Q) 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 life experiences and perspective. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.
Background Information: A technologist from a military family shares the impact of military ethos – respect, discipline and self-reliance on his startup and his career.
Theme: Self-Reliance
Theme (Explained): Breaking down an ethos of a culture require shortlist 2-3 traits that are stand-out qualities for MIT Sloan MBA application. To embrace the doer mindset, one must show discipline and self-reliance. Humbleness - another trait that MIT values require respecting stakeholders and others in the ecosystem. The theme of the essay matches neatly with the traits that MIT values.
Profile: Technology Consultant
Industry: Technology
MBA Essay Strategy: Applicants from military background bring discipline, determination and a certain restraint in their words and phrases.
For the short-answer essay, I had to explicitly mention the qualities without any restraint to demonstrate the applicant’s unique journey – funding his engineering degree, not out of necessity but from a principle of self-reliance. Such examples are rare in M7 applications.
Once the applicant’s successful startup experience is narrated, I also added a vulnerable moment – recognizing the challenges of living in military households without the military parent, who were posted abroad on duty.
By balancing the narrative on success and vulnerability, I could humanize the military applicant’s journey.
Opener: The opening line recognizes the role neighborhoods play in making the applicant feel welcomed.
Sample MIT Sloan MBA World Shaped Who You Are Essay – Military Upbringing (248 Words)
Raised in a military family, the suburbs we grew up in were like an extended family. Even in such a supportive community, the sense of duty, self-reliance, and respect for all people I interact with are three values I hold dearly.
When I joined the MIT School of Engineering, my father offered support to pay for the tuition. I negotiated to limit the support to 30%. To fund the rest, I started a venture out of <y>, offering end-to-end relocation services for single-parent families moving to Cambridge and the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area. Started ..
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