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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 Taking two years to pursue an MBA requires a considerable investment of time and resources. Please describe the path leading to your decision to pursue a Wharton MBA now. How do you expect the MBA experience to benefit you on both a professional and personal level? Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at the Kellogg School. Why is an MBA a critical next step towards your short and long-term career goals? — Tuck What are your career aspirations, and how can an MBA help you reach them? Why now? — Harvard Nearly all applications will feature a question that asks about your reasons for wanting to obtain an MBA at this stage of your career. Some will explicitly ask you to tie these reasons into your background and your goals. Even for schools that don't offer this specific direction, you should plan on such a discussion of past and future, as it provides essential context for your application. "Why MBA?" is often the first question asked and without a doubt the most important essay you will write. It includes essential information about whether you're qualified, whether you're prepared, and whether you know where you're headed. The other essays fill in details about these fundamental points, but a strong answer about, for example, how you overcame a failure will not revive an application denied because of a lack of career focus. Every answer should contain the following elements, unless the application has separate questions addressing them individually: 1. Your long- and short-term goals.
2. Your relevant past experience.
3. An assessment of your strengths and the gaps in your experience/education.
4. How an MBA program will bridge your past and future and fill in those gaps.
5. Why this particular MBA program is a good match for your needs. Occasionally there will be overlap with other answers, and you will have to use your judgment on the extent to which you should reiterate important ideas. For example, some schools will ask about your goals in separate questions. In that case, the bulk of your discussion should fall under the goals question, but you will have to bring over key points from that answer to establish context for your reasons for obtaining an MBA. There are no groundbreaking reasons for pursuing an MBA. This is not a place to aim for bold originality. Rather, you should focus on articulating detailed reasons that are specific to your situation. Moreover, there is plenty of room to distinguish yourself when discussing past experience and future goals; the reasons themselves, however, come from a more limited set. That said, you should not try to drop buzzwords for their own sake. Make sure to tie your specific objectives to other aspects of your application. SAMPLE ESSAY: Please discuss the factors, both professional and personal, influencing the career decisions you have made that, in turn, have led you to your current position. What are your career goals for the future, and why is now the appropriate time to pursue an MBA at Wharton? How will you avail yourself of the resources at Wharton to achieve these goals? Turkish news nowadays carry vivid images which have become terrifyingly commonplace: the surface of the sea littered with dead sheep; a landfill explosion leading to a number of deaths; vendors offering radiation-contaminated tea for half-price; a little girl's death resulting from her fall through an open sewage manhole in her schoolyard; radioactive waste sold to unsuspecting scrap dealers; a twenty-year-old tanker breaking into pieces, spilling hundreds of tons of crude oil into the ocean and killing sea life all around.
The frequency with which these environmental disasters fill Turkish news broadcasts—along with the obvious insensitivity of the authorities towards both environment and health issues—prompted me to learn about ways to prevent these types of disasters. At the age of fifteen, I decided to focus my studies on environmental sciences in order to equip myself with the technical tools I would need to make a real contribution. After earning a master's degree in environmental sciences, I completed a professional international management certificate program in order to gain a management perspective of the field. I then realized that, in order to effectively combine my technical knowledge and management skills, I needed to accumulate real-world experience. Specifically, working at a large company would allow me to develop insight into various industries, as well as an overarching vision of the international business arena. I have now worked for nearly two years in the energy and environment group of Turkey's first and biggest diversified conglomerate. As a project engineer, I am mainly responsible for our holding companies' environment and energy sector investments. This position has given me the opportunity to interact with businessmen from all over the world, thereby expanding my international perspective. Because of my outstanding work performance, I was chosen to attend various meetings with local and international governmental bodies such as OPIC, IFC, and the World Bank. It is highly unusual for a young associate to represent the company at such events, and my self-confidence—as well as my management skills—was further enhanced by that successful experience. While working in various business lines, including the automotive industry, consumer durables, and the energy sector, I have realized that the root cause of many environmental problems is financial. I believe that many people in the environmental sector are so ignorant or insensitive that they will cheat customers to increase profits. Furthermore, businesses do not prioritize environmental investments; as a result, insufficient funds are allocated to adequately prevent problems. For instance, despite a population over eight million people, Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, still lacks a properly operating sewage system. In most of the areas of the city, waste water is discharged directly into the Bosphorus. In the long term, I hope to help solve my country's problems by starting my own environmental-services business in Turkey. The company will serve both local and international customers by providing cost-effective, adaptable solutions ranging from waste management to safety management. In order to accomplish this goal, however, I must deepen my knowledge of the field. Despite my experience, I still lack some important knowledge and management skills, especially in finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. I am also aware that my knowledge of American environmental issues is insufficient. Since dealing with aspects of international business will be an integral part of my job as an entrepreneur, it is essential that I fill in these gaps. The Wharton School's MBA program is the perfect bridge from where I am to where I want to be. I am attracted by the inventiveness and uniqueness of its entrepreneurial and finance programs, and believe that I will increase my practical knowledge of entrepreneurship by interacting with my classmates. I value the fact that at Wharton entrepreneurial education does not stop at the classroom, but rather continues through internships and extracurricular activities. I feel that a business school for entrepreneurs should balance a dose of theory with real-world application, and Wharton's curriculum and hands-on experiences through associations, internships, and the management field study provide such balance. I am also drawn to Wharton because of the school's emphasis on teamwork and technology, reflected by such exciting courses and programs as High Technology Entrepreneurship, International Finance, 12-week field application projects, and the global immersion program directed to teach global thinking and global action. Additionally, the school's profusion of student groups and its flexible entrepreneurial program—with electives from 200 courses—will allow me to tailor my course of study directly to my career interests. It is precisely this flexibility that I plan to draw on while at Wharton and beyond, by taking advantage of (and contributing to) the school's strong international alumni network. Above all, a Wharton MBA will help me strengthen both the finance knowledge and the entrepreneurial skills necessary to secure a position as an environmental specialist in a multinational American-based firm. Such a position, in turn, will prepare me to accomplish my long-term ambition of building my own company. By developing and maximizing the technical knowledge and managerial skills I have already accumulated, Wharton will allow me to ultimately make a concrete and substantial contribution to Turkey's environment. COMMENTS: This applicant details a unique background in environmental science and a focused interest in becoming an entrepreneur within this field. Thus he paints a clear picture of past and future before making the following transition: "In order to accomplish this goal, however, I must deepen my knowledge of the field. Despite my experience, I still lack some important knowledge and management skills, especially in finance, marketing, and entrepreneurship. I am also aware that my knowledge of American environmental issues is insufficient. Since dealing with aspects of international business will be an integral part of my job as an entrepreneur, it is essential that I fill in these gaps." Only after he has established sufficient context about his personal situation does he attempt to assert his reasons for pursuing an MBA. This approach ensures that he is not simply stating obvious, generic reasons without personal insight. Note that the writer goes on to add depth to his reasons by focusing on entrepreneurship, the area that encompasses his main interests. Finally, note that he cites specific programs, which shows that he has researched the school carefully and can identify unique aspects that fit his objectives. Back to Top
Diversity Questions 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? Each of our applicants is unique. Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experiences of other Kellogg students. Describe how your skills, knowledge, and life experiences could benefit potential classmates. — Krannert After evaluating the qualifications and talent of the applicant pool, admissions committees seek to build a class full of interesting people from varied backgrounds. The purpose of this question is to find out what you have to contribute to this potential class. Here are some general guidelines for identifying a strong topic: 1. Don't write an ode to diversity. Many people spend half the essay writing about how much they value diversity, or about how important diversity is to enriching one's learning experience. Your readers know this, and you are wasting words by stating the obvious. 2. If you fit into one of the obvious categories, make sure you have something substantive to say. You should not simply mention a factor such as your race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, age, disability, or international upbringing and expect that to be your distinguishing feature. Instead, focus on how your background has shaped your life or career; discuss its effect on the perspective you will bring to the program. 3. Diversity is not just about the obvious categories. Some people from privileged backgrounds will write about experiences in multicultural settings. This can be effective, especially if you have an extensive background within a particular setting. But your topic need not have anything to do with the obvious categories. You could also talk about a unique extracurricular activity, work experience, or hobby that has influenced your development. Don't look for prepackaged answers, but rather be sincere and reveal something meaningful. 4. Don't pick something that everyone else has. Make sure that the point you use to distinguish yourself is actually noteworthy. For example, don't say that what you have to contribute is your communication skills or leadership ability. Everyone will be emphasizing these skills in other questions, and you will lose an opportunity to stand out. Note: There are questions that simply ask about your most important qualities, rather than what you have to contribute to diversity. In those cases, you can talk about the important themes that everyone else will discuss also, though finding an original point in addition is always helpful. 5. Be sure to cite specific evidence. If you're discussing an experience that has shaped your perspective, focus on concrete details. If you're discussing more abstract qualities that you possess, offer examples to show how you cultivated those qualities or how they came into play in your life. The other angle some schools may take on diversity is to ask about your experience in diverse situations. Again, this should not be an invitation to deliver a paean to diversity. If you're going to discuss the positive influence that diversity had on a situation, be sure to cite specific examples. Also, focus on your role even if the question just asks about your experience, since active contribution reveals more about your character than passive response. You might emphasize such qualities as your ability to communicate, to cooperate, to bridge differences, and so on, but always include specific examples to back them up. SAMPLE ESSAY: Fourteen years ago, I decided that I wanted to live in the United States, where I could succeed in any career path I might choose. For a high school student in the small Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, this was a lofty ambition. After five years of crusading against socialistic bureaucracy, I finally boarded a plane to New York in 1991. I had finally achieved the goal that I had set for myself: I was free, in America, to determine my life's path. At first I was not certain about what I wanted to do with my future, but in the summer of 1993, my plans solidified. While I was visiting my parents in Kyrgyzstan, a friend of mine suggested that I call the American Embassy and ask for a list of organizations that might need a Russian/English interpreter. After calling a few such organizations, I began working for a group that was considering investing $10 million in the development of tourism in Kyrgyzstan. The group, though geographically diverse, all hailed from English-speaking nations: an ecologist from Australia, a lawyer from the US, and a specialist in handcrafts from England. They shared the common goal of helping the Kyrgyz economy to recover. (After the collapse of the USSR, Kyrgyzstan became an independent country, and a variety of international organizations have taken the opportunity to try to jumpstart the new economy.) After a month of working with this group, I knew that I wanted to enter the international business world and help to remodel the socialist economy in my homeland. I enrolled in Moscow State University and graduated in 1996, with a degree in International Trade. The next crucial step in my career advancement is to earn a master's degree in international business. I am eager to learn the psychology of the American corporate world. In addition, I want to acquire a solid grasp of marketing, with a particular interest in the marketing development of the Eastern European and Central Asian regions. Based on the courses the Robinson College of Business offers, as well as its academic reputation, I believe that it will fulfill my needs perfectly. My short-term professional objectives, therefore, are to gain admission to Robinson and to receive excellent grades while enrolled. I am prepared to engage in a challenging curriculum, made particularly difficult by my situation as a single mother. I will strive to set an example for my seven-year-old son, so that he too will learn to persist in attaining his goals. A few weeks ago, while reading a Russian newspaper on the Internet, I saw an advertisement for some American fat-burning pills. The English meant something like "Five minutes on your lips, all your life on your hips," but the Russian translation sounded extremely vulgar. As this amusing advertisement demonstrates, cross-cultural skills are critical to international business, but are often overlooked. My ability to speak Russian fluently and my understanding of Russian, Kyrgyz, and American cultures will help enable me to succeed in the global business economy. I think that my intercultural capabilities will be a major contribution to the Robinson student body, as well as an asset to my future career in international marketing. Along with my cross-cultural savvy, I also hope to bring to Robinson my previous academic experience in international marketing. My final project in Moscow State University was titled "Marketing of Russian Products & Services Abroad Using Stock Company Volga-Dnepr." I spent six months researching and writing my thesis on Volga-Dnepr, a joint venture of the British company Heavy Lift and the Russian company Volga-Dnepr, and a leader in the Russian cargo transport market. I spent most of my time in the marketing department, observing the creation of a company's portfolio, its advertising strategies in the international market, and its relationships with Russian and foreign clients. The experience proved absolutely fascinating, and I hope to encounter similarly exciting academic endeavors at Robinson. After studying international marketing in-depth and graduating from Robinson College of Business, I hope to secure a position with a company that operates in Eastern Europe, CIS, or an ex-Soviet republic. My long-term professional objective is to find a job that fully utilizes my unique educational and cultural background. My ideal job would be with a marketing department—I would like to be involved in promoting new products and enhancing the image of current ones. Furthermore, I am interested in conducting marketing research, and building new relationships between American and Russian companies. I might also enjoy working for an international company here in the States, or perhaps in a company like USAID. Eventually, regardless of what career path I choose after earning my degree at Robinson, I would like to return to Russia and teach Russian and Kyrgyz companies the key principles of international marketing. I know that I may be aiming high with my career objectives right now, but I have learned from my life thus far that I am capable of achieving my dreams if I set my mind to it. As Henry David Thoreau wrote, "In the long run, men hit only what they aim at. Therefore, they had better aim at something high." COMMENTS: This applicant moved from a small country formerly of the Soviet Union to the United States. Because his interest is in international business, he is able to tie his cross-cultural background to his past accomplishments and future plans in the global economy—and to his involvement in the school's student body. Note that the demonstration of his cultural diversity far outweighs the one or two moments when he explicitly points to his unique perspective. This is one of the most important strategies to remember when writing a Diversity essay. Back to Top
Accomplishment Questions Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization. — Johnson What are your three most substantial accomplishments, and why do you view them as such? — Harvard What is the most significant change or improvement you have made to an organization with which you have recently been affiliated? Describe the process you went through to identify the need for change and manage the process of implementing change. What were the results? — Kelley The goal in answering this kind of question is to analyze, rather than summarize, an achievement. This advice is particularly true if you're discussing an accomplishment that is listed elsewhere on the application. Your readers want to gain insight into your character, not read a factual summary of what occurred. Here are some guiding principles to use in constructing your answer: 1. Choose something that's meaningful to you. Some applicants feel obligated to choose the most objectively impressive accomplishments. You should write about something that has personal significance, even if you weren't formally recognized for it. What matters is that you write passionately and insightfully about your subject. Unless otherwise specified, you should feel free to draw on academic, personal, or professional successes. 2. Focus on details about the process. Show the reader through concrete details how you achieved what you did. If you want to discuss a grade you earned in a particularly challenging class, show us how you mastered the material. For example, describe creative strategies you used; don't rely on clichés like "I succeeded through hard work." 3. Build tension. Describe obstacles and how you overcame them. Note initial difficulties or intermediate failures, then show how you recovered. By adding a sense of drama to your story, you will not only keep the reader interested, but also make the accomplishment seem that much more significant. 4. Evaluate the significance of the accomplishment. Again, the goal here is to add insight beyond what the reader knows from the straightforward facts. For example, you can comment on how the accomplishment represents an aspect of your character, or you can describe how it fits within your background of successes and failures. Don't get carried away, however, and try to draw overly grand lessons. You might discuss external consequences of your actions to convey their magnitude, but ultimately you should stay focused on your personal response. 5. Don't boast or be overly modest. This is a hard balance to strike, but if you stay focused on the details of your story, then you shouldn't have a problem. Use the details to convey the magnitude of your accomplishment; you should be able to do so sincerely without having to promote yourself. For example, if you can show through illustrative evidence how you influenced the course of someone's life, you won't have to make a presumptuous statement about, for example, "having a profound impact on the life of another." SAMPLE ESSAY: One of my most important accomplishments occurred during my association with a restaurant chain, for which I served as director of real estate. As a relatively new corporation, this business realized that it could only grow by opening more outlets. I played a key role in helping it achieve that critical objective. I was responsible for opening nine additional stores (there were six when I joined the company), which brought company sales from just under $10 million to $27 million by the time I left. It was my assignment to find and lease appropriate sites for our new restaurants. This was a complicated process for a number of reasons. For one, due to construction restrictions and a brisk economy, there were very few buildings available in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area. This created a landlords' market, with high rents and conditions not generally conducive to restaurant expansion. In this environment, I had to be especially resourceful and aggressive in order to do my job. Then, once I found a location that met with top management's approval, I was in charge of negotiating the deal. Such deals are complex because one is negotiating not only with landlords and attorneys but also with space planners, contractors, the city, and the health department. In the case of spaces in regional malls, I often had to work with the in-house architect and construction supervisor, as well as with the owner's design review committee. It was necessary to understand and comply with the requirements of all these various entities, although negotiation was always very much a part of the process. In my earlier experience as a broker with a major real estate firm, I operated from a different position, representing a buyer or a seller. As real estate director for a corporation, I was suddenly an in-house principal, part of a corporate team, and it was essential that I take into account how the details of each deal would affect our business. The restaurant chain is a real estate-driven business, so my work and accomplishments were particularly vital to the company's success during this crucial phase of its development. Another of my most important accomplishments was helping the homeless through my work for a foundation, of which I am a co-founder. This experience was remarkable because it afforded me the privilege of making a positive difference in the lives of others. The foundation achieves its goals in a number of ways. For example, for one local Family Living Center, we brought together builders and developers (who provided their services on a volunteer basis) to upgrade existing facilities, some of which were quite old and decrepit. I coordinated the work of construction teams doing the improvements. I would define the scope of the project and then assist the general contractor in subcontracting the work. I also had to go through the city permit process, which was quite unusual due to the fact that ours was a structure for the homeless. Also, for three consecutive years, I was the operations man for a major 10K Race for the Homeless, which I originated and which was designed to raise both money and the public's consciousness of this problem. Each year about six months of planning and work would be required to set up the event, which involved many elements. Among other activities, I had to coordinate all aspects of the race with the city, police, and fire departments, establish the course and have it certified, secure the cooperation of affected neighborhood groups, and set up a complex management structure (to recruit and train volunteers as well as handle a myriad of other details). During the three years I was involved, participation in the event increased threefold and the amount of funds raised increased fourfold. During a recent spring, I was presented with an opportunity to make a big difference in another person's life. At that time there was a six-car pileup on a highway in northern California. Heading north on the freeway just moments after this accident occurred and when the road was still open, I found my attention riveted to one particular car—crushed like an accordion—that was on fire with its driver still inside. I quickly pulled to the side of the highway, parked my car, jumped out, and ran to the car on fire. Its occupant, a teenage boy, was in a state of shock. I attempted to calm him down and then, with the help of another motorist, I used a crowbar to open the car's door. I extricated the driver from the wreckage and carried him to the side of the road before his car became totally engulfed in flames. The boy suffered a broken leg and hip, but he survived. My act was heralded in the newspapers and recognized by a citation from the highway patrol and the county in which the event occurred, but this hardly equaled the feeling I received from having saved this boy's life. Mine was a totally spontaneous and unpremeditated act, but I regard its consequence as one of my greatest accomplishments. COMMENTS: This applicant discusses three accomplishments. The first is a professional achievement with specific details about both the difficulties he encountered and the contributions he made. His second accomplishment stems from his involvement in his community. Note that he makes the following unnecessary statement: "This experience was remarkable because it afforded me the privilege of making a positive difference in the lives of others." Although this is certainly true, the writer would be better off showing the difference he has made and leaving it at that. Nevertheless, the overall account is still strong, because he does return to focus on specific duties he had and results for which he was responsible. His final accomplishment falls under the category of a personal achievement. Note that he is able to avoid sounding boastful by acknowledging but downplaying praise: "My act was heralded in the newspapers and recognized by a citation from the highway patrol and the county in which the event occurred, but this hardly equaled the feeling I received from having saved this boy's life." Few of us have been involved in saving another person's life, but this story provides a strong model of engaging dramatic narration and effective use of detail. The writer does not need to spend many words evaluating the significance of his story, because the details have already revealed so much to the reader about his character. Back to Top
Leadership Questions What is the most valuable lesson you have learned in a leadership role? — Kellogg Discuss a recent leadership experience. Briefly outline the situation and then describe your role, how you were effective, and what you learned. — Harvard Part of leadership is the ability to make a difference under difficult circumstances. With this in mind, describe a situation in which you exhibited such leadership. — Yale The leadership questions usually come in two forms: the kind that ask about your "leadership style" and the kind that ask you to discuss a "leadership situation." You should not try to use a single essay to address both questions, because they require different emphases. The first question asks you to describe principles that define your approach to leadership. Of course, you should then back these principles up with evidence of how you've applied them. The second question wants you to focus on a single experience (or in some cases two experiences). For these essays, your first objective is to flesh out the details of the situation and the contributions you made. You must tell an in-depth, engaging story before you even worry about the insights and lessons you deduce. Then, when you get to that stage, your insights into leadership should be focused on the story you just told. Don't stray too far by trying to include everything you know about leadership. After this basic difference in emphasis, the strategies for both essays are essentially the same and include the following: 1. Describe your strengths honestly. You don't have to give much attention to weaknesses or even discuss them explicitly (though if you can mention plans for improvement, that can be very effective). The point here is to show a clear awareness of your personal strengths, as opposed to pretending to be the best at everything. Taking the latter approach will suggest that you only know the clichés of leadership, but don't have a genuine understanding of how to exercise it in real life. 2. Avoid oversimplified principles. You most likely won't have anything entirely new to say, but you can still avoid stating the obvious. Again, the best approach is to stay specific and personal. You might, for example, combine two straightforward principles and show how you've combined them effectively. 3. Show growth. One way to avoid having to cite the obvious is instead to show through examples how you came to understand a particular lesson. Your readers are interested in how you've developed and matured. Start off by indicating your uncertainty, and then frame your newly learned principles not as conclusions to share with the reader, but as an integral part of the story's arc. 4. Illustrate your personal qualities. In addition to conveying your own strong understanding of how to lead, you should also indicate to the reader the valuable qualities you have cultivated for that task. These can include communication, collaborative, organizational, and problem-solving skills, as well as personal characteristics like inspiration, initiative, responsibility, and vision. As always, there's no point in simply naming these qualities. You must show them through example. SAMPLE ESSAY: As a Marketing Manager with ADP's corporate marketing department, I have been assigned to lead various product-specific marketing initiatives supporting a diversified group of business segments. Among these tasks, none was more important to the strategic direction of the business than leading the development of ADP's web site, adp.com. ADP, a leading $5 billion technology company with over 425,000 clients worldwide, lacked a consistent or aggressive Internet strategy. Instead, each business unit or division was driving its own website strategy and execution. More often than not, the result was a fragmented message: a cluttered, company-centric website that failed to effectively communicate our broad range of products and services. Despite its market leadership, ADP was meeting neither the expectations of users nor the needs of clients. The company was also missing a tremendous marketing opportunity and risking losing market share because our competition was operating at a far higher level than ours. Realizing that corporate marketing could add value across the company's business segments, I initiated and led a plan to redesign the website and fully leverage the Internet as a marketing channel to drive branding, product awareness, and sales leads through an integrated and path-driven website. My role was specific: develop a strategy to improve navigation, communicate the complete range of ADP's products and services, optimize the flow of traffic to drive leads for the business segments, persuade visitors to purchase ADP products and services online, and create a platform for ADP's evolving E-business strategy. This initiative was highly challenging because of the complexity of the service offerings, the diversity of the business, and the overwhelming political bureaucracy within the organization. With a limited budget, limited resources, and limited supervision, I designed a four-phase strategy to re-evaluate the current website and replace it with an active, path-driven site. The strategy included a review of the company's current navigation and content, a strategic assessment mapping navigation and functionality against corporate and divisional objectives, and the design and architecture of the site. Furthermore, we developed a plan to validate our recommendation with market feedback through client and prospective client focus group interviews. The first phase encompassed an overall program review, analysis of all current ADP and industry Internet market research, a web traffic audit, and internal interviews with senior management. In familiarizing ourselves with current industry practices, we also reviewed ten competitors and twelve business-to-business leaders' websites. These 22 sites were carefully evaluated for their relative strengths and weaknesses in the areas of navigation, content, degree of user-centricity, and organization. The second phase included a design exploration. Working together with a web design firm, we developed five different design options. In phase three, we gathered market feedback through focus group interviews conducted with both clients and prospects based on the current web site and on the new design options. The final phase involved feedback-based revisions to the designs, which will be presented to ADP's Executive Committee in April and launched in May 2000. The project was a success. Our recommendation was received with exceedingly positive feedback by both the business units and the Executive Vice President of Marketing. In addition, I have been awarded with the honor of presenting the project to the Executive Committee in April. Our long-term goal is to develop an entire adp.com team dedicated to servicing clients and marketing on the Internet. The management skills I have gained from this project have been invaluable to my career growth. I have learned the value of qualitative and quantitative research, experience in fiscal management and project management, and the importance of matching corporate strategy to Internet strategy. More importantly, the experience has taught me the value of gathering senior management "buy in" through the progression of a project. I was able to successfully gain the support of senior management by maintaining open communication and making them part of the process. Ultimately, this support was critical to the success of the project, which has brought my department and me increased visibility within the company—a development that, in turn, has led to more important projects. Through the success of adp.com, I am now regarded as an effective and respected manager who has the ability to analyze and lead complex projects from concept to completion while gaining the support of senior management. COMMENTS: This applicant focuses his first six paragraphs on the details of his project and the roles he played. He includes specific duties such as the following: "My role was specific: develop a strategy to improve navigation, communicate the complete range of ADP's products and services, optimize the flow of traffic to drive leads for the business segments, persuade visitors to purchase ADP products and services online, and create a platform for ADP's evolving E-business strategy." Because he focuses on concrete examples, he does not need to tell us about his ability to strategize or communicate. We can deduce for ourselves the kinds of skills he shows in his work.
In his conclusion, the writer avoids citing generic clichés about leadership and instead focuses on practical lessons learned. There are implicit broader principles behind those lessons, but it's more important that we see how he has applied them to his specific case. For example, "the importance of matching corporate strategy to Internet strategy" speaks essentially to the importance of aligning goals, which applies to all leadership situations. Back to Top
Other Activities Questions Outside of your professional persona, who are you? — Fuqua If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do? — Columbia Outside of work, I... — Kellogg People may be surprised to learn that I... — Marshall In asking this question, admissions officers want to see another dimension to your personality. Some schools will ask you to describe one important activity, while others will simply ask how you spend your free time. Regardless of which question you're answering, try to achieve depth. Don't make the mistake of thinking that they just want to see well-rounded people and take the approach of listing everything that interests you. While it's important to show that you lead a balanced life, you should treat this question as you treat all the others—as a chance to make yourself stand out. That means focusing on what you're truly passionate about, instead of trying to say what you think they want to hear. Many people choose to write about sports. If you choose to discuss a physical activity, you're immediately going to face the obstacle of writing about something your readers have seen many times. You will have a difficult time finding something unique to say, but as long as you focus on personal details, you can create a strong answer. On the other hand, you should resist the temptation to cite the clichéd lessons about working hard and being a team player. Moreover, if you try to force connections back to your business skills, your entire essay will seem contrived. Approach the essay as though you were trying to get someone else excited about your hobby through your own enthusiasm. Of course, it should still be a personal account rather than a sales pitch. So if your hobby is rare book collecting, don't try to tell the reader about how it demonstrates your organizational skills. Instead, describe your feelings when you make a serendipitous discovery or complete a set that you started many years ago. Another tactic you can use to keep the essay grounded in personal details is to focus on a particular episode from your past involvement. If you're writing about your love for chess, focus on a particular match that epitomizes your passion. SAMPLE ESSAY: For the first 20 years of my life, my activities—and self-confidence—were circumscribed by the fact that I was a chronic allergic asthmatic. I was underweight, not as strong or as well as my peers, and unable to participate normally in sports. At night I was unable to sleep without an inhaler beside my bed. I was forced to ingest heavy medication on a daily basis. At the age of 20 I started running (slowly at first), because I discovered that this exercise—although routinely precipitating a mild asthma attack—would later enable me to sleep through the night. Very gradually, my runs became longer. My strength improved, the severity and frequency of my attacks lessened, and soon I was able to discontinue all medication. More remarkably, after about seven years I was actually able to run 20 miles with no problem at all. This accomplishment was an enormous confidence booster, as it demonstrated that a normal, healthy life was possible for me and that I could achieve anything if I set my mind to it. Eventually it was a logical step for me to progress into competition. I found myself running in marathons and, finally, competing in triathlons. In 1983, in fact, I successfully competed in the Hawaii Ironman triathlon, arguably the most arduous and certainly the most celebrated single-day athletic endurance event. I have assiduously pursued aerobic exercise for the past 11 years, ever since I discovered that such endeavors were finally possible for me and were the means by which I could attain physical strength and well-being. It was a long and arduous road—from huffing and puffing (and wheezing) my way through tentative one-mile runs to involving myself in the rigors of the triathlon—but I was determined to become fit and to stay fit. It has made all the difference. COMMENTS: This applicant does choose a physical activity, but he offers a twist: running posed a significant immediate challenge to him because he suffers from asthma. He does not need to cite clichéd lessons to give his account meaning. Instead, we see from the specific progress he made—"from huffing and puffing (and wheezing) my way through tentative one-mile runs to involving myself in the rigors of the triathlon"—how committed and determined he was. Significantly, this essay subtly suggests that the applicant could bring a similar determination to his career in business. Back to Top
Role Model Questions If you could have dinner with one individual, past or present, who would it be? Why? — Haas What is the most valuable lesson you have learned, and who was responsible for teaching it? — Smith Explain in detail who in the business world you believe has had the greatest impact on how we do business today. — Washington University You might be surprised at how much your answer to this question can say about you. The role model you choose is not nearly as important as your description of that person and the way you relate him or her back to yourself. Here are some principles to keep in mind when writing this essay. 1. Choose someone with whom you have had a meaningful relationship. Don't pick a more important but distant figure. No one will be impressed if you choose, for example, the CEO of your company, but have nothing to say about him beyond listing the credentials in his company profile. Note: There are some questions that prompt you to identify a "hero" and others that ask you to describe an ideal manager. In those cases you should alter your choice accordingly, but the below principles still apply. 2. Express thoughtful admiration. Glorifying your role model makes you sound naïve. Focus instead on describing the person in an insightful manner and explaining why you value what he or she represents. You might even have reason to differentiate yourself from your role model in specific ways, though the overall purpose should be to describe what you admire and want to emulate. 3. Describe and illustrate specific qualities. Avoid relying on vague language that merely depicts your role model as "brilliant" or "compassionate." Instead, aim for a more penetrating portrait that captures your role model's complexities. Moreover, even though you're not writing about yourself, it doesn't mean that you don't have to back up your claims. Show your role model in detailed action to convey the qualities that he or she embodies. 4. Tell stories. Using specific anecdotes is the best way to achieve depth in your description. By describing the details of a particular episode, you can convey much more about a person than you can by listing any number of characteristics. 5. Show the role model's visible influence on you. The best way to demonstrate the importance your role model has played in your life is to recount changes you've made based on that person's influence. Of course, you should not come across as a sycophant or a blind follower. But you can show how your role model provoked ideas that then initiated a course of action. SAMPLE ESSAY: I met Erika two years ago. She grew up in a provincial Mexican town called Leon. According to the region's conservative customs, women are expected to marry and serve their husbands. Practically all women there accept their fate; Erika is one notable exception. Rebelling against the constraints imposed on women, she risked social rejection by persuading her parents to let her study engineering in Mexico City. She hoped to influence people's lives and become a well-rounded individual. At that time, there were only two women studying engineering at the university. Professors didn't expect a woman to become a good engineer and didn't dedicate much time to her, so she had to put in twice the effort to obtain the same grades as her male classmates. She graduated with honors and decided to join P&G, where I met her. Very soon, her strong business vision and leadership skills earned her a fast promotion to brand manager. However, she felt that P&G was not giving her all the skills needed to help people, so she enrolled in a London MBA program. When she returned to P&G, she was promoted to director. She had been planning to start a non-profit organization to help illiterate women when her mother was struck with cancer. Without a moment's hesitation, she left her promising career to achieve her goal in life: helping others. She now spends half of each day taking care of her mom and the other half teaching illiterate women. Erika has had a deep influence on me. What I most admire about her is her strong belief that we have the responsibility to help others become better persons. She lives according to this credo, which she has used as a guideline since she was very young. She has shown me the importance of a attaining a balanced life and contributing to society while accumulating practical skills. Most recently, she has encouraged me to obtain an MBA, because it gave her the skills needed to complete her development and help others. COMMENTS: This applicant writes a very effective portrayal of a woman who overcame gender constraints to become a successful professional. More importantly for the purposes of this lesson, he demonstrates that a role model need not be a direct professional superior. Indeed, though it can be done well, simply profiling your last boss will not showcase your uniqueness unless you include details particular to that relationship. It shows a bit more depth to describe your admiration for a person outside the office altogether, then establish a connection between that relationship and your professional life. In this essay, note how the writer illustrates Erika's qualities by describing her specific actions. The applicant concludes by articulating exactly what she admires most about Erika and showing how her life has changed as a result of knowing her. These passages prevent the piece from becoming a straightforward biography of Erika—a person who is interesting to the admissions committee not as a person per se, but rather as a significant influence on you, the applicant. Back to Top
Failure Questions Describe when you were part of a team where the group process and/or intended outcome failed. What was your role, how did you contribute to the process or outcome, and what did you learn? — Wharton Please describe a failure or setback in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this setback? What, if anything, would you do differently if confronted with this situation again? — Carnegie Mellon How can you admit a failure and still offer an answer that strengthens your application? Of course, showing what you learned and how you recovered is absolutely essential, but many people don't realize the importance of discussing a real, substantive failure. Applicants believe that the slightest hint of weakness will ruin their chances. In reality, admissions committees know that you have flaws, even if you don't disclose them. You're better off being candid for the following reasons: -
Your readers will appreciate your honesty, and this perception will affect their opinion of your other answers. -
You show stronger self-awareness when you can identify real mistakes. -
Only by engaging with a substantive failure can you offer meaningful insights into the lessons you learned. Instead of being forthright, most applicants will either choose a topic that hardly qualifies as a failure or write something generic or irrelevant to avoid admitting any substantive flaws. As an example that suffers from both problems, an applicant might describe a situation in which extenuating circumstances caused the failed outcome. The problem with this approach is that it leaves no room for self-examination and offers no insight into the applicant's character. So how do you choose a topic that is substantive but won't make you look too bad? First, avoid any failure that reveals irreversible faults. In other words, it should be a mistake that results from inexperience and therefore can be addressed for future scenarios. For example, you don't want your conclusion to be that you are simply a poor leader or communicator. On the other hand, you could admit that as a leader you have pushed people too hard, because that's a specific point upon which you can improve. Second, aim to find a failure that results from a good quality. For example, perhaps you failed because you're too independent and have difficulty delegating responsibilities to other people. Again, be careful that your topic leads to self-examination even if it's based on a typically positive quality. Once you have a topic, you still have to reflect insightfully on it. The best way to avoid generic, obvious lessons is to demonstrate what you learned through action. Show how you acted differently later in a similar scenario. If you can only derive abstract insights, aim—as always—for complexity rather than relying on prepackaged ideas. "The importance of hard work" is simply no longer interesting, whereas "the limits of hard work in a mutually dependent relationship" can be. SAMPLE ESSAY: While working towards my PhD, I spent the summer of 1995 as an intern at Ford Research Laboratories (FRL). I was working in the industry for the first time, and I found every aspect of my internship to be exceptional. I had a supportive boss who gave me the freedom and resources to define and manage my project. In addition, I was provided a nice apartment for the summer and had great roommates. The whole experience was memorable. By the time I returned to Wisconsin to continue my doctoral research, I knew I wanted to work at FRL. I planned to finish my PhD by the end of 1996, and I had been offered an internship at FRL again for the summer of that year. I accepted it, hoping that I would obtain an interview for a full-time position. Sure enough, my supervisor was extremely pleased with my performance and wanted to hire me. He asked me to stay on at Ford and finish up my thesis while he obtained the necessary approvals to interview me. Meanwhile, I was so sure this was where I wanted to be that I did not even search for other jobs. Right at that time, Ford had a quarter of poor profits, and FRL announced a hiring freeze. It was November of 1996, and I had just submitted my dissertation. Since I was no longer a student, I could not use the university job placement services. Moreover, as an international student I had a unique problem: my employer had to agree to sponsor me for a work visa. After searching for a couple of months, I was finally offered a position at ITT Automotive. It was a nice job, but definitely not one I had dreamt about. Besides, the position was in Ohio, and my wife worked in Detroit. I spent a year and a half at ITT as their in-house expert in metal casting and computer-aided engineering. I benefited from the experience and obtained a fresh perspective working in a smaller organization where I had to be versatile. But I still wanted to be in research, and my job duties at ITT offered no scope for research. To remain an active researcher in metal casting, I proposed research projects that would help ITT improve its process development capabilities. With the support of my management, I initiated these projects in addition to performing my assigned duties. Meanwhile, I kept in touch with my supervisor at FRL. A year after I joined ITT, he mentioned that he was moving to a different division at Ford and had recommended me for his spot. A month later I was interviewed by Ford and offered his job. I enjoy being back at Ford and working in the same city as my wife. I realize that I was partly responsible for the problems I faced. I was obsessed with working at FRL. I lacked the maturity to understand that it never hurts to keep one's options open. I should have interviewed with other research labs while I was at school. Given the choice, I could always have chosen FRL. Today, I do not see research as the only creative and challenging career path. I have enjoyed being in research, and now I desire to move on to other challenges. COMMENTS: This applicant describes a failure that resulted from lack of foresight. It was a mistake that had to do with immaturity rather than a severe shortcoming in any professional area. Nevertheless, there is a clear mistake that was made and relevant lessons to be learned.Interestingly, though it relates to the professional realm, this is really a personal failure, as his limited job search did not cause his employer any harm—only him. Note that the applicant never offers any excuses or expresses any resentment at his situation, instead taking full responsibility for the failure but also presenting an optimistic view of his current and future situation. It is vital for all admissions essays, even those that detail a negative event in one's life, to have an underlying upward swing like this. If you failed at your job somehow, make sure to demonstrate that you've grown from it and that you handle similar situations more gracefully now. Back to Top
Very Personal Questions I wish the Admissions Committee had asked me… — Kellogg What matters most to you, and why? — Stanford Creatively describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use any method to convey your message: words, illustrations, etc. — Stern Some applications will include a question that simply asks for more information about you as a person. Although all questions are designed to help the readers learn about your character, this type of question is meant to be more open-ended. Some schools might ask what matters most to you, while others will ask for a summary of your personal background. Another common approach is to ask about the influences and experiences that have shaped your development. While your answers to questions about diversity should make you stand out, your response to the "getting personal" questions should present you as a complete (and preferably likeable) human being. This is not to say that you should not emphasize unique qualities, but you also should not hesitate to focus on common, everyday activities. For example, many people choose to write about their families, and as long as they do so in a personal and engaging way, the result can invoke empathy and understanding in the mind of the reader. The rule that applies everywhere is paramount in this case: be sincere. Answers that attempt to meet presumed expectations are not only transparent, but also counterproductive, because the best essay you can write is one that you approach honestly. Make sure to supplement your genuine ideas with personal details. If you choose to write about the family you're raising, for example, provide stories about the time you spend with your children instead of simply telling the reader how much you care for them. Offer a focused portrayal. Some questions will ask you to comment on one or two specific aspects of your life, but others will leave it up to you to determine the breadth of your discussion. In those cases, you should aim to convey one or two key themes. This discussion may encompass several experiences, but they should be explored in a coherent manner. This advice applies even to those questions that ask for a summary of your personal background. Instead of approaching the essay with a haphazard list of significant ideas in mind, develop a clear plan to organize your points into a logical, flowing structure. For example, you might choose to organize your essay around a defining quality and trace how it has developed and applied to different aspects of your life. On the other hand, you could choose an external point (e.g., your hometown or city) and describe how your relationship to that point has changed and grown. Identify defining moments. Some questions will use this exact phrase. A request to summarize your entire history seems daunting, but by focusing on key turning points in your life, you can convey a great deal more meaning than you can with a shallower listing of events. You should not have to search hard for these defining moments, because if they were truly significant to you, they will hold a significant place in your memory. Coming across as a likeable human being is not enough to get you admitted, but if you have the other relevant qualifications, this additional edge can make a significant difference. SAMPLE ESSAY: I grew up on a small cattle farm in Donegal, just ten miles from the border separating the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. My father has retired due to health problems, and my now mother runs our farm. Every year, without fail, she produces 30 cows for the local market. Although my ancestors have lived on the same piece of farmland since 1642, while I was growing up my family was very poor. I have three younger brothers, currently aged 25, 19, and 14, each of whom has a unique character. Alan is a sensitive soul, the poet amongst us. Brian, is a natural fighter, a feisty Irishman. James, the baby of the family, is now a teenage wheeler-dealer, and the most likely to inherit the farm. As for me, I was the archetypal "big brother": bossy, no doubt, but always eager to lend advice, jump into a game of soccer, or wipe someone's tears away. Because of our scarce resources, my brothers and I shared almost everything, from toys to farm chores. Apart from helping my brothers, I had other duties that resulted from being the eldest. When I was a teenager, my father was periodically ill with a heart ailment. Because my mother had to care for my younger siblings and monitor my father's care, I took on the responsibility of managing our farm during his absence. I often had to balance my schoolwork with such tasks as milking the cows and repairing the tractor. These experiences had an enduring impact on me. In fact, my desire to be an entrepreneur and to someday manage my own business stems from this period. I also learned some lasting, if elementary, business skills. For example, starting at age 16, I often attended cattle sales in our rural Irish community, where I would haggle with much older and extremely shrewd farmers over the price of cows. Just ten years later, I found myself using those very same negotiating skills in the conference rooms of the U.S. Senate. My mother came from a poor family, but, notwithstanding her excellent grades, her parents pulled her out of school at age 13 to work. Despite her own lack of schooling, she encouraged us to pursue higher learning. One of my most vivid memories of the way she looked out for our interests concerns an episode during which my elementary school teacher labeled me a slow learner. At age eight, I was made to repeat a grade and channeled me into a "special needs" program. Unsatisfied with this "official" diagnosis, my mother began tutoring me herself after school. She soon discovered that, rather than failing to understand the material presented in class, I had already absorbed it, and was thus merely bored. Moreover, the teacher has mistaken my intellectual curiosity and natural inquisitiveness for a failure to understand the concepts that she was teaching. Sticking to her guns, my mother insisted that the administrators return me to the regular class. Having achieved this, she always saw to it that I had access to stimulating material. My father, who left school at age 14, is a hard-working man. He is easy going and has a dry sense of humor and a gift for imaginative storytelling. Although his peers frowned upon education and couldn't understand why he was working the farm alone while we went off to school, he held a different view. He lavished us with support, and he is still the first to offer encouragement for any venture we pursue. Although I grew up in a wonderful family, I was also born into a society that was divided along ethnic lines. The fact that I was a Presbyterian in the Republic of Ireland had a major impact on my life. In 1971, the year prior to my birth and just before my country's political troubles exploded, the Republic of Ireland's census recorded a population of just 125,685 Protestants. Within this Protestant community there were a only 16,052 Presbyterians, a mere 0.54 percent of the total population. Unlike most Protestants in the Republic of Ireland, who are usually from the professional classes and live far from Northern Ireland, my family had neither the shield of social class nor distance from the border to protect us from Ireland's ancient quarrels. As a result, we were sometimes the victims of harassment from the local Catholic majority. To walk the streets of the nearest town in the uniform of my Protestant high school was to invite taunts and occasionally physical violence. Sporadically, even terrorism affected our lives. In 1978, my mother's cousin was killed in a bomb explosion, and earlier that decade my uncle barely survived an assassination attempt. In 1990, I left Donegal to attend university in Dublin. Although Dublin is far removed from the Northern Ireland conflict, my ethnic background continued to influence my life. A direct challenge to my values came during my third year in college, when I met my future fiancée. Our socio-economic backgrounds were nearly identical (we were among the few Trinity students from poor, rural families) except for one thing: she was Catholic and I was Presbyterian. As we grew closer, I was faced with the task of confronting my own deeply held prejudices as well as those of my tightly knit family. I faced this challenge directly but sensitively, helping my family to accept and cherish our relationship. Looking back at my upbringing today, I appreciate just how fortunate I am. My family created a loving home in which I was able to develop the self-confidence that I need in order to overcome many of the challenges that I face in my career. In addition, growing up in a family of very modest means, and being conscious of my parents' sacrifices, has given me a powerful sense of drive. From my own experience, I realize that many people have not had the chances to succeed that I have been given; I am therefore determined not to squander the opportunities that I receive. COMMENTS: This applicant focuses on his family and the rural setting in which he grew up. Note how his descriptions of family members can be revealing because they show what the writer values and offer context for the relationships he has built with them. He also does an effective job of tying his youth to his recent past: "For example, starting at age 16, I often attended cattle sales in our rural Irish community, where I would haggle with much older and extremely shrewd farmers over the price of cows. Just ten years later, I found myself using those very same negotiating skills in the conference rooms of the U.S. Senate." The connection is intriguing but doesn't sound forced, because the writer has so effectively brought us into his world. The applicant also does not hesitate to explore conflict and sensitive issues. Because he places such an emphasis on the positive aspects of his upbringing, he can discuss past struggles in a way that invites compassion without seeking pity. Showing how you coped with difficulties, even if they're on a smaller scale than the Ireland conflict, can be a very effective way to convey your greatest strengths. Back to Top
Move on to Lesson Two: Brainstorming a Topic 
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Lesson One: Tackling the Question 
