How much do I really need to know about an MBA program to prepare a strong application for it? It varies!

 My clients frequently ask me how much time they have to invest in learning about the MBA programs they will be applying to. That is, how many live or online information sessions, how many alumni and/or current students do they need to contact, and how much do they need to master the school's curriculum and other offerings to write their applications? Now that Covid is over, some also ask if they should go visit the school.

 

Keep in mind that I am not discussing school selection here. This post assumes you know why you want to go to a school, not whether you do or not. This issue you confront is one of time management with respect to demonstrating your knowledge and engagement with the school in the application.

 

My simple answer is that at the application stage it varies greatly. Some schools require an immense amount of work to just learn about them while others only require a moderate amount and some require very little. Some schools have essays that require knowing a lot about the school, others don't. Some have app forms that really require one to either show lack of engagement or show you went in deep. For some schools visiting can be very helpful, for others it is not critical.

 

 

Here is a summary of what I discuss in great detail below:

Schools that require minimal  knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application: HBS MBA, Yale SOM

Schools that require a moderate level of school knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application: INSEAD, ISB, MIT Sloan,

Schools that require high knowledge and at least moderate engagement to submit a strong application: Booth, HBS Joint Degree, HEC, Kellogg, Michigan Ross, NYU Stern,  Stanford GSB, Tuck, UC Berkeley Haas, Wharton

Schools were high knowledge and engagement is recommended to submit a strong application: Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua,  IESE London Business School, Stanford MSx, UCLA Anderson, Wharton Lauder

 

 

Of course, at the interview stage, an applicant should have effective answers to such common questions as Why this school?  How will you contribute to this school's community? Have you talked with any alumni or current students?  But the interview stage is the interview stage and the application stage is the application stage and one can usually make up for lack of knowledge or engagement between these two stages.

AT THE INTERVIEW STAGE (AFTER YOU SUBMITTED YOUR APPLICATION)  FOR ANY SCHOOL, I CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING GOOD GENERAL ADVICE:

-I highly recommend engagement with at least one alumni or current student (absolute minimum and not sufficient for some schools discussed below) from any program that you will applying to and attending at least one online info session.

-You should know what courses and other activities you want to participate in. For schools where you had essays that answered such questions, this is easier to prep for. If schools that don't require such detailed and well structured analysis at the application stage, you need to do your research at the interview stage.

This will help when answering common interview questions: How did you learn about the program? Did you talk with alumni or current students? How will you contribute to the school's community? Why do you want to attend this program?

 

 

NOW BACK TO THE APPLICATION STAGE:

While I am great believer in becoming an informed applicant, I am also highly pragmatic. I never try to make my clients waste their time on something unnecessary when they have so much to do.  So it very helpful to know where one must best allocate their time and when.

 

 

This rest of this post consists of two parts. The first is on the criteria for assessing the level of school knowledge and engagement required and the second is a categorized discussion of specific schools.

 

PART ONE: Criteria for Assessing the Level of School Knowledge and of Engagement Required at the Time of Application:

-Essays

-Application Form

-Importance and Timing of School Visits

 

1. Essays: At the heart of any answer to this question is knowing to what extent you need to know about the school to make effective essays.

A high level of knowledge is required if the school has essays that require the applicant to provide a detailed explanation on how the MBA program will help them achieve their goals and/or how they will contribute  to the school while attending the program.

A moderate level of knowledge is required if the essays refer to the school's values, but don't ask you discuss the content of the program in any detail and/or has essays that don't necessarily mention the school, but offer the opportunity to mention it if you so desire.

A minimal level of knowledge is required if the essays don't require talking about the school: The school's essay(s) prompt(s) mention nothing about why this school or how you will contribute to it. In some cases, the essays are very short and have prompts that would seem to exclude discussing the school.

 

2. Application Form: Without consideration for what you know, schools have variable levels of interest in understanding your extent of engagement with them at the time of making an application.

A high level of engagement  is required if the school has application form questions that specifically ask if you had contact with admissions staff, alumni, or current students and want names and possibly additional information about your level of engagement.

A moderate level of engagement  is required if the school asks if you attended an information session in the form of a yes/no question on the application form.

A minimal level of  engagement is required if the school asks nothing in the application form about engagement with the school.

 

3. Importance and Timing of School Visits:

As you will see, this is a real mixed bag of exceptions and complications.

No school expects you to visit. This is especially true since Covid.  While a small number of schools granted clear advantage to visiting in the past in terms of a guaranteed  interview on-campus, now such schools have remote interview options.

Still visiting is useful to a variable degree depending on the school. Lets consider a few factors:

 

Your Proximity to the School:

-If you live close to a school you want to attend, you should visit. Hence anyone living in London who is applying to Cambridge, LBS, and Oxford and can't bother visiting looks rather lazy. Or if you are living in NYC and intend to apply to CBS, NYU, Wharton and Yale, you should certainly visit.  Exceptions to this statement:  Real lack of time based on work or personal issues, limited financial resources, and/or physical disability.

 

-If you don't live close to the school but can take the time and have the money to visit, you should to the extent that it can be helpful for school selection, writing your essays,  for interview preparation, or giving you the opportunity connect deeply with admissions and current students.

 

-For schools in more remote locations (Cornell Johnson and Dartmouth Tuck are the most notable in this respect. I have visited both and it is inconvenient to do so.), visiting is especially helpful because it will give you a great opportunity to engage with admissions and current students and just visiting is proof of your real interest in the program. I have found it especially helpful for candidates with less than stellar overall profiles (test score or GPA issues for example) to go visit in order to make a strong personal impression on admissions.

 

Acceptance Rates:

With the notable exceptions of CBS, LBS and Wharton, I think a general rule of thumb is that the lower a school's acceptance rate, the less important it is to visit and the higher the acceptance rate, the more important it is to visit. In this sense, I think HBS and Stanford GSB are the least important schools to visit because visiting has zero impact on the outcome.  One needs to learn about GSB to write Essay B, but that does not require a visit. Everybody loves Stanford, so telling them that means nothing.

 

On the other CBS and Wharton need to feel your love. Wharton's HBS and Stanford inferiority complex and CBS's HSW complex must be assuaged. Visiting is surely one very good way to do that.

 

Moreover, CBS and LBS have application forms like no other schools with respect to reporting on your level of engagement with adcom, alumni and current students.  So visiting is a great way to show super high level engagement. Just keep track of the students you talked with!

 

For schools with acceptance rates of 20% or more (meaning most US schools and all European programs), visiting is a way to signal that you have a real strong interest in the program and are likely to attend.  Especially for applicants with problematic test scores and/or grades, a visit can be impactful if you can get one-on-one time with admissions.

 

Timing of Visit:

 

-Visit the school when it is in session. Visiting when the students are on holiday and all you can do is talk with admissions is better than nothing, but it is not very effective because you will have not visited a class or engaged with current students. If you have serious one-on-one time with an actual admissions officer that makes visiting at any time significant, but keep in mind that not all schools will make that possible.

 

-For schools with an invitation-only interview policy, visiting prior to submitting your application is ideal. However R1 deadline timing may make that impossible. In such circumstances if you do choose to visit prior to interviewing indicate in your application that you will be visiting if you are comfortable stating that and make sure to connect with adcom when you visit.

 

-Visiting when you interview. If possible make sure you can do a substantive visit to the school prior to the timing of your interview so that you can use what you learned during the visit in your interview.

• Warning: It is not always an advantage to interview on-campus. For instance at HBS, if you are coming from specific regions that has the same adcom member almost every round visiting your regional hub, it is advantageous to interview at the hub because you can predict the interviewer's likely line of questioning, but if you interview on-campus, you will not know who the interviewer is until you actually interview.  Another example, especially if you are a non-native English speaker and have a choice between a local alumni you might prefer that to interviewing on-campus with a 2nd year student.

 

 

PART TWO:   CATEGORIZED ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC SCHOOLS

ALWAYS KNOW YOU CAN GO BEYOND THE MINIMUM. BUT IF YOU ARE FACED WITH TIME ALLOCATION CRUNCH, BE AWARE OF WHICH SCHOOLS REQUIRE MORE OF YOUR TIME!

 

Schools that require minimal knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

-Essays that don't require talking about the school: The essays prompts mention nothing about Why this school or how you will contribute to it. In some cases, the essays are very short and have prompts that would seem to exclude discussing the school.

-You should know what the school is looking for in terms of applicant criteria, but you don't need to have an extensive understanding of course offerings or other aspects of the program and mentioning alumni or current students is rather useless unless they play a key role in your story and are not mere name dropping.

-No place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions,  alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but does not want a list of alumni or current students you had contact with.

-Visiting prior to the application deadline is not likely to matter as the app is not even accounting for it.

Schools that fit into this category

 

HBS MBA: Even in many interviews, HBS adcom interviewers don't ask Why HBS?  Most successful applications to HBS that I see whether from my own clients or from interview-only clients usually discuss HBS minimally if at all. HBS app form does not ask if you attended an information session.  HBS has made it clear for years that they want to learn about applicants, not HBS, in the essays. HBS KNOWS YOU WANT TO ATTEND HBS, SO THEY DON'T ASK WHY.  That is what means to be HBS. BOTTOM LINE: DON'T WASTE TIME ON NETWORKING FOR THIS SCHOOL, UNDERSTAND ITS CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION (see my blog post on HBS for an extensive discussion of that)  AND WHY YOU FIT, AND SPEND AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE ON WRITING A GREAT ESSAY ABOUT YOU.  UPPERCASE SCREAMING EMPHASIZED. :) If you are applying for a joint degree, you will need to know more the program to write the joint degree essay and that it is why it categorized differently from the MBA program.

 

Yale SOM:  America's two most elite East Coast schools share a lack of focus on discussion of the school in the application form.  Given the 150 word Career Interests statement (Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward?), the last part of the question about what you need going forward should surely refer at least briefly to Yale, but clearly there is no place here for much beyond a sentence on why Yale. It is also possible that you could discuss Yale briefly in the main essay, but certainly not required and in many/most cases it would be unlikely to fit in a way that will not look forced and cliche.  If you are a reapplicant, the 200 reap essay is not at all focused on why Yale (Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities.), so unless your update involves doing something Yale specific, it is not likely that this essay will discuss Yale.  The main essay really does not focus on why MBA or Why Yale, so not really a place to mention that there.  App form does not include any questions on attendance at info sessions.

Having recently visited Yale for a second time this year, I have to say that I can easily see what has climbed in the ranks. With an amazing unique integrated first-year curriculum, total flexibility in the second year, a super building (we will not discuss their old one) and an amazing network, Yale is, in my mind, the only school that might eventually require rebranding the M7, the M8.

 

 

 

Schools that require a moderate level of school knowledge and engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

-Essays that refer to the school's values, but don't ask you discuss the content of the program in any detail.

 

-Essays that don't necessarily mention the school, but offer the opportunity to mention it if you so desire.

 

-No place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions,  alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but does not ask for a list of alumni or current students you had contact with.

 

Common Schools that fit into this category:

 

INSEAD: Arguably INSEAD could fit into the first category but given an open-ended optional essay that can be used for something positive, like how you will contribute to the school, how you learned about the program, or why you fit at INSEAD (especially important for those who lack international experience),  I place it in this category.  The app form does not ask for any information on your contact with INSEAD alumni, current students, or the admissions office. That said, I highly encourage my clients to interact with INSEAD admissions, alumni and current students so they know they will fit. Here in Japan, the INSEAD Alumni Association Japan, of which I am a Board Member (Executive Masters alumnus), has bimonthly drink get togethers that are open to applicants.  I can't think of an easier way to meet alumni then over drinks. INSEAD also does excellent applicant outreach to help potential applicants assess their fit for the school, but this will not have a bearing on the outcome. Keep in mind that the actual admissions committee for INSEAD consists of a changing committee of faculty and alumni who are not public about their role.

 

ISB: Only the supposed Optional Essay (not really optional in my opinion) requires knowing anything about ISB: Given your previous experience and future aspirations, how do you plan to use the PGP at ISB to fulfil your professional goals? Note: It is not necessary for you to write this essay. Please use this space only if there is something really significant that you would like us to know. This "optional essay" requires having a basic understanding of the program and relating it to goals. That kind of information is easily obtained from the website and an information session.  With respect to the main essays, you don't need to know about ISB.  In fact Essay 1 (Provide an honest portrayal of yourself, emphasizing your strengths and weaknesses. Highlight the key elements that have shaped your personal journey. Give relevant illustrations as needed. ) and Essay 2 (Contemplate two distinct situations—one where you experienced success and another where you faced failure. Delve into the personal and interpersonal lessons you learned from these instances.) are on topics that really don't require knowing about ISB. No app form questions on contact with ISB alumni, current students, or admissions.  

 

 

MIT:  The Cover Letter requires that you know why you fit at MIT, not why MIT fits you. Hence you need to understand MIT at the level of its values. Since they don't ask about goals or why MIT in this 300 word essay, you really don't need to know about the school in detail.  The 1 minute video is on introducing yourself to your classmates and does not require knowing about the program. As as long as you are familiar with the term "Sloanies" you should be good to go.  The application asks Y/N if you attended an info session, so attend one!

 

 

 

Schools that require high knowledge and at least moderate engagement to submit a strong application are characterized by the following:

 

-Essays that require you know about the program. Wharton's two required essays both are examples of two common question types that require knowing a lot about the school:

Essay 1: 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)

Essay 2: Essay 2: 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)

You can't answer either of these questions without knowing quite a lot about the school.  Wharton is pretty extreme since they ask both types of questions. It was as though they had a complex about being loved or something.

 

Limited or no place in the application form for mentioning detailed prior contact with admissions, alumni or current students. The school may ask if you attended an information but  usually does not ask for a list of alumni or current students you had contact with. If they do ask for that and I have placed it in this category is is because you only really need to talk with one student or alumnus (just UCB here).

 

Schools that fit into this category:

Booth: Essay 1 requires knowing a lot about this school. Given that Booth has only one required course (LEAD) and 5 subject area requirements and is thus the most flexible program around, providing a plan on how you will focus your two years of study is a good idea.  While not required it is also possible to refer to contributions in Essay 2, especially to non-professional clubs and activities at Booth. App form asks  Yes/No about attending information event and a drop box about your source of primary info about Booth. So attend an info session for sure!

 

 

 

HBS Joint Degree: Unlike the MBA program where no information about HBS is required, anyone doing a joint degree certainly needs to understand more about both degree programs in order to write an effective joint degree essay:

Joint program applicants for the Harvard Medical School, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Harvard Law School, and Harvard Kennedy School must provide an additional essay: How do you expect the joint degree experience to benefit you on both a professional and a personal level? (400 words) OR Essay Question: The MS/MBA program is focused on design, innovation, and entrepreneurship within a technical/engineering context. Describe your past experiences in these areas and your reasons for pursuing a program with this focus. (Recommended: 500 words)

HINT: If you are confused about whether to apply for a joint degree or not and have limited time, don't and just apply for the HBS You MBA program.

 

 

HEC:   You certainly need to know about HEC to do Essay 1: Why are you applying to the HEC MBA Program now? What is the professional objective that will guide your career choice after your MBA, and how will the HEC MBA contribute to the achievement of this objective? App form asks you where you first heard about HEC (if alum, asks for name) but does not ask for details of info sessions or overall contact with HEC students/alumni.

 

Kellogg: In prior years they would have fit into the previous category but they now have a contribution question so they fit into this category. See my essay analysis for that. If you are a reapplicant, you may also be able to mention Kellogg related content and engagement there as well. Still Kellogg asks no app form questions about contact with the school.  You may also encounter a video essay that requires explaining why Kellogg but as this is a 1 minute video, the amount you can say will be limited.  The real prep on why Kellogg itself is certainly required for the interview.

 

Michigan Ross: Based on essay content, you really don't need to know anything about Ross, but I am placing Ross in the category because of the following app form question (bottom of page 3): Contact with Ross School of Business: Have you attended any Ross events (online or in person) or been in contact with a member of the Ross community in the past year? If so, please list event and location, and/or contact name and association with Ross. Please also share any referrals to the Ross program made by staff or alumni. Ross gives an effectively unlimited length text box for this.  DO NOT WRITE AN ESSAY!!  Just give them the facts of your engagement with members of the Ross community in the form of a list.  While there is nothing that requires one to have extensive contact with Ross community, significant engagement (talk with adcom, at least a couple of students and/or alumni) would be a safe minimum to convey that you are not just applying to this school as a safety choice. The Ross 150 word essay on goals (What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you?) certainly does not require discussing Ross and at most one could possibly include a sentence on that, though it is hardly necessary.

 

NYU Stern: This school barely fits this category and almost belongs in the prior one. While the Stern app has a bunch of checkbox questions on how you learned about the program, these amount to marketing questions and don't ask for any specific details of who you engaged with. The reason I put it here is that you need to know a bit about Stern to answer the following essay:

Change: Dare It. Dream It. Drive It. In today’s global business environment, the only constant is change. Using NYU Stern’s brand call to action, we want to know how you view change. Change: _____ it. Fill in the blank with a word of your choice. Why does this word resonate with you? How will you embrace your own personal tagline while at Stern? Examples:

• Change: Dare it.
• Change: Dream it.
• Change: Drive it.
• Change: Empower it.
• Change: Manifest it.
• Change: [Any word of your choice] it.

However, the essay is only 350 words, so you just have room here to discuss a few things about Stern.  Not much room in the application for name dropping, so save that for an interview. Stern wants to learn about you as a person based on the other main essay (6 things)  and the EQ endorsements but clearly they are not asking for something highly detailed regarding the school here.

 

Stanford GSB: The MBA program has no application questions regarding interaction  with admissions, students, or alumni, but if you are applying to MSx, see the next section.  Essay B (Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.) certainly requires that know why you want to attend GSB and this involves research and deep thinking about how the program will help you achieve..  I don't view name dropping of alumni or current students as very helpful here because the school really wants to learn about how you want to use them. Feel free to visit Stanford, but if you think this will impact the outcome you are delusional.  Don't waste your word count on the trivial or obvious but use it to showcase how you would specifically utilize Stanford.

 

Tuck:  I had anticipated placing Tuck in the next category because I do think engagement with at least a couple of alumni or current students (and if viable a school visit) is important, the application form itself does not require you to indicate all your points of contact with Tuck. Hence as long the two (out of three required)  300 word essays (Why are you pursuing an MBA and why now? How will the distinct Tuck MBA contribute to achieving your career goals and aspirations? AND  Tell us who you are. How have your values and experiences shaped your identity and character? How will your background contribute to the diverse Tuck culture and community?) highlight your big Tuck knowledge, you should be fine.  I do recommend name dropping of an alumnus or current student or two in one or both of these essays.  I think the school is best categorized here, but maybe this is my most controversial categorization.

 

UC Berkeley Haas:

While Essay #2 How will an MBA help you achieve your short-term and long-term career goals? (300 words maximum) certainly requires some knowledge of why Haas is right for (only an idiot would provide a generic why MBA answer to this question), it is not a very long question so there is limited space for this. What makes  me want to place this one in this category is the application form question:

HOW YOU HEARD ABOUT US

Have you recently had significant interaction with a current student or alum?

Yes

No

If applicable, please indicate with whom you have spoken.

The reason I have included Haas here and not in the next category is because they are not asking for multiple students or alumni and otherwise not asking for the kind of extensive details schools in the next section require.

 

 

Wharton: As discussed above the regular Wharton MBA essays require extensive knowledge of the school. It  fits into this category  and not the next one because the application form does not require any information about attending info sessions, alumni, or student contact. That said, I  recommend a lot of contact with Wharton students and alumni though it is not actually necessary if an applicant takes the time to dig deep into Wharton's online content. See the next section for Wharton Lauder.

 

 

Schools were high knowledge engagement is recommended to submit a strong application have one major thing in common: A specific place in the application for mentioning contact with admissions, alumni or current students that asks for details.  In the case of Columbia Business School, Duke,  IESE,  London Business School, and UCLA Anderson this can be found in the application form.  In the case of Stanford MSx and Wharton Lauder, the reason they fit here is because of the level of interaction you should have with admissions prior to applying.

 

Columbia Business School: While Columbia's 250 word Essay 3 (We believe Columbia Business School is a special place. CBS proudly fosters a collaborative learning environment through curricular experiences like our clusters and learning teams, an extremely active co-curricular and student life environment, and career mentorship opportunities like our Executives-in-Residence program. Why do you feel Columbia Business School is a good fit for you academically, culturally, and professionally? Please be specific) does not require extensive engagement to write effectively, the app form does. Welcome to one of the most detailed app forms with respect to your level of engagement with adcom, alumni, and current students.

 

Columbia Business School Contact

Have you ever spoken with a Columbia Business School Program Representative or attended an admissions-sponsored event?

YesNo

Please specify admissions staff or alumni with whom you have spoken or what event you have attended.

Do you know any current students at Columbia Business School?

YesNo

Please name these individuals:

 

NOTE:  The boxes for detailed info appear only if you check YES. 

 

The great thing about this app form content is that frees one up from needing to mention alumni or current students in Essay 3 because there is a specific place in the application to provide such details.  You should certainly contact a student (or more than one) via the Hermes Society. In addition, I would recommend reaching out to alumni as well as current students who are officers in the clubs you are interested in. I would consider listing at least two and ideally 4 or more current students and alumni in the app form.

 

 

Duke Fuqua:  You want to show your deep interest in Duke, a school that is typically treated by clients as a safety or backup.

Essay 2- Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? (500 words maximum).- certainly requires that you know about the program. You should feel free to name drop the at least couple of alumni or current students you engaged with. If you have visited certainly work that into this essay.

The App form asks for your specified engagement with Duke and highly recommend you have it.

---THIS IS LONG------

How did you first hear about The Fuqua School of Business? Specify in the text boxes provided as needed. (Use the 'Ctrl' key, or 'Cmd' key for Mac users, to select multiple.)

 

Admit.me AccessAlumnus/alumna (specify)ColleagueCollege FairCurrent College's Career Services TeamCurrent Student (specify)Employer/HR/Company ReferralFacebookFamily Member/FriendForte FoundationFuqua Faculty Member (specify)Fuqua Information SessionFuqua WebsiteFuqua’s New Ideas CompetitionInstagramInternet SearchLinkedInManagement Leadership for TomorrowMBA FairMBA ForumMilitary MBAMulti-School Information SessionNational Name ExchangeNon-Fuqua FacultyOff-campus Fuqua Information SessionOnline AdvertisementOther (specify)Other Duke ProgramOther Website (specify)Poets & QuantsPosse FoundationPrint AdvertisementRankingsReaching Out MBARedditService to School (S2S)TikTokTwitterUndergraduate Academic/Career AdvisorVirtual Information Session

---

What sources of information encouraged you to apply to The Fuqua School of Business? Specify in the text boxes provided as needed. (Use the 'Ctrl' key, or 'Cmd' key for Mac users, to select multiple.)

 

Admissions Officer (specify)Admit.me AccessAlumnus/alumna (specify)Availability of Merit AidCampus Visit/Open HouseCASE Initiative on Impact Investing (CASE i3)Center for Energy Development and the Global Environment (EDGE)Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE)Class ProfileCoffee ChatColleagueCollege FairConcentrationsCurrent Student (specify)CurriculumDuke Innovation & EntrepreneurshipEmployer/HR/Company ReferralFamily Member/FriendFinancial Aid/Loan OptionsFuqua Faculty Member (specify)Fuqua Information SessionFuqua's Career Services TeamFuqua’s New Ideas CompetitionGlobal Learning OpportunitiesHealth Sector ManagementIntegration of Technology in CoursesInternational Applicant SymposiumLocation/Geographic Setting of CampusManagement Leadership for TomorrowMilitary MBANational Name ExchangeNon-Fuqua FacultyOff-campus Fuqua Information SessionOther (specify)Other Website (specify)Previous ApplicantPride WeekendProgram FormatQuality of FacultyRankingsReputation of SchoolResources for Significant Others/ChildrenSchool Culture/CommunityService to School (S2S)Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator at Duke (SEAD)Strength in a Particular Functional AreaStrength of Alumni NetworkStrength of Elective OfferingsThe Fuqua/Coach K Center on Leadership and Ethics (COLE)TikTokTotal Cost (tuition and fees)Undergraduate Academic/Career AdvisorVeterans SymposiumWomen's Leadership WeekendWorkshop for Minority Applicants

---------------------------------------------------

If you really want to be a part of Team Fuqua you had better show them big love.

 

 

IESE: IESE's app form certainly asks in detail about your engagement with the school and its community:

----THIS IS LONG------

a. Please indicate the source(s) of your first interest in IESE's MBA Program, and briefly elaborate on individual's name, title of publication, location, date, etc.

Label

 

 IESE Alumni recommendation

 

NameLabel

 

 

ProgramLabel

 

AMPCAIRODDEDPMEEMBAGEMBAGPMDIFDPINCOMBAPADEPDDPDGPhDPMD

 

YearLabel

 

19601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030

 

Label

 

 Current IESE Student recommendation

 

NameLabel

 

 

ProgramLabel

 

AMPCAIRODDEDPMEEMBAGEMBAGPMDIFDPINCOMBAPADEPDDPDGPhDPMD

 

YearLabel

 

19601961196219631964196519661967196819691970197119721973197419751976197719781979198019811982198319841985198619871988198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024202520262027202820292030

 

Label

 

 IESE Professor recommendation

 

Name 1:Label

 

 

Name 2:Label

 

 

Label

 

 Personal or Professional recommendation

 

Name 1:Label

 

 

Name 2:Label

 

 

Label

 

 MBA Event (Please refer to part b․)

 

Label

 

 Internet

 

Label

 

 Press

 

Label

 

 Other

 

Label

 

 MBA Fair

 

 

b. IESE Business School Event

Have you attended an IESE Business School Event?Label

 

No

Yes, check which event(s) below:

 

IESE Business School Event

Label

 

 Alumni event

 

Label

 

 Information Session/Case Study Presentation

 

Label

 

 Open Day

 

Label

 

 Interview Day

 

Label

 

 Online MBA event

 

Label

 

 Campus visit

 

 

c. Have you visited the IESE Barcelona Campus?

Label

 

Yes

No

 

Specify date:

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Given that level of detail and based on my own conversations with IESE admissions, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND extensive engagement with admissions, current students, and alumni. If visiting is viable and this is a high priority school for you, consider doing so.

The essay is short but does require you to know about the program: Career Goals Essay: What are your short-term and mid-term post-MBA goals? How will the IESE MBA program help you achieve them? (word limit 300 max).

 

 

London Business School:  While CBS and IESE might seem to ask a lot of questions about engagement, LBS is really in its own category for this. This is because of its MANY app form questions:

App form questions:

-How did you first hear about London Business School? (Max 200 characters)

-How did you hear about this programme? (Max 100 characters)

-Have you attended an event on or off campus, or online where you met with representatives from the school? If yes, please tell us when, where and who you met. If you know any London Business School Alumni or Students, please give their names, graduating class and tell us how you know them. (300 words max)

-We encourage applicants to take into consideration the impact of study on family and friends. Who have you discussed your plans with and what was the response? (300 words max)

No other school is asking for this level of detail.  That is why I highly encourage any client who wants to attend LBS to engage in extensive networking with current students and alumni, to visit if it not an undue burden and the timing is right, and to attend information sessions.  A critical key to getting admitted to this school is showing you want to attend and have taken a lot of time to learn about the program. Try to talk to at least two alumni and two current students but the more, the better.

 

You must show deep engagement through the above in addition to what you write in the essays below:

Question 1 (500 words): What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these?

This essay requires knowing about LBS at the same level as schools in the previous category like Wharton or Booth. Keep in mind that since you have to alumni and current name drop heavily in the application questions above, you don't need to do that in this essay.

Question 2 (500 words): (This question is optional) Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School?

In theory this essay need not be written but I always advise clients to write it, unlike most of the US schools that want positive essay content, but just the discussion of problems, LBS is giving you the opportunity to tell them more.  Given their extensive essay-like content in the application form, including a question on academic performance, you should use this essay to give them additional reasons to admit you.  Most of my  LBS admits use this either for a contribution essay like Wharton Essay 2 above or to highlight one or more major accomplishments that they could not communicate in the application form in any detail but want to highlight. Of course, discussion of any problems can always be mentioned here and it is fine to use the 500 words for multiple and distinct purposes.

 

Also note that the alumni interviewer at LBS will have full access to your application, so it is important they see a high level of engagement in the application.

 

There is not any significant difference between applying to LBS in R1 versus R2, so if you are finding you don't have enough time to do a high level of engagement with students and alumni in R1, it is better to apply in R2.

 

UCLA Anderson: SURPRISE! I bet you were not expecting this one. I will make the case for why I think it fits here.

UCLA does not call their goals and why UCLA essay an essay.  They have another essay that they call an essay- UCLA Anderson seeks to develop transformative leaders who think fearlessly, drive change, and share success. We believe the ability to persevere is an essential component of effective leadership.  Please share an example from your personal or professional life where you demonstrated perseverance to accomplish a significant goal or milestone. (250 words maximum)- that does not require knowing about UCLA, but this non-essay sure does. 1600 characters in total is around 350-400 words.  Given that they want 1000 of these characters on why UCLA, you had better know about that program in detail.

Describe your short-term and long-term post-MBA career goals

600 characters remaining

How can UCLA Anderson help you achieve your career and/or personal goals?

1000 characters remaining

 

But what makes me say this is a high engagement school is the application form:

Sources of Information

Please indicate your primary sources of information about our program (use commas to separate answers):

Website(s)

Social Media / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Blogs / Podcasts, etc.

Staff / Faculty Members

Students / Alumni

Other Sources

 

Given that most of my clients treat UCLA as a safety back-up place as many applicants not addicted to living in LA do, the inclination will be to put minimal time into this school, but I actually think the opposite is warranted. Make UCLA feel that it a school you really want to attend even if you don't.

 

Stanford MSx:For MSx I do highly recommend engagement with an admissions officer as they will provide relatively personalized interaction unlike the MBA program. In this sense, the MSx requires a high level of engagement with admissions. MSx works with applicants to really determine whether they fit the program prior to application, which is very common for such mid-career MBA programs. You should make extensive efforts to engage directly with MSx admissions.

The MSx program does have a very specific app form question:

Events and Activities

This question is for planning purposes only. Your response will not be considered in the review process.

Please select the MSx Admissions Office events or activities that you have attended or participated in.

Class visit

Online information session

In-person information session - on campus

In-person information session - off campus

Coffee chat with an admission officer

Coffee chat with a student/alum

Specialty panel (financial aid, student life, career services, entrepreneurship)

Application workshop webinar

Inside the admission committee webinar

They don't ask for details and say this information will not be considered in the application process, which I am sure is true and yet personal engagement with admissions here can have a positive impact because you will be engaging with the people who make the admissions decisions.

Essay B (Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.) certainly requires that know why you want to attend the MSx and this involves research and deep thinking about how the program will help you achieve.  I don't view name dropping of alumni or current students as very helpful here because the school really wants to learn about how you want to use them. Feel free to visit Stanford, but if you think this will impact the outcome you are delusional.  Don't waste your word count on the trivial or obvious but use it to showcase how you would specifically utilize Stanford.

MSx also has  specific additional 500 character (about 100-120 words) essay: Because the Stanford MSx program is for mid-career managers, it is valuable to have clear career goals in mind when you begin. Beyond a sentence or two, tell us about any specific career goals you have for the next few years, and how you believe the Stanford MSx Program, combined with your experience, education or background, will help you achieve them? If you choose to explain this in your essay or other portions of the application, you can reference that here (no need to repeat), but be as specific as you can. 

This gives a bit of additional space to expand on what you have written in Essay B and is a good place to highlight more about why MSx is right for you.

 

Wharton Lauder, the MBA/MA (International Studies-Lauder) is a program for those with strong international focus to their future goals.

Beyond making sure you meet the foreign language requirements and take any necessary tests for that, deep engagement with admissions staff is critical. Ask any current student or alumnus from Wharton Lauder and they will tell you to talk to Marcy (taken from https://lauder.wharton.upenn.edu/admission-team/):

"Marcy Bevan

Director, Admissions & Alumni Relations

For more than 30 years, Marcy has been overseeing admissions, alumni relations, and the coordination of special events for the Lauder Institute. Born and raised in the Philadelphia suburbs, Marcy earned her B.A. in English from Mills College and her Ed.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Email: bevanm@wharton.upenn.edu "

 

The first thing I tell my clients who apply to Lauder is talk to Marcy. She is the soul of the program, highly supportive of applicants and the single best person for helping a potential Lauder applicant figure out whether they apply.  Additionally one should talk with at least few Wharton Lauder alumni and/or current students.

The Lauder essay- Discuss why you are applying to the Lauder Institute, detailing specific reasons, experiences, and background for choosing your Program of Concentration, as well as your interest in further study in that Program. Applicants to Programs of Concentration involving language study (Africa-French; East and Southeast Asia; Europe; Latin America; South Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa) should also discuss what they hope to gain from advanced language and cultural education, as well as describe how they have learned the language they will study (e.g. undergraduate courses, undergraduate major, etc.). Finally, please describe how you see yourself benefiting from, and contributing to, the Lauder community.  (800 words) - absolutely requires you know a lot about Lauder, how you would use it, and why it is right for you.

I think Lauder is an amazing program for the right candidate and given the close knit Lauder community, it offers a level of community beyond what one would get from the Wharton MBA. Just make the effort to find out whether you are right for it.

 

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This took a long time to put together. Hope you find it useful. 

Kellogg MBA Essays for the Class of 2026

 In this post, I analyze Kellogg's MBA essay and video essays questions for admission to the MBA program for the Class of 2026. I have taken the  written essay questions from Kellogg's website.

 

My clients have been admitted to the Kellogg School of Business  every year since 2002. Since I started my own counseling service in 2007, I have had 73 clients admitted to Kellogg. My clients' results and testimonials can be found here. In addition to providing comprehensive application consulting on Kellogg, I regularly help additional candidates with Kellogg interview preparation.

 

Kellogg's Teamwork Culture and its Campus Community
If you go to Kellogg, chances are extremely high that you will live in Evanston. Kellogg is filled with people who are great communicators, friendly, outgoing, and able to thrive in a socially intense environment. If you are not that kind of person, don't apply there. If you are, it will be heaven.

 

Along With Chicago Booth, Kellogg is the US business school I have visited the most (I did an Executive Masters at INSEAD, so it is the business school I have attended). The reason is very simple, my family moved from Los Angeles to Chicago when I was 18, so I have had many opportunities to visit when go back to the US to see my family. Most recently I visited Kellogg in fall 2022, when one of my former clients took around and also showed me the MMM student room.  In 2018,  AIGAC, the professional admissions consultants organization I am a part of, held our conference at the campus.  Former Dean Sally Blount left a great impact on the school in many ways but surely the most lasting will be getting the new campus built. Kellogg went from having an overcrowded building that reminded me of a large US high school to one of the best campuses of any MBA program. Kellogg's campus right on Lake Michigan is a real gem. Sure, it  is freezing walking on campus during the winter but the rest of the year makes up for it.

 

Sometimes when I talk to applicants they don't quite understand that Evanston is really part of Chicago and not some distant cut-off college town.  The thing that is nice about Evanston is that it is both a college town and part of a major American city.  You can stay in a nice safe college town while simultaneously being able to enjoy one of America's most diverse cities.  Unlike Booth students who mostly commute to Hyde Park from downtown Chicago (In both locations safety concerns are valid),  Kellogg students typically reside in Evanston, which contributes to Kellogg's intense community focus.  The community aspect is something one should fully take into account when applying to Kellogg.

 

THE ESSAYS

"Kellogg is unique in that we ask you to complete written essays as part of the application as well as video essays. This is your chance to tell us why you think Kellogg is the right place for you. Take some time to think through the experiences that led you here and how they have shaped where you want to go."

I think it is important to keep these overall instructions about the essays in mind.  In particular, Kellogg's application essays are designed, along with the rest of the application and interview, to help admissions determine whether you demonstrate that you meet the following criteria:

• We value individuals who:
  • Approach business problems with a mix of hard and soft skills
  • Seek to adapt to the evolving business world with open curiosity and innovation
  • Believe in strong, empathetic collaboration as a way to strengthen work, perspectives and outcomes
  • Embrace the power of diversity in your teams and networks

I suggest you keep these criteria in mind when writing Essays 1 and 2 and preparing for the three Video Essays. While it could be challenging to provide comprehensive coverage on all four of these points when writing two 450-word essays, I would suggest making sure that each essay is at least fully addressing one of these topics and that you try make sure that your Video Essays are covering the rest of the topics that you don't have room to cover.

 

Peer Application Review at Kellogg
One of the chief functions of an MBA admissions committee is to select people who will be good classmates and having 2nd year students on that committee is one way for a school to make sure that happens. 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. Students members of the committee bring a peer's perspective to the process. They are also are likely to be the first to read your file and will be looking to determine whether they want you in their community.  When writing essays for Kellogg, keep these student readers in mind.

 

Question 1 (450 words)

Kellogg Leaders are primed to tackle today’s pressing concerns everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Tell us about a time in your life where you’ve needed a combination of skills to solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Which skills did you use? What did you accomplish?

 

Kellogg has replaced its previous leadership question with one that is much more open-ended one and could be used in a great variety of ways, not necessarily limited to professional experience.

I think an effective answer here is likely to involve a mix of hard and soft skills though not necessarily.

 

STRUCTURE FOR AN EFFECTIVE ANSWER:

1. State the challenge/problem: What was the challenge/problem you encountered?  What was the situation? What was your responsibility/role?

2. Discuss one skill used and its impact on overcoming the challenge: Focus on a specific  hard or soft skill that you used to overcome the challenge. 

3. Discuss another skill used its impact on overcoming the challenge: Since you to highlight a combination of skills, you must focus on at least two skills. In a 450 word essay, I assume three would be max out in terms of skills used.

4. Discuss the result. Explain what you accomplished. Explain its significance.

 

The challenge/problem should be complex. A weak answer would focus on a routine problem/challenge and not one that required much effort to solve. The point is to discuss something every challenging because it is complex.

 

Regardless of the the story you tell, just keep in mind that you need to be introspective as well, so write what you thought as well as what you did. Don’t just present “the facts” but actively interpret your actions. There is really nothing overly complicated about this as long as you understand that you need to tell a detailed story. Pure abstractions disconnected from a concrete set of action steps are highly likely to result in a weak answer. Similarly, grand actions not told in any depth are also likely to be weak. Identify specific actions that contributed to the result so as to establish a clear link between cause and effect. Help your reader understand your thinking behind the way you solved the problem/overcame the challenge.

 

When selecting your topic, you should ask yourself “What does this essay reveal about me?” If you can’t answer that clearly, you need to clarify your message. When asking this question, think about both what you intend the reader to think and what you might also be revealing. Control for the possibility of sending out unintended signals. One of the best ways of handling this issue is to have a very careful and intelligent reader review these essays. If you are working with an admissions consultant, they should be able to do this. Getting multiple perspectives on what you wrote will help you better understand your likely impact on an admissions' reader.

 

What did you accomplish?

Regardless of your topic, your solution to the problem/challenge must have impact.  I would divide added impact into two categories, but some stories involve both types of accomplishments:

• A measurable accomplishment: Many stories will involve adding measurable value. This is the easiest thing to convey in must cases. Increased revenue, sales, marketing inquiries, improve performance outcomes, and event attendance are some common examples. Reducing something negative is also a way to add value, such as decreased employee hours required to do a task, decreased waste, decreased staff turnover, decreased customer complaints, and reduced measurable risk.  The advantage of measurable value is that it is usually very easy and word count efficient to communicate.
• An unmeasurable accomplishment: Many stories involve adding unmeasurable value. The fairy tale ending, "and they all lived happily ever after" is one of the world's most common story types that involves any extremely non-quantitative and highly subjective accomplishment.  One common type of subjective accomplishment involves making people happy or cooperative.    Another accomplishment  is to add a political or moral or ethical value into how an organization makes decisions, hires new employees, communicates, or allocates resources.  While there is surely a measurable aspect to allocating resources, the reason for doing maybe based on subjective values. If you add value to an organization by getting it to allocate resources to inclusive hiring, part of what being added is a change in company values, not just a budgeting decision.

Given the need to show an accomplishment, there is one kind of story that does not work well:  A story without a clear outcome.  You might be in the midst of a great project but if it has no clear outcome, showing how you added value will be very challenging.  Hence why the example should be recent, some stories are simply too recent.

 

Question 2 (450 words)

At Kellogg, our values are based on research that concludes organizations comprised of leaders with varied backgrounds and perspectives outperform homogeneous ones. How do you believe your personal and professional experiences to date will help to enrich the Kellogg community?

This is a new question for Kellogg, but a very old question in the MBA application essay world. I have been an MBA admissions consultant since 2001 and the contribution question is one that I could explain to a client in my sleep.  I have done it on this blog many times before. Here is one of my old (2008) favorites, which includes a table that I have also used below.  What is nice is that this is the same as Wharton Essay 2, so if you are applying to both schools, this should be easy.

One of the chief functions of an MBA admissions committee is to select people who will add value to the community.  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. Your contribution(s) need to clearly connected to the community. Maybe it will be through the way you work with others, the knowledge you share, or the activities you organize but make sure the reader can fully understand how this be a contribution at  Kellogg.  You should know enough about the Kellogg community to show specific ways you might contribute.

Within the context of the Kellogg application, Essay 2 is really one of the important places to show why you will add value to Kellogg based on your personal and professional experiences.  One way, I like to think about contribution questions is to use a table like the following:

CONTRIBUTIONS	Is it a personal, professional or academic experience?	What skill, value, or unique experience is being showcased?	So what will you contribute  to the Wharton community?	Is this special? Why?
Story 1:
Story 2:
Story 3:
adammarkus@gmail.com. Free to use, contact me if you republish it.

I use the above table for all types of contribution questions, modifying the categories to fit the question.  What this kind of table does is force you to think about exactly how something from your background is meaningful enough to add value at Kellogg

ADVICE:

1. Tell your best story or stories that highlight how you will add value at Kellogg.  Help the reader understand what is special about you, about the story you tell, and the contribution you make.
2. Learn a lot about Kellogg so that you can write about really meaningful contributions.  Talk to alumni and current students, attend online chats, and dig through the website and otherwise.  Google and network your way into Kellogg expertise in order to be able to have really deep contributions.
3. With respect to the kind of contributions you make, don't fall into the "Obvious Knowledge Trap."  What do I mean? Here is an example: "As my work on the Tesla/McDonalds Merger and Acquisition shows, I have deep knowledge of  finance and accounting which I will use to help my classmates without a finance background." This topic is bad for a number of reasons. First, that you have such knowledge will be obvious from your resume, application form and/or transcripts, so it is better to focus on something that the reader will not already know about you. Second just sharing knowledge is not enough, better to focus on how you would do that. For example, instead of writing about your knowledge of a topic, write about how you helped others learn something and how you will use that to make a contribution at Kellogg. Then specify the Kellogg specific context (Classes, clubs, activities, Learning Teams) where you will make that contribution.

 

SPECIFIC ESSAY 2 REQUIREMENTS: Since the question calls for contributions, my suggestion is to include at least two contributions.  The question does not indicate how many aspects of your background you need to focus on. So you can focus on one story from your background or multiple stories. In 400 words, I think 4 topics would be a maximum from your background to focus on but that 2-3 topics makes more sense.

 

ESSAY STRUCTURE:

 

1. Discuss one personal or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Kellogg based on what you do or learn from this story.
2. Discuss another personal or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Kellogg based on what you do or learn from this story.
3. Discuss another personal or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Kellogg based on what you do or learn from this story.

To tell a story about your background sufficiently and also explain what it shows you will add value at Kellogg is very hard to do really effectively in less than 100 words, so 4 topics would be a maximum from my perspective. That said, I encourage my clients to focus on 2 or 3 topics, with at least one topic being professional and one personal.

 

 

"Reapplicants: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 words)"
Reapplicants should read my posts on reapplication. Use this space to specifically explain what has improved about you since you last applied. You can certainly mention improved test scores, but I would not use very much of your word count for that. Typical topics include: development of a new skill, promotions that demonstrate your potential for future success, involvement in an extracurricular activity, learning significantly more about Kellogg, and why your goals now are better/different than the ones you presented last time.

 

"All applicants have the opportunity to provide explanations or clarification in Additional Information. Use this section if you think the person reviewing your application might have a few questions about one or more of your responses. This could include:

• Unexplained gaps in work experience
• Academic, GMAT or GRE performance
• Extenuating circumstances that we should be aware of when reviewing your application"

As with other school's optional questions, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.

In addition to GMAT/GRE, TOEFL, and GPA problems, other possible topics include issues related to recommendations, serious gaps in your resume, concerns related to a near total lack of extracurricular activities, and  major issues in your personal/professional life that you really think the admissions office needs to know about.You can certainly write on something positive here if you think its omission will be negative for you, but before you do, ask yourself these questions:

1. If they did not ask it, do they really need to know it?

2. Will the topic I want to discuss significantly improve my overall essay set?

3. Is the topic one that would not be covered from looking at other parts of my application?

4. Is the essay likely to be read as being a specific answer for Kellogg and not an obvious essay for another school?

If you can answer "Yes!" to all four questions, it might be a good topic to write about.

 

 

 

THE VIDEO ESSAYS: Three One Minute Wonders!

You have 1 minute to answer each of the video questions.

 

These video essays have a few different purposes:

1. It is a great way to get an overall first impression of an applicant. It is a way for everyone on the admissions committee to know who the actual person is and not rely only an interviewer's report.
2. It is an easy way to gauge someone's communication skills. This is especially important with respect to non-native English speakers because TOEFL and IELTS test scores don't always reveal actual English ability.
3. Explain why Kellogg beyond what is covered in the Essays and application form, specially Question 2 is asking what degree you want at Kellogg and why. This question is not really asked elsewhere in the application.
4.  Assess how the applicant handles a question that they will not have in advance (Question 3). Can they effectively do that in one minute?  This is a way to gauge how quickly someone thinks and can communicate.  It is a kind of way to gauge how someone might perform in a spontaneous class situation.

 

What all successful videos do:

1. Help the viewer understand why they would like the applicant as a person.
2. Highlight something positive about the applicant.
3.  Show the applicant's passion for Kellogg .
4. Show the applicant's ability to communicate effectively.
5.  

How to prepare for the videos

1. Write scripts.  They will mostly likely be too long. Once you add in breathing, facial expressions, in acting you might do, and speaking a speed to heard effectively, your script should be 90-120 words long most likely.
2. Have your scripts reviewed by whoever you are sharing it with.

 

How I help my clients with their video scripts:

1.  I ask them to write scripts for Questions 1 and 2. We refine those scripts through spoken and/or written feedback. In some cases, they make sample videos, which I give feedback on.

2.  For question 3, I ask them to prepare outlines for possible challenge topics that have been covered in the past. (Sorry but I don't discuss those topics here, only with my clients.) Since  we can't know for sure what the topic of Question 3 will be, I try to make sure that they have enough possible topics to cover what will be asked.

 

Question specific comments:

 

PLEASE NOTE: I AM NOT SURE WHETHER KELLOGG WILL BE USING THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE CLASS OF 2026.  ONCE I KNOW I WILL ALTER THIS ACCORDINGLY.

• Video essay 1: Please introduce yourself to the admissions committee.– Consider this your opportunity to share what you would want your future Kellogg classmates and our admissions committee to know about you. What makes you, you?

This is useful way of  getting rid of social idiots who cannot construct even a one-minute appealing statement about themselves. It is your elevator pitch about you!  While your answer should be consistent with what you have in the rest of your application, this is a chance to showcase your personality. What are 2-3 key things someone should know about you that they can't find out from just looking at your resume and reading your application?

 

• Video essay 2: What path are you interested in pursuing, how will you get there, and why is this program right for you?– This is an intentionally broad question so you can answer honestly and meaningfully. We want to know why you’re pursuing an MBA and why you’re choosing a particular Kellogg Full-Time Program.

Kellogg has multiple MBA programs, so specify which one you intend to attend and why.  Link your answer to the goals mentioned in the application form.  Try to mention 2-3 reasons why the program is right for you. Don't get overwhelmed with mentioning too many Kellogg specific details but keep the focus on explaining your needs and how Kellogg will meet them.

 

• Video essay 3: This question will be based on a challenge you've faced and what you've learned from it.

Some possible topics for a challenge include:

• A time you convinced someone or some group.
• A time you led others.
• A time you demonstrated courage.
• A time you made a difficult decision.
• A time you were innovative.
• A time you formulated and executed a strategy or tactics.
• A time you turned around a situation, overcame an obstacle.
• A time reformed something.
• A time you changed something.
• A time you effectively negotiated with someone.
• A time you managed up, down, or across an organization.
• A time you were wrong.
• A time you failed or had a setback and overcame it.
• A time you changed your opinion.
• A time your values were challenged by others.

I provide my own clients with past questions but also encourage them to take a flexible approach to this topic as new questions may arise. Hence the above list is good for brainstorming purposes.

 

 

Kellogg does not have a goals essay, but you need to know about your goals to apply:

The following are from the application form.

Please tell us about your career goals. You'll also have the opportunity to expand on this in other parts of the evaluation process.

Industry desired after Kellogg

AccountingMarket ResearchMarketing and AdvertisingPublic Relations and CommunicationsAviation & AerospaceDefense & SpaceArchitecture & PlanningConstructionHealthcare ConsultingManagement ConsultingTechnology ConsultingOther ConsultingApparel & FashionCannabisConsumer ElectronicsConsumer GoodsCosmeticsFood & Beverage ProductionLuxury Goods & JewelrySporting GoodsTextilesEducation ManagementHigher EducationPrimary/Secondary EducationOil & EnergyUtilitiesCivil EngineeringEntertainmentEvents ServicesGambling & CasinosEnvironmental ServicesRenewables & EnvironmentCapital MarketsCommercial BankingDiversified Financial ServicesFinance Research & RatingsHedge FundsInsuranceInvestment BankingInvestment ManagementPrivate EquityPublic FinanceRetail BankingTaxTreasuryVenture CapitalOther FinanceGovernment AdministrationGovernment RelationsInternational AffairsLibrariesMilitaryPublic PolicyBiotechnologyHealth, Wellness and FitnessHospital & Health CareMedical DevicesPharmaceutical Distribution / WholesalePharmaceutical ManufacturersPharmaceutical OtherHospitalityLeisure, Travel & TourismRestaurantsHuman ResourcesStaffing and RecruitingImport and ExportInternational Trade and DevelopmentJudiciaryLaw EnforcementLaw PracticeLegal ServicesAutomotiveBuilding MaterialsBusiness Supplies and EquipmentChemicalsElectrical/Electronic ManufacturingIndustrial AutomationMachineryPackaging and ContainersPlasticsBroadcast MediaDesignGraphic DesignMedia ProductionPrintingPublishingWriting and EditingMining & MetalsPaper & Forest ProductsMuseums and InstitutionsNon-Profit Organization ManagementPhilanthropyReligious InstitutionsCivic & Social OrganizationConsumer ServicesFacilities ServicesFund-RaisingOutsourcing/OffshoringProfessional Training & CoachingPublic SafetyResearchSecurity and InvestigationsThink TanksTranslation and LocalizationVeterinaryWholesaleCommercial Real EstateReal EstateRetailSportsComputer & Network SecurityComputer GamesComputer HardwareComputer NetworkingComputer SoftwareE-CommerceEdTechFinTechHealthTechInformation Technology and ServicesInternet ServicesNanotechnologySemiconductorsTelecommunicationsWirelessLogistics and Supply ChainTransportation/Trucking/RailroadWarehousing

Functional area desired after Kellogg

Accounting/ControlAdministrationAdvertisingAsset ManagementBrand/Product ManagementBusiness DevelopmentBusiness Development/Strategy/ResearchConsultingCorporate FinanceDevelopmentEconomic AnalysisEntrepreneur/OwnerEntrepreneur/Small BusinessFin. - Accounting/ControlFin. - BankingFin. - Commercial BankingFin. - Corporate Finance/UnderwritingFin. - Financial AdvisoryFin. - Investment Banking/BrokerageFin. - Investment Portfolio ManagementFin. - ManagementFin. - Mergers and AcquisitionsFin. - Private Client ServicesFin. - Private EquityFin. - Public FinanceFin. - Research (Equity/Fixed Inc.)Fin. - Sales & TradingFin. - Treasury, AnalystFin. - Venture CapitalGeneral ManagementHealthcareHuman ResourcesInformation SystemsInformation TechnologyInternational DevelopmentInvestor Relations/PR/CommunicationsLaw/LegalLending/Relationship ManagementManagement ConsultingMarket ResearchMarketing - AdvertisingMarketing - Brand/Product ManagementMarketing - ResearchMarketing - SalesMergers and AcquisitionsOperations/LogisticsOperations/ProductionOtherPrivate Client ServicesProperty ManagementPublic FinancePublic RelationsReal EstateResearch & Development ManagementResearch (Buy Side)Research (Sell Side)SalesSales and TradingStrategic Planning (Internal)Treasury Analysis

What has been your most significant career accomplishment?

240 characters remaining

What is your short-term career goal?

150 characters remaining

What is your long-term career goal?

150 characters remaining

What drives your interest in these short- and long-term goals?

240 characters remaining

 

Assuming you are applying to school's with goals essays you can easily create answers to fit this. If Kellogg is your first school, I do suggest looking at the way I analyze goals in detail that you can find in posts on  Columbia Business School and Stanford.

 

 

 

Best of luck with your application to Kellogg!

 

  

 

Wharton MBA Essay Questions for the Class of 2026

 In this post, I analyze the essay questions for the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania for Fall 2024 admission.  For my most recent posts on Wharton interviews, please see here.

 

My clients have been admitted to Wharton every year since 2002. Since I started my own counseling service in 2007, I have had 96 clients admitted to Wharton (81 admitted to Wharton, 1 to Wharton Deferred and 14 admitted to Wharton Lauder), which is my biggest total for any school. My clients' results and testimonials can be found here.

 

The thing I like most about Wharton is that they really do admit a very diverse class. The class size certainly helps,  but beyond that, Wharton is a school where applicants are evaluated holistically and one need not be perfect to gain admission.  Such factors as a less than stellar GPA, a less than super GMAT or GRE, being older (30+) or work experience in companies that are not necessarily prestigious are not inherent barriers to admission to Wharton's MBA program.  I have worked with clients who had such issues, but also had amazing strengths which helped them gain admission. This could also happen at HBS or only rarely at Stanford, but it happens more at Wharton.  The school's diversity is also shown through the range of courses offered and the many international programs.  Some people think of Wharton narrowly as a finance school, but to do so is to ignore the huge course catalog, numerous clubs, and diverse recruiting results.

 

There are no changes to the Essays from the prior year.

 

The big change for 2023-2024 at Wharton is that the school is now accepting IELTS for the first time!  For those required to submit an English test score, having IELTS as an option is important. For example, here in Japan, IELTS is now the primary English test used by MBA applicants and Wharton was previously the only school that did not accept it. As a result, Japanese applications to Wharton declined.  I hope this will change that situation. 

 

ESSAYS FOR THE 2023-2024APPLICATION CYCLE

"The Admissions Committee wants to get to know you on both a professional and personal level. We encourage you to be introspective, candid and succinct. Most importantly, we suggest you be yourself. For additional essay writing resources, see the essay tips article!

Essay 1: 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)

Essay 2: Essay 2: 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)

Required Essay for all Reapplicants: Please use this space to share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, and extracurricular/volunteer engagements). (250 words)

Optional Essay: Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider.

Please note:

• First-time MBA applicants and re-applicants are required to complete essays 1 and 2."

 

 

The Required Essays

Wharton’s essay set is transactional in the most basic sense because Essay 1 is about what Wharton can give you and Essay 2 is about what you can give Wharton. This reflects the core pragmatism of the school’s culture and specifically the culture of the admissions office.

 

 

 

Essay 1: 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)

 

WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM WHARTON?

An excellent answer to this essay question would identify those specific aspects of Wharton that you will help you achieve your goals. It is a future focused question.  A general characterization of Wharton- data driven, but also a place with a commitment to experiential learning, East Coast focused but with a San Francisco campus that is now become integrated into the MBA program, highly international, highly flexible with strengths in a large number of areas, including healthcare, finance, real estate, and marketing- is  helpful to keep in mind when writing this essay. Wharton has a lot to offer and, while some have characterized it as a CFO school, a finance school, a Wall Street school, all too some extent true, this is not so helpful when you consider that, for example, Sundar Pichai, Google's guy in charge of Chrome, Android, and Google Apps, is a Wharton alumnus. Wharton is a huge program with so many strengths that the point is not to think about some big overall image of the school, but to focus on what you want to get out of it. Which specific resources you want to use and why. Keep in mind that Wharton is much bigger than HBS because of the undergraduate program. The range of courses, research, and opportunities is huge. The point is to provide a specific game plan on how you will use Wharton to achieve your goals.

 

An effective essay here will do the following:

 

1.   Explain what your goals are.

 

2.   Explain how Wharton will help you achieve your goals.   Focus on specific aspects of Wharton that will help you achieve your professional objectives.

 

If you are having difficulty determining what your goals are and/or why you need an MBA in general, please see my analysis of Essays 1 and 3  in my Columbia Business School analysis. In those posts I provide a detailed method for thinking about goals and need for an MBA. CBS gives 750 words (Essay 1 is 500 words and Essay 3 is 250 words) for what you need to cover in Wharton in 500 words.

 

Make the assumption that an MBA from Wharton will be a transformative experience for you.  If you don't make this assumption, you will likely find it particularly hard to explain what you want from the experience and will also probably come across as rather dull.  Your job is to engage the admissions reader so that they understand what you want from Wharton for your future.

 

What are your aspirations? What about your past experience?  You need to give Wharton admissions a very clear image of your professional objectives for attending the MBA program.  You might include a clear post-MBA career goal and a longer term vision/goal. You might express it in terms of your present situation ("past experience") and how you hope to be transformed by your Wharton experience.  A purely abstract dream or visionary statement could easily come across as unrealistic or ungrounded if not handled carefully, so be careful to connect your aspirations to  your past actions and/or clearly defined goals. Career changers (those planning on  changing industry and/or function after MBA) should explain why they want to change their careers and how Wharton will enable that. Career enhancers should explain how an MBA will enhance their careers to continue along the pathway that thy are already on.

 

You should be explaining why you need a Wharton MBA in  particular. You should  learn about the curriculum, clusters / cohorts/ learning teams, Learning @ Wharton, community involvement, clubs, and WGA in order to determine what aspects of Wharton really relate to your professional objectives. You need not mention the names of particular courses as long as it would be clear to your reader that your aspirations align well with Wharton's offerings. For example, it is really a waste of word count to mention the names of particular finance courses if the main point you are simply trying to make is that you want to enhance your finance skills. Every admissions officer at Wharton is well aware of the programs major offerings.  If you have a particular interest in a more specialized course or studying with a particular professor, it might be worth mentioning it as long as it is an explanation of why you want to study the subject and not based on circular reasoning.

 

An example of circular (tautological) reasoning:  "I want to take Advanced Corporate Finance because I am interested in developing advanced corporate finance skills." This kind of bad circular reasoning is so common in early drafts I see from my clients and in the failed essays of reapplicants that I am asked to review. Usually it takes place within a paragraph consisting of many such sentences. These sentences actually convey nothing about the applicant. The admissions reader wants to learn about you, not about their own program. If you don't explain what you need and why, you are not actually answering the question, you are just writing something dull, surface level, and without positive impact.

 

An example of an actual explanation:  "While I have been exposed to finance through my work at MegaBank, I presently lack the kind of comprehensive understanding of corporate finance that I want to master at Wharton to succeed as a future leader of cross-border M&A." By focusing on very specific learning needs and explaining those needs in relationship to one's goals and/or past experience, admissions will be learning about you and really be able to understand what you need from Wharton. Mentioning a course name is not important if the learning need is already something obviously obtainable at Wharton. A more complete explanation would include additional details about the kind of issues that the applicant is interested in learning about and/or specific ways the applicant intended to apply what he or she would learn at Wharton.

 

Finally, remember that if you have something that you really want to discuss about what you contribute to Wharton or wish to mention particular classes, clubs, and events at Wharton that you could not fit into the essay, you can always discuss that in the optional essay.

 

 

Essay 2: 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 CAN YOU GIVE TO THE WHARTON COMMUNITY?

 

I have been an MBA admissions consultant since 2001 and the contribution question is one that I could explain to a client in my sleep.  I have done it on this blog many times before. Here is one of my old (2008) favorites, which includes a table that I have also used below.

One of the chief functions of an MBA admissions committee is to select people who will add value to the community.  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. Your contribution(s) need to clearly connected to the community. Maybe it will be through the way you work with others, the knowledge you share, or the activities you organize but make sure the reader can fully understand how this be a contribution at Wharton.  You should know enough about the Wharton community to show specific ways you might contribute.

Within the context of the Wharton application, Essay 2 is really one of the important places to show why you will add value to Wharton.  One way, I like to think about contribution questions is to use a table like the following:

CONTRIBUTIONS	Is it a personal, professional or academic experience?	What skill, value, or unique experience is being showcased?	So what will you contribute  to the Wharton community?	Is this special? Why?
Story 1:
Story 2:
Story 3:
adammarkus@gmail.com. Free to use, contact me if you republish it.

I use the above table for all types of contribution questions, modifying the categories to fit the question.  What this kind of table does is force you to think about exactly how something from your background is meaningful enough to add value at Wharton.

ADVICE:

1. Tell your best story or stories that highlight how you will add value at Wharton.  Help the reader understand what is special about you, about the story you tell, and the contribution you make.
2. Learn a lot about Wharton so that you can write about really meaningful contributions.  Talk to alumni and current students, attend online chats, and dig through the website and otherwise.  Google and network your way into Wharton expertise in order to be able to have really deep contributions.
3. With respect to the kind of contributions you make, don't fall into the "Obvious Knowledge Trap."  What do I mean? Here is an example: "As my work on the Tesla/McDonalds Merger and Acquisition shows, I have deep knowledge of  finance and accounting which I will use to help my classmates without a finance background." This topic is bad for a number of reasons. First, that you have such knowledge will be obvious from your resume, application form and/or transcripts, so it is better to focus on something that the reader will not already know about you. Second just sharing knowledge is not enough, better to focus on how you would do that. For example, instead of writing about your knowledge of a topic, write about how you helped others learn something and how you will use that to make a contribution at Wharton. Then specify the Wharton specific context (Classes, clubs, activities, Learning Teams) where you will make that contribution.

 

SPECIFIC ESSAY 2 REQUIREMENTS: Since the question calls for contributions, my suggestion is to include at least two contributions.  The question does not indicate how many aspects of your background you need to focus on. So you can focus on one story from your background or multiple stories. In 400 words, I think 4 topics would be a maximum from your background to focus on but that 2-3 topics makes more sense.

 

ESSAY STRUCTURE:

It will depend on whether you cover 1 or more topics.   Here are two sample structures that I think are most common:

One Background Topic Essay Structure:

1. Discuss one personal, academic, or professional story.
2. Explain one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Wharton based on what you do or learn from this story.
3. Explain another specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Wharton based on what you do or learn from this story.

Two or Three Background Topic Essay Structure:

1. Discuss one personal, academic or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Wharton based on what you do or learn from this story.
2. Discuss another personal, academic or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Wharton based on what you do or learn from this story.
3. Discuss another personal, academic or professional story. Explain at least one specific and meaningful contribution that you will be able to make at Wharton based on what you do or learn from this story.

Both of the above structures can work well for this kind of essay. It just depends on whether you want to cover one story in depth  and then show two or more contributions from it or show greater diversity of your experience and focus on 2-3 stories.  To tell a story about your background sufficiently and also explain what it shows you will add value at Wharton is very hard to do really effectively in less than 100 words, so 4 topics would be a maximum from my perspective. That said, I will encourage my clients to focus on 1-3 topics.

 

 

Additional Question (required for all Reapplicants):

• Please share with the Admissions Committee how you have reflected and grown since your previous application and discuss any relevant updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements, etc.). (250 words)

 

Reapplicants, an effective answer here will do the following:

1. Showcase what has changed since your last application that now makes you a better candidate.

2. Refine your goals. I think it is reasonable that they may have altered since your last application, but if the change is extreme, you had better explain why.

3. Make a better case for why Wharton is right for you.

For more about reapplication, please see "A guide to my resources for reapplicants."

 

Please use this space to share any additional information about yourself that cannot be found elsewhere in your application and that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, areas of weakness, etc.) that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (500 words)

Second, for addressing any extenuating circumstances: As with the school's other optional question, do not put an obvious essay for another school here. If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background. If you have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it. In addition to GMAT/GRE, TOEFL, and GPA problems, other possible topics include issues related to recommendations, serious gaps in your resume, concerns related to a near total lack of extracurricular activities, and  major issues in your personal/professional life that you really think the admissions office needs to know about.

 

Best of luck with your Wharton application for the Class of 2026!

-Adam Markus