MBA Essay Examples & Tips (From an AdCom)

What is the MBA Essay?

The MBA admissions essay. Let’s talk about it.

Those words alone are enough to make most MBA candidates run screaming. Writing in general is hard enough. Writing about why you want an MBA? Your short-term goals and career aspirations? What matters to you most, and why? Forget it.

Of course, you still have to write these essays.

The MBA essay is perhaps the most important part of the business school application. Every other part of the application — your GPA, your test scores, your letters of recommendation — is quantified, cut and dried, or out of your control. The essay is your chance to show up as a fully realized MBA candidate with hopes, dreams, and vulnerabilities. Admissions officers are not simply assessing your candidacy as a future leader, they're looking to admit human beings.

That's where the MBA applicant essays come in.

Though, I’ll admit – the word “essay” is a bit misleading. We often reference essays as formal writing, but that’s not necessarily what this process is about. Instead, think of MBA essays as personal narratives.

I am an MBA admissions consultant with 15+ years of experience helping applicants gain acceptance to top business schools. As a former admissions committee member at Ross (University of Michigan), I have successfully coached over 500 MBA candidates into the top MBA programs. With the depth of my MBA experience, I have plenty of insight into how to write an essay that is authentic, compelling, and gives you the best shot at acceptance.

Without further ado, let's dive in!

MBA Essay Worksheet

Interactive, customizable MBA worksheet with frameworks, prompts, and everything else you need to write your essays.

Submit

How Long Will My MBA Essay Take?

First things first: let's talk about timing.

The MBA application is a behemoth; between exams, resumes, gathering your official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the applications themselves, there's a lot to juggle. That being the case, we suggest you give yourself ample time to draft, write, and revise your essays. The last thing you want is to be rushed to the finish line. First, let's talk about timing.

The MBA application is a behemoth; across exams, resumes, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, and the applications themselves, there's a lot to juggle. That being the case, we suggest you give yourself ample time to draft, write, and revise your essays. The last thing you want is to be rushed to the finish line.

So, give yourself at least three months to write your MBA admission essays. That should allow you enough time to draft, write, and edit. For more information on timing your entire business school application, click here for A Comprehensive MBA Application Timeline--With Chart.

Now, on to the critical question:

Free trial!

From 356+ top coaches

+1

Access a library of videos, templates, and examples curated by Leland’s top coaches.

Get started for free

From 356+ top coaches

+1

Example Essays

Example Resumes

Application Prep

Video Courses

Example Essays

Example Resumes

Application Prep

Video Courses

Get started for free

What Makes a Great MBA Essay?

At the highest level, the answer is the one that is truest to you. The whole point of an MBA application essay is to shine through as an authentic, vibrant human being, so the best essays cut through the clutter.

Which begs the question — how do you cut through the clutter and shine through as a vibrant human being? Here are four critical tips to follow as you begin thinking about your MBA admission essays.

1. Answer the Question

This one sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many applicants launch into their story, get carried away, and forget to answer the question. Follow the prompt, and answer the essay question the admissions committee has asked you. Those prompts can actually be very useful when writing MBA essays — it's more difficult to write when you have no guidance or guardrails. With these essays, you have a very specific question you need to answer. So, answer it!

2. Be Specific

Another mistake some business school applicants make is to stay at a high level in their essays, keeping their writing abstract and, therefore inaccessible to the admissions committee. If at any point, an admissions officer could replace your name with the name of another applicant, then your essay isn't getting deep enough. For instance, it's not enough to say that you suffered adversity in college or that you really, really want a Wharton MBA. You need to explain, in detail, the adversity you faced and give concrete and unique reasons why you think Wharton is the right program for you.

The best essays offer hyper-specific examples and anecdotes, with details and anecdotes that no other candidate could bring to the table. To get those anecdotes, we recommend using the STAR template, as explained below:

• Situation: What was the situation you were facing? Where were you? How old were you? If you were in a professional role during this anecdote, what was the role, and how long had you been in it? If you were volunteering, at what organization? How long have you been volunteering there? Why did you start? Offer all the relevant information that the admissions readers will need to understand your story.
• Task: What was the task at hand? What went wrong? In your professional role, what was the challenge you faced? In that volunteering experience, what were the hurdles you had to overcome? You can't have a good story without conflict or tension, so after you set up the anecdote, explain what that conflict or tension was (and remember, be specific!).
• Action: What was the action you took to resolve the problem? What did you have to do to fix that issue at work? How did you clear that hurdle in your volunteer experience? Again, be specific about how you came through on the other side of that conflict/tension — and while you're doing it, highlight your leadership capabilities as much as possible! Remember that top programs are looking for future leaders who can assess a situation and decisively take action.
• Result: What was the result of your action? If you were facing a growth problem at work, were you able to increase sales? If so, by what percentage? If you were advocating for diversity and inclusion at your local charity, what new programs did you implement to help with that effort, and what was the enrollment like in those new programs? Detail what happened in your anecdote with as much specificity as possible — and quantify, quantify, quantify!

If you want to learn more about how to master the STAR Method, read our article How to Nail “Tell Me About a Time…” Interview Questions.

3. Get Vulnerable

Most business schools’ prompts are written with the goal of getting to know as much about you as possible in the shortest number of words. To do that, you're going to have to share real things from your life — get personal, intimate, and vulnerable. Do not shy away from this. If you're starting to get emotional during the reflection, drafting, and writing process, good — that means you're on the right track. Keep going. (Of course, there is such a thing as too personal. Do not feel pressured to share something you’re not comfortable sharing.)

If it’s making you cry, it will make them cry.

Another good rule of thumb is to put something real and true on the table. Admissions committees have to read thousands of applications from thoroughly qualified individuals, some of whom might come from similar roles to yours, with letters of recommendation from equally impressive supervisors. To write successful essays and cut through that noise, you'll have to share something honest.

If you're doing it right, this can feel risky. At some point, you’ll likely think to yourself: “Can I say that?” The answer is: “Yes.” Of course, there is a line, you don’t want to be crass or offensive but always err on the side of being open and authentic.

Expert Tip: The very worst thing you can do is be overly cautious and write something you think will please the admissions committee. This is not an exercise about sharing what you think they want to hear. These poor people have to read thousands of essays. If yours is just like everyone else’s, they’ll fall asleep. Don’t let that happen. Wake them up by putting yourself – your true, bright, vibrant, quirky, and unique self – on the page.

4. Don't Exaggerate

Finally, do not exaggerate, over-inflate, or lie. This goes without saying, but admissions committees are looking for honest candidates. The surest way to get rejected is to lie about something. (Business schools do a background check on you after you accept your offer of admission, so they will find out.) Don't be the person who over-inflates on their essays and then has their offer rescinded.

The Types of MBA Essays

All right — since we've covered high-level approaches to the MBA essays, it's time to dig into the various types. There are three general categories of MBA admission essays you'll see across the board.

1. Personal Statement

These questions ask you to offer up something sincere about yourself. Personal statements often touch on such things as your values and your character. In these, you'll want to be as authentic as possible, while also highlighting attributes like leadership, intellectual vitality, and teamwork that top business schools are looking for. The key to writing great personal statements is introspection – who are you, what do you want to be in this world, and why should they care?

Here are a few examples of previous personal statement essays:

• What matters most to you, and why? (Stanford GSB)
• Kellogg leaders are primed to tackle challenges everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Describe a specific professional experience where you had to make a difficult decision. Reflecting on this experience, identify the values that guided your decision-making process and how it impacted your leadership style. (Northwestern Kellogg)

2. Why an MBA/Why This School

In these, schools first want to hear about how an MBA will fit into your career, both short and long term. Top programs are looking for candidates who will: first of all, be gainfully employed upon graduating; second, have an illustrious career that will make their institution look good and encourage future generations of applicants to apply; and third, be consistent and generous donors. That being the case, they want to know about your career trajectory and how an MBA will enable you to accelerate or pivot in your career.

Expert Tip: Here, you want to be ambitious and inspiring in laying out your future career, but not naïve. Walk the line between shooting for the stars and sounding dreamlike and uninformed. There should be evidence of your goals in your past experiences; in other words, your past should be setting you up for success for your future. If your future aspirations are completely unrelated to anything you’ve done before, it’s less likely that you will accomplish them.

In this set of questions, you'll also encounter questions geared at figuring out why you would want to attend a specific school. MBA programs want to know that you're serious about attending their school. Yield, or the percentage of admitted candidates who accept their offers of admission, is an important metric for them. However, they also want to envision how you'll contribute to their admitted class. What will you uniquely bring to the table, the things that you'll do that the other candidates wouldn’t be able to offer?

Expert Tip: Admissions officers from top MBA programs have told me that, in choosing a class, they're curating a world-class dinner party and that each person invited to the dinner party has to bring something different. What will you bring to the dinner party?

To demonstrate that you've done your research and to help the admissions committee envision you in their program, get specific in the ways that you’ll make the most of the MBA program. For example, which classes will you take when earning your MBA and why? What professors are you excited to learn from? Which experiential programs and global learning opportunities will benefit your career? What are some clubs, events, or organizations that you’re interested in getting involved in (or starting)? The point here is to show that the school will be better off with you.

Here are a few examples of "why MBA / why this school" essays we've seen before:

• We believe Columbia Business School is a special place with a collaborative learning environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency, and partnership–academically, culturally, and professionally. How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (Columbia Business School)
• What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (Wharton)
• Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. (Stanford GSB)
• How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (Chicago Booth)

See: How to Answer the "Why an MBA?" Essay Question

3. Behavioral/Other

Finally, most other essays will be behavioral in the sense that they’ll ask you about experiences, traits, strengths, weaknesses, and personal/professional achievements. There's a wide variety of topics here, but all the guidelines from above apply, with the final note to always prioritize authenticity (as mentioned in the Personal Statement section) and leadership ability (remember, business schools are choosing future leaders).

Here are a few examples of behavioral/other essays from the past:

• Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (Yale SOM)
• Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (Harvard Business School)
• Think about times you’ve created a positive impact, whether in professional, extracurricular, academic, or other settings. What was your impact? What made it significant to you or to others? (Stanford GSB)

How to Start Writing Your MBA Essay

So, you've read about the types of essays and seen some of the prompts from top MBA programs. Now it's time to start diving into the essay.

The very first thing to do, before putting pen to paper, is to look inward. Why do you want an MBA? What role will this degree play in your professional growth? How do you imagine it will shape your life? What do you want out of your career? What is the most important thing in the world to you?

Yes, these are life’s deep-end questions, but you’ll need to tackle them in these essays, so before you start all of your writing, take the time to think through them. Start the brainstorming process offline. Go for a run, swim some laps, bake a cake – however you get into the flow – and start a dialogue with yourself. Put down your work, turn your phone off, and give your mind permission to go to the places it usually avoids. That’s a good place to start. That’s where the answers are.

Expert Tip: The first sentence is the hardest one to write. So, instead, I recommend starting with a loose outline based on your brainstorming. Once you start writing, the trick is to simply put anything down – and don't look back. Keep putting one sentence after the other. You can edit later: let whatever comes to you out onto the page. If you’re struggling with self-critique, dim your computer screen until you can’t even see the words you’re typing. Then, keep going. You may also prefer to go on a walk and record yourself talking. Whatever your preferred method, just get started.

Expert Tips & Tricks

Once you've started your essay, it's a matter of persistence: keep writing, then keep drafting and editing until you have something you're really proud of.

To help you write a successful MBA essay, here are a few more tips and tricks:

Take Breaks

When you hit the wall — and you will hit the wall — stop and take a breather. This is your brain telling you it needs to do something else. Walk your dog. Take a lap around your room. Eat some cheese. Your body needs sleep every night to function; your mind is the same way. That next leap of inspiration will come exactly at the moment when you’re least expecting it.

Read it Out Loud

When you finally have a draft, print it out and read it out loud to yourself. Ask yourself whether these words represent how you’d tell a story. Your ear will catch things your eyes miss. Reading out loud is the best way to pick up on spelling errors, clunky transitions, and paragraphs that still need ironing out. It’s also a good way to envision how the admissions committee will experience your essay.

Share

Don't be precious with your essays, but also be strategic in who you share it with. First use people who know you really well, are good writers, or whose opinions you trust. Also remember that this is YOUR story, so you can collect feedback without needing to incorporate all of it. Having an expert in your corner who can help you filter out the less helpful advice can also make a huge difference. Generally, though, you need an impartial third party to give notes on what they’re seeing, thinking, and feeling. You’re too close to things to do it for yourself.

Read: The 10 Best MBA Admissions Consultants

Give Yourself Time

I can guarantee that you will require more time to write your essays than you think. Your first draft should not be the one that you submit. In fact, the first draft is usually horrendous, and that's a good thing because you've started. Give yourself the time, space, and patience to write and iterate, reflect, get feedback, and write again. I promise the outcome will be worth it.

Also more of a timing consideration, but you do not want to trip at the finish line because your internet went down the night before the deadline, or your credit card was denied when paying your application fee (it's happened before). Don't let that be you!

Here is another article to get you started, written by an expert essay coach: 7 MBA Essay Tips to Make You Stand Out in 2022.

M7 MBA Program Essay Prompts & Tips (2025)

To help you get started, we've compiled the required prompts from a few top MBA programs below:

Harvard Business School (HBS)

HBS Essay Prompts:

• Business-Minded Essay: Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (300 words)
• Leadership-Focused Essay: What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (250 words)
• Growth-Oriented Essay: Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (250 words)

What HBS is Looking For: HBS wants evidence of restless intellect, personal introspection, and a bias for impact. They care less about traditional accomplishments and more about the trajectory of your leadership potential — especially how your internal compass drives decisions that ripple outward.

How to Ace the HBS Essays:

• Tell A Story: Your job with this essay is to paint the most accurate picture possible of who you are and why Harvard should accept you. The essay is the one part of the application that shows character and as such, it can make a big difference in your application. Capitalize on your individuality and demonstrate to HBS that you understand yourself, and are aligned with its missions and values. At the end of the day, you want your answer to the question, “Could this essay also describe someone else” to be “Absolutely not.
• Be Concise: The HBS essay has only recently added word limits. As you’re writing the essay, it’s very important to not ramble. As you’re writing, ask yourself, “Does this admissions committee need to know this?” If not, it’s probably safe to take out. Include relevant information and paint an accurate picture, but do so in a clear and concise way that doesn’t bore the adcom.
• Build, Build, Build: As you write your essays, make sure that there is some thread of continuity connecting the different pieces together. Introduce a theme or lesson, and touch on it every once in a while. Then, use the conclusion to tie everything together. This will not only make your essay more interesting, but it will also prevent it from coming off as disjointed. Also, sticking to a theme will help you ensure that everything you include is actually relevant.

For help with your HBS essays, check out Geri T. and Kerry P., both former admissions officers at Harvard Business School with decades of experience in the MBA admissions landscape.

Read: How to Write the HBS Essays: Prompts, Tips, and Examples from Admits

Stanford GSB

GSB Essay Prompts:

• What matters to you most, and why?
• Why Stanford?

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,000 words. The school recommends up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 350 words for Essay B but also notes that they often read effective essays that are written in fewer words.

What Stanford is Looking For: GSB wants raw, unfiltered authenticity — they're obsessed with why you do what you do, not just what you’ve done. They're looking for people whose personal values and sense of purpose precede their ambitions, and who can translate introspective insight into bold, human-centered leadership.

How to Ace the Stanford GSB Essays:

• Answer the Question: Though it may sound obvious, many applicants struggle with this point. As both prompts are quite open-ended, it is easy to go off on tangents and include irrelevant details. As you’re writing, continue to ground yourself by asking “What is the question? What am I trying to answer?” If the information does not directly relate, then reconsider its pertinence and necessity.
• Differentiate: A mentor of mine once asked me, “What makes you go from one of a million applicants to one in a million applicants?” Almost everyone that applies to GSB will have a great resume, test scores, and GPA. However, no one has the same story. Your job with the essay is to differentiate yourself from the crowd; show how you are unique from the other 7,000 applicants. You are who you are for a reason and the essay is your chance to prove that to Stanford.
• Have a Vision: Especially relevant to the second essay, having a vision and being able to communicate it to the admissions committee is key. It’s important to spend time self-reflecting on your past and your future aspirations. Why do you want an MBA? Why do you want to go to Stanford? How will your Stanford degree help you reach your professional and personal goals? Having these answers in the back of your mind will make your argument more powerful and help keep a thread of continuity throughout your responses. I’ve worked with many applicants who feel that their personal story is not special, crazy, or inspiring enough to grant admission, but they are wrong. Everyone can write an essay and present a convincing reason why they deserve to go to GSB. Lean into the parts of your vision that are the most important to you. If you didn’t have a noteworthy childhood, then focus on your vision for the future, or what you’re doing now to make it happen.
• Build and Flow: Both of your essays should have a structure that flows and builds to a point. They can be written well and have perfect grammar and syntax, but if they don’t build to a point, the reader will end up distracted and confused. The GSB admissions committee wants you to present a story. They do not want disjointed paragraphs that portray an inconsistent picture. Each part should lead to the next and tie into the overall theme. This will also help you pare irrelevant information to make sure you stay focused on the question at hand.
• Give Yourself Enough Time: For many people, writing the essay is the most difficult part of the application. It can be hard to organize your thoughts and put them down on paper in a clear and succinct manner. For this reason, it’s important to start the essays early, at least three months before the application deadline. Write a draft and then put it down for a few days so that when you next pick it up, you have a fresh perspective. It’s also important to have a peer or mentor review it, ideally someone with experience writing. An alum/na of the school is an excellent choice as well. I recommend getting a solid draft together at least six weeks before the application deadline so that you have time for final reviews.

These GSB essay tips came from Ben L., a Stanford GSB MBA and professional admissions coach who specializes in helping people with their GSB applications.

Read these resources on the GSB essays from expert admissions consultants:

• Craft a Powerful Essay for Stanford GSB: What Matters Most & Why?
• 3 Things You Need for Successful Stanford MBA Essays | Leland
• Stanford GSB MBA Essays: Prompts, Tips, & Examples | Leland

University of Pennsylvania Wharton

Wharton Essay Prompts:

• How do you plan to use the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your future professional goals? You might consider your past experience, short and long-term goals, and resources available at Wharton. (500 words)
• Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? (400 words)

What Wharton is Looking For: Wharton values clarity of vision and community fluency. They want applicants who not only have a sophisticated understanding of their career path but also see the MBA as a mutually catalytic experience, one where you elevate others as much as yourself.

How to Ace the Wharton Essays:

• Master the "Give and Take" Narrative with Specificity and Nuance (Beyond the Obvious): Wharton's essays are designed to reveal how you plan to both benefit from and contribute to their community. Top-tier applicants move beyond superficial statements to weave a deeply specific and interconnected narrative. For the "take" aspect, this means pinpointing exact Wharton courses, research centers, faculty members, or even unique campus initiatives that directly address your identified skill gaps or professional needs. Simultaneously, for the "give" component, illustrate highly specific, actionable ways you will enrich the Wharton community, drawing on your unique past experiences. The ultimate goal is to demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of how your individual growth (your "take") will directly empower you to make meaningful, impactful contributions to the Wharton ecosystem (your "give"), showcasing a symbiotic relationship that benefits both you and the school.
• Demonstrate an Almost Obsessive Level of Research and "Fit": To truly stand out, you must convey an unparalleled understanding of Wharton's distinct identity and how you perfectly align with it. This involves going far beyond generic website research; it means immersing yourself in the nuances of Wharton's culture, from its emphasis on team-based learning and interdisciplinary opportunities to its specific thought leadership and unique programs. Reference precise aspects of Wharton's curriculum, unique student clubs, or even specific events that resonate with your aspirations. Furthermore, strategically weave in insights gained from genuine conversations with current students and alumni, demonstrating that your interest is not just transactional but deeply informed by real-world perspectives and a proactive effort to understand the Wharton experience from the inside out.
• Cultivate Self-Awareness and Vulnerability (with a Strategic Twist): Wharton seeks leaders who are not only accomplished but also reflective, humble, and committed to continuous growth. The most compelling essays will incorporate a strategic element of self-awareness and vulnerability. This means openly acknowledging a specific skill gap or an area of personal development that you genuinely seek to address through the MBA experience, thereby showcasing your maturity and understanding of your own "growth edge." If discussing past challenges, pivot quickly from the setback to the profound lessons learned and how those insights have positively shaped your perspective, resilience, and future approach to leadership and collaboration. Ultimately, by demonstrating genuine introspection and a clear understanding of your motivations beyond mere career advancement, you convey authenticity and a deeper sense of purpose that resonates powerfully with Wharton's holistic admissions philosophy.

Read: Wharton MBA Essays: Prompts, Examples, and Expert Tips

Columbia Business School

CBS Essay Prompts:

• Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendation, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next three to five years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)
• Essay 2: Please share a specific example of how you made a team more collaborative, more inclusive or fostered a greater sense of community within an organization. (250 words)
• Essay 3: We believe Columbia Business School is a special place with a collaborative learning environment in which students feel a sense of belonging, agency, and partnership — academically, culturally, and professionally. How would you co-create your optimal MBA experience at CBS? Please be specific. (250 words)

What CBS is Looking For: Columbia seeks applicants who pair intellectual sharpness with pragmatic vision — people who are wired for action in fast-paced, urban environments. They want those who are tuned into the social dynamics of leadership and can navigate complexity with grace and grit.

How to Ace Your CBS Essays:

• Articulate a Hyper-Specific, NYC-Leveraged Career Vision: For Essay 1, go beyond merely stating your 3-5 year and long-term dream job. Imbue your career vision with a hyper-specific, nuanced understanding of how New York City and CBS's unique resources directly enable it. For your 3-5 year goals, name specific companies or even types of roles unique to the NYC market that align with your immediate post-MBA pivot. For your long-term dream job, articulate not just the role, but the impact you wish to create and how that vision uniquely benefits from being rooted in the global hub of business. Crucially, explicitly link aspects of CBS's curriculum (e.g., specific clusters, experiential learning opportunities, or even particular faculty expertise) to the development of the skills and network required to achieve these NYC-centric aspirations, demonstrating a clear, well-researched path.
• Demonstrate "Connectedness" Beyond Just Collaboration: Essay 2 isn't just about being a good team player; it's about demonstrating your proactive ability to transform team dynamics and foster a more inclusive environment. Choose an example where your actions were catalytic, leading to a measurable improvement in collaboration, inclusivity, or community. Focus on the "how": detail the specific steps you took, the challenges you navigated (e.g., dissenting opinions, entrenched norms), and the tangible outcomes. Emphasize your intentional efforts to include diverse perspectives or bridge divides, illustrating not just teamwork, but leadership in fostering a stronger, more cohesive unit. This story should powerfully reflect your potential to enrich CBS's own collaborative and inclusive culture.
• Co-Create Your Optimal MBA Experience with Granular Detail: Essay 3 demands more than just listing clubs; it requires you to articulate how you will actively "co-create" your MBA experience, demonstrating agency, a sense of belonging, and partnership within CBS's unique ecosystem. The best responses will outline specific, highly tailored ways you plan to engage with CBS's academic, cultural, and professional offerings. This means connecting specific academic programs (e.g., a particular immersion seminar or an elective outside your core focus) to your intellectual curiosity, outlining how you'll contribute to and benefit from specific cultural groups or events on campus, and detailing how you'll leverage CBS's professional resources (e.g., a specific career path program, or a unique NYC-based network). Your plan should be so specific that it clearly illustrates you've envisioned your time at CBS as a deeply personalized and engaged journey, not just a passive consumption of education.

If you’re looking for more tips on the CBS essays, read: Columbia MBA Essays: Tips & Examples (From a CBS AdCom)

Chicago Booth

Booth Essay Prompts:

• How will a Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250-word minimum)
• An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (250-word minimum)

*Pro tip: Some essay questions such as these will say “no maximum.” While it’s certainly a good thing that you’re allowed to write more, keep in mind to never write too much. An MBA coach can help you figure out where that line is.

What Booth is Looking For: Booth is looking for deep thinkers with independent minds. They value intellectual honesty, self-direction, and an evidence-based approach to leadership. Personal growth and professional clarity should stem from a genuine curiosity about how the world works, and your role in shaping it.

How to Ace Your Booth Essays:

• Leverage Booth's "Flexible Curriculum" as a Strategic Enabler: For Essay 1, transcend a mere list of Booth courses. Intricately link Booth's flexible curriculum to your immediate and long-term goals, showcasing a highly personalized and data-driven understanding of how you'll leverage this unique freedom. Instead of just saying "I'll take finance electives," specify which electives, why those specific courses are crucial to filling your identified skill gaps, and how they directly prepare you for the nuances of your desired role or industry (e.g., "I will leverage the Behavioral Economics for Marketing Decisions course to develop the consumer insights necessary for my target role in brand strategy at [Specific Company Type/Firm]"). This demonstrates intellectual curiosity and a strategic approach to your education, aligning perfectly with Booth's emphasis on analytical thinking and individualized paths.
• Showcase Intellectual Curiosity and "The Chicago Approach" Beyond the Classroom: Essay 2 is your opportunity to reveal the "who you are" beyond your professional achievements. Show your personal interests that reveal your analytical mindset, willingness to challenge assumptions, and desire for deep understanding. Don't just list hobbies; instead, narrate an experience or passion where you delved deeply into a subject, applied critical thinking, or explored diverse perspectives. For example, discuss how a passion for a complex hobby like competitive chess or a niche historical research project honed your strategic thinking or data analysis skills, even outside a traditional academic or professional context. This shows you're a Booth-fit individual who inherently thinks rigorously and seeks intellectual growth in all facets of life.

Read: Booth MBA Essays: Analysis & Tips From a Former AdCom

Northwestern Kellogg

Kellogg Essay Prompts:

• Intentionality is a key aspect of what makes our graduates successful Kellogg leaders. Help us understand your journey by articulating your motivations for pursuing an MBA, the specific goals you aim to achieve, and why you believe now is the right moment. Moreover, share why you feel Kellogg is best suited to serve as a catalyst for your career aspirations and what you will contribute to our community of lifelong learners during your time here. (450 words)
• Kellogg leaders are primed to tackle challenges everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Describe a specific professional experience where you had to make a difficult decision. Reflecting on this experience, identify the values that guided your decision-making process and how it impacted your leadership style. (450 words)

What Northwestern is Looking For: Kellogg prizes empathy-driven leadership and intentionality. They want team-oriented high-achievers who lead with values, embrace ambiguity, and see collaboration as a strength, not a sacrifice. Your narrative should reflect a disciplined self-awareness and a desire to empower others.

How to Ace Your Kellogg Essays:

• Weave a Cohesive Narrative of "High-Impact, Low-Ego" Leadership Across Both Essays: Kellogg profoundly values leaders who are collaborative, adaptable, and impactful without being overly hierarchical or self-serving – often summarized as "high-impact, low-ego." Implicitly demonstrate this ethos across both essays. In Essay 1, when discussing your career goals and how Kellogg will serve as a catalyst, highlight how your future leadership style will embody this collaborative impact, perhaps by focusing on empowering teams or fostering inclusive growth rather than solely individual achievement. For Essay 2, choose a difficult decision scenario where your values-driven approach ultimately led to a positive outcome through empathy, active listening, or prioritizing collective benefit over personal gain. This consistent narrative reinforces your alignment with Kellogg's distinct leadership philosophy.
• Demonstrate an Innate Drive for Collaborative Contribution and Community Building: Kellogg prides itself on its strong sense of community and collaborative learning environment. Showcase an authentic and proactive desire to contribute to this specific culture, beyond simply participating. Across your essays, illustrate how you have historically initiated or significantly contributed to building strong, supportive communities, whether professional, academic, or personal. When discussing your motivations or aspirations, emphasize how you plan to actively engage with and enrich specific aspects of Kellogg's student body, clubs, or academic initiatives. This isn't just about what you'll gain, but about how your inherent nature aligns with and will enhance Kellogg's vibrant, engaged, and lifelong learning network.

For more on Kellogg’s essays, read How to Nail Your Kellogg MBA Application Essays.

MIT Sloan

Sloan MBA Essay Prompts: MIT Sloan doesn’t use traditional essay prompts; instead, applicants are required to submit a cover letter, video, and short answer questions, as well as the other traditional application materials.

• Cover Letter: MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity, respect, and passion.
  
  Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation)
• Video Question 1: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!
  
  Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:
  • No more than 1 minute (60 second) in length
  • Single take (no editing)
  • Speaking directly to the camera
  • Do not include background music or subtitles
• Video Question 2: All MBA applicants will be prompted to respond to a randomly generated, open-ended question. The question is designed to help us get to know you better; to see how you express yourself and to assess fit with the MIT Sloan culture. It does not require prior preparation.
  
  Video Essay 2 is part of your required application materials and will appear as a page within the application, once the other parts of your application are completed. Applicants are given 5 seconds to prepare for a 60-second response.
• Short Answer Question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your life experiences and perspective. Please use this opportunity to share more about your background. (250 words)

What Sloan is Looking For: MIT Sloan is hunting for quiet disruptors — doers who combine rigorous thinking with inventive execution. They gravitate toward candidates who challenge assumptions, operate with authenticity, and see leadership as a medium for creating systems-level change rather than personal dominance.

How to Ace Your Sloan Cover Letter & Video Essays:

• Showcase "Applied Intelligence" and the "True Doer" Mentality Relentlessly: Sloan doesn't just seek intellectual ability; they demand a demonstrable track record of putting ideas into action and solving complex problems. Across all components, whether in your Cover Letter's professional examples, the spontaneous insights in your Video 2, or the reflective anecdotes in your Short Answer, illustrate how you've actively "put your stamp on the world" and "redefined solutions." Focus on tangible impact, the steps you took to move from concept to execution, and the results you achieved. This proves you're not just a thinker, but a "true doer" who embodies Sloan's hands-on, innovation-driven culture.
• Infuse Authentic Personality and Intellectual Curiosity Consistently: Beyond professional achievements, Sloan seeks individuals who are independent, authentic, fearlessly creative, and bring unique perspectives to the community. Your personality should genuinely shine through, especially in Video 1 and potentially Video 2. This isn't about being overtly theatrical, but about letting your genuine enthusiasm, collaborative spirit, or distinctive approach to problem-solving come through. In your Cover Letter and Short Answer, align this authenticity with your intellectual curiosity, showing how your unique background or passions fuel your drive to challenge conventional thinking and engage deeply with complex ideas, a hallmark of the MIT ethos.

Next, read: MIT Sloan Video Statement: Overview, Advice, & Common Mistakes

MBA Essay Examples

Finally, here are two real-life examples of MBA essays to help inspire you. The first, a personal statement essay, was submitted by an admit to Berkeley Haas' Executive MBA program; the second, a career goals/why MBA essay, was submitted by an admit to Chicago Booth's deferred MBA program.

Haas Admit:

A person’s identity is shaped by many different aspects, including family, culture, personal interests, and surrounding environments. Please share a facet of your identity or story that is essential to who you are. (300 words)

My upbringing in India, filled with countless myths and legends, had a profound influence on me. The most formative tale was about a sage who prays for years to the goddess of knowledge, but in vain. In the end, the goddess didn’t appear for the sage because he was turning his prayer beads the wrong way! As a child, this story upset me: the sage worked so hard and had the right intentions. As an adult, though, I’ve come to realize that the goddess of knowledge was right: you can’t succeed unless you do things the right way.

Seven years ago, two friends and I started a company, XXXX: a digital health platform that would allow patients to store medical records online and consult doctors remotely. We had early success—we brought on 2,000 patients at XXXX, a gynecology clinic in XXXX—but ultimately we didn’t have the resources to properly scale, and had to shut the company down. Among the many lessons I learned, the most valuable was that ideas and hard work are common; businesses succeed or fail based on execution—on doing things the right way. Two years ago, I relearned this lesson in the most painful way possible: when my marriage ended. My wife and I loved each other, but we weren’t there for each other when it mattered most. Our feelings weren’t enough—we had to back them up with the right actions.

It’s disheartening when you have good intentions but still fall short. When this happens, though, you have to keep trying—because eventually you will do things the right way. I carry the story of the sage with me always, not as a harsh lesson, but as a motivating goal: one that keeps me striving towards doing things the right way.

Booth Admit:

How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? (250 word minimum)

I want to start a geothermal company that will help lead the energy transition away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy—by targeting existing oil wells as sites for geothermal plants. Oil fields are close to electric grids and have high nearby subsurface temperatures, making them ideal sites for geothermal plants. By building geothermal infrastructure nearby, my company will produce cleaner, cheaper energy, making it more profitable for operators to switch from oil to geothermal. As oil companies decommission their wells, I’ll negotiate for their land rights, so I can use their existing wells for new geothermal vents. I want my company to prove the case for economically viable, carbon-neutral energy production.

After getting an MBA, I want to start a geothermal company which will help me lead the energy transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. I plan to target developed oil fields in Texas, where, in many places, producing wells are flowing enough hot fluid to generate clean energy. Using this geothermal heat, the carbon footprint of oil and gas extraction will decrease as fewer fossil fuels are utilized to power surrounding infrastructure. As the wells approach their economic life, I will negotiate the lease from various operators, saving them millions in plug and abandonment costs, and retrofit the wells for direct geothermal energy production via closed-loop binary fluid systems, bringing emissions to zero. To accomplish this goal, I need to shore up my knowledge of energy economics and entrepreneurial finance, develop a strong sense of leadership, and build a network of like-minded individuals that will help me lead the transition and I believe I can get those things at Chicago Booth.

My immediate career goal is to develop my first co-production site in Shelby County, Texas at the Blanton well site, which produces abnormally heated fluid from the flanks of an active salt dome. Before investing in capital expenditures, developing a strong sense of energy economics and broader markets is necessary to verify financial feasibility. The University of Chicago, through the Graduate-Student-At-Large: Business program, is already allowing me to accomplish this goal with my enrollment in “Microeconomics” with Professor Andrew McClellan. His instruction helped me understand the impact taxes and subsidies have on market equilibrium, an important aspect of renewable energy as green energy tax incentives continue to change on a yearly basis. As my company continues to grow, having a strong finance and accounting foundation is imperative to building and sustaining a healthy company. Electives such as “Accounting for Entrepreneurship: From Start-Up through IPO” will provide the skills I need to be successful by following the life-cycle of a business that originates as a start-up and covers topics such as building an initial accounting infrastructure. I understand that the execution of the business is as important as developing the idea and proof of concept, and Booth is the best place for me to develop financial fluency.

Leading the energy transition will require a strong sense of leadership. Not only will I need to lead those I get to work with over my career, but to lead the energy transition, and reverse the impact fossil fuels have had thus far, I must have the emotional intelligence to inspire others to join me in my journey. The “Interpersonal Dynamics” course at Booth will allow me to develop my communication skills and better understand the emotions and perceptions of my colleagues. These skills, synthesized with leadership development acquired in “Leadership Practicum” will prepare me to act as a relational leader, who understands the needs of others. As a relational leader, I hope to foster an environment which promotes happiness and maximizes efficiency, not only to make our efforts in changing the world more successful, but to excite other people to join our cause.

To find the greatest chance of success in leading the energy transition, I will need a network of like-minded individuals who can provide a diversity of thought. Chicago Booth provides the opportunity to develop that network through different community experiences. The Energy Club’s “Energy Forward” conference, which designates time to topics in oil and gas and renewable energy will allow me to hear from industry leaders, build meaningful relationships with peers, and contribute my sector experience to the public forum as I learn from those around me. Opportunities through the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Group such as “SeedCon” will help me connect with successful entrepreneurs and early-stage investors whose ideas and funding might change the course of my venture’s trajectory. Even in the GSALB program, I have had the opportunity to connect with other students in various sectors, including the energy industry. I hope to continue to strengthen those connections and continue building new ones with matriculation into the full time program.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, the MBA essay is your most powerful tool to transform your application from a collection of data points into a compelling narrative of who you truly are. Remember, admissions committees aren't just evaluating résumés; they're looking to admit vibrant, authentic individuals who will enrich their community. By committing ample time, embracing vulnerability, and demonstrating unparalleled specificity in your personal stories and future aspirations, you can craft essays that genuinely stand out and significantly boost your chances of acceptance to your dream MBA program.

Ready to unlock your most authentic, compelling story for your MBA essays? After 15+ years of helping applicants like you gain admission to top programs, I know what it takes. If you're looking for personalized guidance to craft essays that truly shine, I'd love to work with you. Book a free intro call on my profile to get started.

FAQs for Writing Your MBA Essay

What is the most important aspect of an MBA essay that admissions committees are looking for?

• The most crucial aspect of an MBA essay is authenticity. Admissions committees want to see the real you, so be honest and genuine in your responses. Highlight your unique experiences, values, and aspirations to stand out.

How long should my MBA essay be?

• The length of your own essay will depend on the specific prompts and guidelines provided by each school. Generally, essays range from 500 to 1,000 words. Always adhere to the word limit specified in the prompt. In the event that there’s no limit, we recommend floating within 200-300 words of whatever posted word count there is.

Can I use the same essay for multiple MBA applications?

• You can use similar content, but it’s essential to edit each essay to be about the specific school and prompt. Schools are looking for personalized responses that demonstrate your understanding of their program and how it aligns with your goals. It’s also easier than you’d think for the admission committee to spot a copy-and-pasted essay.

How do I figure out what to write about?

• Select experiences that showcase your leadership, problem-solving skills, and personal growth. Focus on stories that highlight your unique qualities and align with the values and culture of the program you're applying to.

What should I avoid doing in my essay?

• Avoid clichés, generic statements, and exaggerations. Be specific and detailed in your responses. Also, steer clear of overly technical jargon that might be hard for the committee to understand unless it’s directly relevant to your story.

Who can I ask for feedback on my essay?

• Seeking feedback from trusted friends, family, or mentors can be very helpful. In addition, consider working with one of our admissions coaches who can provide professional insights and help refine your essay to make it a more compelling story.

What should I do if I don’t have a traditional business background?

• If you don’t have a traditional business background, focus on transferable skills and experiences that highlight your leadership, analytical abilities, and teamwork. Demonstrate how your unique perspective will contribute to the MBA program and your future career.

How do I handle multiple essay prompts for the same school?

• Approach each prompt separately and ensure that each essay provides new insights about you. Avoid repeating the same information across essays. Instead, use each essay to highlight different aspects of your experiences, skills, and aspirations.

Here are several other articles that you may find helpful as you put together your MBA application:

• How to Choose an MBA Program: The Discerning Student's Guide
• MBA Application Timeline: What to Do and When to Apply (Month-by-Month Guide)
• 4 Expert Tips on Paying for Business School