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Ever wonder why the application asks the questions it does? Need to
know what the Admissions officers really want to know? Take a look
at the questions below as we attempt to de-mystify the application essay.
- Describe your current job.
- Intent
This question is primarily meant to determine the specific job functions of applicants with less common or less familiar positions.
- Suggestions
Instead of listing every element of your job, you should identify the most significant parts and write about them. Explain why your job is important, what you must do to perform well, what you have accomplished, and how you have developed professionally. Also talk about the nature of your work and your key job functions (supervisory roles, management of a budget, etc.).
- Describe your work experience.
- Intent
This question asks you to write about the things you have done and the contributions you have made over the course of your career. In addition to describing your experiences, you should talk about what you have learned and how you have grown.
- Suggestions
Do not fall into the trap of laundry-listing your past jobs. Think about a theme that runs throughout your employment history, and use it to unify your essay. Tell a story complete with challenges, conflicts, and resolutions. For example, you might write about how you have continually exhibited initiative throughout the course of your career. Whatever theme you choose to write about, use specific experiences to illustrate it and make sure all of your experiences form a coherent story.
- How have you demonstrated leadership?
- Intent
Business schools expect to produce good managers. As such, admissions committees want to take students who have already demonstrated their ability to lead.
- Suggestions
First, you should think carefully about the qualities of a good leader, such as the ability to compromise, the ability to listen well, and the ability to empathize. You can talk about your experiences managing people, but you might want to consider talking about how you have influenced people who do not report to you. You can also discuss something unrelated to business such as your activities in a personal affinity group. You should not emphasize the result that a group under your leadership achieved; instead, you should focus on your act of leading the effort.
- What are your career objectives and why do you want an MBA?
- Intent
This question gauges how much you have thought about your future, what you envision for your future, and how an MBA fits into the picture. It also guages why you want to get an MBA at this point in your life.
- Suggestions
First, think very carefully about what you want to do in the future in a way that can be articulated on paper. Business school admissions committees want to know that you envision yourself working in the business field indefinitely. Secondly, write about how an MBA will contribute to your future plans. Possible reasons include: getting a general management and operations perspective of business, broadening your understanding of other industries, and acquiring a wider array of analytical methods. Thirdly, explain why now is the right time for you to get an MBA. For example, you may have reached a point where you need an MBA to advance in your field.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- Intent
Admissions committees use this question to elicit your opinion of yourself. It helps gauge whether you are, among other qualities, arrogant, confident, boastful, manipulative, self-aware, or honest.
- Suggestions
Do not be inclined to list your strengths and weaknesses. For strengths, select two or three key strengths and use them as themes to help unify your essay. Use past personal experiences to illustrate your strengths rather than banal phrases like “I am very determined.” For weaknesses, you should choose one or two personal or skills-related weaknesses. Do not restate a strength as a weakness, such as "I am a perfectionist." Admissions committees can see right though this; it will tell them that you have an inability to admit real personal flaws. You may talk about your lack of skills or knowledge in a certain area of business, or even a more personal character flaw. But be sure to talk about any weakness constructively: show that you recognize the problem and have tried or are trying to overcome it. Do not discuss a very serious flaw that is difficult to overcome.
- What do you hope to gain from our program?
- Intent
Schools ask this question because they want to know why you want an MBA and why you want one specifically from their school.
- Suggestions
You should demonstrate how an MBA fits into your future career plans by explaining what you will gain from getting one. Make sure to familiarize yourself with what that specific school's MBA program offers so you can argue intelligently about why its program best fits your goals.
- What is the most important trend facing business today?
- Intent
This question gauges your awareness of the current issues in business and your ability to write intelligently about a macro-level topic.
- Suggestions
Do not simply rehash a recent news article you have read in The Wall Street Journal or The Economist. Instead, choose a topic of broader scope that you know the admissions committee will find important as well, and research it. For example, you might discuss how the Internet, privatization, or changing workforce demographics are impacting business. Whatever topic you choose, be as specific as possible, relating the larger trend to your own business experience. Also, do not put a negative spin on the trend you discuss; instead, consider the new challenges and opportunities it presents.
- What is your greatest achievement?
- Intent
Your answer to this question will give the admissions committee insight into what you consider an achievement, what you value, and what motivates you. It will also tell them how you have developed as a person and as a manager.
- Suggestions
You can expound on a public accomplishment (such as a national award listed in another part of your application) or talk about a more personal achievement. You should choose an achievement that helped you grow as a person, clearly had an impact on others, or presented a particularly difficult challenge. Your achievement does not necessarily have to be related to business, but if you have had less business experience than the average applicant, you may want to discuss a significant business achievement.
- What would you contribute to this school?
- Intent
This question asks you to discuss the unique experiences and qualities you would bring to the school community. What you choose to write about is important because the admissions committee wants to know what you consider a "contribution".
- Suggestions
Try hard to think of truly unique contributions you can make. Do not simply talk about your knowledge of certain industry or characteristics you possess. The more atypical your experiences and qualities, the better. Perhaps you have gained a truly different perspective from working in an unusual part of the world or you have atypical interests.
- You may offer any additional information you would like us to consider.
- Intent
This question gives you the opportunity to add important information which does not fit into other sections of the application, or to explain weaknesses in your application. It also gauges your ability to judge the significance of the additional information you provide.
- Suggestions
Do not waste this opportunity by reiterating a point about yourself that you have already conveyed. Only provide information that will help you better position yourself for admission. You might want to talk about a major obstacle that you have overcome, or a non-work activity or experience that offers a more complete picture of who you are, what you have to contribute, and how you would benefit from getting an MBA at that particular school.
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