Check Out Types of MBA Essays With Examples

Scoring well on your GMAT is the first step towards building a strong & noticeable MBA application but your pathway to getting into your dream B-school doesn’t stop here. The business school admission committee cares more about your GMAT scores and GPA — they want to know who you are as an individual and why you belong to an MBA program.

Role of an MBA Essay

Your MBA essays provide you with the best opportunity to describe yourself in such a manner that allows the admission committee to get a wholesome idea about your personality. A well-written MBA essay enables them to create a comprehensive picture of who you really are behind the resume, your past experiences, and what brings you here. MBA consulting services in India are professionals helping MBA aspirants generate compelling & impressionable MBA essays.

However, there are various ways in which the admission committee uses MBA essays to determine your eligibility as a candidate. In this article, we’ll explore different types of MBA essays that you can expect to answer while applying for a B-school.

Here are the 5 types of MBA essays generally asked in a B-school application:

1. Goals Essay
2. Self-Reflection Essay
3. Contribution & Impact Essay
4. Leadership & Teamwork Essay
5. Video Essay

Goals Essay

This is one of the types of MBA essays that you expect to see in most B-schools’ MBA applications. The purpose of this essay is to understand a candidate’s priorities, agendas & motivations to apply to a particular B-school and their plans thereafter. MBA admissions consultants have got the expertise to narrate these essay types.

Questions like “Why do you want to join our B-school”? “What are your career plans for the future”? help the MBA committee to understand how their MBA program aligns with a candidate’s long-term & short-term goals.

The question comes in all types of variants and word limits. For example, Wharton covers a 500-word question about this, while Tuck has a 300-word question on this. MIT Sloan, on the other hand, doesn’t ask any questions about your goals.

Examples:

1. Wharton Essay Prompt — Describe the use of the Wharton MBA program to help you achieve your career goals.
2. Darden Essay Prompt — What is your short-term, post-MBA goal and why?

Self-Reflection Essay

This is a broad category of MBA essays dealing with a range of MBA questions revolving around one’s Values, Traits, Personal Qualities, And Identity.

For example, some B-schools may ask you to introduce yourself to your classmates, requiring you to introspect (Values & Traits), while some may ask about your weaknesses, failures, achievements (Personal Qualities, And Identity), etc.

No wonder most students feel overwhelmed answering these essays and approach MBA consultants India. As the name implies, these essays give you an opportunity to take a look inside yourself and conduct a deep introspection of your personality to get to the core.

Examples:

1. Kellogg Essay Prompt — Describe your core values and how have they influenced you.
2. Yale Essay Prompt — Tell us the biggest commitment you’ve ever made.

Contribution & Impact Essay

Student activities are an integral part of a business school’s culture. And why not? An active student body plays a vital role in the overall development of academic lives.

The overall agenda of these contribution essays is to enable the MBA admission committee to access what a candidate can contribute to his/her peers and the B-school. It is a great way for schools to know what applicants might bring with them to the table. MBA application consultants can guide you better here.

Examples:

1. Wharton Essay Prompt — Considering your background — personal, professional, or academic — how can you make significant contributions to Wharton?
2. Cornell Johnson Essay Prompt — At Cornell, we strive to positively impact the organization & community. Looking at your background, how do you make a contribution?

Leadership & Teamwork Essay

These types of MBA essays are more focused on getting a better understanding of your leadership qualities & achievements. You can take helpful assistance from MBA Admissions Consultants in India to narrate a positive story from your past that can deliver your future potential to the admission committee.

In today’s competitive world, most B-schools prefer individuals who have a sound record of academic excellence as well as extracurricular activities. This essay gives you an opportunity to get in the eyes of the admission committee by sharing a noticeable anecdote from your past highlighting your teamwork.

Examples:

1. Berkeley Haas Essay Prompt — What type of leader do you want to be and why?
2. Darden Essay Prompt -Provide an example of a situation where you left a meaningful impact.

Video Essay

Video essays provide a better opportunity for the admission committee to learn more about a candidate’s personality and get an idea of their performance in job interviews. MBA consulting services in India can guide you professionally to work on this application aspect. Through video essays, the admission committee can judge your body language, communication skills, and presence of mind to further determine your eligible candidature without investing in full-fledged interviews.

Examples:

1. MIT Sloan (Pre-recorded) Essay Prompt — Introduce yourself to your future classmates through a 60-second video statement.
2. Kellogg (impromptu) Essay Prompt — Describe your career aspirations and ways to fulfill them.

Bottom Line

Now that you know the commonly asked MBA essay types, the next step is to start the preparation. Irrespective of the type of MBA essay, the ultimate idea is to describe yourself to the several kinds of MBA questions. While applying, you may experience that the application process is daunting. In this situation, it is better to consult with professional MBA admissions consultants.