“The brand is just a lagging indicator of a company’s culture”
Tony Hsieh
Researching graduate business schools before applying is common practice. MBA hopefuls would typically speak to a few graduates of the programs they are eyeing on, browse their websites, read some news articles, and call it done. There is another source of information though, one that applicants admittedly spend much time on, but not for research purposes: essay questions.
Granted, some questions, such as what makes one apply to a particular school, or what their future goals or past achievements are, repeat between programs. Other questions may have visible fingerprints on them belonging to the school’s marketing department. However, some questions are in fact correlated to certain elements of the programs, not least their cultures. Were they not, AdComs would not have spent thousands of hours reading their answers, and keeping most of the questions unchanged from year to year.
Putting aside the ones that repeat across programs, several types of essay questions can be distinguished. Applicants are encouraged to incorporate this information into their research, and consider to what extent it sits with other gatherings about the cultures of their target schools.
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?
What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
Tell us something that is not covered in your application which you would like the Admissions Committee to know about you. (250 words)
How have recent events influenced the impact you would like to make in your community, career, or both? (250 words)
An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are. (Minimum 250 words)
Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (500 words)
Video Statement: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!
Tuck students recognize how their individuality adds to the fabric of Tuck. Tell us who you are. (300 words)
Given that you will be forming lifelong connections with your classmates that extend beyond the classroom, what is important for your classmates to know about you that is not on your resumé? (200 words)
Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)
Tuck students are encouraging, collaborative, and empathetic, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a meaningful experience in which you exemplified one or more of these attributes. (300 words)
Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (500 words)
Please describe a tangible example that illuminates your experience promoting an inclusive environment and what you would bring to creating an inclusive global community at Darden. (300 words)
At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. Taking into consideration your background, how do you intend to make a meaningful impact on an elite MBA community? (350 words)
What matters most to you, and why? For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives? (650 words)
Values are what guide us in our life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words)
Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words)
Leadership and ethics are inevitably intertwined in the business world. Describe a situation in which you have dealt with these issues and how they have influenced you. (250 words)
Tell us about your favorite book, movie, or song and why it resonates with you. (250 words)
Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? (300 words).
Describe yourself to the Admissions Committee and to your future classmates using six images and corresponding captions.
Please choose from one of the following essays: (250 words)
Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. (750 words)
Change: ____ it. In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: ____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern?
Imagine a life entirely different from the one you now lead, what would it be? (250 words)
Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less:
If you could give one piece of advice to your 18-year-old self, what would it be? (200 words)
Who do you admire the most and why? Help us to understand who has played a pivotal role in shaping you to be the person you are or the person you aspire to be. Please provide specific examples of how they have shaped or inspired you. (300 words)
