MBA Video Essay & Recorded Response Prep
MBA programs use video and recorded responses to see something that can be difficult to capture elsewhere in an application: how you communicate when you aren't working from a carefully edited written response. Some prompts may be known in advance, while others require you to organize your thoughts and respond with limited preparation time. The goal isn't to memorize answers. It's to become comfortable communicating your experiences, motivations, and ideas clearly and naturally. We'll review your school's video or recorded-response format and identify the experiences and examples you should be prepared to draw from. Through practice, we'll work on response structure, clarity, concision, delivery, and your ability to adapt when a question isn't exactly what you expected. We'll also consider how you come across on camera and whether your responses are consistent with the rest of your application without simply repeating it. You'll leave with a flexible bank of experiences, a practical approach for organizing responses quickly, and greater confidence communicating naturally under time constraints. The package can be delivered across several shorter sessions, allowing you to practice between meetings and apply feedback as your responses develop.
What's included
Before we meet, you’ll send me your resume, relevant application materials, and the video or recorded-response requirements for your target school. I’ll review them in advance so our coaching time can focus on preparation and practice. We’ll identify examples you can draw from, then practice within the formats and time limits you’re likely to have, including questions with little or no preparation. The goal is not scripted answers, but helping you think on your feet and communicate clearly, concisely, and naturally on camera. This is for the person asking: How do I prepare for MBA video essays without sounding rehearsed?
- If applicable to the programs to which you are applying : We will review of your target school’s video or recorded-response requirements, including format, timing, preparation time, and what the school is seeking to learn.
- I will help you identify your strongest experiences and examples to have at the ready, including leadership, teamwork, impact, challenges, career decisions, values, goals, and community contribution.
- We will develop a flexible approach for organizing concise responses within the school’s time limits.
- You will have practice with both known and unexpected prompts, based on your target school’s format.
- You will receive guidance on communicating naturally and confidently on camera without sounding scripted or memorized.
Meet your expert
Donelle B.
11 Years Leading Kellogg Part-Time MBA Admissions
I spent 11 years leading admissions for Kellogg’s Part-Time MBA Program, where I recruited, interviewed, and evaluated candidates and helped build four incoming cohorts each year. That experience gave me a firsthand understanding of how admissions professionals assess not just individual parts of an application, but the strength and credibility of the candidate as a whole. Today, I bring that perspective to my work with MBA applicants. I help clients step back from the individual requirements of the application to understand what is distinctive about their candidacy, where questions or gaps may exist, and how their experience, goals, and reasons for pursuing an MBA fit together. My broader career has included leadership roles in higher education and my current work in workforce strategy and policy. Across these roles, I have spent my career evaluating, developing, and advising people at important points in their education and careers. My coaching style is thoughtful, candid, and highly individualized. My goal is not to manufacture a version of you that you think an admissions committee wants to see. It is to help you make sound strategic choices and present a clear and well-supported case for your MBA candidacy.
