Are you Internally or Externally Motivated for an MBA?

With the new MBA Admission season starting, aspirants around the world are analyzing MBA Application essays and understanding what the AdCom is trying to measure. Almost all MBA Application Essays starts with “Why MBA”. The question is quintessential and measures applicant’s motivation for the program.

Motivation is derived from the Latin word moveo, which means “Move” To show that you are motivated to do an MBA program, the essay should explain why you want to break away from the status Quo.

External Motivation

The primary reason why applicants cannot differentiate from each other is that the essays often encapsulate external motivation – reputation of the school and increase in salary.

Internal Motivation

AdCom understands that External Motivation are valid and it is one of the many factors that motivate an MBA Aspirant. But Applicants have to think beyond External Motivation and dig deep into the events that led you to “MOVE” from the Status Quo.

Not all the MBA Applicants have internal motivation. AdCom have read several essays to differentiate between internally motivated and externally motivated candidates. The “Why MBA” has changed its form several times but the purpose of the question is to understand the type of your motivation – Internal or External.

Answer the following questions to learn about Internal Motivation

1) When did you realize that you would like to pursue a career in Management
Before Undergraduate/During Undergraduate/Immediately After Undergraduate/While Working

2) Write about the experiences and events that led you to move from the Status Quo

3) What demotivated you from the current work experience

Let us be honest here. Unless you were not motivated to change from current career path – switch or advance, you would have never considered an MBA. Write it down. You might not be required to use the answer in its entirety in the “Why MBA” essay, but the answer to this question will help you figure out internal motivation.

4) Did you notice that an MBA has opened up opportunities for one of your colleagues?

5) Did the career path that someone with a similar profile as that of yours inspire you?

6) What aspect of the career path inspired you the most?

a) Was it the chance to work with some of the best minds?
b) Was it the chance to work on challenging projects?
c) Was it the Job title?
d) Was it the chance to utilize your strengths?

Although we have mentioned the reputation of the school as an external motivation, you can breakdown the essence of the brand to align with your internal motivation. For example, Stanford and MIT are known for attracting Entrepreneurial students. By going beyond stating that it would be a great opportunity to work with Entrepreneurial students and be part of an elite brand, think about how you can contribute and why your candidacy would add value to the community. This switch in framing can help you think beyond reputation of the brand and formulate why top schools would love to have you as a candidate.