Lesson
One: Business School Essay Question Help
Please
select from the following common MBA question topics:
Note: The
below essays were not edited by EssayEdge Editors. They appear
as they were initially reviewed by admissions officers.
Why
M.B.A.? Questions
Discuss
the factors that influenced your career decisions to
date. Please describe your professional goals for the
future. How will the M.B.A. experience influence your
ability to achieve your goals? (Wharton)
Discuss
your career progression to date. Why do you want an M.B.A.?
How do you envision your career progressing after receiving
the M.B.A.? (Tuck)
Specifically
address your post-M.B.A. short- and long-term professional
goals. How will Darden assist you in attaining these
goals?
Briefly
assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your
future career plans and your motivation for pursuing
a graduate degree at Kellogg.
What
are your post-M.B.A. career plans? (Harvard)
This is the
most common type of essay question, asked on virtually every
business school application. This question asks you to present,
clearly and coherently, your all too familiar reasons for wanting
an M.B.A. The questions usually consist of a few distinct parts.
Most will ask about your past (How has your career progressed
to date? What has motivated you thus far?), your future (How
do you envision your career progressing? What are your goals
for the future?), or both. All of them expect you to relate the
information to your present desire to attain an M.B.A.
Since this
is usually the first question asked, this essay will be the first
one the officers see when they get your file. Let it create your
first impression. It is similar to the moment in an interview
when you shake the interviewer’s hand and smile. Similarly, your
first essay needs to be confident, direct, and to the point.
The admissions committee uses this question to ascertain your
motivation, maturity, and focus. While undergraduate application
essays are understandably fuzzy about career choices and goals,
graduate essays should, in contrast, be crystal clear. If you
have vague reasons for pursuing an M.B.A., you need to reconsider
your decision to apply. Giving a vague response to this question
is akin to having a weak handshake and not looking the interviewer
in the eye.
You must accomplish
a lot in this essay, so pay special attention to structure. You
can tackle the question by dividing your answer into three separate
pieces. The first can be about your past professional experience.
The second can discuss your future career goals. The third can
be about the school’s particular program. At each step, demonstrate
why and how these experiences, goals, or attributes motivate
you to get your M.B.A.
Limiting yourself
to one career goal is best, if it is general. If you have a couple
of different jobs in mind, that is all right, too. However, your
reasons for them should be easily inferred or specifically stated.
If you are truly unsure of what your goals are (and we cannot
talk you out of applying) always admit so honestly rather than
make up something. At the very least, though, give credible reasons
for your indecision, and explain why you believe that this school’s
program will help you overcome your ambivalence.
Even if the
question does not specifically ask for it, articulate why the
particular program makes sense for you given your unique professional
and personal goals. To do this well, you must spend the necessary
time in introspection and also research the school. When you
understand the school’s program and positioning, use what you
have uncovered only if you can apply it to yourself. Do not write
what you think they want to hear. Admissions officers can spot
this kind of insincerity from a mile away. They also seek a heterogeneous
mix of backgrounds and experiences. Therefore, trying to fashion
yourself after your conception of a typical applicant can hurt
you even if you do it well. The truer you are to your real motivations
and desires, the better your essay will be.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Discuss the
factors that influenced your career decisions to date. Please
describe your professional goals for the future. How will the
M.B.A. experience influence your ability to achieve your goals?
(Wharton)
“Stop foolin’ around,
old boy. How would an M.B.A. help you? Better get on with your
career.” That’s what they say. Friends, colleagues, others.
I ‘ve heard
it all before. “If I were you, I would not do it. Don’t waste
your time, get ahead with your studies as quickly as possible”,
my professor for experimental physics told me. That was back
in ’88, and of course he was not talking about my M.B.A., but
about my intention to go to China: Take a special scholarship
and go-for a year, to study Chinese, and physics, in China.
Get in line, professor. He was just one of many who did not
approve of my idea.
But for me,
my plan clearly was: A chance, a challenge, and a choice. A
chance to open my intellectual door to the world Europeans
consider the (psychologically) most distant one from Western
culture, and to broaden my view well beyond the usual. A challenge
to learn a language Westerners see as one of the most difficult
in a compressed timeframe and to adapt to a completely unfamiliar
environment-while not letting this impact my overall physics
studies timeline. A choice to diverge from the mainstream path
to exclusive specialization in a single intellectual realm,
not just on a spare time basis-but with serious commitment.
Looking back
after seven years, I could not feel more assured that at that
time, I made the right choice. My unusual combination of experiences
sets me worlds apart from my physics-only ex-fellow students.
Working for (Big Consulting Company), (so far) exclusively
on international assignments in high tech industries, is the
kind of job I had envisioned at that time. I could not have
come here without that choice I made back then.
Now I am-on
a higher playing field, though-back to square one: Once again,
about to make an academic detour form the prescribed path.
An unnecessary delay for my career progression.
But stop!
Is that at all true? Getting an M.B.A. makes perfect sense
for a consultant-after all, most consultants are M.B.A.s. Getting
an M.B.A. makes even more sense in my particular case: it is
the perfect academic supplement to my physics background-the
one I need to become a leading edge high tech consultant. Detailed
technology understanding plus profound business and group skills,
that is a rare combination which really gets the career rocket
roaring. This is certainly true for me, and I think that this
is one of my most important and convincing reasons for an M.B.A.
Having spent
considerable time and energy studying Chinese and traveling
in Asia (and the rest of the world), an exclusively German
career certainly is the opposite of what I am interested in.
No cozy, warm place in an easy, totally predictable environment.
Guaranteed career progression when the guy above me retires.
Getting a dog at 35 and the BMW and house that go with it.
No thanks.
So what is
it I am interested in? I want to be where the guerilla wars
of business are fought (the shoestring traveller resurfaces).
Where global language and intercultural/personal skills make
the difference. Where intelligence translates into quantum
leaps (courtesy of the physicist). This is where I can make
my best contribution. In short, I want to be where the action
and the challenges are.
For the late
20th and early 21st century, this means, in terms of topic,
clearly one industry: High Tech (just watch the stock market).
I am well equipped for this with my physics background. In
terms of region, it clearly means Asia. Through language study
and travel exposure, I have come a long way in getting myself
prepared. In terms of function, it clearly means strategy consulting.
If there is any place better for this than (Big Consulting
Company), please let me know.
Thus the
reasons why I want to go back to university and do a dual degree
in business and East Asian studies are: Get myself a thorough
business background to put all the pieces of case experience
I have accumulated during my (Big Consulting Company), life
in their right places and understand their context. Do the
same with all my pieces of Asian studies and travel experiences.
Get ready for the real action I want to be a part and a driver
of-and satisfy academic ambitions lurking beneath the surface
of the “hands-on” consultant.
The knowledge
I will gain should help facilitate a career change. After extensive
work in European High Tech industry, I want to transfer to
Asia. Completion of my desired academic program should give
me perfect preparation, some initial contacts, and, through
a summer internship in Asia, a clear idea of what to expect
from working there (in contrast to studying and traveling).
Of at least
equal importance, the Lauder/Wharton dual degree program will
also give me a clear view on all the options that I have with
my very special combination of skills. While I currently cannot
imagine going anywhere else but to one of the Asian offices
of (Big Consulting Company), after my graduation, I am also
realistic enough to understand that there certainly is a number
of other opportunities out there which I would be attracted
to, but just know nothing about at this time. I am a firm believer
in having many options and in exploring quite a few in detail-whatever
position you’re in, there may always be one which is an even
better fit with your ambitions and capabilities.
I think it
is obvious why I apply to the Wharton School. Among all the
leading business schools, Lauder/Wharton is one of the very
few offering a serious joint-degree program that makes sense.
With its strong international orientation, Lauder/Wharton offers
the type of courses I am looking for. With my diverse set of
unusual ideas, experiences and capabilities, I would make a
most valuable and colorful addition to the student body of
Wharton.
So what are
my concrete plans for the time after my graduation? Where in
Asia can I be a driver the way described above? One extremely
attractive option for me would be helping to set up the (Big
Consulting Company), office in (Asian Capital). Or one in (Other
Asian Capital). Or in Saigon (Cantonese and Vietnamese are
no more different than Swedish and German). But frankly, these
are just a few options I can pinpoint now-and I am sure
that many more will become apparent during my Wharton experience.
After all,
my desire to come to Wharton is just another manifestation
of the characteristics that made me go to China a couple of
years ago: Take the chance to widen your scope. Accept the
challenge that goes with replacing narrow security by broad
uncertainty. Make the choice to put all your effort into fully
developing and playing out your talents.
So I am not
going to take my friends’ advice. They have their dogs already,
and the BMW is ordered. Sorry-I am not ready for that.
COMMENTS:
The writer
of this essay begins painting a picture of himself by discussing
his trip to China. The fact that he took the trip instead of
heeding all the advice others gave him shows determination,
maturity, and character without him ever having to say the
words. He clearly demonstrates why an M.B.A. makes sense for
him generally (as a consultant) and specifically (to supplement
his technical background). He pointedly bucks the usual stereotype
of, “Getting a dog at 35 and the BMW and house that go with
it.” Instead, the essayist makes his reasons personal and unique
by relating them directly to his professional goal of high-tech
consulting in Asia. He then spends a paragraph specifically
addressing the Wharton program. To demonstrate the sincerity
and focused nature of his goals further, he lists a few very
specific options that will be available to him once he graduates.
Certainly,
his background and experience make him unusual. However, his
style makes him stand out. The essayist consistently uses questions
to transition to each new point without being distracting.
He begins with a question. “Stop foolin’ around, old boy. How
would an M.B.A. help you?” Then he carries the theme throughout, “But
stop! Is this all true?” and “So what is it I am interested
in?” Finally, he writes, “So what are my concrete plans for
the time after my graduation? Where in Asia can I be a driver
the way described above?” To every question he asks he gives
a succinct and pointed answer. He concludes by subtly reiterating
his main points of chance, challenge, and choice. His last
sentence adds the final stylistic touch by referring back to
the question posed in the first sentence. In doing this, he
effectively nails down the impression we have formed about
his character-without him ever having to espouse his own virtues
directly.
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Contribution
and Diversity Questions
Your
background, experiences, and values will enhance and diversify
Kellogg. How? (1-2 double-spaced pages)
The
Darden School seeks a diverse and unique entering class
of future managers. How will your distinctiveness enrich
our learning environment and enhance your prospects for
success as a manager?
Every essay
question on the admissions application is geared toward the same
thing. Committee members want to find out who you are, what makes
you different from everyone else, and how you will contribute
to the school if accepted. This question asks these things outright.
Because it asks so directly what the admissions committee wants
to know, this is one of the most common questions you will find.
The question has a structure similar to the Why M.B.A.? question.
It asks both Why us? and Why you? However, the nature of this
question lends itself to a more personal response. Whereas the
Why M.B.A.? question asks what you have done, what you want to
do, and how that relates to the school, this question asks about
who you are and how it relates to the school. The Why M.B.A.?
question asks about your experiences, and this question asks
about your qualities.
Just as you
brainstormed about your experiences, actions, and goals for the
first question, brainstorm about your qualities and characteristics
for this one. What sets you apart from everyone else? What words
do friends and family use to describe you? For some people, the
focus of this question will come easily. A minority can choose
to focus on their racial or ethnic differences. A person with
an unusual professional background may use this question to turn
this potential weakness into a strength. Anyone with a particular
talent or calling, such as an athlete or a musician, can use
that as a topic. Less obvious characteristics can work just as
well. Are you one of those people who are forever getting tagged
with an identity? Do people say, “You know Chuck, the funny one,” or “There’s
Jane, the history buff.”
If you consider
yourself to be a fairly typical candidate with a broad range
of interests, you may feel nervous about not being able to identify
yourself with any one particular activity or defining trait.
You should not be worried. Listing the combination of qualities
that make you unique is perfectly acceptable. None of your qualities
has to be particularly unique by itself-whatever is real and
true will work perfectly. What words do people use to describe
you? Are you a risk taker? An academic? A leader? Unusually goal
oriented? Dedicated? Ethical? A good team player?
The qualities
you choose to describe are not nearly as important as how well
you back them up. Because this answer tends to contain many adjectives,
you absolutely must provide solid examples demonstrating each
quality you have listed. You can take examples from either your
work or your personal life. You can even be creative and take
an example from your childhood, if you wish, as long as whatever
you choose effectively proves that you are what you say you are.
Because this
question asks “How will you contribute to our school?” it provides
you with a perfect opportunity to prove that you have researched
and targeted yourself to the particular school. Match your distinctiveness
in whatever way is natural to the distinctiveness of the program.
Show the admissions committee that you are not just perfect for
business school in general, you are perfect for their business
school.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Your background,
experiences, and values will enhance the diversity of Kellogg’s
student body. How?
During my
senior year in college, my father was diagnosed with terminal
skin cancer. Like most cancer patients, he spent the majority
of his time in the hospital; he often spoke of how nice the
staff was, and how much his stay was enriched by the services
offered by the volunteers. I felt a great debt to those people
who helped my father and mother during that difficult time,
and I wanted to do the same for other people in similar situations.
When I moved
to New York after graduation, I decided to volunteer at the
Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital until I found a job. Over
the next few months, I worked thirty hours a week helping patients
and their families. One of the most rewarding experiences at
the hospital was organizing patient voting for the 1992 Presidential
election. I was responsible for coordinating the procurement
and distribution of absentee ballots with nurses, patients,
hospital staff, and the various voting administrations within
the five boroughs of New York City.
The response
was overwhelming. The patients were overjoyed to be included
in the voting process. I knew from my father that the most
demoralizing circumstance of a prolonged hospital stay was
the feeling that the world was passing you by. On that November
day, however, I was able to help those patients feel like part
of society again. I will always be grateful for that.
Once I found
a job, I had to curtail my hours at the hospital, but I did
not stop my volunteer work. And although my job prohibits me
from volunteering as much as I’d like, I still try to find
the time. My volunteer work has allowed me to help others cope
with the terrible pain of illness, which I have experienced
first-hand and through my family. The satisfaction that I gain
when I help patients and their families is unlike any other
feeling I have ever had in my life.
I’ve found
that my work also helps me to deal with and accept the loss
of my own father. If it were not for him, I never would have
started volunteering. The good work I do is a constant tribute
to his memory.
As an individual,
I have learned the benefits of altruism, and I firmly believe
that companies should also take an active role in philanthropy.
I was pleased to see in the admissions brochure that other
Kellogg students feel the same, as demonstrated by their Business
with a Heart program. I know that my unique perspective and
experiences would contribute to this group, and enable me to
enrich the lives of the community as well as those of my fellow
students.
COMMENTS:
This essayist
is a good example of someone who chose to focus on one trait
rather than several. By choosing only one quality, her essay
is concise, to the point, and easy to read. She also leaves
a strong impression by introducing only one theme. This essay
is particularly strong because the writer does not simply label
herself as a volunteer and leave it at that. She makes the
topic personal. First, she walks us through her motivation,
then through the experience itself, and finally through how
it has affected her and made her different. She gives details
to bring each of these steps alive but manages to do so in
a very short amount of space. She even specifically details
how this experience will help her contribute by listing the
name of the program she has targeted.
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Accomplishment
Questions
Describe
the two accomplishments that occurred in the last five
years of which you are most proud. (Columbia)
Describe
your three most substantial accomplishments, and explain
why you view them as such. (Harvard)
Describe
your achievements within the last five years that are good
indicators of your potential for a successful management
career and why you view them as such. (Michigan)
What
is your most valued accomplishment? Why? (Kellogg)
Your answer
to this question will say a lot more about you than simply what
you have accomplished. It will show the committee what you value,
what makes you proud, and what you are capable of accomplishing.
Applicants make a common mistake when answering this question-they
repeat information found elsewhere in the application. A good
student, for example, will be tempted to fall back on stressing
his or her high G.P.A. or G.M.A.T. score. A person who has won
a number of awards or acknowledgments will try to include all
of them and end up turning their essay into little more than
a prose list. Many of the questions specify that you choose one,
two, or three specific accomplishments as a way of avoiding this
kind of response.
If you do choose
an accomplishment that the committee is already aware of-such
as your induction into Phi Beta Kappa or a promotion that appears
on your resume-then bring the experience alive. Demonstrate what
it took to get there and how it affected you personally. Do not
be afraid to show committee members that you are proud. This
is not the place for modesty. However, do not fall to the other
extreme either-you can toot your own horn, but do it without
being didactic or preachy. You will not have to worry about either
extreme if you keep your essay short and to the point. Spend
the bulk of your essay simply telling the story.
If you are
having trouble choosing something to focus on, then remember
that the best essays are often about modest accomplishments.
What you accomplished does not matter as long as you found it
personally meaningful and can make it come alive. Unless specified,
the accomplishment can be professional, personal, or academic.
Did you get a compliment from a notoriously tight-lipped, hard-driving
manager? Did you lose the race but beat your own best time? As
an English major, did you work around the clock to bring a C
in physics up to an A? Do not think about what they want to hear-think
about what has really made you proud.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Describe
the two accomplishments that occurred in the last five years
of which you are most proud. (Columbia)
Strategic
Advisory for American Savings Bank
In January
1994, my group was engaged by Robert Bass’ Keystone Partners
to evaluate their investment in California company, the culminating
point of a five-year banking relationship. Keystone Partner
however, engaged Goldman Sachs as co-advisor, thereby infuriating
the Lehman team. We swore to keep control of the valuation
process by solely handling the modeling work including complex
simulations and projections, which I was solely responsible
for. I quickly drafted a couple of pages that I distributed
to both teams. Overnight, the Goldman team reproduced them
line by line and sent them directly to the client as their
work. It was a great strike against our team. I decided to
design a completely different model, and to draw upon the information
that I could gather from a long and fruitful client relationship
with Lehman Brothers. I convinced the senior vice president,
vice president and associate who had covered the company for
years to pass on their knowledge, persuaded them to be available
for 36 hours straight to answer all my questions, and for four
more hours to be trained by me on the model. I designed a 23
page model, stuffed with information, that we presented to
the 42 person working team, gathered at our request. The presentation,
led by myself for technical explanations and the senior vice
president for strategic conclusions, was a great success. The
Goldman Senior Partner, recognizing the “excellency” of our
model, proposed that I remain in charge of “all the number”.
I value this
experience because I gained respect from the senior executives
at all three firms. But most of all, although one of the most
junior banker, I was able to inspire a cohesive spirit to our
team in pursuing our goal to produce a high quality presentation.
Learning
to Surf
My move to
Los Angeles in August 1992 represented not only a great professional
challenge-to work with only two senior bankers and cover all
California financial institutions-but also a personal opportunity,
a chance to broaden my horizons. I grew up in Paris and lived
in the capital for 21 years before moving to New York; I definitely
was a city girl! Los Angeles demanded however that I adapted
to a whole different world, where sport rather than opera rhythms
the season. I knew that my first year in the Los Angeles office
would be extremely busy due to the small size of my group.
In fact I averaged 90 hours of work per week that year. To
keep my sanity and maintain a good spirit, I resolved to try
and learn a sport that had always fascinated me: surfing. Thus
I bought a brand new wetsuit and longboard and started the
experience bright and early on a sunny Saturday afternoon under
the merciless scrutiny of the local surfers, all males, who
did not hide their contempt for my pale skin and weak arms
so typical of investment banking Corporate Analysts. Surfing
seemed at first an impossible mission: my board always mysteriously
rebounded on my head, while the waves would break exactly where
I was paddling. At work, there was an explosion of laughter
when I proudly exposed my (only) personal project: why, a twenty-six
year old Parisian, surfing? This had to be French humor! I
resolved however to practice every week-end before coming into
the office. Last summer, I finally stood up on my board and
rode the wave to the beach. It was one of the most exhilarating
moments of my life and although I still surf regularly, nothing
matches my first wave nor the pride that I felt. Because I
received little help and encouragement but prevailed, I cherish
this experience which was actually a tremendous confidence
builder.
COMMENTS:
The writer
demonstrates a nice balance between her professional and her
personal achievements. Her first accomplishment shows the essayist
to be a savvy business professional and highlights her good
political sense, dedication, and technical skill. The second
accomplishment rounds out the image by painting a picture of
a young, healthy, active woman willing to take risks and learn
new skills at the expense of laughter and embarrassment. The
latter may have been a personal achievement, but these translate
into very lucrative professional skills as well.
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Leadership
Ability Questions
Describe
a situation that tested your leadership skills. How did
you manage the situation? (Harvard)
Discuss
two situations in the past four years where you have taken
an active leadership role. How do these events demonstrate
your managerial potential? (Anderson)
This question
is similar to the accomplishment question. You can employ similar
tactics to answer it. Choose situations that are real and meaningful
to you, not what you think will impress the committee the most.
Do not limit yourself to using situations from only your career,
especially if the question asks you to give more than one example.
This question
shares common ground, surprisingly, with the ethical dilemma
question because ethical dilemmas often call on leadership abilities
for resolution. Keep this in the back of your mind so you can
strategize if one of your applications asks both questions. On
the other hand, be careful not to bring unnecessary attention
to questionable situations when not absolutely necessary. Ethical
dilemma questions are notoriously difficult, this question does
not have to be.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Discuss two
situations in the past four years where you have taken an active
leadership role. How do these events demonstrate your managerial
potential? (Anderson)
Wellwork
Action Team
After working
nearly a year as a production engineer, one morning I experienced
a kind of epiphany. I realized that our profit center had effectively
gained manpower and resources in the form of increased attention
from vendors with whom we had recently formed strategic alliances.
By improving communication between these vendors as well as
between our profit center and these companies, I envisioned
a unified approach that could improve and expedite our production
operations. With the encouragement of the operations superintendent,
I arranged a brainstorming session for supervisory level personnel
from our operations staff and our new alliance partner’s companies.
From that session, a “Wellwork Action Team” was created with
the specific purpose of improving and streamlining our operations
procedures in order to reduce the cost of increase the quality
of our projects in the field.
After being
chosen facilitator for our Wellwork Action Team, I set for
myself two personal goals: first, to maintain enthusiasm among
team members and second, to implement the ideas and concepts
brought forth by our team into our everyday procedures. To
ensure continued involvement, I first convinced myself that
the potential benefits that might be gained from having this
team merited the time and energy of its participants. Next,
I personally committed myself to the project and firmly discussed
my commitment with each of team members. Third, I led the team
in drafting a mission statement and clearly defining our goals.
We identified measurements by which we could evaluate our progress.
Finally, I promised the team members that we would keep meetings
to a minimum and re-evaluate the usefulness of our team in
eight weeks.
From June
1995 to the present, our Wellwork Action Team has successfully
increased efficiency in our oil pumps, reduced electrical costs
by 6 percent, and nearly doubled the production of three oil
wells. As our team continues to evolve, we envision reducing
our wellwork budget from $5.0 million/year in 1995 to $4.6
million/year in 1996 while maintaining oil production and reducing
operating expenses. Our current challenges include overcoming
conflicts in the schedules of our team members and providing
for long-term oil recovery as well as short-term cost reduction.
Applying
New Technologies
When most
people envision an oil well, they picture ten-foot-high rod
pumping units, the kind common to Los Angeles and West Texas
because of their durability, availability, and efficiency.
With 300 wells on a mere 10 acre island, however, these units
are impractical for our use; a less efficient, higher cost
and lower-profile type of centrifugal pump is employed by our
company. Recently, a small L.A. firm invented a new method
of using common rod-type pumps without the bulky surface equipment.
This marriage of new technology with old rod-style pumping
appeared to have significant potential for reducing costs on
our island. Although I do not normally design our pumping equipment,
I assumed active project leadership when deciding to install
the first unit and apply the new technology.
Because our
operations personnel and vendor partners were unaccustomed
to handling hundreds of 30-foot long rods and putting them
into use, I met with the inventor of the new subsurface equipment
and two related vendors who would supply the rods. Rather than
provide specifications to each vendor for a bid as is customary,
I chose one vendor from the onset and entrusted him with the
project. I assigned him to work with the inventor of the new
equipment and asked them to together devise a low cost, high
quality engineering design for us. In doing so, the possibility
existed for them to overdesign and overprice the equipment,
reducing efficiency and thus defeating our purpose. Nevertheless,
a tremendous upside potential existed in allowing the vendors
to harmonize their efforts and experience. I hoped to receive
a superior product born from the sweat equity of their two
companies.
My strategy
was tested in November 1994 when two units were installed.
They have operated without failure since installation and have
reduced operating costs by 38 percent on those wells. In this
instance, my management challenge was to delegate non-traditional
responsibilities to our vendors. I feel that this experience
has improved our business process and taken us further down
the path towards mutually beneficial business relationships
with our vendors. I will continue to work in this manner, keeping
a careful eye out for the abuse potential created when allowing
a vendor to design and price their own equipment for our applications.
COMMENTS:
These two
examples have several positive qualities. First, they are concise
and well structured. Second, although both situations come
from the professional sphere, they balance well with each other.
One focuses more on office policy and stresses the applicant’s
ability to see the big picture in management. The other deals
with an in-the-field hands-on engineering solution and stresses
his inventiveness, attention to detail, and technological skills.
Third, these examples stress unique background-not many business
school applicants would understand how to design oil-pumping
equipment. They show that he is not afraid to get his hands
dirty. Finally, the essayist gives very detailed proof of tangible
results.
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Hobby
and Extracurricular Questions
What
one nonprofessional activity do you find most inspirational
and why? (Wharton)
For
fun I . . . (Kellogg)
Outside
of work, I most enjoy . . .
What
interests do you have outside your job and school? (Tuck)
This question
offers a prime opportunity to differentiate yourself by presenting
a vivid description of your life outside of work. Business schools
are interested in balanced, likable applicants. Your professional
life is only part of an interrelated whole. Business schools
expect you to demonstrate the same level of dedication and passion
in outside activities as you do in business. They are also well
aware that many of the best business-related ideas occur when
people are not at work, so what you do out of the office has
a measurable impact on what you can do on the job. Besides, funny,
offbeat, interesting people make work, school, and essays more
exciting. Communicate feelings of passion, commitment, and devotion.
Wherever possible, demonstrate the leadership abilities you have
developed in these activities.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
What
one nonprofessional activity do you find most inspirational
and why? (Wharton)
A little
over two years ago I began tutoring high school students
in several types of mathematics, including preparation for
the S.A.T. Test. While I did this initially to earn money,
I have continued to tutor (often pro bono) because I enjoy
the material and the contact with the students.
I have
always enjoyed math tremendously. I can remember riding in
a car for long distances as a child and continuously calculating
average speeds and percentages of distances covered as we
traveled. In college I took upper division math classes such
as Real Analysis and Game Theory (and placed near the top
of the curve) though they were not required for my major.
All this time spent playing with math has left me with a
deep understanding of the way numbers work and the many ways
in which problems can be solved.
When I
first began tutoring I was stunned to find that most of the
kids I worked with, although very bright, not only lacked
the ability to solve complex problems, they were very uncomfortable
with some of the basic principles of math. This discomfort
led to fear and avoidance, and the avoidance led to more
discomfort. A vicious cycle began. Instead of seeing math
as a beautiful system in which arithmetic, algebra and geometry
all worked together to allow one to solve problems, they
saw it as a bunch of jumbled rules which made little sense
that they were forced to memorize.
As a tutor,
I found that it was important when starting with a new student
to find out where his/her discomfort with math began. Often,
this meant going back several years in their education to
explain important basic concepts. For some students,
fractions and decimals were the point at which math stopped
making sense. For many others, it was the introduction of
letters to represent numbers in algebra. Some students found
that identifying their weaknesses was an embarrassing process.
I explained to them that it was not their fault. Everyone
comes to understand new concepts in math in a slightly different
way, and the problem was that no teacher had taken the time
to explain their “problem area” in a way which would make
sense to them. Since math was a system, once they missed
out on that one building block, it was not surprising that
the rest of it did not make sense. Our mission together would
be to find the way in which the system worked for them.
Once we
had identified the initial “problem area,” I would spend
a lot of time getting the student to play with questions
in that area from a lot of different perspectives. For example,
if fractions were the problem, then I would create games
to get the student to think of fractions in terms of division,
ratios, decimals or other equivalent systems. This would
often be a fairly unstructured process, as I wanted to see
how the student’s mind worked and keep them from feeling
any anxiety. Usually it did not take long for the concepts
to start becoming clear to the student, as he/she played
with the numbers in the absence of the pressure of school.
My goal was to not just white wash over a students weaknesses
with a few rules which would be quickly forgotten, but to
help them develop an understanding and an appreciation for
the underlying principles.
I found
this process to be very satisfying for both myself and the
young men and women that I taught. It was a wonderful feeling
to have a student laugh out loud with relief as a principle
which had been unclear and causing anxiety for years suddenly
made sense. Once these old “problem areas” were cleared up
it was usually quite simple to make clear the subjects that
they were working on at the time, especially since I already
had an understanding of how they were best able to understand
new concepts. Again, I found it important to get the student
to play with the new material and look at it in several ways
so as to develop a true understanding of the material.
I was quite
successful as a tutor. One young man increased his Math S.A.T.
by 150 points. Another student improved so dramatically in
geometry, her test scores jumped from about 55 percent to
over 90 percent, that her teacher kept her after class and
asked if she was cheating. Although most of my students did
not improve this dramatically, I walked away from every lesson
that I gave feeling that I had helped someone understand
and enjoy math. I hope to be able to continue teaching, if
only for a few hours a week, for the rest of my life.
COMMENTS:
This essay
shows that this applicant is dedicated not just to helping
people, but to academics, learning, and math. His tutoring
does not make us believe his sincerity; the thoughtfulness
and detail with which he describes it do. He has put obvious
time into developing an effective method of teaching. The writer
shows that he is result-oriented by measuring his success in
terms of real numbers and percentage increases. Someone who
applies such standards of accountability to his extracurricular
life is sure to bring the same standards to school and business.
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Role
Model Questions
Describe
the individuals that you look up to as role models in your
professional work. (Michigan)
Describe
the characteristics of an exceptional manager by examining
someone whom you have observed or with whom you have worked.
Illustrate how his or her management style has influenced
you. (Tuck)
If you
could walk in someone else’s shoes for a day, whose would
you choose and why? (Chicago)
Business schools
learn a lot about your professional development through your
description of your mentors. They can determine not only what
you have learned but the types of people from whom you have learned.
However, like the accomplishments question, this question shows
a lot about your values and standards. It is a little like getting
to know a person by the people with whom he or she chooses to
spend time. If you are skeptical, consider the different impression
you would have of the candidate who admires a dynamic, colorful,
public leader compared with someone who looks up to an accomplished
but soft-spoken academic.
Who you chose
is more important than how you portray that person. In other
words, do not choose a person because you think it will impress
the committee. Name dropping is not only obvious, it is ineffective.
If your mentor is a public figure, be sure to demonstrate that
you have a real, direct relationship with and that you learned
tangible lessons from the person. Keep your essay short and simple.
Never elevate your mentor at the expense of yourself. Show admiration,
not awe. In other words, choose a mentor, not a hero. A mentor
is someone whom you realistically aspire to emulate, whereas
a hero’s qualities are beyond our reach.
If the question
calls for more than one mentor, try comparing two very different
people or people from two unrelated areas of your life. Show
how you incorporated the best pieces of wisdom from both. As
always, use concrete examples both when describing these people
and when demonstrating the effect they have had on you. Do more
than list their qualities-tell a story that shows how they have
put these qualities to use.
You can follow
these steps to structure this essay:
1. Introduce
the person and the context in which you know him or her.
2. Describe
a few of the mentor’s key qualities that you most admire.
3. Relate
one or two particular scenarios that demonstrate these qualities.
4. Describe
what you have learned from the person. What do you now do
differently as a result of having known your mentor? How
have you or your actions changed?
5. Be concrete.
Cite specific examples of things that you have learned. Describe
the situations in which you learned these things. Show how
you have used this knowledge to your professional advantage.
A variation
on the question is, “If you could walk in someone else’s shoes
for a day . . . .” This is a cross between an ideal career question
and a role model question. Whereas the other role model questions
ask for mentors, this question asks for heroes. You do not need
to make your response as realistic-feel free to loosen up and
have fun. However, always consider what committee members will
infer from your choice. Answer this question more concisely than
you would the role model one. Simply state who you would choose
and answer why. Did you choose this person because he or she
is similar or dissimilar to you? Did you do choose your mentor
for what you can learn from that person or to effect a change?
Would you ever seriously consider this person’s life as a career,
or are you just having fun?
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Describe
the characteristics of an exceptional manager by examining
someone whom you have observed or with whom you have worked.
Illustrate how his or her management style has influenced
you. (Tuck)
In management
consulting, strong analytical skills are valued as much as,
if not more than, effective managerial and leadership skills.
Unfortunately, for some consultants, these characteristics,
at times, are mutually exclusive. I was fortunate, however,
to work with [name] on my first major project at [consulting
firm]. As my project manager, he demonstrated a superior
combination of leadership, managerial, and communication
skills. As a result of our interaction, I learned several
important lessons and tools that I used on subsequent projects
to improve my effectiveness as a team leader.
To begin,
[name] is a true leader who exhibits courage and dedication.
A powerful trait rarely found in the realm of business, courage
is unique in its ability to unify and motivate people. Moreover,
his courage is balanced appropriately with professionalism,
strong values, and humility. He is sensitive to others’ feelings
and recognizes that different people require different types
of direction and treatment. Although he often works with
diverse and difficult groups, he always seems able to reach
consensus and create a shared vision and purpose. Furthermore,
he excels at establishing priorities and proactively setting
direction.
As an effective
manager, [name] also is able to translate his broad direction
into discrete, tangible tasks. Since consultants often use
difficult or creative analytical approaches, clearly articulating
tasks and defining outputs is very important. In addition,
he exercises the appropriate level of supervision. Rather
than micro-managing his team members, [name] establishes
clear accountabilities and expectations and pushes work down
to the correct level. As a result, he creates a strong sense
of ownership and leverages the skills of his team members.
Furthermore, he excels at creating a supportive environment
and, when necessary, coaching team members to help them develop
new skills.
Finally,
[name] is a masterful communicator. He is the only project
manager I have had who gave me consistent and constructive
feedback, importantly, both positive and negative. Such feedback
not only provides clear developmental objectives, but also
signals to others that he values their contributions. This
type of balanced and open communication quickly forms the
foundation of mutual trust and respect. Furthermore, [name]
excels in the art of negotiation and debate. He states his
points with remarkable precision and is expert at remaining
objective and recognizing all sides of an argument. And,
regardless of the volatility of a situation or the strength
of his feelings, he always listens to all positions patiently
and effectively controls his demonstration of emotion, thereby
gaining the respect of others and lending additional credibility
to his positions.
Given my
limited experience managing teams, my exposure to [name]
was central to my early success at [consulting firm]. For
example, although I had considered myself a leader in athletics,
I had not learned to translate those skills into the business
arena. [Name] taught me several effective methods to lead
teams. Admittedly, as a highly motivated young analyst with
very high work standards, I also lacked many of the skills
required for effective team leadership. However, I quickly
learned the importance of flexibility and became more comfortable
providing feedback and directing the work of others. Furthermore,
through his example, [name] taught me the importance of objectivity
and the utility of several effective communication techniques.
For example, I learned to use my sense of humor as an effective
tool to persuade, disarm, or motivate others.
Early in
my career at [consulting firm], I had several rare opportunities
to lead client teams. In part due to the lessons I learned
from [name], these projects were a great success. As a result,
I went on to manage a half dozen diverse and difficult client
teams that ranged in membership. With each project, I further
refined the lessons I learned from [name] and developed new
techniques for leading and managing teams. Due to my rapid
development, I was promoted to [position], a managerial,
post-M.B.A. position at [consulting firm], signifying that
I can progress to the partner level. Although I realize my
tool kit is far from complete, these skills will be invaluable
both in business school and beyond.
COMMENTS:
This is another
essay that stands out because of its solid writing and superior
organization. It starts with a bold assertion to catch the
reader’s attention and then uses the assertion to introduce
the mentor’s most outstanding quality. Each of the next three
paragraphs clearly asserts and describes an additional supporting
quality. The essay concludes with examples of how the mentor’s
influence has tangibly affected the writer’s actions and work
performance, resulting in rapid promotion.
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Failure
Questions
To recognize
that effective managers are able to learn from failure,
describe a failure that you have experienced. What did
you learn from the experience? (Harvard)
Any applicant
who tries to claim or assert perfection on the application would,
at best, be treated as a joke. No one is perfect, and no admissions
committee expects perfection. Yet, more than any other question,
this one strikes fear into the hearts of applicants. However,
answering this question does not need to be difficult. You must
get past the biggest hurdle-your own reticence.
Failure often
results from good intentions and admirable qualities such as
initiative, leadership, and risk taking. Take advantage of the
fact that failure will sometimes result from our best qualities.
Any leader who has tried to forge a new path has made a mistake
somewhere along the way. If you are honest and forthright about
the mistake you made, people will remember the intention over
the result. Besides, the committee is not interested in judging
you on your mistake, they simply want to know how you dealt with
it. The only real way to flunk this question is to dodge it.
If you choose a trite or irrelevant topic, the committee will
either question your honesty and your maturity or doubt your
ability to lead, take risks, and think outside the box.
If you are
having trouble choosing a situation, consider the following guidelines:
1. Choose
something that has happened recently. Delving too far into
your past is an obvious cop-out.
2. Do not
limit yourself to professional failures, but do not shy away
from them either. Admissions committees are aware of the
risk inherent in choosing job failures and will give you
points for being forthright.
3. Do not
choose anything overly dramatic or that would call your morals
into question. The reader should be able to relate to your
failure, not be shocked by it.
If you cannot
clearly state what you learned from the incident or the actions
that you took to amend it, then pick something else. When you
are writing, take a simple, straightforward, objective tone.
Do not try to excuse your actions. Let your story speak for itself.
Keep your essay as concise as possible.
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Very
Personal Questions
If we
had met you five years ago and then met you again today,
how would we say that you have changed? Include specific
examples that characterize your development. (Sloan)
In thirty
to forty years, when you reflect back on your life, what
criteria will you use when judging if you have been successful?
What are the main achievements/events that you hope will
have taken place? (Anderson)
Please
provide us with a summary of your personal and family background.
Include information about where you grew up, your parents’ occupations,
your siblings, and perhaps a highlight or special memory
from your youth. (Anderson)
Each
of us has been influenced by the people, events, and situations
occurring in our lives. How have these influences shaped
who you are today? (Stanford)
What
seminal influences or experiences, broadly defined (a book,
teacher, friend, relative, sojourn, hobby, and so forth),
have especially contributed to your personal development?
What correlation, if any, does your personal development
have to your professional goals? (Berkeley)
Describe
yourself and the significant events that have shaped you.
(Michigan)
All essay questions,
as we have already mentioned, are a way for the admissions committee
to learn more about you personally. The getting personal questions
just ask more directly than others. They give you a direct opportunity
to speak for yourself. They can be tricky, though, because they
are often extremely open-ended.
Be selective.
You cannot include every detail about yourself, so you have to
pick wisely. Some applicants want to tell everything, fearful
that they will leave out a crucial detail on which their acceptance,
and future, could hinge. Do not give in to this temptation. Instead,
focus on one or two significant qualities or characteristics
that give the admissions committee genuine insight into you.
Many of the
questions in this category are worded creatively or ask you to
use your imagination. This is intended to get you to loosen up
and be yourself. If the question takes you off guard, let it-it
means the committee is looking for an unguarded answer. This
makes many applicants uncomfortable. They try to present themselves
objectively but end up distancing themselves from the subject
matter with overly long words and a dry, academic tone. This
is a grave mistake since the whole point of this essay is to
reveal something about yourself. Therefore, put your heart into
this essay.
This category
does not have one standard question-every school asks it in a
different way. Although each school’s question will differ from
the next, most of the personal questions still fit into one of
three categories: personal development, personal goals, or personal
background and influence.
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For
tips on answering general application questions, click
here.
 Move
on to Lesson Two: Brainstorming a Topic
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