how to write an mba admission essay

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How to write MBA essays

Business school essays for MBA and MiM degrees can be looked upon as a variation of the elevator pitch. You’re sharing your credentials (within word limits) with someone whose decision may be a turning point in your life. You have to give it your best shot in order to grab their attention and create an impact.

Those in the admissions committee have a whole lot of applications to review; how is your application unique and what differentiates you from your competition?

Admissions committee officers are on the lookout for the best possible candidate profiles. They want to see how you can add value not only to yourself but to their MBA class as well. Your essays can play a vital role in communicating to the admissions committee why they should consider you over thousands of other applicants.

In this article, we’d provide a few MBA essay tips and key areas to focus on in order to come up with well-crafted essays. These tips are equally relevant for other related courses such as the MiM degree . – How important are MBA essays  

Here are the 5 steps to write good MBA essays:

• Start early and familiarize yourself with the basics of essay writing
• Understand the essay prompts
• Evaluate and demonstrate your fit with the program
• Respect the word count
• Get your essays reviewed and edited

Let’s delve deeper into each of these steps.  

1. Start early and familiarize yourself with the basics of essay writing

MBA essay writing should be a gradual and progressive process. It helps if you’re able to give yourself sufficient time to refine and fine-tune your essays. So it’s always a good idea to begin early.

Give yourself enough time for introspection. Jot down your ideas as and when they come up. Being in the right frame of mind and choosing a time when creativity, focus and concentration is at its peak would help you generate the maximum output. Brainstorming on specific areas of your profile can help you bring out facts you hadn’t thought of before.

Avoid flowery language that doesn’t develop the narrative. Avoid industry and technical jargon.

Once you’ve got your basic ideas on paper, it’s time to give it some structure. Prepare an outline.

Next, comes organising and managing the flow. Be genuine. Your story should be based on facts (that you can hopefully support with evidence, if needed). Doing this will put you in a comfortable position during interviews.

Let your story reflect your enthusiasm, excitement and passion for being part of the program. Make sure that your essays are in sync with your resume and recommendations, and also not merely a repetition. Your essays should be able to join the dots and complete the picture.

Do not simply use the same essays for multiple schools. Customize them for each application. Find out how to write business school specific MBA essays .

Avoid copying from the sample essays available online, no matter how impressive they may sound. Read this article why sample MBA essays won’t work for you .  

Common mistakes in the MBA essays

The essay introduces applicants as an individual and shows how the applicant is unique when compared to others with similar test scores and professional experience.

We feel that not all applicants take advantage of that chance. Many seem to forget that essays are a unique opportunity to reflect one’s personality and life experiences. Essays should sound like the applicant and should be written by the applicant. Admissions managers are not looking for a specific answer to any of the questions. There is no right or wrong.

Many applicants use tiresome industry jargon, technical terms, financial lingo or management speak. Avoid this. Keep it simple and to the point. Stress what makes you unique.

Quite a few applicants submit an application full of typos and grammatical errors.  

Dealing with plagiarism

It’s not really a big problem. However, if essays or parts of it look “copied”, we make use of plagiarism detection software to uncover potential plagiarism.

Essay writing tips

You need to take some time to think about some fundamental questions. What are your professional strengths and weaknesses ? (Not: what would you like them to be?) What would you like to achieve by doing an MBA? Where do you see yourself heading after graduation? Having clear plans will help you put together a compelling picture of where you have come from, where you are heading, and why an MBA is critical for getting you there.

Take time to prepare your essays. Perhaps you can meet with a good friend to brainstorm and discuss why you are applying to a particular school and what your answers to the essay questions will be.  

What we look for in essays

Authenticity is key and if an applicant is able to stress what makes them unique. We also evaluate it positively if a candidate communicates specific reasons why he/she is a “fit” for the school.  

• Plagiarism – essay is entirely cut and pasted.
• Many typos and grammatical errors.
• Applicant forgot to change the school name when using the same essay for several applications.

2. Understand the essay prompts

Business school application essays may require just one long essay or multiple shorter ones. Each school will have its own set of essays, so read thoroughly to understand the essay prompt. Let each essay be unique and crisp. Provide sufficient insights to address the primary essay question.

Instead of just listing down your merits, be more descriptive and get into the specifics. Try to dig deeper to find out various occasions or difficult situations when you’ve displayed unusual traits, demonstrated motivational or leadership qualities.

Highlight your extracurricular involvement , whether it involved volunteering for a non-profit organization or pursuing any hobby or sports or any opportunity where you played a leadership role or took charge of organizing any event.

Read the common essay questions asked by your target MBA programs. You’ll find a lot of similarity across bschools.

MBA essay topics / questions: Here are some examples of essay prompts commonly asked – the ‘why MBA now’ question , ‘ why this school ’, long-term and short-term career goals , career failure essay .  It may also include an optional essay question. The optional essay should be made use of only if needed to explain career gaps , breaks in education, low GPA or any other aspect that deserves some clarity to the adcom to avoid being wrongly interpreted. Read this article to know when to use optional essays in college applications .

A few schools like Vanderbilt Owen have a compulsory video essay while in some schools, the video essay may be optional. Get tips on how to tackle the video essay question.

Also read How to show leadership in MBA essays and interviews: Focus on these 3 types  

3. Evaluate and demonstrate your fit with the program

What does ‘Being the right fit for an MBA program’ imply?

After shelling out $1,50,000 to $2,00,000 on the program, if your MBA experience was all about being a cultural misfit or realising that the college was probably not the right one to help you attain your post-MBA goals, the whole exercise would prove to be a colossal waste of time, money and energy.

That’s why it’s imperative that you do all the research that’s needed beforehand. Read what people have to say about the school, get in touch with school alumni to know what the school has to offer. Read more on how to know if you ‘Fit’ an MBA program and Business School .

As an example, Harvard Business School mentions on its official page that they look out for the following characteristics in a strong candidate – habit of leadership, analytical aptitude and appetite, engaged community citizenship. If you are planning to apply to Harvard, it’s necessary to highlight various instances and life experiences where you’ve exhibited these traits.

It works both ways. While you’re convinced that the college is the perfect one for you, your essays should reflect that you’re the ideal candidate they’re looking for.

The ‘right fit’ school would be different for each individual based on various parameters including the academic profile, career profile, GMAT score or the extracurricular involvement. Not everyone can make it to Harvard or Stanford! Be practical and apply to the best possible schools you find a good fit and where you have a good chance of getting in!

If you need help in short listing the business schools and having a review of your application strategy, our MBA MAP process can help you gain clarity before you apply.  

The most common mistake we come across when evaluating our essay prompts is the applicant not actually answering the prompt. Some applicants may respond with what they think we want to hear, but miss the mark. Others may try to re-use part of a response from another school’s essay question to answer ours. We are looking for applicants to clearly, concisely, and articulately answer the question our prompt asks.  

Typically, plagiarism is not an issue. Our essay prompts are very personal in nature and we want to get to know the applicant as best as possible. We are also looking for clear, straight-forward business language, rather than verbose language.  

Outline the essay and the topics you want to write about. I would do a great deal of reflection before writing the actual essay. We have word limits so fitting everything that you want to write is a challenge. The more you reflect and plan, the better the end essay will turn out.  

The overall application along with essays are reviewed multiple times by multiple people on the Admissions Committee. We are looking at whether the applicant has truly answered the prompt. We are also evaluating the level of research a particular applicant has conducted on our program and whether or not they understand how they are going to optimize their time in our program. For everyone, but especially international applicants, we are also evaluating English writing skills as well.

4. Respect the word count

How seriously should you consider the essay word count?

Well, do not take it lightly. When you’re given a word limit for an essay, you’re expected to respect it – a slight variation may be acceptable, however try to adhere to it as far as possible. Some colleges may mention that a ±5-10% deviation is acceptable. However we’d still suggest, do not overshoot it. And on the other hand, don’t under-utilize it either. The reviewer may feel you don’t have much to talk about.

Avoid repeating facts that you’ve already presented in your resume or recommendations. Let your essays be as concise as possible. Editing for grammar and eliminating redundant usage can help shorten the length of the essay.

Read: – How important the word count is for MBA essays  

5. Get your essays reviewed and edited

After you’ve read your own essays a hundred times, it’s not unusual to develop blind spots. Having a second pair of eyes review your work will help you gain fresh perspectives as well as identify gaps or missing elements in your story.

In the current context, many applicants may be tempted to use ChatGPT to write their MBA essays . Is it ethical? Find out what not to do if you are planning to use the hi-tech language AI.

Put your best foot forward and hope for the best!

Also read: – Top MBA application tips – Dealing with silly mistakes after submitting your MBA application – USA MBA admit despite big mistake in application – Family Business applicants: Tips for MBA essays and recommendations

If the process seems to be getting too complex to manage, and you’re looking for some help, refer to these pages for our: – MBA essay editing services – MiM essay review services

Watch an M7 MBA admit reveal his application strategy Mini-MBA | Start here | Success stories | Reality check | Knowledgebase | Scholarships | Services Serious about higher ed? Follow us:                

7 thoughts on “How to write MBA essays”

I am completed BE in Computer Engineering. I have 4.2 years of experience in IT application support profile(Mostly in Financial Domain and Investment Banking). MIS is the field my interest lie in. Could you please let know the colleges and the GRE/TOEFL score I should be aiming for. Also could you please let know the average total expenditure(Tuition fees, Boarding etc) that would be incurred. Also additionally any certifications I need to complete to get some brownie points while applying. Academics : 10th – 85% 12th – 77% BE – 64%

Hi I am applying for the MS in informatics program and have been asked the question.. how do you relate the experience to goals that I have for the program … cam u please let me know..

Does our UG college standing not affect the application process? What i’m trying to ask is what is the list of good UG colleges Harvard will accept?

Please send me details regarding scholarships. I am open to all the top universities over the world.

I am currently pursuing IV B.TECH , I’m thinking to do job for 2 years after my graduation then do PGDM in SPJMR university , what do you suggest

I am an IT professional with more than 22 IT Infrastructure Management experience (with 10 years international exp) and still continuing. I have done BE (Electrical), MS, EMBA (all from India) and many IT Management certifications. Now I want to migrate to Canada (not applied for PR) for my son’s studies.

However my question is I also want to go as a student for an MBA or EMBA program which can give me 100% placement. Please advise if know any such program which can give me an opportunity to reestablish my career in Canada.

@Nikhil: This should get you started: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2016/05/23/mis-usa-top-ranking-universities-average-gre/ https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2015/08/10/ms-in-usa-cost/

@Praneen: MS programs SoPs and essays work a little differently compared to MBA programs. Since the focus of MS programs is more on the technical side, it would help if you can show that you’ve already got the basics sorted out – academically and professionally. There may be some gaps that are preventing you from getting to the goals, right? List them out objectively and think of how the MS program you’re targetting will help. Then it’s a matter of putting the pen to the paper.

@Khushi: Yes, your undergrad college matters. If it’s a highly selective and respected name (like IIT), then Adcoms know that you’ve already crossed a very tough entry barrier. If you don’t have a top notch college on the resume, in your essays, you can talk about the other things that matter to Adcoms. Read this for more ideas: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2015/11/23/what-admission-officers-in-business-schools-want/

@Mrinal: Your wish is our command. Read this: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2013/02/02/gmat-scholarships/

@Dilemma1: Always a good idea to get some work experience before going for an MBA. If you are ready to wait for 2 years, why not wait for a year or two more and apply to international programs?

@Hemang: None of the good colleges will guarantee you a job. However, the work permit policy in Canada is very international student friendly. Here are some good MBA programs: https://www.mbacrystalball.com/blog/2015/09/01/best-mba-in-canada-international-students/

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20 must-read mba essay tips.

Business school admissions committees care about more than (just) your  GMAT scores and GPA —they want to know who you are and why you belong in their program . Your MBA essays are your best chance to sell the person behind the résumé. They should tie all the pieces of your business school application together and create a comprehensive picture of who you are, what you've done, and what you bring to the table.  Here's a roundup of our best MBA essay tips to keep in mind as you begin to write.

How to Write an Unforgettable B-School Essay

1. communicate that you are a proactive, can-do sort of person..

Business schools want leaders, not applicants content with following the herd.

2. Put yourself on ego-alert.

Stress what makes you unique, not what makes you number one.

3. Communicate specific reasons why you're great fit for each school.

Simply stating "I am the ideal candidate for your program" won't convince the admission committee to push you into the admit pile.

Read More: Find Your Business School

4. Bring passion to your writing.

Admissions officers want to know what excites you. And if you'll bring a similar enthusiasm to the classroom.

5. Break the mold.

Challenge perceptions with unexpected essays that say, "There's more to me than you think."

6. If you've taken an unorthodox path to business school, play it up.

Admissions officers appreciate risk-takers.

7. Talk about your gender, ethnicity, minority status or foreign background....

But only if it has affected your outlook or experiences.

8. Fill your essays with plenty of real-life examples.

Specific anecdotes and vivid details make a much greater impact than general claims and broad summaries.

9. Demonstrate a sense of humor or vulnerability.

You're a real person, and it's okay to show it!

BONUS: Don't Make These MBA Essay Mistakes

1. write about your high school glory days. .

Admissions committees don't care if you were editor of the yearbook or captain of the varsity team. They expect their candidates to have moved onto more current, professional achievements.

2. Submit essays that don't answer the questions.

An off-topic essay, or one that merely restates your résumé, will frustrate and bore the admissions committee. More importantly, it won't lead to any new insight about you.

Attend UNC's top-ranked online MBA program without putting your career on hold. See how.

3. Fill essays with industry jargon.

Construct your essays with only enough detail about your job to frame your story and make your point.

4. Reveal half-baked reasons for wanting the MBA.

Admissions officers favor applicants who have well-defined goals. However unsure you are about your future, it's critical that you demonstrate that you have a plan.

5. Exceed the recommended word limits.

This suggests you don't know how to follow directions, operate within constraints or organize your thoughts.

6. Submit an application full of typos and grammatical errors.

A sloppy application suggests a sloppy attitude.

7. Send one school an essay intended for another—or forget to change the school name when using the same essay for several applications.

Admissions committees are (understandably) insulted when they see another school's name or forms.

8. Make excuses.

If your undergraduate experience was one long party, be honest. Discuss how you've matured, both personally and professionally.

9. Be impersonal in the personal statement.

Many applicants avoid the personal like the plague. Instead of talking about how putting themselves through school lowered their GPA, they talk about the rising cost of tuition in America. Admissions officers want to know about YOU.

Read More: How to Ace Your MBA Interview

10. Make too many generalizations.

An essay full of generalizations is a giveaway that you don't have anything to say.

11. Write in a vacuum.

Make sure that each of your essays reinforce and build on the others to present a consistent and compelling representation of who you are, what you've done, and what you bring to the table.

Practice for the GMAT

Take a GMAT practice test with us under the same conditions as the real thing. You'll get a personalized score report highlighting your strengths and areas of improvement.

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How to Write an MBA Application Essay That Stands Out

Personal MBA Coach publishes detailed tips on how to approach most of the top MBA application questions (download our e-book on how to approach the M7 essays) . Of course, Personal MBA Coach clients received details and customized advice through our comprehensive packages , but there are some key essay writing and editing basics that hold true regardless of the essay question or school.

Effective MBA admissions essay can be different from any other type of prose. Knowing how to approach them can significantly boost your chances of MBA application success. Before going into specific essay writing tips, let’s look at the most common types of MBA essays. Understanding the type of MBA essay (and their ultimate purpose) will help you determine which personal and professional examples are most relevant, what tone you should choose, and how you can use the question to demonstrate your candidacy in the best light (and ultimately get into your dream school).

Types of MBA Essays

Goals essay.

The purpose of this type of MBA application essay is to discuss your post-MBA career goals and prove that you need an MBA to achieve them. In a goals essays, depending on the word limit, you may have share some career highlights as well as your specific short-term and long-term goals. For instance, one of the Wharton MBA admissions essays usually invites MBA candidates to lay out their professional aspirations. When drafting this type of essay, make sure to be specific and focused. While no one expects you to commit to these goals post-MBA, you should, demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have thought about your career goals and determined that an MBA is the ideal steppingstone on your path to achieve them.

Self-reflection Essay

Varying in word count, this type of MBA application essay tends to be more personal. The main goal of a self-reflection essay is to get to know the real you. These essays can range from the 900-word open-ended Harvard Business School MBA application essay to the 100-word questions Michigan Ross asks. Personal MBA Coach’s expert tip here is to stay true to yourself and consider your Personal Story . Do not write what you think the admissions committee wants to read. Write about your passions, values, failures—nothing is off limits. At the same time, you want to keep a positive mindset. If you are discussing your failure or something tragic that happened to you, make sure to present it as a story of growth. This is not a creative-writing contest—remember that you are writing your MBA application essay, and the main goal of this essay should be to convince the admissions committee that you will add a unique perspective in the classroom and on campus.

Contribution Essay

The goal of the contribution MBA application essay is to demonstrate how you will enrich the MBA experience for your peers. A number of top MBA programs currently require a contribution essay. The most notable example of such an essay are Duke’s “ Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? ” and Wharton’s 2nd essay: “ Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? ” The most effective contribution essays will give admissions committee members insight into your achievements and passions while demonstrating how you will positively impacting your peers.

Leadership Essay

While evidence of leadership should be included in many different essay types, there are some MBA essays that directly ask candidates about their leadership experience. Kellogg’s first MBA essay is a classic example of this: “ 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? ” While it is great to show how you have led your peers on a professional or extracurricular project, do not forget about humility. In some leadership essays, you will want to tell the reader how you wish to fine-tune your leadership style during your MBA.

Video Essay

This is a completely different format, and unlike all the essay types above, this is the one where you should not overedit. A few bullet points in preparation are great; however, writing out the whole script will make you look less natural. Video essays are rather more personal, so you want to come across as approachable and show that you would be great to have in the classroom. Appearing too rigid and rehearsed would hinder your chances.

MBA Essay Writing Process

Now, let’s talk about the basics of the essay writing process. We advise our candidates to follow a 5-step process as they develop their application essays, leaving adequate time for each stage.

1. Brainstorm

Brainstorm each essay question one at a time. For those applying early decision, start with ED essays first. Otherwise, begin with the essay that seems easiest or comes most naturally to you, as your writing will improve throughout the process. In developing potential topics, consider your relevant strengths, experiences, and accomplishments: choose those that bring the most to the table.

Before you begin to develop prose, outline the key points you hope to cover in a sequence that flows logically. Pay special attention to the length you are going to allot to each section of the essay.

Once you have a solid outline, begin to put together your first draft. At this stage, it is ok if your writing is not perfect. Most first drafts will be a bit longer than the final product, but make sure you have the substantive points in place and that they flow together well.

4. Edit and Edit Again

Editing is the most time-consuming part of the essay writing process, particularly if you have written much too much in the initial draft. Be critical of what needs to be there and what does not, and make sure you remove extraneous or superfluous material. Fine-tune your writing to make sure that the structure, verbs, and vocabulary all serve to make your thinking clear. Avoid repetition and be concise.

And finally, proofread. If you are not great at spelling or grammar or even generally at writing, ask someone who is good at those things to read your essay. A fresh set of eyes is priceless to catch all mistakes. Personal MBA Coach uses proofreaders for each MBA application for this reason.

5 Tips for Writing a Successful MBA Essay

1) answer the essay question.

This seems like a no-brainer, but many candidates write beautiful essays that do not answer the essay question. Instead of writing what you want to show off, answer the question (or make sure that what you want to show off answers the question!). While we do advise thinking a bit outside of the box and considering the why behind an essay prompt ( what are they really trying to get at? ) first and foremost you must answer the question.

That is one reason recycling essay copy from one school to the other is often not a great idea: While it works sometimes for schools whose essay questions are nearly identical, most often it obscures the whole objective of answering the question. Good MBA essay editing should address this, refocusing the material. So, go through your copy and make sure the answer is in there. If you are using the essay you wrote for another school, make sure you tailor it to fit and answer the pertinent essay prompt.

2) Write authentically

Do not write what you think admissions committee members want to read. There is no one perfect candidate profile. Instead, your uniqueness will be one of your greatest selling points. Your essays should paint a clear picture of who you are, what motivates you, and what you are passionate about—genuinely. Do not feel compelled to show how you fit the mold that seemingly makes up the “ideal” candidate. If you have no desire to run a non-profit, that is ok. If you are not motivated by improving the environment, do not pretend you are. Readers will see right through this, and you could end up doing more harm than good.

3) Look at the application comprehensively

Essays are just one part of the overall MBA application. In addition to submitting a resume (unsure how to write an MBA resume? Check out these tips ), you fill out a detailed application whose value you should use in every detail. Many schools require short essays and short answer questions and video essays as well. In addition, you have letters of recommendation . Those also should be used to your advantage to include material you may not have other opportunity or space to talk about. This means there are other places to list and highlight things such as extracurricular activities.

There is no need—or space—to try to fit this all into your essays: Focus on a few chosen facets of your passions or accomplishments to answer the essay questions and use other material in other places.

4) Keep your language approachable

You should assume that terms you regularly discuss at the office—what is commonly referred to as industry jargon—are foreign to others, including admissions committee members, and they do not want to have to wade through it, trying to understand, as if it were a foreign language.

Harvard Business School has gone so far as to specifically ask candidates to not use jargon, both in the MBA application essay and the short answer questions. The best MBA essay editing will eliminate jargony language entirely and translate to readily understandable English, which helps convey what you are talking about and who you are. Particularly when it comes to showing off an accomplishment or how you added value in a business scenario, you want to make sure that technical language does not get in the way and impede your ability to clearly communicate what you did.

5)  Limit flowery prose

Similarly, we often read complex flowery prose. By flowery we mean prose that is overly ornate, rambling, and verbose. While showing off your writing style may be the point when applying to a writer’s program, in applying to business school you should write well but practically and in a straightforward manner. Most schools want direct, substantial, detailed answers to the questions—not rambling prose. Everyone, from your grandmother to a professor of microfinance, should be able to understand your essays.

In sum, your essays should convey why you are someone others would want to study with, learn from, and eventually be inspired by. That type of person is human and down to earth. Your essays should show this.

Finally, be concise. Write to the word count. If you are having difficulty making a choice between two options, you can vet that choice, but once you have chosen your topic, during the outline process eliminate material that is not needed. It is very hard to cut 200 words from a 500-word essay and not change the overall intended impact and meaning. Trimming 30 words is one thing—though it is very time-consuming, it can be done artfully without losing much—but you cannot cut an essay in half and not lose substance that should be included.

Write Successful MBA Essays With Personal MBA Coach

Not sure how to articulate your story through various types of essays? Personal MBA Coach is here to guide you through writing your best MBA application essays!

The post How to Write an MBA Application Essay That Stands Out appeared first on Personal MBA Coach .

PersonalMBACoach

Published in Personal MBA Coach , Admission Consultants and Blog

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Top Five Tips for Writing Compelling MBA Admissions Essays

Erin Wand - Personal MBA Coach

Erin Wand is an mba.com Featured Contributor and the Vice President of Marketing and Operations for Personal MBA Coach , a boutique MBA admissions consulting and tutoring firm.

For many of the business school applicants I work with, the MBA admissions essay is the part of the application they dread the most.

Does that sound like you? It doesn’t have to be! If you’re unsure about how to start on your MBA admissions essays, don’t worry. This is your opportunity to move beyond your GMAT exam scores , GPA, or resume and reveal something deeper about yourself to the admissions committee. Read along for my best MBA admission essay tips.

Crafting winning MBA admissions essays

The question is: how to you write MBA admissions essays for top-tier programs that stand out from the stack and effectively tell your story? Here are five tips for compelling essays that will stick in the minds of the admissions committee and help you get into your top choice business school program.

1. Stay focused and answer the question asked

It’s surprising how often candidates write beautiful essays but do not answer the question. While I certainly endorse thinking outside of the box and considering the “why” behind an essay prompt, first and foremost you must answer the question.

Business school applicants like you are often highly accomplished, and it can be tempting to try to include as many of the details of your accomplishments as possible into your essays. It’s crucial that you avoid this urge and focus on the specific question at hand.

2. Less can be more: be succinct

A trend I’m seeing at many leading full-time MBA programs is shorter essay word limits. Michigan Ross , Stanford GSB , UCLA Anderson , and Duke Fuqua are just a few of the programs that have reduced their essay word counts in recent admissions cycles. This trend underscores a key piece of advice: be succinct!

Remember, your essays and short answers are just one part of your application. In addition to the details you’ll provide on the application form itself, you’ll also submit an MBA resume ( check out my resume tips here! ). This allows admissions committee members ample opportunity to read about everything you have accomplished, all the roles you have held, and the awards you have won. There is no need to fit every detail into your essays.

Instead of squeezing in as much as you can, focus on sharing a few key highlights, peppering in some interesting details, and convey your authentic voice through your writing. This is your chance to explain your choices, show your accomplishments, and share your passions. The fewer things you try to cover in your essays, the more you will be able to achieve this objective.

3. Be authentic, not what you think schools want to hear

I can’t emphasize this enough: do not write what you think admissions committee members want to read! The qualities and experiences that make you unique are your greatest selling points. Each essay should paint a clear picture of who you are, what motivates you, and what you’re passionate about.

Related to this, don’t feel compelled to show how you fit the mold that seemingly makes up the “ideal” candidate. If you have no desire to run a non-profit, that’s okay! If you’re not motivated to save the planet, don’t pretend you are! The admissions committee will see right through this, and you could end up doing more harm than good. Instead, focus your energy on simply being authentic.

4. Keep your language approachable and focus on the “so what?”

The terms you regularly use at the office may be foreign to others, including admissions committee members. When in doubt, do not assume the reader is familiar with everything about your job. Admissions directors come from all backgrounds and fields and are not assigned to candidates with similar backgrounds. They do not know the ins and outs of your industry and do not need to. In fact, details and accomplishments that are significant only to someone in your industry are less compelling than understandable results and transferable skills.

Everyone from your grandmother to a professor of microfinance should be able to understand your essays. So even if your accomplishment would be extremely impressive to another engineer or investment banker, if the reader doesn’t understand the “so what,” you’re wasting your words.

5. Limit the amount of flowery prose

Remember: You’ re not submitting your essays for a Pulitzer Prize. All you’re trying to do is tell your story. While of course you want your essays to be well-written and free of grammatical mistakes and typos, you also want them to be relatable and easy to follow. They should also convey why you are someone others would want to study with, learn from, and eventually be inspired by. That type of person is human and down to earth. Your essays should show this. 

Erin Wand is an mba.com Featured Contributor and the Vice President of Marketing and Operations for Personal MBA Coach , a boutique MBA admissions consulting and tutoring firm.

Founded by a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 14 years and is consistently ranked #1 or #2, currently holding the #1 ranking in the US on Poets&Quants.

We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, application strategy, school selection, essay editing and mock interviews. Our team includes a former M7 admissions director and former M7 admissions interviewers.

Last year, our clients earned more than $6M in scholarships!

GMAT Prep Online Guides and Tips

7 tips for writing a winning mba application essay.

Nervous about your MBA admissions essay? You’re not alone! Many applicants wonder how to put their best foot forward in a business school entrance essay.

In this article, I’ll tell you what admissions committees look for in application essays and offer MBA essay tips on how to make yours stand out. We’ll also take a look at the different kinds of business school essays and a few examples of MBA essay prompts.

Why Do Business Schools Ask for Essays? What Do They Look For?

Business schools ask for essays for several reasons, all of which help admissions committees determine whether you have the skills and traits to succeed in an MBA program.

First, MBA admissions committees want to see how you write. Communication skills—including concision, clarity, style, and fluency in English—will be essential to your success in business school. One way of discerning your level of writing ability is to require an original writing sample. In an MBA essay, you have to get your point across straightforwardly, elegantly, and concisely; being able to do this is a key element of succeeding in business school and the world of business in general.

Also, MBA admissions committees want to get a sense of who you are on a more personal level. MBA application essays tell admissions officials about you not only through what you say, but in how you say it. Are you self-aware, for example, and can you reflect on past challenges or mistakes in a thoughtful way? Do you demonstrate insight into who you are and your goals? How you answer questions about yourself, your career, and your journey can help MBA admissions officials discern your level of critical thinking and personal insight.

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You can have countless accomplishments, but to succeed in business school, you’ll also need to fit in with the campus climate, work well with your peers, and contribute to campus diversity in a meaningful way. The MBA essay is a place for you to talk about the background or experiences you have that are unique to you and that you believe could differentiate you from your colleagues and/or provide a fresh perspective to campus.

Finally, essays are a way for you to showcase the qualities that most MBA programs say they are looking for in applicants, such as leadership skills, community involvement, problem-solving skills, communication skills, clear goals, and a strong sense of ethics. Some of these traits might not be readily apparent from a resume alone, and an MBA essay can be a place for you to elaborate on how you’ve cultivated them in yourself.

MBA Entrance Essay Sample Prompts

Most MBA entrance essays ask you about one of several things. Many of them are variations on similar questions: the open-ended question, the leadership question, the personal growth question, questions on short- and long-term academic and career goals, and the diversity question. For each one, I’ll give an example of a real MBA essay prompt from 2016 or 2017.

#1: Open-Ended

The open-ended MBA application essay question is just that: open. It allows you to tell your own story, giving you quite a bit of freedom but also little to no guidance. For that reason, many applicants find it to be the most challenging MBA essay prompt.

Harvard Business School has only one essay for its MBA application, and it’s the quintessential open-ended MBA essay question. This is the prompt for 2017-2018 applicants.

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?

Note that, as in other open-ended MBA admission essay prompts, this question asks you to decide what you’ll write about. Successful Harvard applicants and HBS admissions counselors have advised applicants to use the prompt as a chance to demonstrate their past use of an especially desired trait, such as problem-solving skills. For example, many successful applicants use the prompt to describe a scenario in which they faced and overcame a challenge, especially as a leader or alongside a team.

Notably, Harvard also doesn’t list a word limit, so you can decide the appropriate length for your essay. However, most admissions counselors will advise you to keep it concise and straightforward.

#2: Leadership

Another common MBA essay prompt asks you to demonstrate your experience and skills as a leader. Leadership qualities are listed by nearly all MBA admissions counselors as fundamental to a career in business and, thus, to a successful business school application.

Let’s look at a sample leadership MBA essay prompt from Kellogg.

Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)

In a response to this kind of prompt, you should be as specific as possible. Name the company you were working for or specifically describe the project you were heading. Who was on your team? What were your objectives? Did you meet them? How could you have done so more effectively?

While you shouldn’t be overly self-deprecating, don’t be afraid to address the challenges you met and how you overcame them (or would overcome them now, with more experience and knowledge). Remember that one important aspect of leadership is accountability, so if there were problems, don’t solely blame your team for them. Instead, reflect on how you successfully worked with your team to solve the problems, and/or on how you could have done so more effectively or efficiently.

#3: Personal Growth

The personal growth MBA admission essay prompt will ask you how you’ve changed in the past and how you want to grow in the future. Here’s one example from the Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.

Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

Don’t be afraid to get a bit personal with these kinds of prompts . They’re meant to gauge something about your personality and who you are, rather than only what you’ve done.

Many successful MBA admission essays that respond to these kinds of questions follow a past/present/future format. Ask yourself what traits you’ve gathered over the years that have benefited you personally and professionally, how you’ve improved, and what you’ve learned. What experiences have shaped you? Be as specific as possible.

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Then, take stock of yourself now: your career, your education, and where you see yourself in the future. What do you need in order to get there?

Finally, most essay MBA prompts in this vein (like Kellogg’s) will ask you how they can help you move towards that personal or professional goal. Be as specific as you can, focusing on the particular strengths of the prospective MBA program and how they match up with what you want to improve about yourself as a person, colleague, and leader.

#4: Your Plan

Some MBA application essay prompts will ask you about your career goals and how attendance at a particular business school will help you to achieve them. Let’s look at one from the USC Marshall School of Business.

Essay #1 (Required) – 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)

As you can see, questions like these often request brief responses. So get straight to the point, and give details. Name a specific job you’d like to hold, what you’d like to do there, and even particular companies if you can.

Questions like this one will require some research. Research alumni from your prospective business school who’ve ended up in positions comparable to ones you’d like to hold in the future, particular companies and positions that match up with your personal and professional goals, and specific coursework or industry experiences offered by your prospective business school that would help you get there.

#5: Diversity, Culture, and Community

Finally, some MBA essay prompts will ask you how your unique background and experiences would contribute to the overall diversity and collegial atmosphere of a school’s campus climate and community. Here’s one example from USC.

Essay #2 (Required) – At Marshall, we take pride in the fact that our students work collaboratively, both inside and outside the classroom, to create a culture, a community, and an environment that truly defines what we call the Trojan Family. Please describe the contributions you expect to make to your classmates during your time at USC. How will they benefit from your presence in the program? (word limit: 500)

You can respond to questions like this, depending on the wording of the original prompt, by discussing your cultural background, identity, and/or personal experiences that have given you particular insight into a given community or that have lent you a unique perspective that could be valuable to your colleagues as you collaborate.

You can also discuss past community service projects or issues you’re passionate about and how you plan to carry those experiences and passions into your work at your prospective MBA program.

7 MBA Essay Tips

Writing MBA essays takes a particular skill set. Let’s go over the top seven MBA essay tips for making your application essay shine.

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#1: Write Early and Often

Even though MBA entrance essays are brief, they take a lot of polishing. Writing MBA essays takes time.

Don’t expect to write yours at the last minute or knock out a quality essay in a day. Most students need several drafts to make sure they’re getting their points across as elegantly and clearly as possible.

Start your essay well before the application deadline, when you don’t yet feel any pressure. For several weeks, don’t try to write at all. Instead, before crafting your essay for MBA admission, take notes on your past, present, and future. What have you learned? What unique experiences have you had? What have been the most meaningful projects you’ve undertaken? Ask friends, family, and mentors to tell you what they value most about you or what they see as your greatest personal and professional assets.

Only once you’ve gathered this material should you begin your first draft of your MBA application essay. Start with an outline for each one that includes the story you want to tell and the main points you want to get across.

Once you have a clear outline, you can start drafting. Taking the writing process seriously from start to finish will give you a much better product in the end than trying to write something hastily right before the deadline.

#2: Show, Don’t Tell

MBA admissions committees want to be able to tell that you have the qualities that are necessary to succeed in business school, such as leadership skills and integrity.

Your MBA admissions essay can be a great place to showcase those qualities. However, remember to show, not tell. Saying “I have strong leadership skills” doesn’t tell an admissions committee much. Through an anecdote about, say, meeting a difficult deadline or overcoming an obstacle, a reader should be able to tell that you have the qualities of a strong leader without your having to say so explicitly.

#3: Research Your Goals

When describing your future goals, be as specific as possible. Business schools know that your goals may change in the future, but stating specific goals now will show that you’ve done your research and have an idea of what you want and how an MBA program can help you get there.

Before writing your essay for MBA admission, research the ins and outs of the industry you want to enter, the position you’d like to have, companies you might like to work for, and coursework and internships or fieldwork that could aid you on your way to those goals.

#4: Keep It Concise

Never, ever go over a stated word count limit when you’re writing your essay for MBA admission. It might be tempting, but business schools want to see that you can get your point across concisely and straightforwardly.This rule goes for MBA essay prompts that don’t have specific word counts, too: sometimes, less is more.

One of the biggest mistakes applicants make in writing an essay for MBA admission is to use too much flowery language to come across as more professional. If you do this, it can be distracting and cause the admissions committee to miss the main points you’re making.

Bottom line, trim anything extraneous from your essay —that is, anything that doesn’t actively support the main point(s) you’re trying to get across.

#5: Show Self-Awareness

It might feel tempting to use the MBA admission essay as a space to list all of your accomplishments (and since your resume is already part of your application, this is unnecessary), but MBA admissions committees would rather see that you have insight into both your strengths and weaknesses. No one is perfect, and in your essay for MBA admission, you shouldn’t try to come across as if you’ve never made a mistake or faced a challenge that you’ve had to learn from.

Also, in business school and the business world at large, bouncing back from failures, being flexible, and problem solving are all essential skills. All of them require a thick skin and awareness of what you could do better.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t showcase your achievements, but if you’re asked about personal growth or an obstacle you’ve overcome, be clear about what you could have done more effectively in the past (at a job or in your education, for example) and the steps you’ve taken or will take to sidestep that mistake in the future.

#6: Share Your Personal Journey

Many applicants would prefer to focus only on their professional backgrounds and goals in their MBA essays, but you shouldn’t be afraid to get personal in your essay. You don’t need to tell your whole life story, but especially in response to questions that ask about your growth over time, you should showcase your personality and give the admissions committee an idea of your personal background and experiences.

#7: Ask for Edits

It might seem obvious, but many applicants don’t do it: proofread your work! When writing MBA essays, revision is key. Turning in an MBA essay with typos and other errors will come off as thoughtless and unprofessional.

You should also get a second (and, perhaps, a third and fourth) pair of eyes on your essay to make sure it’s coming across as you want it to. Going through several rounds of drafts is a necessary part of the writing process to ensure that you’re putting your best foot forward in your MBA entrance essay.

What’s Next?

Worried about how your GMAT score matches up to other applicants’? Find out more in our list of average GMAT scores by school.

Concerned about your chances of getting into an MBA program? Our guide to business school acceptance rates will help.

Ready to apply to business school? Check out our top eight tips for applying to MBA programs here.

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Author: Laura Dorwart

Laura Dorwart is a Ph.D. student at UC San Diego. She has taught and tutored hundreds of students in standardized testing, literature, and writing. View all posts by Laura Dorwart