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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
Discuss the factors
that influenced your career decisions to date. Please describe your professional goals for
the future. How will the M.B.A. experience influence your ability to achieve your goals?
(Wharton)
Discuss your career progression to date. Why
do you want an M.B.A.? How do you envision your career progressing after receiving the
M.B.A.? (Tuck)
Specifically address your post-M.B.A. short-
and long-term professional goals. How will Darden assist you in attaining these goals?
Briefly assess your career progress to date.
Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree
at Kellogg.
What are your post-M.B.A. career plans?
(Harvard)
This is the most common type of essay
question, asked on virtually every business school application. This question asks you to
present, clearly and coherently, your all too familiar reasons for wanting an M.B.A. The
questions usually consist of a few distinct parts. Most will ask about your past (How has
your career progressed to date? What has motivated you thus far?), your future (How do you
envision your career progressing? What are your goals for the future?), or both. All of
them expect you to relate the information to your present desire to attain an M.B.A.
Since this is usually the first question
asked, this essay will be the first one the officers see when they get your file. Let it
create your first impression. It is similar to the moment in an interview when you shake
the interviewer’s hand and smile. Similarly, your first essay needs to be confident,
direct, and to the point. The admissions committee uses this question to ascertain your
motivation, maturity, and focus. While undergraduate application essays are understandably
fuzzy about career choices and goals, graduate essays should, in contrast, be crystal
clear. If you have vague reasons for pursuing an M.B.A., you need to reconsider your
decision to apply. Giving a vague response to this question is akin to having a weak
handshake and not looking the interviewer in the eye.
You must accomplish a lot in this essay, so
pay special attention to structure. You can tackle the question by dividing your answer
into three separate pieces. The first can be about your past professional experience. The
second can discuss your future career goals. The third can be about the school’s
particular program. At each step, demonstrate why and how these experiences, goals, or
attributes motivate you to get your M.B.A.
Limiting yourself to one career goal is best,
if it is general. If you have a couple of different jobs in mind, that is all right, too.
However, your reasons for them should be easily inferred or specifically stated. If you
are truly unsure of what your goals are (and we cannot talk you out of applying) always
admit so honestly rather than make up something. At the very least, though, give credible
reasons for your indecision, and explain why you believe that this school’s program
will help you overcome your ambivalence.
Even if the question does not specifically
ask for it, articulate why the particular program makes sense for you given your unique
professional and personal goals. To do this well, you must spend the necessary time in
introspection and also research the school. When you understand the school’s program
and positioning, use what you have uncovered only if you can apply it to yourself. Do not
write what you think they want to hear. Admissions officers can spot this kind of
insincerity from a mile away. They also seek a heterogeneous mix of backgrounds and
experiences. Therefore, trying to fashion yourself after your conception of a typical
applicant can hurt you even if you do it well. The truer you are to your real motivations
and desires, the better your essay will be.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Discuss the factors that influenced
your career decisions to date. Please describe your professional goals for the future. How
will the M.B.A. experience influence your ability to achieve your goals? (Wharton)
“Stop foolin’ around, old boy.
How would an M.B.A. help you? Better get on with your career.” That’s what they
say. Friends, colleagues, others.
I ‘ve heard it all before. “If I
were you, I would not do it. Don’t waste your time, get ahead with your studies as
quickly as possible”, my professor for experimental physics told me. That was back in
’88, and of course he was not talking about my M.B.A., but about my intention to go
to China: Take a special scholarship and go-for a year, to study Chinese, and physics, in
China. Get in line, professor. He was just one of many who did not approve of my idea.
But for me, my plan clearly was: A chance, a
challenge, and a choice. A chance to open my intellectual door to the world Europeans
consider the (psychologically) most distant one from Western culture, and to broaden my
view well beyond the usual. A challenge to learn a language Westerners see as one of the
most difficult in a compressed timeframe and to adapt to a completely unfamiliar
environment-while not letting this impact my overall physics studies timeline. A choice to
diverge from the mainstream path to exclusive specialization in a single intellectual
realm, not just on a spare time basis-but with serious commitment.
Looking back after seven years, I could not
feel more assured that at that time, I made the right choice. My unusual combination of
experiences sets me worlds apart from my physics-only ex-fellow students. Working for (Big
Consulting Company), (so far) exclusively on international assignments in high tech
industries, is the kind of job I had envisioned at that time. I could not have come here
without that choice I made back then.
Now I am-on a higher playing field,
though-back to square one: Once again, about to make an academic detour form the
prescribed path. An unnecessary delay for my career progression.
But stop! Is that at all true? Getting an
M.B.A. makes perfect sense for a consultant-after all, most consultants are M.B.A.s.
Getting an M.B.A. makes even more sense in my particular case: it is the perfect academic
supplement to my physics background-the one I need to become a leading edge high tech
consultant. Detailed technology understanding plus profound business and group skills,
that is a rare combination which really gets the career rocket roaring. This is certainly
true for me, and I think that this is one of my most important and convincing reasons for
an M.B.A.
Having spent considerable time and energy
studying Chinese and traveling in Asia (and the rest of the world), an exclusively German
career certainly is the opposite of what I am interested in. No cozy, warm place in an
easy, totally predictable environment. Guaranteed career progression when the guy above me
retires. Getting a dog at 35 and the BMW and house that go with it. No thanks.
So what is it I am interested in? I want to
be where the guerilla wars of business are fought (the shoestring traveller resurfaces).
Where global language and intercultural/personal skills make the difference. Where
intelligence translates into quantum leaps (courtesy of the physicist). This is where I
can make my best contribution. In short, I want to be where the action and the challenges
are.
For the late 20th and early 21st century,
this means, in terms of topic, clearly one industry: High Tech (just watch the stock
market). I am well equipped for this with my physics background. In terms of region, it
clearly means Asia. Through language study and travel exposure, I have come a long way in
getting myself prepared. In terms of function, it clearly means strategy consulting. If
there is any place better for this than (Big Consulting Company), please let me know.
Thus the reasons why I want to go back to
university and do a dual degree in business and East Asian studies are: Get myself a
thorough business background to put all the pieces of case experience I have accumulated
during my (Big Consulting Company), life in their right places and understand their
context. Do the same with all my pieces of Asian studies and travel experiences. Get ready
for the real action I want to be a part and a driver of-and satisfy academic ambitions
lurking beneath the surface of the “hands-on” consultant.
The knowledge I will gain should help
facilitate a career change. After extensive work in European High Tech industry, I want to
transfer to Asia. Completion of my desired academic program should give me perfect
preparation, some initial contacts, and, through a summer internship in Asia, a clear idea
of what to expect from working there (in contrast to studying and traveling).
Of at least equal importance, the
Lauder/Wharton dual degree program will also give me a clear view on all the options that
I have with my very special combination of skills. While I currently cannot imagine going
anywhere else but to one of the Asian offices of (Big Consulting Company), after my
graduation, I am also realistic enough to understand that there certainly is a number of
other opportunities out there which I would be attracted to, but just know nothing about
at this time. I am a firm believer in having many options and in exploring quite a few in
detail-whatever position you’re in, there may always be one which is an even better
fit with your ambitions and capabilities.
I think it is obvious why I apply to the
Wharton School. Among all the leading business schools, Lauder/Wharton is one of the very
few offering a serious joint-degree program that makes sense. With its strong
international orientation, Lauder/Wharton offers the type of courses I am looking for.
With my diverse set of unusual ideas, experiences and capabilities, I would make a most
valuable and colorful addition to the student body of Wharton.
So what are my concrete plans for the time
after my graduation? Where in Asia can I be a driver the way described above? One
extremely attractive option for me would be helping to set up the (Big Consulting
Company), office in (Asian Capital). Or one in (Other Asian Capital). Or in Saigon
(Cantonese and Vietnamese are no more different than Swedish and German). But frankly,
these are just a few options I can pinpoint now-and I am sure that many more will
become apparent during my Wharton experience.
After all, my desire to come to Wharton is
just another manifestation of the characteristics that made me go to China a couple of
years ago: Take the chance to widen your scope. Accept the challenge that goes with
replacing narrow security by broad uncertainty. Make the choice to put all your effort
into fully developing and playing out your talents.
So I am not going to take my friends’
advice. They have their dogs already, and the BMW is ordered. Sorry-I am not ready for
that.
COMMENTS:
The writer of this essay begins painting
a picture of himself by discussing his trip to China. The fact that he took the trip
instead of heeding all the advice others gave him shows determination, maturity, and
character without him ever having to say the words. He clearly demonstrates why an M.B.A.
makes sense for him generally (as a consultant) and specifically (to supplement his
technical background). He pointedly bucks the usual stereotype of, “Getting a dog at
35 and the BMW and house that go with it.” Instead, the essayist makes his reasons
personal and unique by relating them directly to his professional goal of high-tech
consulting in Asia. He then spends a paragraph specifically addressing the Wharton
program. To demonstrate the sincerity and focused nature of his goals further, he lists a
few very specific options that will be available to him once he graduates.
Certainly, his background and experience make
him unusual. However, his style makes him stand out. The essayist consistently uses
questions to transition to each new point without being distracting. He begins with a
question. “Stop foolin’ around, old boy. How would an M.B.A. help you?”
Then he carries the theme throughout, “But stop! Is this all true?” and “So
what is it I am interested in?” Finally, he writes, “So what are my concrete
plans for the time after my graduation? Where in Asia can I be a driver the way described
above?” To every question he asks he gives a succinct and pointed answer. He
concludes by subtly reiterating his main points of chance, challenge, and choice. His last
sentence adds the final stylistic touch by referring back to the question posed in the
first sentence. In doing this, he effectively nails down the impression we have formed
about his character-without him ever having to espouse his own virtues directly.
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Contribution
and Diversity Questions
Your background, experiences, and values
will enhance and diversify Kellogg. How? (1-2 double-spaced pages)
The Darden School seeks a diverse and unique
entering class of future managers. How will your distinctiveness enrich our learning
environment and enhance your prospects for success as a manager?
Every essay question on the admissions
application is geared toward the same thing. Committee members want to find out who you
are, what makes you different from everyone else, and how you will contribute to the
school if accepted. This question asks these things outright. Because it asks so directly
what the admissions committee wants to know, this is one of the most common questions you
will find. The question has a structure similar to the Why M.B.A.? question. It asks both
Why us? and Why you? However, the nature of this question lends itself to a more personal
response. Whereas the Why M.B.A.? question asks what you have done, what you want to do,
and how that relates to the school, this question asks about who you are and how it
relates to the school. The Why M.B.A.? question asks about your experiences, and this
question asks about your qualities.
Just as you brainstormed about your
experiences, actions, and goals for the first question, brainstorm about your qualities
and characteristics for this one. What sets you apart from everyone else? What words do
friends and family use to describe you? For some people, the focus of this question will
come easily. A minority can choose to focus on their racial or ethnic differences. A
person with an unusual professional background may use this question to turn this
potential weakness into a strength. Anyone with a particular talent or calling, such as an
athlete or a musician, can use that as a topic. Less obvious characteristics can work just
as well. Are you one of those people who are forever getting tagged with an identity? Do
people say, “You know Chuck, the funny one,” or “There’s Jane, the
history buff.”
If you consider yourself to be a fairly
typical candidate with a broad range of interests, you may feel nervous about not being
able to identify yourself with any one particular activity or defining trait. You should
not be worried. Listing the combination of qualities that make you unique is perfectly
acceptable. None of your qualities has to be particularly unique by itself-whatever is
real and true will work perfectly. What words do people use to describe you? Are you a
risk taker? An academic? A leader? Unusually goal oriented? Dedicated? Ethical? A good
team player?
The qualities you choose to describe are not
nearly as important as how well you back them up. Because this answer tends to contain
many adjectives, you absolutely must provide solid examples demonstrating each quality you
have listed. You can take examples from either your work or your personal life. You can
even be creative and take an example from your childhood, if you wish, as long as whatever
you choose effectively proves that you are what you say you are.
Because this question asks “How will you
contribute to our school?” it provides you with a perfect opportunity to prove that
you have researched and targeted yourself to the particular school. Match your
distinctiveness in whatever way is natural to the distinctiveness of the program. Show the
admissions committee that you are not just perfect for business school in general, you are
perfect for their business school.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Your background, experiences, and
values will enhance the diversity of Kellogg’s student body. How?
During my senior year in college, my
father was diagnosed with terminal skin cancer. Like most cancer patients, he spent the
majority of his time in the hospital; he often spoke of how nice the staff was, and how
much his stay was enriched by the services offered by the volunteers. I felt a great debt
to those people who helped my father and mother during that difficult time, and I wanted
to do the same for other people in similar situations.
When I moved to New York after graduation, I
decided to volunteer at the Sloan-Kettering Memorial Hospital until I found a job. Over
the next few months, I worked thirty hours a week helping patients and their families. One
of the most rewarding experiences at the hospital was organizing patient voting for the
1992 Presidential election. I was responsible for coordinating the procurement and
distribution of absentee ballots with nurses, patients, hospital staff, and the various
voting administrations within the five boroughs of New York City.
The response was overwhelming. The patients
were overjoyed to be included in the voting process. I knew from my father that the most
demoralizing circumstance of a prolonged hospital stay was the feeling that the world was
passing you by. On that November day, however, I was able to help those patients feel like
part of society again. I will always be grateful for that.
Once I found a job, I had to curtail my hours
at the hospital, but I did not stop my volunteer work. And although my job prohibits me
from volunteering as much as I’d like, I still try to find the time. My volunteer
work has allowed me to help others cope with the terrible pain of illness, which I have
experienced first-hand and through my family. The satisfaction that I gain when I help
patients and their families is unlike any other feeling I have ever had in my life.
I’ve found that my work also helps me to
deal with and accept the loss of my own father. If it were not for him, I never would have
started volunteering. The good work I do is a constant tribute to his memory.
As an individual, I have learned the benefits
of altruism, and I firmly believe that companies should also take an active role in
philanthropy. I was pleased to see in the admissions brochure that other Kellogg students
feel the same, as demonstrated by their Business with a Heart program. I know that my
unique perspective and experiences would contribute to this group, and enable me to enrich
the lives of the community as well as those of my fellow students.
COMMENTS:
This essayist is a good example of
someone who chose to focus on one trait rather than several. By choosing only one quality,
her essay is concise, to the point, and easy to read. She also leaves a strong impression
by introducing only one theme. This essay is particularly strong because the writer does
not simply label herself as a volunteer and leave it at that. She makes the topic
personal. First, she walks us through her motivation, then through the experience itself,
and finally through how it has affected her and made her different. She gives details to
bring each of these steps alive but manages to do so in a very short amount of space. She
even specifically details how this experience will help her contribute by listing the name
of the program she has targeted.
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Accomplishment
Questions
Describe the two accomplishments that
occurred in the last five years of which you are most proud. (Columbia)
Describe your three most substantial
accomplishments, and explain why you view them as such. (Harvard)
Describe your achievements within the last
five years that are good indicators of your potential for a successful management career
and why you view them as such. (Michigan)
What is your most valued accomplishment? Why?
(Kellogg)
Your answer to this question will say a lot
more about you than simply what you have accomplished. It will show the committee what you
value, what makes you proud, and what you are capable of accomplishing. Applicants make a
common mistake when answering this question-they repeat information found elsewhere in the
application. A good student, for example, will be tempted to fall back on stressing his or
her high G.P.A. or G.M.A.T. score. A person who has won a number of awards or
acknowledgments will try to include all of them and end up turning their essay into little
more than a prose list. Many of the questions specify that you choose one, two, or three
specific accomplishments as a way of avoiding this kind of response.
If you do choose an accomplishment that the
committee is already aware of-such as your induction into Phi Beta Kappa or a promotion
that appears on your resume-then bring the experience alive. Demonstrate what it took to
get there and how it affected you personally. Do not be afraid to show committee members
that you are proud. This is not the place for modesty. However, do not fall to the other
extreme either-you can toot your own horn, but do it without being didactic or preachy.
You will not have to worry about either extreme if you keep your essay short and to the
point. Spend the bulk of your essay simply telling the story.
If you are having trouble choosing something
to focus on, then remember that the best essays are often about modest accomplishments.
What you accomplished does not matter as long as you found it personally meaningful and
can make it come alive. Unless specified, the accomplishment can be professional,
personal, or academic. Did you get a compliment from a notoriously tight-lipped,
hard-driving manager? Did you lose the race but beat your own best time? As an English
major, did you work around the clock to bring a C in physics up to an A? Do not think
about what they want to hear-think about what has really made you proud.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Describe the two accomplishments
that occurred in the last five years of which you are most proud. (Columbia)
Strategic Advisory for American Savings
Bank
In January 1994, my group was engaged by
Robert Bass’ Keystone Partners to evaluate their investment in California company,
the culminating point of a five-year banking relationship. Keystone Partner however,
engaged Goldman Sachs as co-advisor, thereby infuriating the Lehman team. We swore to keep
control of the valuation process by solely handling the modeling work including complex
simulations and projections, which I was solely responsible for. I quickly drafted a
couple of pages that I distributed to both teams. Overnight, the Goldman team reproduced
them line by line and sent them directly to the client as their work. It was a great
strike against our team. I decided to design a completely different model, and to draw
upon the information that I could gather from a long and fruitful client relationship with
Lehman Brothers. I convinced the senior vice president, vice president and associate who
had covered the company for years to pass on their knowledge, persuaded them to be
available for 36 hours straight to answer all my questions, and for four more hours to be
trained by me on the model. I designed a 23 page model, stuffed with information, that we
presented to the 42 person working team, gathered at our request. The presentation, led by
myself for technical explanations and the senior vice president for strategic conclusions,
was a great success. The Goldman Senior Partner, recognizing the “excellency” of
our model, proposed that I remain in charge of “all the number”.
I value this experience because I gained
respect from the senior executives at all three firms. But most of all, although one of
the most junior banker, I was able to inspire a cohesive spirit to our team in pursuing
our goal to produce a high quality presentation.
Learning to Surf
My move to Los Angeles in August 1992
represented not only a great professional challenge-to work with only two senior bankers
and cover all California financial institutions-but also a personal opportunity, a chance
to broaden my horizons. I grew up in Paris and lived in the capital for 21 years before
moving to New York; I definitely was a city girl! Los Angeles demanded however that I
adapted to a whole different world, where sport rather than opera rhythms the season. I
knew that my first year in the Los Angeles office would be extremely busy due to the small
size of my group. In fact I averaged 90 hours of work per week that year. To keep my
sanity and maintain a good spirit, I resolved to try and learn a sport that had always
fascinated me: surfing. Thus I bought a brand new wetsuit and longboard and started the
experience bright and early on a sunny Saturday afternoon under the merciless scrutiny of
the local surfers, all males, who did not hide their contempt for my pale skin and weak
arms so typical of investment banking Corporate Analysts. Surfing seemed at first an
impossible mission: my board always mysteriously rebounded on my head, while the waves
would break exactly where I was paddling. At work, there was an explosion of laughter when
I proudly exposed my (only) personal project: why, a twenty-six year old Parisian,
surfing? This had to be French humor! I resolved however to practice every week-end before
coming into the office. Last summer, I finally stood up on my board and rode the wave to
the beach. It was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life and although I still
surf regularly, nothing matches my first wave nor the pride that I felt. Because I
received little help and encouragement but prevailed, I cherish this experience which was
actually a tremendous confidence builder.
COMMENTS:
The writer demonstrates a nice balance
between her professional and her personal achievements. Her first accomplishment shows the
essayist to be a savvy business professional and highlights her good political sense,
dedication, and technical skill. The second accomplishment rounds out the image by
painting a picture of a young, healthy, active woman willing to take risks and learn new
skills at the expense of laughter and embarrassment. The latter may have been a personal
achievement, but these translate into very lucrative professional skills as well.
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Leadership
Ability Questions
Describe a situation that tested your
leadership skills. How did you manage the situation? (Harvard)
Discuss two situations in the past four years
where you have taken an active leadership role. How do these events demonstrate your
managerial potential? (Anderson)
This question is similar to the
accomplishment question. You can employ similar tactics to answer it. Choose situations
that are real and meaningful to you, not what you think will impress the committee the
most. Do not limit yourself to using situations from only your career, especially if the
question asks you to give more than one example.
This question shares common ground,
surprisingly, with the ethical dilemma question because ethical dilemmas often call on
leadership abilities for resolution. Keep this in the back of your mind so you can
strategize if one of your applications asks both questions. On the other hand, be careful
not to bring unnecessary attention to questionable situations when not absolutely
necessary. Ethical dilemma questions are notoriously difficult, this question does not
have to be.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Discuss two situations in the past
four years where you have taken an active leadership role. How do these events demonstrate
your managerial potential? (Anderson)
Wellwork Action Team
After working nearly a year as a production
engineer, one morning I experienced a kind of epiphany. I realized that our profit center
had effectively gained manpower and resources in the form of increased attention from
vendors with whom we had recently formed strategic alliances. By improving communication
between these vendors as well as between our profit center and these companies, I
envisioned a unified approach that could improve and expedite our production operations.
With the encouragement of the operations superintendent, I arranged a brainstorming
session for supervisory level personnel from our operations staff and our new alliance
partner’s companies. From that session, a “Wellwork Action Team” was
created with the specific purpose of improving and streamlining our operations procedures
in order to reduce the cost of increase the quality of our projects in the field.
After being chosen facilitator for our
Wellwork Action Team, I set for myself two personal goals: first, to maintain enthusiasm
among team members and second, to implement the ideas and concepts brought forth by our
team into our everyday procedures. To ensure continued involvement, I first convinced
myself that the potential benefits that might be gained from having this team merited the
time and energy of its participants. Next, I personally committed myself to the project
and firmly discussed my commitment with each of team members. Third, I led the team in
drafting a mission statement and clearly defining our goals. We identified measurements by
which we could evaluate our progress. Finally, I promised the team members that we would
keep meetings to a minimum and re-evaluate the usefulness of our team in eight weeks.
From June 1995 to the present, our Wellwork
Action Team has successfully increased efficiency in our oil pumps, reduced electrical
costs by 6 percent, and nearly doubled the production of three oil wells. As our team
continues to evolve, we envision reducing our wellwork budget from $5.0 million/year in
1995 to $4.6 million/year in 1996 while maintaining oil production and reducing operating
expenses. Our current challenges include overcoming conflicts in the schedules of our team
members and providing for long-term oil recovery as well as short-term cost reduction.
Applying New Technologies
When most people envision an oil well, they
picture ten-foot-high rod pumping units, the kind common to Los Angeles and West Texas
because of their durability, availability, and efficiency. With 300 wells on a mere 10
acre island, however, these units are impractical for our use; a less efficient, higher
cost and lower-profile type of centrifugal pump is employed by our company. Recently, a
small L.A. firm invented a new method of using common rod-type pumps without the bulky
surface equipment. This marriage of new technology with old rod-style pumping appeared to
have significant potential for reducing costs on our island. Although I do not normally
design our pumping equipment, I assumed active project leadership when deciding to install
the first unit and apply the new technology.
Because our operations personnel and vendor
partners were unaccustomed to handling hundreds of 30-foot long rods and putting them into
use, I met with the inventor of the new subsurface equipment and two related vendors who
would supply the rods. Rather than provide specifications to each vendor for a bid as is
customary, I chose one vendor from the onset and entrusted him with the project. I
assigned him to work with the inventor of the new equipment and asked them to together
devise a low cost, high quality engineering design for us. In doing so, the possibility
existed for them to overdesign and overprice the equipment, reducing efficiency and thus
defeating our purpose. Nevertheless, a tremendous upside potential existed in allowing the
vendors to harmonize their efforts and experience. I hoped to receive a superior product
born from the sweat equity of their two companies.
My strategy was tested in November 1994 when
two units were installed. They have operated without failure since installation and have
reduced operating costs by 38 percent on those wells. In this instance, my management
challenge was to delegate non-traditional responsibilities to our vendors. I feel that
this experience has improved our business process and taken us further down the path
towards mutually beneficial business relationships with our vendors. I will continue to
work in this manner, keeping a careful eye out for the abuse potential created when
allowing a vendor to design and price their own equipment for our applications.
COMMENTS:
These two examples have several positive
qualities. First, they are concise and well structured. Second, although both situations
come from the professional sphere, they balance well with each other. One focuses more on
office policy and stresses the applicant’s ability to see the big picture in
management. The other deals with an in-the-field hands-on engineering solution and
stresses his inventiveness, attention to detail, and technological skills. Third, these
examples stress unique background-not many business school applicants would understand how
to design oil-pumping equipment. They show that he is not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Finally, the essayist gives very detailed proof of tangible results.
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Hobby and
Extracurricular Questions
What one nonprofessional activity do you
find most inspirational and why? (Wharton)
For fun I . . . (Kellogg)
Outside of work, I most enjoy . . .
What interests do you have outside your job
and school? (Tuck)
This question offers a prime opportunity to
differentiate yourself by presenting a vivid description of your life outside of work.
Business schools are interested in balanced, likable applicants. Your professional life is
only part of an interrelated whole. Business schools expect you to demonstrate the same
level of dedication and passion in outside activities as you do in business. They are also
well aware that many of the best business-related ideas occur when people are not at work,
so what you do out of the office has a measurable impact on what you can do on the job.
Besides, funny, offbeat, interesting people make work, school, and essays more exciting.
Communicate feelings of passion, commitment, and devotion. Wherever possible, demonstrate
the leadership abilities you have developed in these activities.
SAMPLE ESSAY:
What one nonprofessional activity do you find
most inspirational and why? (Wharton)
A little over two years ago I began
tutoring high school students in several types of mathematics, including preparation for
the S.A.T. Test. While I did this initially to earn money, I have continued to tutor
(often pro bono) because I enjoy the material and the contact with the students.
I have always enjoyed math tremendously. I
can remember riding in a car for long distances as a child and continuously calculating
average speeds and percentages of distances covered as we traveled. In college I took
upper division math classes such as Real Analysis and Game Theory (and placed near the top
of the curve) though they were not required for my major. All this time spent playing with
math has left me with a deep understanding of the way numbers work and the many ways in
which problems can be solved.
When I first began tutoring I was stunned to
find that most of the kids I worked with, although very bright, not only lacked the
ability to solve complex problems, they were very uncomfortable with some of the basic
principles of math. This discomfort led to fear and avoidance, and the avoidance led to
more discomfort. A vicious cycle began. Instead of seeing math as a beautiful system in
which arithmetic, algebra and geometry all worked together to allow one to solve problems,
they saw it as a bunch of jumbled rules which made little sense that they were forced to
memorize.
As a tutor, I found that it was important
when starting with a new student to find out where his/her discomfort with math began.
Often, this meant going back several years in their education to explain important basic
concepts. For some students, fractions and decimals were the point at which math
stopped making sense. For many others, it was the introduction of letters to represent
numbers in algebra. Some students found that identifying their weaknesses was an
embarrassing process. I explained to them that it was not their fault. Everyone comes to
understand new concepts in math in a slightly different way, and the problem was that no
teacher had taken the time to explain their “problem area” in a way which would
make sense to them. Since math was a system, once they missed out on that one building
block, it was not surprising that the rest of it did not make sense. Our mission together
would be to find the way in which the system worked for them.
Once we had identified the initial
“problem area,” I would spend a lot of time getting the student to play with
questions in that area from a lot of different perspectives. For example, if fractions
were the problem, then I would create games to get the student to think of fractions in
terms of division, ratios, decimals or other equivalent systems. This would often be a
fairly unstructured process, as I wanted to see how the student’s mind worked and
keep them from feeling any anxiety. Usually it did not take long for the concepts to start
becoming clear to the student, as he/she played with the numbers in the absence of the
pressure of school. My goal was to not just white wash over a students weaknesses with a
few rules which would be quickly forgotten, but to help them develop an understanding and
an appreciation for the underlying principles.
I found this process to be very satisfying
for both myself and the young men and women that I taught. It was a wonderful feeling to
have a student laugh out loud with relief as a principle which had been unclear and
causing anxiety for years suddenly made sense. Once these old “problem areas”
were cleared up it was usually quite simple to make clear the subjects that they were
working on at the time, especially since I already had an understanding of how they were
best able to understand new concepts. Again, I found it important to get the student to
play with the new material and look at it in several ways so as to develop a true
understanding of the material.
I was quite successful as a tutor. One young
man increased his Math S.A.T. by 150 points. Another student improved so dramatically in
geometry, her test scores jumped from about 55 percent to over 90 percent, that her
teacher kept her after class and asked if she was cheating. Although most of my students
did not improve this dramatically, I walked away from every lesson that I gave feeling
that I had helped someone understand and enjoy math. I hope to be able to continue
teaching, if only for a few hours a week, for the rest of my life.
COMMENTS:
This essay shows that this applicant is
dedicated not just to helping people, but to academics, learning, and math. His tutoring
does not make us believe his sincerity; the thoughtfulness and detail with which he
describes it do. He has put obvious time into developing an effective method of teaching.
The writer shows that he is result-oriented by measuring his success in terms of real
numbers and percentage increases. Someone who applies such standards of accountability to
his extracurricular life is sure to bring the same standards to school and business.
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Role Model
Questions
Describe the individuals that you look up to
as role models in your professional work. (Michigan)
Describe the characteristics of an
exceptional manager by examining someone whom you have observed or with whom you have
worked. Illustrate how his or her management style has influenced you. (Tuck)
If you could walk in someone else’s
shoes for a day, whose would you choose and why? (Chicago)
Business schools learn a lot about your
professional development through your description of your mentors. They can determine not
only what you have learned but the types of people from whom you have learned. However,
like the accomplishments question, this question shows a lot about your values and
standards. It is a little like getting to know a person by the people with whom he or she
chooses to spend time. If you are skeptical, consider the different impression you would
have of the candidate who admires a dynamic, colorful, public leader compared with someone
who looks up to an accomplished but soft-spoken academic.
Who you chose is more important than how you
portray that person. In other words, do not choose a person because you think it will
impress the committee. Name dropping is not only obvious, it is ineffective. If your
mentor is a public figure, be sure to demonstrate that you have a real, direct
relationship with and that you learned tangible lessons from the person. Keep your essay
short and simple. Never elevate your mentor at the expense of yourself. Show admiration,
not awe. In other words, choose a mentor, not a hero. A mentor is someone whom you
realistically aspire to emulate, whereas a hero’s qualities are beyond our reach.
If the question calls for more than one
mentor, try comparing two very different people or people from two unrelated areas of your
life. Show how you incorporated the best pieces of wisdom from both. As always, use
concrete examples both when describing these people and when demonstrating the effect they
have had on you. Do more than list their qualities-tell a story that shows how they have
put these qualities to use.
You can follow these steps to structure this
essay:
1. Introduce the person and the context in
which you know him or her.
2. Describe a few of the mentor’s key
qualities that you most admire.
3. Relate one or two particular scenarios
that demonstrate these qualities.
4. Describe what you have learned from the
person. What do you now do differently as a result of having known your mentor? How have
you or your actions changed?
5. Be concrete. Cite specific examples of
things that you have learned. Describe the situations in which you learned these things.
Show how you have used this knowledge to your professional advantage.
A variation on the question is, “If you
could walk in someone else’s shoes for a day . . . .” This is a cross between an
ideal career question and a role model question. Whereas the other role model questions
ask for mentors, this question asks for heroes. You do not need to make your response as
realistic-feel free to loosen up and have fun. However, always consider what committee
members will infer from your choice. Answer this question more concisely than you would
the role model one. Simply state who you would choose and answer why. Did you choose this
person because he or she is similar or dissimilar to you? Did you do choose your mentor
for what you can learn from that person or to effect a change? Would you ever seriously
consider this person’s life as a career, or are you just having fun?
SAMPLE ESSAY:
Describe the characteristics of an
exceptional manager by examining someone whom you have observed or with whom you have
worked. Illustrate how his or her management style has influenced you. (Tuck)
In management consulting, strong
analytical skills are valued as much as, if not more than, effective managerial and
leadership skills. Unfortunately, for some consultants, these characteristics, at times,
are mutually exclusive. I was fortunate, however, to work with [name] on my first major
project at [consulting firm]. As my project manager, he demonstrated a superior
combination of leadership, managerial, and communication skills. As a result of our
interaction, I learned several important lessons and tools that I used on subsequent
projects to improve my effectiveness as a team leader.
To begin, [name] is a true leader who
exhibits courage and dedication. A powerful trait rarely found in the realm of business,
courage is unique in its ability to unify and motivate people. Moreover, his courage is
balanced appropriately with professionalism, strong values, and humility. He is sensitive
to others’ feelings and recognizes that different people require different types of
direction and treatment. Although he often works with diverse and difficult groups, he
always seems able to reach consensus and create a shared vision and purpose. Furthermore,
he excels at establishing priorities and proactively setting direction.
As an effective manager, [name] also is able
to translate his broad direction into discrete, tangible tasks. Since consultants often
use difficult or creative analytical approaches, clearly articulating tasks and defining
outputs is very important. In addition, he exercises the appropriate level of supervision.
Rather than micro-managing his team members, [name] establishes clear accountabilities and
expectations and pushes work down to the correct level. As a result, he creates a strong
sense of ownership and leverages the skills of his team members. Furthermore, he excels at
creating a supportive environment and, when necessary, coaching team members to help them
develop new skills.
Finally, [name] is a masterful communicator.
He is the only project manager I have had who gave me consistent and constructive
feedback, importantly, both positive and negative. Such feedback not only provides clear
developmental objectives, but also signals to others that he values their contributions.
This type of balanced and open communication quickly forms the foundation of mutual trust
and respect. Furthermore, [name] excels in the art of negotiation and debate. He states
his points with remarkable precision and is expert at remaining objective and recognizing
all sides of an argument. And, regardless of the volatility of a situation or the strength
of his feelings, he always listens to all positions patiently and effectively controls his
demonstration of emotion, thereby gaining the respect of others and lending additional
credibility to his positions.
Given my limited experience managing teams,
my exposure to [name] was central to my early success at [consulting firm]. For example,
although I had considered myself a leader in athletics, I had not learned to translate
those skills into the business arena. [Name] taught me several effective methods to lead
teams. Admittedly, as a highly motivated young analyst with very high work standards, I
also lacked many of the skills required for effective team leadership. However, I quickly
learned the importance of flexibility and became more comfortable providing feedback and
directing the work of others. Furthermore, through his example, [name] taught me the
importance of objectivity and the utility of several effective communication techniques.
For example, I learned to use my sense of humor as an effective tool to persuade, disarm,
or motivate others.
Early in my career at [consulting firm], I
had several rare opportunities to lead client teams. In part due to the lessons I learned
from [name], these projects were a great success. As a result, I went on to manage a half
dozen diverse and difficult client teams that ranged in membership. With each project, I
further refined the lessons I learned from [name] and developed new techniques for leading
and managing teams. Due to my rapid development, I was promoted to [position], a
managerial, post-M.B.A. position at [consulting firm], signifying that I can progress to
the partner level. Although I realize my tool kit is far from complete, these skills will
be invaluable both in business school and beyond.
COMMENTS:
This is another essay that stands out because
of its solid writing and superior organization. It starts with a bold assertion to catch
the reader’s attention and then uses the assertion to introduce the mentor’s
most outstanding quality. Each of the next three paragraphs clearly asserts and describes
an additional supporting quality. The essay concludes with examples of how the
mentor’s influence has tangibly affected the writer’s actions and work
performance, resulting in rapid promotion.
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Failure
Questions
To recognize that effective managers are
able to learn from failure, describe a failure that you have experienced. What did you
learn from the experience? (Harvard)
Any applicant who tries to claim or assert
perfection on the application would, at best, be treated as a joke. No one is perfect, and
no admissions committee expects perfection. Yet, more than any other question, this one
strikes fear into the hearts of applicants. However, answering this question does not need
to be difficult. You must get past the biggest hurdle-your own reticence.
Failure often results from good intentions
and admirable qualities such as initiative, leadership, and risk taking. Take advantage of
the fact that failure will sometimes result from our best qualities. Any leader who has
tried to forge a new path has made a mistake somewhere along the way. If you are honest
and forthright about the mistake you made, people will remember the intention over the
result. Besides, the committee is not interested in judging you on your mistake, they
simply want to know how you dealt with it. The only real way to flunk this question is to
dodge it. If you choose a trite or irrelevant topic, the committee will either question
your honesty and your maturity or doubt your ability to lead, take risks, and think
outside the box.
If you are having trouble choosing a
situation, consider the following guidelines:
1. Choose something that has happened
recently. Delving too far into your past is an obvious cop-out.
2. Do not limit yourself to professional
failures, but do not shy away from them either. Admissions committees are aware of the
risk inherent in choosing job failures and will give you points for being forthright.
3. Do not choose anything overly dramatic or
that would call your morals into question. The reader should be able to relate to your
failure, not be shocked by it.
If you cannot clearly state what you learned
from the incident or the actions that you took to amend it, then pick something else. When
you are writing, take a simple, straightforward, objective tone. Do not try to excuse your
actions. Let your story speak for itself. Keep your essay as concise as possible.
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Very Personal
Questions
If we had met you five years ago and then met
you again today, how would we say that you have changed? Include specific examples that
characterize your development. (Sloan)
In thirty to forty years, when you reflect
back on your life, what criteria will you use when judging if you have been successful?
What are the main achievements/events that you hope will have taken place? (Anderson)
Please provide us with a summary of your
personal and family background. Include information about where you grew up, your
parents’ occupations, your siblings, and perhaps a highlight or special memory from
your youth. (Anderson)
Each of us has been influenced by the people,
events, and situations occurring in our lives. How have these influences shaped who you
are today? (Stanford)
What seminal influences or experiences,
broadly defined (a book, teacher, friend, relative, sojourn, hobby, and so forth), have
especially contributed to your personal development? What correlation, if any, does your
personal development have to your professional goals? (Berkeley)
Describe yourself and the significant events
that have shaped you. (Michigan)
All essay questions, as we have already
mentioned, are a way for the admissions committee to learn more about you personally. The
getting personal questions just ask more directly than others. They give you a direct
opportunity to speak for yourself. They can be tricky, though, because they are often
extremely open-ended.
Be selective. You cannot include every detail
about yourself, so you have to pick wisely. Some applicants want to tell everything,
fearful that they will leave out a crucial detail on which their acceptance, and future,
could hinge. Do not give in to this temptation. Instead, focus on one or two significant
qualities or characteristics that give the admissions committee genuine insight into you.
Many of the questions in this category are
worded creatively or ask you to use your imagination. This is intended to get you to
loosen up and be yourself. If the question takes you off guard, let it-it means the
committee is looking for an unguarded answer. This makes many applicants uncomfortable.
They try to present themselves objectively but end up distancing themselves from the
subject matter with overly long words and a dry, academic tone. This is a grave mistake
since the whole point of this essay is to reveal something about yourself. Therefore, put
your heart into this essay.
This category does not have one standard
question-every school asks it in a different way. Although each school’s question
will differ from the next, most of the personal questions still fit into one of three
categories: personal development, personal goals, or personal background and influence.
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For tips on answering general application
questions, click here.
 Move on to Lesson Two: Brainstorming a Topic
From ESSAYS THAT WILL GET YOU INTO
COLLEGE, by Amy Burnham, Daniel Kaufman, and Chris Dowhan.
Copyright 1998 by Dan Kaufman. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational
Series, Inc.
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