words)
Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #4 (Math Teacher) (242 Words)
Sample Columbia MBA Leader I admire Essay #5 (Co-Founder) (250 Words)
+ Wharton MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
Sample Wharton MBA Essay:Gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (473 words) (Consulting to Finance)
Sample Wharton MBA Essay:Gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (482 Words) (VC to Consulting (Healthcare))
Sample Wharton MBA Essay:Gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (497 Words) (Business Development to Finance (Non-Profit in Energy))
Sample Essay #2: Math Tutoring and Experimental music’s (388 Words)
Sample Essay #2: Non-Profit – Obesity Epidemic and Healthy Lifestyle (399 Words)
Sample Essay #2: Non-Profit – Energy Efficient Offices (395 Words)
Sample Wharton MBA Essay:Gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (482 Words) (VC to Consulting (Healthcare))
Sample Wharton MBA Essay:Gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (497 Words) (Business Development to Finance (Non-Profit in Energy))
Sample Essay #2: Math Tutoring and Experimental music’s (388 Words)
Sample Essay #2: Non-Profit – Obesity Epidemic and Healthy Lifestyle (399 Words)
Sample Essay #2: Non-Profit – Energy Efficient Offices (395 Words)
+ Stanford MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
Sample Why Stanford MBA Essay (Consulting)(400 words)
Sample Why Stanford MBA Essay (Tech Entrepreneur) (390 words)
Sample Why Stanford MBA: Finance to Green Energy Consulting (389 Words)
Sample Why Stanford MBA: Private Equity to Operations(399 Words)
Sample Essay A: What matters most and why? (740 Words)(Balance in Life)
Sample Essay A: What matters most and why? (750 Words)(Vulnerability and Learning)
Sample Essay A: What matters most and why? (748 Words)(Freedom and Commitment)
+ Chicago Booth MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Goals Essay #1: Oil & Gas to Consulting (475 Words)
Sample Goals Essay #2: Social IMPACT to Marketing (Non-Profit) (472 Words)
Sample Goals Essay #3: Accounting to Entrepreneurship (Fashion)(495 Words)
Sample Goals Essay #4: Technology (Programming to Product Development) (493 Words)
Sample Leadership Experience & Choices Essay #1 (492 Words)(Father’s Restaurant Business and Leadership)
Sample Leadership Experience & Choices Essay #2 (639 Words) (Teach for America and Leadership)
Sample Leadership Experience & Choices Essay #3 (496 Words)(Opioid Crisis and Healthcare Innovation)
Sample Leadership Experience & Choices Essay #4 (500 Words) (Disrupting the Food Supply Chain)
+ INSEAD MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Essay: Candid Description, Strengths & Weaknesses (Marketing Lead) (499 Words)
Sample Essay: Candid Description, Strengths & Weaknesses (Consulting to Product Development) (492 Words)
Sample Essay: Achievements and Failures (398 Words) (Technology Consultant)
Sample Essay: Achievements and Failures (395 Words) (International Relations) (Negotiations)
Sample Essay: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (272 Words) (Hiking and Vlogging)
Sample Essay: Extra-Curricular and How enriched you are (298 Words) (Improv Acting)
+ Haas MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Start-up in Cryptocurrency) (294 Words)
Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Design as a tool for Change) (294 Words)
Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Flying and AI in Healthcare)(299 Words)
Sample Haas MBA Enhance Leadership Profile (Trust-Based Leadership)(Team Building – Technology) (292 Words)
Sample Haas MBA Enhance Leadership Profile (Need-based Leadership) (Non-Profit for working Mothers) (300 Words)
Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Design as a tool for Change) (294 Words)
Sample Haas What Makes you feel Alive (Flying and AI in Healthcare)(299 Words)
Sample Haas MBA Enhance Leadership Profile (Trust-Based Leadership)(Team Building – Technology) (292 Words)
Sample Haas MBA Enhance Leadership Profile (Need-based Leadership) (Non-Profit for working Mothers) (300 Words)
Sample Haas MBA Enhance Leadership Profile (Perspective-based Leadership) (Leadership by Trial and Error) (299 Words)
+ Yale SOM MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Business Development (Mobile Phone Start-Up)(485 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Investment Banking (IB)(404 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Consulting (447 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Technology (448 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Marketing (491 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Entrepreneurship (496 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: IMPACT Investing (495 Words)
Sample Yale Committment Essay: Oil & Gas to Clean Energy (Consulting) (464 Words)
+ Ross MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample MBA Essay: Finance Professional & a former member of a rock band (96 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Marketing Professional with a talent to do Impression (100 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Life Philosophy through an Entrepreneurial failure (94 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Consulting for a Pharma Giant (Made a Difference) (91 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Three-Level Sanitation Campaign (100 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Water Conservation Kit (99 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Losing client (100 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Misreading Market Conditions (93 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Strategic Planning vs. Tactical Dominance in Chess (97 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Out of my comfort zone(extra-curricular) (93 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Out of my comfort zone (Daily Science Show) (99 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: Simplifying Operations (extra-curricular) (90 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Leadership and Culture) (98 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Technology Project) (98 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I am aware that I am different (Making Business metrics relevant to a Creative team) (91 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I find it Challenging when People (Timidity)(98 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I was challenged when (Change in Scope) (99 Words)
Sample MBA Essay: I was challenged when (Team Failed) (100 Words)
Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Private Investment as a Tool for Change) (294 Words)
Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Education to Consulting) (299 Words)
Sample Essay – Short-term Goals and why the goal is the right choice for you (Software Development to Sales to Marketing) (293 Words)
+ Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Why MBA Right Next Step for you (100 Words) (Gap in Knowledge in Strategy and Finance)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (99 Words)(Marketing for FinTech)
Sample Why MBA Right Next Step for you (98 Words)(Engineering to Marketing)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (94 Words)(Marketing Consulting firm and Product Marketing)
Sample Why MBA Right Next Step for you (100 Words) (Hobby to Business)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (99 Words) (Interior Design Business with AR)
Framework and Examples for Answering Duke Fuqua 25 Random Things with 5 Samples
Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (784 Words)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (99 Words)(Marketing for FinTech)
Sample Why MBA Right Next Step for you (98 Words)(Engineering to Marketing)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (94 Words)(Marketing Consulting firm and Product Marketing)
Sample Why MBA Right Next Step for you (100 Words) (Hobby to Business)
Sample Post-MBA Career Goals (99 Words) (Interior Design Business with AR)
Framework and Examples for Answering Duke Fuqua 25 Random Things with 5 Samples
Sample Duke Fuqua Essay: The Fuqua community and you (784 Words)
+ NYU Stern MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
Sample NYU Stern Essay 1: Goals (500 Words) (Finance)
Sample NYU Stern Essay 1: Goals (495 Words)(Consulting)
Sample NYU Stern Essay 1: Goals (500 Words)(Product Management)
Sample NYU Stern Essay 1: Goals (495 Words)(Consulting)
Sample NYU Stern Essay 1: Goals (500 Words)(Product Management)
Essay 3: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")
5 Examples with Images
5 Examples with Images
+ Darden MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – Meaningful IMPACT (Fear-based to team-based culture) (199 Words)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – Different Perspective and IMPACT on worldview (Life Experience) (191 Words)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – Different Perspective and IMPACT on worldview (Courage)(199 Words)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – Different Perspective and IMPACT on worldview (Team Diversity) (193 Words)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – About yourself Personal, Professional or Both (100 Words) (Near Death Experience)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – About yourself Personal, Professional or Both (99 Words) (Networking)
Sample Darden MBA Essay – About yourself Personal, Professional or Both (100 Words) (Mountaineering)
Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal (150 words) (Technology to Consulting)
Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal (150 words) (Product Management)
Sample Darden MBA Essay: Short-term Post-MBA career goal (149 words) (Investment Banking to Private Equity)
Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (47 Words) (Uganda)
Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (49 Words) (Sweden)
Sample Essay – Where you want to go with Darden (48 Words) (China)
+ MIT Sloan MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Personality Type (Accepted MIT Sloan Students)
Cover Letter Checklist
Sample Cover Letter – Technology to Consulting (284 Words)
Sample Cover Letter – Healthcare Entrepreneurship (297 Words)
Sample Cover Letter – Consulting to Technology (298 Words)
Sample Cover Letter – Wealth Management to FinTech (299 Words)
Sample Cover Letter – Manufacturing to Consulting (Retail) (299 Words)
Sample Cover Letter – Strategy to Consulting (297 Words)
+ Kellogg MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class)(NEW)
Sample Essay: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Marketing) (449 Words)
Sample Essay: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Technology) (447 Words)
Sample Essay: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Non-Profit) (441 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you? (Changing the Traditional Recruitment Formula)(443 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you?(Seniority-Based to Performance-based Culture)(444 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you?(From machine-centric to Human-centric customer support)(446 Words)
Sample Essay: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Technology) (447 Words)
Sample Essay: Demonstrated Leadership, the challenges you faced and what you learned (Non-Profit) (441 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you? (Changing the Traditional Recruitment Formula)(443 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you?(Seniority-Based to Performance-based Culture)(444 Words)
Sample Essay: Values important to you and how have they influenced you?(From machine-centric to Human-centric customer support)(446 Words)
+ London Business School MBA Essay Tips (2020 Entering Class) (NEW)
London as the Financial Hub
London as the Technology Hub
London as the Consulting Hub
London as the Financial Hub
London as the Technology Hub
London as the Consulting Hub
How to Cite the Curriculum (Example)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (489 Words)(Technology to Consulting)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (493 Words)(Hospitality to Consulting)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (500 Words)(Government/Non-Profit to Technology)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (495 Words)(Medical Doctor to Investment Banking)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (493 Words)(Hospitality to Consulting)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (500 Words)(Government/Non-Profit to Technology)
Sample LBS MBA Essay: Post-MBA Goals (495 Words)(Medical Doctor to Investment Banking)
+ Sample Essays
+ The Art of Storytelling
+ Leadership Narratives
+ Review Tips
+ Persuasion Strategies
+ The Secret to "unleashing" your unique voice
+ How to write about your Strengths
+ How to write about your Weaknesses
Pages: 787
Sample Essays: 80+
Version: 2020 Entering Class