Below I analyze the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth MBA Application Essay Questions for 2007–08 and discuss the Tokyo Reception I attended on 11/2/07.
I attended the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth's November 2nd Tokyo Reception. It had some unusual features.
First, it was held on the very same evening as the MBA World Tour, which required me to visit the MBA World Tour quickly in order to make it to the Tuck event. That really was no problem because my main objective at the World Tour was to get some brochures. Of course, for some applicants this must have been a more difficult decision. That said, anyone really interested in going to Tuck should attend one of their receptions.
Second, the number of those allowed to attend was extremely limited (maybe to about 40 or so, sorry I did not count the number of chairs that had been set-up). Actually, they could have allowed more reservations, because about half the chairs were empty.
Third, the reception was just that initially. It was held at the New Otani, one of Tokyo's most famous hotels. They served a cold and hot buffet that was delicious. The presentation did not actually begin till about 7:30, 30 minutes after the official start time. This was nice because it gave everyone a chance to chat, eat, and drink (no alcohol).
The admissions officer's presentation was brief and delivered without the use of Power Point! Yes, Tuck is the only school that as far as I know does not use Power Point. This was fine for me, but maybe hard for those whose native language is not English (that said, if you can't follow the admissions officer's presentation, you really need to think whether your English skills are strong enough to apply). After about fifteen minutes, she invited four alums up to the stage and started asking them questions. The audience also asked questions. This lasted for about forty-five minutes, I guess. Following that, there was plenty of time to talk, eat, and drink.
I mention the above apparently mundane events, not because I want to bore you, but because the event itself says something about Tuck.
As both the alums and the admissions officer emphasized Tuck is about being part of a community. The Tuck Reception I attended reflected that. They intentionally hosted a small scale event that would give everyone in the room a chance to mingle and to easily have a chance to talk with the admissions officers and alums. If someone was not comfortable in that cocktail party(albeit without alcohol) environment, they have no business applying to Tuck. Each person counts and each person will need to participate. After the presentation, one admissions officer made the rounds circulating among the participants while the other, the presenter, took questions at the front of the room. This communicated at least to me, the same message of "friendly community" that had been made by the admissions officer: students, their families, faculty, and staff at Tuck are all part of one community.
Not using Power Point is also a very interesting tactic because it eliminates a formal barrier between the presenter and the audience. Additionally people who are part of the same community don't need to make presentations to each other, they talk to each other. The admissions officer was just doing that. Those looking for a more formal or impersonal approach can find that elsewhere, but not at Tuck.
Anyone applying to Tuck, should most certainly watch the video series "Applying to Tuck: The Inside Scoop" with Dawna Clarke, the Director of Admissions. I will reference Ms. Clarke's advice below.
THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITING AND NETWORKING
If you are really interested in attending Tuck, I strongly suggest making a real effort to visit or at least to attend a reception. This will be a great way to meet with admissions officers in a very friendly environment. It is also an amazing way to network with the alum at the event and afterwards. At the Tokyo reception, we were actually provided with a list of alums who would be happy to communicate with potential applicants. In "Tips on Applying," Ms. Clarke emphasizes the importance of getting in touch with Tuck alum. She in fact, specifically says that mentioning that you met with alum is something you should do both in your essays and interviews. She also mentioned that she considers notes from alum as being in an applicant's favor.
Essay Questions for 2007–08
Let's take a look at the essay questions. I took the questions from the pdf.
Please respond fully but concisely to the following essay questions. Compose each of your answers offline in separate document files and upload them individually in the appropriate spaces below. Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each essay. There are no right or wrong answers.
Please double-space your responses.
I don't suggest writing much more than 500 unless you really need to. That said, admissions will not be counting the words, so anything in the range of 450-600 is safe.
1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)
This is a very standard version of the Why MBA essay question. See my Chicago Essay 1 analysis as it applies here. Keep in mind the real importance of the second part of the question. Tuck's program is small, according to Businessweek, there are 500 students in the full-time program. According to the Tuck Class of 2008 Profile, the target class is 240. For the Fall 2007 Class, Tuck admitted 19% of 2584 applicants who applied, the yield was 51% (admitted who attend), so making the case that you really belong is critical.
2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?
Please see my analysis of leadership essays. Keep in mind that according to Dawna Clarke in "Tuck's holistic admissions process" video, leadership ability and/or demonstrated potential is one of three key common characteristics of Tuck students (see my analysis of question 4 for the other two). You should most certainly provide a full answer to this question, one demonstrating that you really understand your strengths and weaknesses as a leader.
3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?
It is possible to write this based on the topic used for a standard failure essay (see my analysis of that here), but that is only one possibility. The basic structure for this essay is clear enough:
1. Briefly describe the situation where you received constructive criticism or feedback. Who did you receive it from and why? Why was it the most difficult? Explaining why is the most important part of this section of the essay.
2. Specifically state your response to the constructive criticism or feedback. This might take the form of a brief summary of your action steps or description of your change in attitude.
3. Explain what you learned. Often the best ways to help your reader understand this is to provide them with a different situation where you applied what you learned.
In addition to the standard reasons for asking this question- a test of ability to show how you learn from feedback, a test of your ability to honestly assess your own limitations, and a test of your ability to think critically about your past actions- this question makes particular sense for a program like Tuck where learning in a community is critical. The structure of the first year program including mandatory study groups of 5-6 students in the Fall and Winter terms, the Cohen Leadership Development Program, and the intensely community-focused nature of the environment certainly requires that all students be open to receiving and issuing positive, but critical feedback.
4. Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?
Please see my analysis of contribution questions like this one. Keep in mind that in addition to leadership, the two other common characteristics of Tuck students that Ms. Clarke mentions are teamwork skills and communication/interpersonal skills. So if you have not effectively covered those two categories in the other essay, you should address them in one way or another here. Keep in mind that this essay is not just a way for admissions to understand some important aspects of who you are, it is also a place for them to see whether you know enough about Tuck to provide effective examples of the way you would contribute.
5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.
Like the optional question for Chicago GSB and Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
November 06, 2007
November 03, 2007
LBS is monitoring who attends their events, but..
For the rest of the story, see Part 2.
Today, I received the following email from the London Business School:
"Dear Adam,
Thank you for your interest in the Full-time MBA Programme.
Our records show that you weren't able to attend our recent Information Session. We're sorry to have missed this opportunity to meet you...."
The only event I registered for was on October 9, 2007 and I attended. When I attended the event, they checked my name off their list. Since the above email does not specify what event I did not attend, I can't be certain that they missed me at the event that I did attend. In any case, as with what I reported about Georgetown back in September, LBS is watching.
I suppose this makes sense too, because LBS is after all in the UK, a country filled with closed circuit video cameras monitoring the public, supposedly to stop crime, but apparently with no actual impact. Like Orwell's big brother in 1984, the UK is watching you and so is the London Business School. Maybe some people like being monitored, but I don't.
This sort of monitoring certainly sends the wrong message to applicants, hard working people, who can't always leave work early to attend a weekday event. Admissions can learn through the applications they receive and the interviews they conduct whether an applicant really fits their school, so I can't imagine the advantage of counting heads at events.
Worse still, if you are going to count heads, be accurate about it. At least I am not an applicant, so I don't have to worry that my supposed "no-show" will be held against me. Hopefully this tool is not actually being used as part of the admissions process as seems to be the case with Georgetown. Still I think the whole thing is intrusive and leaves me with a very bad impression.
At least they could have included something like the following: "If you have received this email in error, please don't worry as attendance at events is not being monitored for purposes of admissions decisions."
I am sending an email to LBS, to see how they respond. Once I get a response, if I get one, I will post it. UPDATE: I received a response.
If you have any similar experiences, please let me know about them by sending email to adammarkus@gmail.com. I am happy to report them here and like my Georgetown post, they will likely rank high in search engine results.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
MBA留学
Today, I received the following email from the London Business School:
"Dear Adam,
Thank you for your interest in the Full-time MBA Programme.
Our records show that you weren't able to attend our recent Information Session. We're sorry to have missed this opportunity to meet you...."
The only event I registered for was on October 9, 2007 and I attended. When I attended the event, they checked my name off their list. Since the above email does not specify what event I did not attend, I can't be certain that they missed me at the event that I did attend. In any case, as with what I reported about Georgetown back in September, LBS is watching.
I suppose this makes sense too, because LBS is after all in the UK, a country filled with closed circuit video cameras monitoring the public, supposedly to stop crime, but apparently with no actual impact. Like Orwell's big brother in 1984, the UK is watching you and so is the London Business School. Maybe some people like being monitored, but I don't.
This sort of monitoring certainly sends the wrong message to applicants, hard working people, who can't always leave work early to attend a weekday event. Admissions can learn through the applications they receive and the interviews they conduct whether an applicant really fits their school, so I can't imagine the advantage of counting heads at events.
Worse still, if you are going to count heads, be accurate about it. At least I am not an applicant, so I don't have to worry that my supposed "no-show" will be held against me. Hopefully this tool is not actually being used as part of the admissions process as seems to be the case with Georgetown. Still I think the whole thing is intrusive and leaves me with a very bad impression.
At least they could have included something like the following: "If you have received this email in error, please don't worry as attendance at events is not being monitored for purposes of admissions decisions."
I am sending an email to LBS, to see how they respond. Once I get a response, if I get one, I will post it. UPDATE: I received a response.
If you have any similar experiences, please let me know about them by sending email to adammarkus@gmail.com. I am happy to report them here and like my Georgetown post, they will likely rank high in search engine results.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
MBA留学
November 02, 2007
NYU Stern Essay 3 for 2008: Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates
My Fall 2009 essay analysis can be found here.
This is the second of two posts on New York University Stern's essay questions for Fall 2008 admission. The first post is here. I suggest reading the first post before reading this one.
There are two reasons that I am analyzing NYU's essays. The first is that I am working with a number of clients applying there. The second is that I really like Essay 3. You can find complete instructions for the entire essay set in my previous post, but here is the core part of the question:
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
This is the NYU question. It is the one that seems to stop many applicants from applying to Stern (which is good for Stern's yield). In my experience, I have found that strong applicants who are willing to put the time into this question are often well rewarded (invited for interviews, admitted), but those who slap something together are often rejected.
You don't have to make anything or do anything visual. A creative essay can be at least as effective as anything else. If you think you can answer the question most effectively by writing an essay, just do that.
In past years, I have had clients who have done Power Points for NYU, but given that Chicago GSB now requires one, if you are applying to Chicago GSB and Stern, don't do a Power Point for Stern because the NYU admissions people will know (they can always look at your GMAT Score Report unless you control for that) you were trying to cut corners. After all, one reason NYU asks this question is because they want you to show your commitment to NYU by putting time into it.
In general, anytime a school has a non-standard question, you should really keep in mind that they are looking for answers that demonstrate an applicant's willingness to put time into it.
Regarding time, try to give yourself at least three weeks before the deadline to write this. In my experience, most successful versions of this essay take more time and drafts than most other essays. Of course, some applicants can do it right quickly, but since you are trying to be creative and also to effectively introduce yourself to your classmates, you may need more time.
One very common initial error with this essay is to focus on being creative at the exclusion of thinking about the purpose: to introduce yourself to your classmates. Keep in mind that your objective is to create a positive image of yourself that would make an excellent first impression on your classmates. It may be creative, but make sure that it also leaves admissions with a clear understanding of what positive impression of yourself you are communicating. It is your job to provide a sufficiently clear message regardless of the way you creatively present yourself.
Some Questions to get you brainstorming:
1. What do you want Stern Admissions to know about you that would positively impact your chances for admission?
2. What major positive aspects of your life have not been effectively INTERPRETED to the admissions committee in other parts of the application?
3. If you were meeting people that would you be working closely with for two years and that you might want as a part of your lifetime professional network, what would you tell them about yourself to create a strong first impression?
4. Why do people like you?
5. If there was one story about yourself that you think would really help admissions understand you and want to admit you, what is it?
6. Do you have a personal interest (painting and poetry for example) that would work effectively?
Finally, keep in mind that what you write here should not duplicate the content of Essay 2 or anything else in the application, instead it should really provide admissions with a new perspective on why you belong at Stern.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
This is the second of two posts on New York University Stern's essay questions for Fall 2008 admission. The first post is here. I suggest reading the first post before reading this one.
There are two reasons that I am analyzing NYU's essays. The first is that I am working with a number of clients applying there. The second is that I really like Essay 3. You can find complete instructions for the entire essay set in my previous post, but here is the core part of the question:
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
This is the NYU question. It is the one that seems to stop many applicants from applying to Stern (which is good for Stern's yield). In my experience, I have found that strong applicants who are willing to put the time into this question are often well rewarded (invited for interviews, admitted), but those who slap something together are often rejected.
You don't have to make anything or do anything visual. A creative essay can be at least as effective as anything else. If you think you can answer the question most effectively by writing an essay, just do that.
In past years, I have had clients who have done Power Points for NYU, but given that Chicago GSB now requires one, if you are applying to Chicago GSB and Stern, don't do a Power Point for Stern because the NYU admissions people will know (they can always look at your GMAT Score Report unless you control for that) you were trying to cut corners. After all, one reason NYU asks this question is because they want you to show your commitment to NYU by putting time into it.
In general, anytime a school has a non-standard question, you should really keep in mind that they are looking for answers that demonstrate an applicant's willingness to put time into it.
Regarding time, try to give yourself at least three weeks before the deadline to write this. In my experience, most successful versions of this essay take more time and drafts than most other essays. Of course, some applicants can do it right quickly, but since you are trying to be creative and also to effectively introduce yourself to your classmates, you may need more time.
One very common initial error with this essay is to focus on being creative at the exclusion of thinking about the purpose: to introduce yourself to your classmates. Keep in mind that your objective is to create a positive image of yourself that would make an excellent first impression on your classmates. It may be creative, but make sure that it also leaves admissions with a clear understanding of what positive impression of yourself you are communicating. It is your job to provide a sufficiently clear message regardless of the way you creatively present yourself.
Some Questions to get you brainstorming:
1. What do you want Stern Admissions to know about you that would positively impact your chances for admission?
2. What major positive aspects of your life have not been effectively INTERPRETED to the admissions committee in other parts of the application?
3. If you were meeting people that would you be working closely with for two years and that you might want as a part of your lifetime professional network, what would you tell them about yourself to create a strong first impression?
4. Why do people like you?
5. If there was one story about yourself that you think would really help admissions understand you and want to admit you, what is it?
6. Do you have a personal interest (painting and poetry for example) that would work effectively?
Finally, keep in mind that what you write here should not duplicate the content of Essay 2 or anything else in the application, instead it should really provide admissions with a new perspective on why you belong at Stern.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
NYU Stern MBA Essays for Fall 2008
My Fall 2009 essay analysis can be found here.
This is the first of two posts on NYU Stern's MBA Essays for Fall 2008 Admission. The second one is here.
New York University Stern School of Business MBA essay questions' web page also includes great tips for the questions, so I have included them. Let's look at the whole thing first and than break it down.
The following essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be withdrawn if it is discovered that you did not write your essays. Please note the following:
Essays 1, 2 and 4 must be typed and submitted using the standard U.S. 8 1/2” x 11” format, double-spaced, in 12-point font.
Please adhere to the essay word limits provided for each question.
Word limits apply to the total question. For example, your response to Essay 1 should answer part (a), part (b) and part (c) with a maximum of 750 words.
Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number (e.g.: Joe Applicant, January 1, 2001, Essay #1, Page 1)
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Admissions Tips:
Listen to our podcast: Writing your Story.
Proofread your essays carefully.
Make sure you have fully answered the essay questions.
Be genuine in your essays - tell us about the real you.
Follow the essay instructions, including word limits and font size.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern:
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about our community:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) How would you contribute to our community as a student?
(c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
If you are not submitting Essay 3 online, you must provide a brief description of your submission with your online application. To mail in Essay 3, please follow the mail and labeling instructions. Also, note that supplemental Essay 3 packages are subject to size restrictions. Essays that exceed the stated size restrictions will not be accepted for review by the Admissions Committee. Please see the table below for the required package guidelines:
Packaging Type
Dimensions: Metric
Dimensions: Non-metric
Box
36cm x 31cm x 8cm
14” x 12” x 3”
Cylindrical tube
8 cm x 91cm
3” x 36”
Triangular tube
97cm x 16cm x 16 cm x 16 cm
38” x 6” x 6” x 6”
Admissions Tips:
Listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on Public Radio's "Marketplace". (Before listening, note that we now have new Essay 3 size restrictions.)
To see if Stern is a fit for you, come visit us in New York City or visit us overseas.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Every year, I have seen some potential applicants to Stern look at the above questions and simply decide it is better to apply elsewhere. Actually, I have found myself advocating application to Stern as part of a school selection strategy as a result. While Stern's questions are unique, especially Essay 3, they maybe significantly less daunting than what you initially think.
Stern admissions does a very good job of explaining their application. As is written above, listen to their podcasts. If you can attend a presentation at Stern or at least attend an admissions event, that is most helpful because getting into Stern is all about fit.
Consider that in the three required questions above, the one constant feature is Stern. If you look at other top schools essay sets you will not find another one where a 100% of the questions require you to discuss the school. While Essay 1 only refers to Stern in the context of what you will do after it, clearly the assumption here is not that you just need any MBA, but one from Stern. Essay 2 actually consists of three questions about your relationship to Stern. Finally Essay 3 is about how you would introduce yourself to your classmates at Stern.
From an admissions office perspective, I think Stern's "100% fit essays" approach makes quite a bit of sense if you consider that Stern's yield (percentage of accepted students who attend) is 50% among the 22% of total applicants that it accepted in 2006 (all numbers from Businessweek). Compare this to Columbia's yield of 79% on the 17% of students that it accepts, Wharton's yield of 69% on the 21% of students that it accepts, and Harvard Business School's yield of 91% on the 15% of students that it accepts and I think you will begin to see one reason why Stern cares about fit. I am comparing NYU against these other top urban East Coast schools because many applying to those other schools are likely to apply to NYU and because these are the schools that NYU wants to compare itself to. NYU's yield is not bad, in fact it is better than schools than the schools that rank (it is ranked 14th) immediately above it in Businessweek, UCLA (12th) and Cornell (13th), but its yield is significantly lower than schools it is most likely to be compared to, especially Columbia Business School (ranked 10th).
Attending Stern's Admission Event in Tokyo only further convinced me of this. The impression I gathered from both the admissions presentation and the short video that was shown was that Stern places a high value on involvement within its community. At least that was impression that I got.
Given the very clear nature of NYU's instructions, I don't think my own analysis of Essays 1 and 2 is that interesting!
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
What I really like about this essay is that Stern is doing all the organizational work for you. Lets examine each part.
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
Basically you need to provide an explanation for your career to the present with an emphasis on your current position. Given the space limitations, I don't suggest using more than 1/3 of your word count for this part of the essay. Focus on providing an explanation that would not be clear from simply reviewing your resume. Your motivations should be made clear. If your resume is what you done, this should be about why? and more specifically why are you doing your current job?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
Please see my analysis of Chicago GSB Question 1, which is very much focused on "Why now?" Clearly you need to show why given your present position and future goals, now is the right time to get an MBA.
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Use at least 1/3 of your essay to explain both your post-MBA career goal and your long-term career goals. For more about goals formulation, see here and here.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern:
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about our community: (a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us? (b) How would you contribute to our community as a student? (c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
This essay consists of providing detailed answers to three questions that should show your passion to be part of Stern. Let's examine each part:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
Here you need to clearly indicate how you have become informed. Visiting is obviously best, attending their admissions event is also good, and so is making an effort to communicate with students and alums. Obviously reading their website is important, but is rather minimal. Make sure you listened to their podcasts. Making a connection to alum is always a good idea. Be specific about the steps you have taken. Feel free to use names of admissions officers, alums and students that you met.
(b) How would you contribute to our community as a student?
Please see my analysis of contribution questions. Think specifically about how specific parts of your background will add value to other students and the Stern community as a whole.
(c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
Think as specifically as possible about what you gain from being a part of the Stern COMMUNITY. I capitalize community to emphasize that you should focus at least part of your answer on things outside of classes. You should show the likely ways you think Stern will contribute to your personal and professional development.
Question 3: See here.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Like the optional question for Chicago GSB and Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. If you are a re-applicant, this is where your reapplication essay goes and clearly this should be a very positive and wonderful essay that states clearly how you are much stronger candidate. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school. Yes, I know that NYU did not ask you write a whole essay about an important leadership experience you had, but since they did not ask for it, we can assume that is not the way they will gauge your potential.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
This is the first of two posts on NYU Stern's MBA Essays for Fall 2008 Admission. The second one is here.
New York University Stern School of Business MBA essay questions' web page also includes great tips for the questions, so I have included them. Let's look at the whole thing first and than break it down.
The following essay questions give you the opportunity to more fully present yourself to the Admissions Committee and to provide insight into your experiences, goals and thought processes. Your essays should be written entirely by you. An offer of admission will be withdrawn if it is discovered that you did not write your essays. Please note the following:
Essays 1, 2 and 4 must be typed and submitted using the standard U.S. 8 1/2” x 11” format, double-spaced, in 12-point font.
Please adhere to the essay word limits provided for each question.
Word limits apply to the total question. For example, your response to Essay 1 should answer part (a), part (b) and part (c) with a maximum of 750 words.
Label the top of each essay with the following: Name, Date of Birth (month, day, year), Essay Number and Page Number (e.g.: Joe Applicant, January 1, 2001, Essay #1, Page 1)
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Admissions Tips:
Listen to our podcast: Writing your Story.
Proofread your essays carefully.
Make sure you have fully answered the essay questions.
Be genuine in your essays - tell us about the real you.
Follow the essay instructions, including word limits and font size.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern:
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about our community:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) How would you contribute to our community as a student?
(c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
Essay 3. Personal Expression:
Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.
All submissions become part of NYU Stern’s permanent records and cannot be returned for any reason. Please do not submit anything that must be viewed or played electronically (e.g. CDs, DVDs, MP3s, online links), that is perishable (e.g. food) or that has been worn (e.g. used clothing). If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
If you are not submitting Essay 3 online, you must provide a brief description of your submission with your online application. To mail in Essay 3, please follow the mail and labeling instructions. Also, note that supplemental Essay 3 packages are subject to size restrictions. Essays that exceed the stated size restrictions will not be accepted for review by the Admissions Committee. Please see the table below for the required package guidelines:
Packaging Type
Dimensions: Metric
Dimensions: Non-metric
Box
36cm x 31cm x 8cm
14” x 12” x 3”
Cylindrical tube
8 cm x 91cm
3” x 36”
Triangular tube
97cm x 16cm x 16 cm x 16 cm
38” x 6” x 6” x 6”
Admissions Tips:
Listen to Isser Gallogly, Executive Director of MBA Admissions, discuss Essay 3 on Public Radio's "Marketplace". (Before listening, note that we now have new Essay 3 size restrictions.)
To see if Stern is a fit for you, come visit us in New York City or visit us overseas.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Every year, I have seen some potential applicants to Stern look at the above questions and simply decide it is better to apply elsewhere. Actually, I have found myself advocating application to Stern as part of a school selection strategy as a result. While Stern's questions are unique, especially Essay 3, they maybe significantly less daunting than what you initially think.
Stern admissions does a very good job of explaining their application. As is written above, listen to their podcasts. If you can attend a presentation at Stern or at least attend an admissions event, that is most helpful because getting into Stern is all about fit.
Consider that in the three required questions above, the one constant feature is Stern. If you look at other top schools essay sets you will not find another one where a 100% of the questions require you to discuss the school. While Essay 1 only refers to Stern in the context of what you will do after it, clearly the assumption here is not that you just need any MBA, but one from Stern. Essay 2 actually consists of three questions about your relationship to Stern. Finally Essay 3 is about how you would introduce yourself to your classmates at Stern.
From an admissions office perspective, I think Stern's "100% fit essays" approach makes quite a bit of sense if you consider that Stern's yield (percentage of accepted students who attend) is 50% among the 22% of total applicants that it accepted in 2006 (all numbers from Businessweek). Compare this to Columbia's yield of 79% on the 17% of students that it accepts, Wharton's yield of 69% on the 21% of students that it accepts, and Harvard Business School's yield of 91% on the 15% of students that it accepts and I think you will begin to see one reason why Stern cares about fit. I am comparing NYU against these other top urban East Coast schools because many applying to those other schools are likely to apply to NYU and because these are the schools that NYU wants to compare itself to. NYU's yield is not bad, in fact it is better than schools than the schools that rank (it is ranked 14th) immediately above it in Businessweek, UCLA (12th) and Cornell (13th), but its yield is significantly lower than schools it is most likely to be compared to, especially Columbia Business School (ranked 10th).
Attending Stern's Admission Event in Tokyo only further convinced me of this. The impression I gathered from both the admissions presentation and the short video that was shown was that Stern places a high value on involvement within its community. At least that was impression that I got.
Given the very clear nature of NYU's instructions, I don't think my own analysis of Essays 1 and 2 is that interesting!
Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
What I really like about this essay is that Stern is doing all the organizational work for you. Lets examine each part.
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
Basically you need to provide an explanation for your career to the present with an emphasis on your current position. Given the space limitations, I don't suggest using more than 1/3 of your word count for this part of the essay. Focus on providing an explanation that would not be clear from simply reviewing your resume. Your motivations should be made clear. If your resume is what you done, this should be about why? and more specifically why are you doing your current job?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
Please see my analysis of Chicago GSB Question 1, which is very much focused on "Why now?" Clearly you need to show why given your present position and future goals, now is the right time to get an MBA.
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?
Use at least 1/3 of your essay to explain both your post-MBA career goal and your long-term career goals. For more about goals formulation, see here and here.
Essay 2. Fit with Stern:
(500 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)
The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about our community: (a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us? (b) How would you contribute to our community as a student? (c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
This essay consists of providing detailed answers to three questions that should show your passion to be part of Stern. Let's examine each part:
(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
Here you need to clearly indicate how you have become informed. Visiting is obviously best, attending their admissions event is also good, and so is making an effort to communicate with students and alums. Obviously reading their website is important, but is rather minimal. Make sure you listened to their podcasts. Making a connection to alum is always a good idea. Be specific about the steps you have taken. Feel free to use names of admissions officers, alums and students that you met.
(b) How would you contribute to our community as a student?
Please see my analysis of contribution questions. Think specifically about how specific parts of your background will add value to other students and the Stern community as a whole.
(c) How will you benefit personally and professionally from the Stern community?
Think as specifically as possible about what you gain from being a part of the Stern COMMUNITY. I capitalize community to emphasize that you should focus at least part of your answer on things outside of classes. You should show the likely ways you think Stern will contribute to your personal and professional development.
Question 3: See here.
Essay 4. Additional Information: (optional)
Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.
If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in this essay.
If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.
If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.
Like the optional question for Chicago GSB and Wharton, this is primarily a place for explaining something potentially negative. If you are a re-applicant, this is where your reapplication essay goes and clearly this should be a very positive and wonderful essay that states clearly how you are much stronger candidate. Under no circumstances include an essay clearly written for another school. Yes, I know that NYU did not ask you write a whole essay about an important leadership experience you had, but since they did not ask for it, we can assume that is not the way they will gauge your potential.
Question? Comments? Email me at adammarkus@gmail.com
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
November 01, 2007
Fall 2008 MBA Contribution Questions: Kellogg, Duke, McCombs, Babson & LBS
In this post I analyze the contribution essay questions for Fall 2008 asked by Northwestern Kellogg, Duke Fuqua, University of Texas-Austin McCombs, Babson Olin, and the London Business School.
MBA programs are looking for students who will make a contribution. And this really makes sense because of the collaborative nature of MBA education. While professors play an important role in the classroom, students learn from each other on a continuous basis both inside and outside of class. It is no surprise that it is easy to find MBAs in record numbers on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook because their education is very much one based on relationship building.
One of the chief functions of an MBA admissions committee is to select people who will be good classmates. The director and the rest of the committee have done their job properly if they have selected students who can work well together, learn from each other, and if these students become alum who value the relationships they initially formed at business school.
There are a number of ways of trying to determine whether someone really "fits" at a particular school, but certainly the most direct thing to do is just ask. One way they ask is by asking applicants why they want to attend. See for example, Chicago GSB Essay 1. It is clearly important that an applicant know what kind of ROI they are expecting from their MBA and they can show why a particular program can provide it. Another way is to ask applicants what they can contribute.
I would argue, in fact, that even if a school does not ask an applicant to tell them what he or she can contribute, the applicant should make that clear, directly if possible, in the essays. Interviews are usually a further opportunity to discuss how one will make a contribution.
Here we will look at essay questions that do in fact require applicants to state very clearly what kind of contributions they can make.
Kellogg
2.) Each of our applicants is unique. Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students. (One to two pages double spaced.)
Within the context of the Kellogg application, essay question 2 is really one of the important places to show why you will fit into this intensely social environment where both personal initiative and the ability to work with others are highly valued. While it would be possible to write on professional topics here, I would suggest not doing so because you can easily do that in Essay Questions 1,3, and 4. One way, I like to think about contribution questions is to use a matrix like the following:
.jpg)
CLICK ON THE ABOVE TO ENLARGE. For an excel version, please email me at adammarkus@gmail.com.
I use the above matrix for all types of contribution questions, modifying the categories to fit the question. When it comes to contribution questions, I think it is important to tell specific stories that highlight specific ways you will add value to your future classmates. Sometimes people write about contributions that don't have any really clear added value and these by definition are not contributions. Yes, you may love reading Science Fiction in your spare time, but it is only a contribution if your experience of reading Science Fiction can be shown to add value to your classmates (Financial forecasting?). Given that Kellogg gives you up to two pages, my suggestion is to actually use this space not simply focus on one thing. Focus on at least two and probably more like three or four. When you think about what to select here, closely consider what you are writing in the other essays and use this space to help Kellogg learn even more about you. Given that essay question 3 is focused on leadership experiences, only discuss leadership skills in essay question 2 if they are points in addition to what you cover in essay question 3.
Duke Fuqua
Short Answer Essay Question 2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture? (1 page)
Fuqua is very clear that this space is to be used for non-work activities. It really is quite similar to Kellogg in that respect, but is limited to a single page. What I like about the Fuqua version is that it is very clear that you need to focus on ways you will add value. It is a shorter version than Kellogg, but do keep in mind that you will also be writing Long Essay 2. which is also a kind of contribution question:
How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (There is no restriction on the length of your response for the two long essay questions. Applicants typically use between 500 and 750 words for long essays one and two.)
I actually think it is somewhat easy to differentiate between these two essays because Short Answer 2 is really focused on specific ways that you will add value, while Long Answer 2 is focused simply on what makes you unique.
Some people really become perplexed, paralyzed or otherwise unhappy when asked to state what makes them unique, but if you follow Duke's question, you will see that there is no cause for alarm. The objective in Long Answer 2 is to really give admissions insight into who you are, not what you have done (you can do that in Short Answer 2 and in Long Answer 1). Think about what positive characteristics about yourself make you the kind of person that other people want to be around. Also keep in mind that while Duke really does want to understand your background, an overemphasis on the negative is not likely to be effective. That said, writing about obstacles that you have overcome in the past can be great way to show some really positive characteristics.
McCombs
Keep in mind that for some schools like the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, MBA students are directly involved in admissions decisions, so explaining how you will contribute to your fellow students is no hypothetical issue.
At the McCombs School of Business, you will be part of an active and diverse community. Referencing your personal strengths and unique experience, how will you enrich the McCombs community during your two years in the program? Limit: 500 words
The question itself is not different from Kellogg, but given the limited size of the application you may find it useful to mention something professional that you could not express elsewhere. That said you should make every effort to include sufficient personal content so that the students at McCombs know why you should be part of their school. Japanese applicants (and anyone else who can read Japanese) should most certainly take a look at http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ayustat9.
Babson
Taken from the pdf application:
(3) What unique contributions will you bring to the Babson community that will enhance the value of the classroom experience for your classmates?
Babson's question is not so different from McCombs, but there is a difference: Given the fact that Babson is focused primarily on entrepreneurship, you should make sure that at least some of the unique contributions you make based on either your personal or professional background clearly relate to entrepreneurship. Use this essay to help admissions understand the fit between you and an MBA program for future entrepreneurs.
London Business School
Taken from the word version of the questions:
Question 3 (500 words)
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your study group, and how do you intend to contribute to it?
This question is like Duke Short Answer A very focused on specific ways you will add value and more particularly based on your team experiences. In 500 words, you should try to cover two to three different aspects of your team experiences. One possible mix might be one recent professional team experience, one experience during your university years, and one relating to a current extracurricular activity. In addition to wanting to know about your team experiences and how they will add value to other students, London Business School wants to know how you will contribute to the school as a whole:
Question 4 (400 words)
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself leading? How would you set about becoming involved in a leadership position and how would you align and communicate the goals and vision for the club to the wider School community?
This question is certainly not like the more standard contribution questions above because it is completely future focused, whereas the typical contribution question is about showing how the past will be utilized for the future. Here you should certainly explain why you would want to lead a particular club or event and while this may relate to the past, you should really use this essay to show what you want to gain from LBS. In fact, this question is both about what you will contribute and what you will learn/experience at LBS. Effective answers to this question require solid knowledge about LBS, so that you can think really practically about your answer to this question. Keep in mind that this question is not really very hypothetical because students are expected to get leadership experience through clubs and events.
Finally, London Business School clearly put a huge emphasis on teams and participation in the life of the school, so in both essays make sure that you are showing that you are the kind of person who will take initiative.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
MBA programs are looking for students who will make a contribution. And this really makes sense because of the collaborative nature of MBA education. While professors play an important role in the classroom, students learn from each other on a continuous basis both inside and outside of class. It is no surprise that it is easy to find MBAs in record numbers on social networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook because their education is very much one based on relationship building.
One of the chief functions of an MBA admissions committee is to select people who will be good classmates. The director and the rest of the committee have done their job properly if they have selected students who can work well together, learn from each other, and if these students become alum who value the relationships they initially formed at business school.
There are a number of ways of trying to determine whether someone really "fits" at a particular school, but certainly the most direct thing to do is just ask. One way they ask is by asking applicants why they want to attend. See for example, Chicago GSB Essay 1. It is clearly important that an applicant know what kind of ROI they are expecting from their MBA and they can show why a particular program can provide it. Another way is to ask applicants what they can contribute.
I would argue, in fact, that even if a school does not ask an applicant to tell them what he or she can contribute, the applicant should make that clear, directly if possible, in the essays. Interviews are usually a further opportunity to discuss how one will make a contribution.
Here we will look at essay questions that do in fact require applicants to state very clearly what kind of contributions they can make.
Kellogg
2.) Each of our applicants is unique. Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students. (One to two pages double spaced.)
Within the context of the Kellogg application, essay question 2 is really one of the important places to show why you will fit into this intensely social environment where both personal initiative and the ability to work with others are highly valued. While it would be possible to write on professional topics here, I would suggest not doing so because you can easily do that in Essay Questions 1,3, and 4. One way, I like to think about contribution questions is to use a matrix like the following:
.jpg)
CLICK ON THE ABOVE TO ENLARGE. For an excel version, please email me at adammarkus@gmail.com.
I use the above matrix for all types of contribution questions, modifying the categories to fit the question. When it comes to contribution questions, I think it is important to tell specific stories that highlight specific ways you will add value to your future classmates. Sometimes people write about contributions that don't have any really clear added value and these by definition are not contributions. Yes, you may love reading Science Fiction in your spare time, but it is only a contribution if your experience of reading Science Fiction can be shown to add value to your classmates (Financial forecasting?). Given that Kellogg gives you up to two pages, my suggestion is to actually use this space not simply focus on one thing. Focus on at least two and probably more like three or four. When you think about what to select here, closely consider what you are writing in the other essays and use this space to help Kellogg learn even more about you. Given that essay question 3 is focused on leadership experiences, only discuss leadership skills in essay question 2 if they are points in addition to what you cover in essay question 3.
Duke Fuqua
Short Answer Essay Question 2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture? (1 page)
Fuqua is very clear that this space is to be used for non-work activities. It really is quite similar to Kellogg in that respect, but is limited to a single page. What I like about the Fuqua version is that it is very clear that you need to focus on ways you will add value. It is a shorter version than Kellogg, but do keep in mind that you will also be writing Long Essay 2. which is also a kind of contribution question:
How has your personal history and family background influenced your intellectual and personal development? What unique personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (There is no restriction on the length of your response for the two long essay questions. Applicants typically use between 500 and 750 words for long essays one and two.)
I actually think it is somewhat easy to differentiate between these two essays because Short Answer 2 is really focused on specific ways that you will add value, while Long Answer 2 is focused simply on what makes you unique.
Some people really become perplexed, paralyzed or otherwise unhappy when asked to state what makes them unique, but if you follow Duke's question, you will see that there is no cause for alarm. The objective in Long Answer 2 is to really give admissions insight into who you are, not what you have done (you can do that in Short Answer 2 and in Long Answer 1). Think about what positive characteristics about yourself make you the kind of person that other people want to be around. Also keep in mind that while Duke really does want to understand your background, an overemphasis on the negative is not likely to be effective. That said, writing about obstacles that you have overcome in the past can be great way to show some really positive characteristics.
McCombs
Keep in mind that for some schools like the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business, MBA students are directly involved in admissions decisions, so explaining how you will contribute to your fellow students is no hypothetical issue.
At the McCombs School of Business, you will be part of an active and diverse community. Referencing your personal strengths and unique experience, how will you enrich the McCombs community during your two years in the program? Limit: 500 words
The question itself is not different from Kellogg, but given the limited size of the application you may find it useful to mention something professional that you could not express elsewhere. That said you should make every effort to include sufficient personal content so that the students at McCombs know why you should be part of their school. Japanese applicants (and anyone else who can read Japanese) should most certainly take a look at http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/ayustat9.
Babson
Taken from the pdf application:
(3) What unique contributions will you bring to the Babson community that will enhance the value of the classroom experience for your classmates?
Babson's question is not so different from McCombs, but there is a difference: Given the fact that Babson is focused primarily on entrepreneurship, you should make sure that at least some of the unique contributions you make based on either your personal or professional background clearly relate to entrepreneurship. Use this essay to help admissions understand the fit between you and an MBA program for future entrepreneurs.
London Business School
Taken from the word version of the questions:
Question 3 (500 words)
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your study group, and how do you intend to contribute to it?
This question is like Duke Short Answer A very focused on specific ways you will add value and more particularly based on your team experiences. In 500 words, you should try to cover two to three different aspects of your team experiences. One possible mix might be one recent professional team experience, one experience during your university years, and one relating to a current extracurricular activity. In addition to wanting to know about your team experiences and how they will add value to other students, London Business School wants to know how you will contribute to the school as a whole:
Question 4 (400 words)
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself leading? How would you set about becoming involved in a leadership position and how would you align and communicate the goals and vision for the club to the wider School community?
This question is certainly not like the more standard contribution questions above because it is completely future focused, whereas the typical contribution question is about showing how the past will be utilized for the future. Here you should certainly explain why you would want to lead a particular club or event and while this may relate to the past, you should really use this essay to show what you want to gain from LBS. In fact, this question is both about what you will contribute and what you will learn/experience at LBS. Effective answers to this question require solid knowledge about LBS, so that you can think really practically about your answer to this question. Keep in mind that this question is not really very hypothetical because students are expected to get leadership experience through clubs and events.
Finally, London Business School clearly put a huge emphasis on teams and participation in the life of the school, so in both essays make sure that you are showing that you are the kind of person who will take initiative.
Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com.
-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス
ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 合格対策 エッセイ MBA留学
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