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MBA Essay Questions (2024 Entering Class)

We have collected the Essays for Top 50 MBA programs for the 2024 Entering class.  We will keep updating the list as schools update and release the essays.  If you are targeting only the top 15, Download F1GMAT’s Winning MBA Essay Guide, where we have captured 100+ Sample Essays.

MBA Essay List of M7 and Global Top 50 MBA programs in the world:

1. Harvard

There is one question for the Class of 2026 application:
Question 1: As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?
**Joint program applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School must provide an additional essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400 words)

2. Stanford

Question 1: What matters most to you, and why? (up to 650 words)
For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

Question 2: Why Stanford? ( up to 400 words)

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

3. Wharton

Question 1: How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)
Question 2: Essay 2: Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

4. Booth

Question 1: How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
Question 2: An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)

5. Columbia

Short Answer Question: What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 characters maximum)
Examples of possible responses:
“Work in business development for a media company.”
“Join a strategy consulting firm.”
“Launch a data-management start-up.”

Question 1: Through your resume and recommendation, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next three to five years and what is your long-term dream job? (500 words)

Question 2: The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a co-curricular program designed to provide students with the skills and strategies needed to develop as inclusive leaders.  Through various resources and programming, the goal is for students to explore and reflect during their educational journey on the following five inclusive leadership skills:  Mitigating Bias and Prejudice; Managing Intercultural Dialogue; Addressing Systemic Inequity; Understanding Identity and Perspective Taking; and Creating an Inclusive Environment.

Describe a time or situation when you had the need to utilize one or more of these five skills, and tell us the actions you took and the outcome. (250 words)

Question 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams, an extremely active co-curricular and student life environment, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program.

Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? Please be specific. (250 words)

6. Kellogg

Question 1: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face and what did you learn? (450 words)

Question 2: Values are what guide us in our life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words)

7. MIT Sloan

Cover Letter: MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

Optional Short Answer Question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background. (250 words or less.)

8. Duke Fuqua

Required short-answer essay question: (in 100 words) What are your post-MBA career goals? Share with us your first-choice career plan and your alternate plan.

Question 1: 25 random things about yourself

The 'Team Fuqua' spirit and community is one of the things that sets the MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. The Admissions Committee wants to get to know YOU - beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. Share with us important life experiences, your hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are.

Your list will be limited to 2 pages (750 words maximum). Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be brief, while others may be longer.

Question 2: The Fuqua community and you

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? Your response will be limited to 1 page (500 words maximum).

9. London Business School:

Question 1. (500 words) What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

Question 2. (500 words) (This question is optional) Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?

10. INSEAD

JOBS ESSAYS
Question1: Briefly summarize your current (or most recent) job, including the nature of work, major responsibilities, and where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, clients/products and results achieved. (200 words, maximum)

Question 2: What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company instead of going to business school? (200 words, maximum)

Question 3: Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. (300 words, maximum)

Question 4: Discuss your short and long term career aspirations with an MBA from INSEAD. (100 words, maximum)

MOTIVATION ESSAYS:

Question 1: Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), 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. (500 words, maximum)

Question 2: Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned. (400 words, maximum)

Question 3: Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, politics, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (300 words, maximum)

11. Tuck

Question 1: "Tuck students can articulate how the distinctive Tuck MBA will advance their aspirations. Why are you pursuing an MBA and why Tuck?"

Question 2: “Tuck students recognize how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are.

Question 3: “Tuck students are encouraging, collaborative, and empathetic, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a meaningful experience in which you exemplified one or more of these attributes.

12. Yale

Question 1: Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words maximum)

13. Darden

Question 1: Community of Belonging: What would you want your classmates to know about you that is not on your resume? (100 words)

Question2: Inclusive Impact: Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating a welcoming, global community at Darden. (300 words)

Question 3: Careers With Purpose: At this time how would you describe your short-term, post-MBA goal in terms of industry, function, geography, company size and/or mission and how does it align with the long-term vision you have for your career? (200 words)

14. Haas

Question 1: What makes you feel alive when you are doing it, and why? (300 words maximum)

Question 2: How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words max)

Question 3: The Berkeley MBA program develops leaders who embody our four Defining Leadership Principles. Briefly introduce yourself to the admissions committee, explain which leadership principle resonates most with you, and tell us how you have exemplified the principle in your personal or professional life. (Not to exceed 2 minutes.)

Question 4 (Short answer): Can you please describe any experience or exposure you have in the area of diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging whether through community organizations, personal, or in the workplace? (150 words max)

15. Ross

Short Answer Questions:
Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total).

GROUP 1
•    I want people to know that I:
•    I made a difference when I:
•    I was aware that I was different when:

GROUP 2
•    I am out of my comfort zone when:
•    I was humbled when:
•    I was challenged when:

Career Goal Short Answer: What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right short-term career goal for you? (150 words)

16. NYU Stern

Short Answer: Professional Aspirations (150 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

What are your short-term career goals?
Question 1: Change: _________ it (350 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:
•    Change: Dare it.
•    Change: Dream it.
•    Change: Drive it.
•    Change: Empower it.
•    Change: Manifest it.
•    Change: [Any word of your choice] it.

Question 2: Personal Expression (a.k.a. "Pick Six")

Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions. Your uploaded PDF should contain all of the following elements:
•    A brief introduction or overview of your "Pick Six" (no more than 3 sentences).
•    Six images that help illustrate who you are.
•    A one-sentence caption for each of the six images that helps explain why they were selected and are significant to you.

17. UCLA Anderson

Question 1: For the 2023-2024 application year, we have one essay question that is required for first-time applicants and optional for re-applicants:
UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership. Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)

18. Cornell

Goals Statement Prompt: A statement of your goals will begin a conversation that will last throughout the admissions process and guide your steps during the MBA program and experience. To the best of your understanding today, please share your short and long term goals by completing the following sentences and answering the enclosed short answer question (350 words maximum):

Immediately post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].
•    Targeted Job Role:
•    Target Job Company:
•    Industry:

In 5–10 years post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].
•    Targeted Job Role:
•    Target Job Company:
•    Industry:

How has your experience prepared and encouraged you to pursue these goals?

19. McCombs

Question 1: Please write an application cover letter summarizing your aspirations, qualifications, and personal and professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Texas Full-Time MBA program. (500 words)

20. IESE

Question 1: Tell us about a time that you created impact on an individual, company or community? What did you learn from it? (word limit 300 max)
Question 2: What are your short-term and mid-term post-MBA goals? How will the IESE MBA program help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max)

21. IE

Question 1: This section is important in understanding who you are, not just as a student but also as a person in order to grasp the value that you could add to our program. Take this as an opportunity to showcase your unique attributes and personality. There are three formats you can choose to express yourself: a video (max. 3 minutes), a PowerPoint presentation (max. 10 slides), or a written essay (between 250-650 words). Please pay special attention to punctuation, structure and content.

What is the most important thing that you would like us to know that is not in your résumé or application?

All your compositions must be absolutely original and specifically intended for this admission application. The compositions must be composed, executed and completed by you alone. Before submitting the links, check that they work correctly. The links must be active and available for consultation for a minimum of 18 months after the date the application is submitted.

22. Oxford

Question 1: Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you. (Maximum 250 words)

23. Cambridge

Short Answer: Please provide details of your post-MBA career plans. The statement should not exceed 500 words and must address the following:
What are your short and long term career objectives? How will the Cambridge MBA equip you to achieve these?

Looking at your short-term career goal, describe the research you have done to understand how this industry/role/location recruits MBA talent and what they are looking for in a candidate?

How do you meet the requirements of your short-term career goal? What preparation are you doing now?

Question1: Describe a difficult decision that you had to make. What did you learn from this and how have you changed as a result? (up to 200 words)

Question 2: Describe a time where you worked with a team on a project. What did you learn from the experience and how might you approach it differently today? (up to 200 words)

Question3: If you could give one piece of advice to your 18-year-old self, what would it be? (up to 200 words)

24. HEC Paris

Question 1: Why are you applying to the HEC MBA Program now? What is the professional objective that will guide your career choice after your MBA, and how will the HEC MBA contribute to the achievement of this objective? (500 words)

Question 2: What do you consider your most significant life achievement? (250 words)

Question 3: Leadership and ethics are inevitably intertwined in the business world. Describe a situation in which you have dealt with these issues and how they have influenced you. (250 words)

Question 4: Imagine a life entirely different from the one you now lead, what would it be? (250 words)

Question 5: Please choose from one of the following essays (250 words):

a) What monument or site would you advise a first-time visitor to your country or city to discover, and why?

b) Certain books, movies or plays have had an international success that you believe to be undeserved. Choose an example and analyse it.

c) What figure do you most admire and why? You may choose from any field (arts, literature, politics, business, etc).

25. SDA Bocconi

Each answer should not exceed 280 words

Question 1: What interests and occupations do you pursue in your free time?

Question 2: What do you think you gained from your university studies? Conversely, what important things do you think your studies lacked?

Question 3: Explain the most significant goals you think you have achieved so far and the reasons for their importance in your personal growth

Question 4: Describe your strong points, personal and professional, explaining why you see them as such

Question 5: Describe your weak points, personal and professional, explaining why you see them as such

Question 6: What are the reasons that lead you to apply to the Program at this point in your life?

Question 7: What other possibilities have you seriously considered, apart from the Program, for reaching your goals of personal and professional growth?

Question 8: Where do you wish to pursue your profession after receiving the MBA?
Where?
Why?

Question 9: What are your short-term professional goals (within the next 3-5 years)?

Question 10: What are your long-term professional goals?

Question 11: How do you expect to finance your Program studies?

26. Tepper

There is one required essay (maximum 500 words) for all Tepper MBA applicants (except college seniors):

The Tepper community is dynamic and unique with students who strive to be collaborative, supportive and inclusive. Please provide an example of when you experienced or created an inclusive environment and how you will use that experience to help members of the community reach their full potential.

27. McDonough

Please select one of the following three essays to complete in 300-350 words (approximately one page, double spaced) and include the essay prompt and your first/last name at the top of your submission.

Question 1: Principled Leadership: Georgetown McDonough places a strong emphasis on principled leadership, providing both curricular and co-curricular opportunities to strengthen your leadership skills. Describe a time when you have led a team in a professional environment to implement a new idea or process. What leadership characteristics did you utilize? What could you have done to be more effective? And most importantly, what skills will you be able to bring to the teams you lead at McDonough?

Question2 : Hoyas for the Common Good: Georgetown McDonough embodies the ethos that people and organizations can and should contribute to the greater good. The admissions committee would like to better understand how you have demonstrated these values during uniquely challenging times. Describe a time where you have put the needs of others ahead of your own or ahead of the bottom line. We look forward to learning more about the challenge you faced, what unique characteristics you brought to that scenario, and what you learned from it.

Question 3: The Georgetown Community: Georgetown McDonough is a diverse, global community. We look to understand the contribution that your personal background would make to our community. As appropriate, you may wish to address any obstacles or challenges you have overcome; any educational, familial, cultural, economic, and social experiences that have helped to shape your educational and professional goals; or how your background (e.g. first-generation student, resident outside the U.S.) or activities (e.g. community service and leadership) will contribute to our community.

28. UNC

Question 1: Essay 1 is required. Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following questions:
•    What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School?
•    As the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change that can guide you in a different direction. Should your goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore?

Question 2: Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following question:

We all belong to different communities representing various aspects of who we are, including groups we belong to, where we come from, how we think, what we believe, and how we see and experience the world. The process of discovery is strengthened when people with diverse perspectives and life experiences come together to share and learn from one another, negotiate differences, and engage in diplomacy.

How do you envision furthering your growth in inclusive leadership as an MBA student and as a business leader?

29. Rice Jones

Short Question 1: Short-Term Career Goal Text (Word Limit: 100 words):
Short Question 2: Long-Term Career Goal Text (Word Limit: 100 words):

Required Essay 1: Please choose one of the prompts below. You can submit a written essay (Word Limit: 500 words) or a video (Time Limit: 3 minutes).
Prompt #1: What movie, song, or book has most influenced your life and the way you view the world? Why?
Prompt #2: While we know a picture is worth 1000 words, in 500 words or less tell us the story of a photo of your choosing that has significant value in your life experiences. Please feel free to share your photo using the upload tool on the next page. (500 word Limit or 3-minute video)

30. Vanderbilt Owen

Your written statements give us great insight into your unique qualities, goals and personality. We have two required written statements with a 150 word limit.
Statement 1: What are your short-term career goals after obtaining your MBA and what functional area do you plan to study while in the MBA program? What are some specific skills that you want to develop during your time in business school to help you achieve your career goals?

Statement 2: Please highlight something about yourself that isn’t already captured in the application.

Optional Explanatory Statement: You may provide an additional statement to explain anything that you think is important for the Admissions Committee to know about you that is not already addressed elsewhere in your application. Many applicants use this statement to explain significant gaps in full-time employment, lack of recommendation from a current supervisor, or subpar academic performance.

31. NUS MBA

Question 1: How do you plan to spend your time on The NUS MBA to transform yourself personally & professionally? Briefly describe your experience to date, and how this and The NUS MBA can help you achieve your mid and long-term career goals. (350 words)

Question 2: How have people, events, and/or situations in your life influenced who you are today? (250 words)

32. Kelley MBA

Question 1: Discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider? (500 words)

Question2: Respond to one of the following short essay prompts. (300 words)
a. My greatest memory is...
b. I'm most afraid of...
c. My greatest challenge has been...
d. I'm most proud of...
3. Share a brief fact about yourself that your classmates would find interesting, surprising, or noteworthy. (25 words)

33. Foster MBA

Essay 1: Post-MBA Plans (750 words maximum)
Tell us your ideas about what lies ahead in your career. What are the gaps or deficiencies currently preventing you from pursuing these potential career paths? How do you plan to use your time in the Foster MBA program to fill these gaps and advance your career?

Essay 2: Personal Resilience Essay (500 words maximum)
Resilience is one of the most important values of a successful Foster student. Tell us about what resilience means to you and share some of the ways that you have demonstrated resilience in overcoming personal or professional challenges. How do you anticipate showing resilience during your time as an MBA candidate?

Essay 3: Optional essay (500 words maximum)
Include this essay if you have additional information you believe would be helpful to the admissions committee in considering your application.

Essay 4: Optional Diversity, Equity & Inclusion essay (500 words maximum)
At the Foster School of Business, we embrace diversity as one of the foundations of both successful business strategy and a world-class educational experience. We share the University’s dedication to promoting the understanding and appreciation of human differences, and the constructive expression of ideas. We welcome you to share some of the ways you have practiced inclusion, promoted equity or supported the advancement of underrepresented groups.

34. USC Marshall

Question 1: What is your specific, immediate short-term career goal upon completion of your MBA? Please include an intended position, function, and industry in your response. (word limit: 100)

Question 2: Please draft a letter that begins with “Dear Admissions Committee” (word limit: 600)

This letter is meant to be your personal statement that provides the Admissions Committee with an understanding of your candidacy for Marshall beyond what is evident in other parts of your application. This essay is purposely open-ended. You are free to express yourself in whatever way you see fit. Our goal is to have an appreciation for and an understanding of each candidate in ways that are not captured by test scores, grades, and resumes.

35. Mendoza College

Statement of Purpose : Please share your short term professional goals. How does the Notre Dame Master of Business Administration help achieve your career goals? (100 words or less)

Essay 1 – Option 1: The University of Notre Dame was founded in 1842, by Father Edward Sorin, C.S.C, with a mission to become “one of the most powerful means for doing good in this country”. In 1879, Father Sorin’s vision for Notre Dame appeared to be at a sudden, abrupt end. A massive fire destroyed the building that housed virtually the entire University. Instead of giving up, Father Sorin interpreted the fire as a sign that he had dreamed too small, and decided to rebuild, bigger and better than ever. That Main Building still stands today, topped by the gleaming Golden Dome, not only as an iconic campus building, but as an ongoing symbol of perseverance and vision.

Tell us the story of a time in your own life or career when you had to overcome an obstacle, start over, or rebuild. (maximum 2 pages, 12pt font, double-spaced)

Essay 1 – Option 2: The foundation of a Notre Dame business education is the vision of the College’s founder and first dean, John Cardinal O’Hara: “The primary function of commerce is service to mankind.” Students choose Notre Dame because they are willing to Grow the Good in Business™. They look beyond profits and shareholder value and drive decisions based on values and a greater good. Please describe what “growing the good in business” means to you.

Slide Presentation: Effective communication is a central skill for managers and visual presentations are an important method of communication. Demonstrate your ability to clearly and concisely communicate by telling us about yourself, using a short slide presentation.

Please consider the following guidelines when creating your presentation:
•    Please submit four (4) slides.
•    You may create your slides in any software that works for you, but you must save and upload as a .pdf.
•    Do not use audio or video files.
•    You are free to share anything about yourself that you think would be of value to the Admissions Committee. You can have some fun and be a bit more lighthearted in this portion of your application. Your tone should reflect your personality.
•    Please be assured that the Admissions Committee will read your essay, your resume, and your transcripts in detail. Your slides are an opportunity to go beyond your academic and work history and show the Committee who you are as a person.

36. BU Questrom School of Business

Written Essay or Video Essay
Written Essay: Your written essay should be no more than 750 words, and should explain to the admissions committee why you’d like to earn your degree from the Questrom School of Business specifically. It should also address why you have selected the program you are applying to (Full-Time MBA, Professional Evening MBA, Health Sector MBA, Dual Degree, etc.) – and how that program will help you achieve your post-graduate goals.

37. IIMA

Yet to Be Declared

38. ISB PGP

Question 1: Provide an honest portrayal of yourself, emphasizing your strengths and weaknesses. Highlight the key elements that have shaped your personal journey. Give relevant illustrations as needed. (400 words max)

Question 2: Contemplate two distinct situations—one where you experienced success and another where you faced failure. Delve into the personal and interpersonal lessons you learned from these instances.  (400 words max)

Question 3: OPTIONAL: Given your previous experience and future aspirations, how do you plan to use the PGP at ISB to fulfil your professional goals?
Note: It is not necessary for you to write this essay. Please use this space only if there is something really significant that you would like us to know. (250 words max)

39. IIMB

Yet to Be Declared

40. Washington University Olin Business School

Two required essays (one optional):
Question1: Share with us one of your strongest values. Help us understand how that value connects to your career aspirations. Please include the following in your response: Target function and/or industry; Desired company or organization; Skills you will need to develop; Necessary connections and/or experiences (350-500 word maximum)

Question 2: The confidence to operate beyond one’s comfort zone is grounded in understanding who you are, what you value and how you uniquely contribute. Share your story. Describe who you are and the impact you wish to have. (350-500 word maximum)

Optional: Is there anything else you would like to share? If so, please provide any additional information not previously addressed in the application that would help the admissions committee assess your candidacy. (250-word maximum)

41. ESADE

Question 1: Which aspects have you improved on during your academic and professional career so far? Which tools or values have helped you achieve this?

Question 2: How will your background, values and non-work-related activities enhance the experience of other ESADE MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at ESADE? (Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished)

Question 3: What are your motivations in pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? Describe your mid-term and long-term visions for your post-MBA career path. What is it about Esade you think will help you reach your goals?

Question 4: Complete two of the following four questions or statements (3,000 characters total, maximum)
a) I am most proud of…
b) People may be surprised to learn that I…
c) What has your biggest challenge been and what did it help you learn about yourself?
d) Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Question 5: Please, provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT or any other relevant information. (max 3,000 characters)

42. IMD

Question 1: What other programs are you applying to? Of the programs you are applying to, what can IMD bring to you as a differentiator? (Word limit 100)

Question 2: Describe a situation in which you failed as a leader. What did you learn from it? (Word limit 300)

Question 3: Is there any additional information that is critical for the Admissions Committee which has not been covered elsewhere in this application? (i.e. re-application, health, grades, etc.) (Word limit 50)

43. Rochester – Simon School of Business

Question 1: In 250–500 words total, respond to the following prompts:
•    Describe your short-term and long-term post-graduation goals.
•    Given the fluctuation of economic and industry hiring trends, identify a back-up plan should your short-term goal not be immediately attainable.
•    How does your past education and experience support your career objectives?
•    Lastly, what aspects of your intended Simon Business School program make it a good choice for your graduate study?

Question 2: Simon’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion has been long-standing and demonstrated by our diverse student profile. An essential part of our mission is to foster diversity of thought throughout our wide breadth of curricular and co-curricular activities in order to help develop students into global business leaders. In recognition of this, U.S. News & World Report recently ranked Simon as the No. 2 most diverse MBA program among its top-50 business schools (2022). As a Simon student, how will you contribute to Simon’s pledge to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access? (250-500 words)

44. Georgia Tech Scheler School of Business

There are three required essays and one optional essay on the "MBA supplemental" tab of the application that will appear when you select our program. 

Question 1: Why an MBA and why Georgia Tech? (Required)
Describe how your experiences, both professional and personal, have led you to the decision to pursue an MBA at Georgia Tech. 2,000 character maximum (including spaces).

Question 2: Short- and long-term career goals (Required)
Discuss your short- and long-term career goals and how Georgia Tech is best suited to help you achieve your goals. 2,000 character maximum (including spaces).

Question 3: Ten facts (Required)

List 10 facts about yourself that will help your future classmates get to know you. 2,000 character maximum (including spaces).

45. HKUST

Tell us your mid-term and long term post-MBA career goals. (max. 50 words)

Discuss how to achieve them through HKUST MBA. (max. 200 words)

How do you plan to enrich our MBA community during and after the MBA program? (max. 150 words)

46. Paul Merage School of Business

Question 1: Applicants are required to upload a 1 minute (60 second) video as part of their application.

In your video, please introduce yourself to the admissions committee, telling us about your professional experience, including a brief overview of your short-term career goals and how an MBA from UCI’s Merage School will positively impact that direction.

Question 2: We must adapt both ourselves and our businesses for the disruption inherent in the digital environment. With this in mind, please identify an emerging trend in your stated industry or function of interest. How will the impact of technology and the skills you develop at Merage help you navigate this trend and be a value-add to a future employer? (500 words or less)

47. Ivey Business School

Question 1: What are your short-term career plans immediately post-MBA, and why is an Ivey MBA essential to those plans? (250 word limit)

Question 2: Tell us about a challenge you have faced in your life, and what lessons you learned from it. (250 word limit)
Video Essay.

48. Rotman School of Management

Essay 1
Our admitted students stand out by doing interesting things with their personal and professional lives — something we describe as the ‘spike factor’; what are the things that you have done in your life that demonstrate Passion/ Grit/ Resilience/ Innovation/ Drive/ Ambition and more? This can cross all or any aspects of life outside of work – hobbies, volunteerism, awards, entrepreneurial ventures, sports and the arts. We believe that exposure to a rich diversity of viewpoints makes for a superior learning experience, and pride ourselves on building a diverse class of exceptional individuals who will go on to make the School proud as professionals and alumni.

Explain your spike factor (something unique about yourself) that you believe will contribute to the Rotman community and is aligned with Rotman values. (up to 1000 words)*  

Optional – Please upload 1-3 of your ‘spikiest’ pictures to the supplemental items section of your application here. Note: Your photos must be uploaded as a single PDF.

49. WHU

Motivation Essay:
Question 1: What are your reasons, both professional and personal, for applying for an MBA program? What are some skills or key competencies you would like to develop when studying at WHU?

Question 2: What are your plans for the first 3-5 years after graduation? What are your long-term career aspirations? How do you think the WHU MBA will help you to achieve your goals?

Question 3: Why do you want to study at WHU?

Question 4: What sets you apart from other applicants? Why are you a perfect fit for the WHU MBA?

Question 5: Please list any professional merits, extra certifications, recognitions you have received.

50. Gouizetta MBA

Define your short-term post-MBA career goals. How are your professional strengths, past experience, and personal attributes aligned with these goals? (300 word limit)

Leadership in Business: The business school is named for Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, who led the organization for 16 years, extending its global reach, quadrupling consumption, building brand responsibility, creating unprecedented shareholder wealth, and demonstrating a commitment to values and positive impact on society. Roberto Goizueta's core values guide us in educating principled leaders to have a positive influence on business and society. Provide a specific example of your leadership and explain what you learned about yourself through the experience. (300 word limit)

Why Goizueta?: What are you looking to gain from Goizueta's MBA degree and how do you see yourself contributing to the Goizueta community? (200 word limit)

Video Essay
Telling your story in the written essays is an important part of the application process, but we also want to hear you tell some of your story. The video essay lets every candidate talk to the MBA Admissions Committee and we enjoy getting to know you through the "small talk" questions.

Optional Essay
If there is an important part of your story missing from your MBA application (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic probation issues), please use this section to provide a brief explanation. Please use bullets if you need to address more than one topic.(200 word limit)

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About the Author 

Atul Jose - Founding Consultant F1GMAT

I am Atul Jose - the Founding Consultant at F1GMAT.

Over the past 15 years, I have helped MBA applicants gain admissions to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Chicago Booth, Kellogg, Columbia, Haas, Yale, NYU Stern, Ross, Duke Fuqua, Darden, Tuck, IMD, London Business School, INSEAD, IE, IESE, HEC Paris, McCombs, Tepper, and schools in the top 30 global MBA ranking. 

I offer end-to-end Admissions Consulting and editing services – Career Planning, Application Essay Editing & Review, Recommendation Letter Editing, Interview Prep, assistance in finding funds and Scholarship Essay & Cover letter editing. See my Full Bio.

Contact me for support in school selection, career planning, essay strategy, narrative advice, essay editing, interview preparation, scholarship essay editing and guiding supervisors with recommendation letter guideline documents

I am also the Author of the Winning MBA Essay Guide, covering 16+ top MBA programs with 240+ Sample Essays that I have updated every year since 2013 (11+ years. Phew!!)

I am an Admissions consultant who writes and edits Essays every year. And it is not easy to write good essays. 

Contact me for any questions about MBA or Master's application. I would be happy to answer them all 

Winning MBA Essay Guide - A Complete Guide for M7 and Top 15 MBA Application Essays 


F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay guide will teach you how to transform your essay into a life journey with trials and tribulations that will move the admission team.

+ Over 245 Sample Essays (Read Previews of F1GMAT's Winning MBA Essay Guide Sample Essays here)

+ Top 15 MBA Programs (Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Columbia, Booth, MIT, Kellogg, Yale, Haas, Darden, INSEAD, LBS, NYU Stern, Tuck, Duke Fuqua, Ross)
+ The Art of Storytelling 
+ Leadership Narratives
+ Review Tips
+ Persuasion Strategies
+ The Secret to "unleashing" your unique voice
+ How to prepare and present for the Video Essay
+ How to write about your Strengths
+ How to write about your Weaknesses
 
 

Want to try the individual school Essay Guides before upgrading to the Winning MBA Essay Guide? Try below.

F1GMAT's Essay Guides

  • Harvard MBA Essay Guide (20 Sample Essays)

    Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words) 

    Example #1: Persistence Narrative 
    Background Information: The applicant – a design and music talent, shares her journey through several setbacks. She attributes curiosity to her growth.  
    Curiosity: Philosophy  
    Curiosity (Explained): Curiosity as a philosophy is tough to translate into a narrative unless you are from the creative industry or your contributions had an influence on a solution or an initiative.  
    MBA Essay Strategy: I wanted to capture the humanity of the applicant and her influence in music instead of just highlighting how she overcame multiple roadblocks to gain attention as a designer.  
    Theme: Persistence  
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Life Starts at NO (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example) 

    Example #2: International Community Building 
    Background Information: The applicant, a Machine Learning (ML) entrepreneur specializing in healthcare diagnostics, shares how his curiosity to learn other ML algorithms’ evolution in diagnosing Alzheimer’s, cancer, and heart disease transformed his platform into a global community. 
    MBA Essay Strategy: I wanted to show the applicant’s contributions in diagnostic from 2020 to 2024 by citing two events. Such examples build credibility instead of engagements that were recent. The evolution of the platform from an AI development community to a community for discussing the application of AI in diagnostics is captured through a ‘curiosity’ angle.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Growth through Collaboration (AI in Healthcare) (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #3: Culture
    Background Information: The applicant, an Entrepreneur from India narrates his first entrepreneurial experience – facilitating exchange of stamps in the late 1990s.
    Theme: Culture
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Instead of addressing the biases in the investor community that could turn preachy, I wanted to focus on the applicant and his entrepreneurial journey by citing two entrepreneurial experiences – a platform(club) for stamp collection and his Grocery delivery App.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – The American Dream (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #4: Addiction
    Background Information: The applicant – a beneficiary of the foster home system, captures the sacrifice his adopted grandparents made to save him from a path of addiction. Paying it back through early intervention among teenagers and community engagement is the curiosity narrative.
    Theme: Addiction
    MBA Essay Strategy:  My strategy is to capture a gratitude narrative in the first one-third of the essay to demonstrate motivation for starting the venture and dedicate the latter part of the essay to the unique solution
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Drug Addiction and Gaming (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #5: Scarcity
    Background Information: The applicant, an education major, recognizes that 70% of all students in Kenya don’t have a computer. The curiosity that drives him to pivot from one solution to another is the growth narrative.
    Theme: Innovation
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Often, innovation is captured with a ‘hero’ narrative where the applicant is the sole originator of an idea. I wanted to break that cliché and include a person from whom the applicant learned to use a concept called ‘scaffolding.’
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Scarcity (Growth-Oriented HBS Essay Example)

    Example #6: FinTech
    Background Information: The applicant captures a vulnerable moment of a beneficiary to compare his journey of side hustle before a technology giant noticed his talent. Although cryptocurrency is not a flavor for the year, capture niches where innovation is still happening. 
    Theme: Education, Child Welfare
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Empathizing with a techno solution is tough without a strong backstory around the beneficiary. For the essay, I wanted to clearly establish the beneficiary – Rami, before the applicant narrates the similarities to his journey and finally shares the solution that emerged from his curiosity.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – FinTech as a Tool for Good (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #7: Learning from the best
    Background Information: The applicant – a Remote Engineer in the Oil and Gas industry, reflects on a value that has helped her learn from the best regardless of her geographical limitations.
    Theme: Learning
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The effectiveness of the case-study method depends on the assumption that peers in a Harvard MBA class will help elevate your learning experience. For the essay, I have highlighted the applicant’s recognition of this value proposition with three examples.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Learning from the Best (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #8: Military & Search for IMPACT
    Background Information: The most common narrative for US military applicants is to quote 9/11 and the reaction your immediate family had while watching the events unfold. The horrifying moment is captured as a motivation to join the Military. On digging deeper, most applicants would share that their motivations were diverse.
    Theme: Career Choice
    MBA Essay Strategy:  I wanted to quickly highlight that the applicant had the choice of entering any industry. One achievement to demonstrate his curiosity that I shared in the first half is the invention of a game. Since the game is mentioned in the resume and verifiable through search, I didn’t quote the name. By clearly highlighting the person’s curiosity and career options, the family legacy is used as a factor in joining the military.
    Read: Harvard MBA Curiosity Essay – Career Choice after a Military Career (Growth-Oriented HBS MBA Essay Example)
     
    Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)

    Example #9: Small Business Values
    Background Information: The applicant - a second-generation Asian American, is familiar with the values of fiscal conservatism, building relationships, and understanding the daily struggles of the community through his family’s department store.
    Theme: Customer-Centric
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The applicant’s role in developing an App for the store is highlighted in the essay at a crucial part of the narrative so that the essay is not all about his father. I have also humanized the journey – by sharing how upset the father was when the revenues fell by 40%. The essay is about the transformation in the applicant’s value from a person chasing productivity and optimization technique to someone who is truly thinking about the customers. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Small Business Values (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #10: Breaking Away from Family Business
    Background Information: A unique challenge that applicants whose parents are public figures or CXOs of businesses or entrepreneurs are the pressure to live up to the parent’s standards or milestones. For the leadership narrative, the burden of legacy is established before the narrative addresses his leadership principles.
    Theme: Authenticity  
    MBA Essay Strategy:  For the essay, I want to capture an entrepreneur’s journey to rise above his entrepreneur father’s image. But I didn’t want to make the entire essay about this complex dynamics. The narrative is around the applicant’s focus on customers and surrounding with teams who keeps him grounded. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Breaking Away from Family Business(Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #11: Creativity and Communication 
    Background Information: When the overall percentage of users with internet access is 62% in South Africa and the inequality accentuated by the rural and urban divide, the applicant endured the lack of digital infrastructure, and spending close to 22% of the family income on gaining relevant information on schools, global exams, and financial assistance. 
    Theme: Creativity, Communication
    MBA Essay Strategy:  The strategy is to share why the applicant values no distraction in a child’s home for optimum education experience. Then I highlight the many roadblocks the applicant’s non-profit faced in receiving fee waiver for their cooperative run ISP.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Non-Profit (Telecom) (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #12: Mental Health
    Background Information: The applicant like most didn’t pay much attention to the mental health epidemic until tragedy hit home.
    Theme: Communication, Innovation
    MBA Essay Strategy:  A question we frequently get from applicants is whether they should cite tragedy in the family as a motivation for a venture or a non-profit initiative. As long as you don’t linger too much on the tragedy and offer a balanced narrative, there are no restrictions on leveraging unique stories from your life. 
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Mental Health (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #13: Trauma, Healing & Finding Authentic Self
    Background Information: The applicant narrates the absurdity of war in the narrative about the duties in Kabul, and the trauma. Instead of wallowing in on the horror, the applicant takes what makes military applicants strong and guides unprivileged children build life and leadership skills.
    Theme: Resilience
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Capturing PTSD in an essay, the healing process, and the cues that helped the applicant are too sacred to be shared in a Harvard MBA application essay. However, with the right motivation and narrative arcs, you can capture the essence of your journey without sharing the darkest secrets. That is what I did by merging two stories – the horrors of the war with a non-profit engagement.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Military & PTSD (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #14: Addiction, Setback and Leadership Mantra
    Background Information: In this narrative, the applicant captures Peru’s Silver mining boom of 2006. The growth experienced in her father’s business shifted the family’s economic status to a new stratosphere. Through the changing economic and family dynamics, the applicant finds her voice in a unique way, initially to record her unheard voice but later as one of the youngest subject matter experts in mining and commodities.  
    Theme: Failure
    MBA Essay Strategy:  For the essay, the strategy is to show how life’s unpredictability is a blessing. By narrating two setback events, the essay demonstrates the applicant’s resilience and her acknowledgment of people who made a comeback possible.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – Addiction, Setback and Leadership Mantra (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Example #15: War, Immigration and Starting Over Again
    Background Information: Despite a raging war in Syria, the family of the applicant was unblemished by the chaos. The strategic government assets near the applicant’s house would have made the region an easy target, but it was not. The calmness of her journey is shattered in one event. From the privileges of a cocooned life, the applicant is forced to think about survival, her sister’s future, and her future in the US. The second half of the narrative captures the change that was forced on her. 
    Theme: Gratitude, Resilience
    MBA Essay Strategy:  I consciously chose not to start the essay with a dialogue or trauma. Two lines are allocated to set up the narrative before the trauma event.
    Read: Harvard MBA Leadership Essay – War, Immigration and Starting Over Again (Leadership-Focused HBS MBA Essay Example)

    Harvard MBA Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)

    Example #16: Creative or Finance
    Background Information: The applicant starts the narrative with the origin of her talents. The unbridled enthusiasm receives a reality check when in high school, the applicant’s father has a conversation with her about academics. While the applicant picked up her quant skills, she was reaching over 50,000 loyal fans, and her videos captured 1 million views. 
    Theme: Passion, Talent
    MBA Essay Strategy:  Capturing vulnerability is the toughest part for Harvard MBA applicants. For this essay example, I have captured the applicant’s uncertainty about career choice throughout the essay. Here the goal is to show vulnerability in the career choice essay while for leadership and growth essay, I could capture one example each from creative and PE industry respectively to balance the narrative. So don’t follow this example without a strategy.  
    Read: Harvard MBA Business-Minded Essay – Creative or Finance (Business-Minded HBS MBA Essay Example)

  • Stanford MBA Essay Guide (24 Sample Essays)
  • Columbia MBA Essay Guide (21 Sample Essays)
  • Wharton MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • INSEAD MBA Essay Guide (19 Sample Essays)
  • Darden MBA Essay Guide  (21 Sample Essays) 
  • Yale SOM MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • Tuck MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays)
  • Haas MBA Essay Guide (18 Sample Essays)
  • NYU Stern MBA Essay Guide (15 Sample Essays + 6 Examples - Visual Essay)
  • LBS MBA Essay Guide (6 Sample Essays)
  • MIT Sloan MBA Essay Guide (6 Sample Cover Letters + 3 Sample Video Statement Scripts + 3 Sample Optional Essays)
  • Kellogg MBA Essay Guide (11 Sample Essays)
  • Chicago Booth MBA Essay Guide (12 Sample Essays)
  • Ross MBA Essay Guide (31 Sample Essays)
  • Duke Fuqua MBA Essay Guide (10 Sample Essays + Two 25 Random Things Samples)
  • Cambridge MBA Essay Guide (12 Sample Essays)

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