Chicago changed their essays this year to include a question requesting a response in power point. For years NYU has given candidates the option to present themselves outside of the traditional essay structure. BusinessWeek.com covers these schools and others in their post Applying Oneself, Creatively.

The article explores this trend and the mixed reactions of applicants. While at first some applicants are intimidated by the option, according to the executive director of NYU‘s MBA admissions office, eventually they appreciate the opportunity to think outside of the box. Candidates have submitted “essays” as varied as cakes, photos of a tree house, and a Chinese scroll.

Mlive.com comments on Chicago‘s inclusion of power point as an indication of this medium’s pervasiveness in the business culture. But notes that Chicago is hoping power point moves applicants away from a traditional frame of mind:

“We wanted to have a freeform space for students to be able to say what they think is important, not always having the school run that dialogue,” said Rose Martinelli, associate dean for student recruitment and admissions. “To me this is just four pieces of blank paper. You do what you want. It can be a presentation. It can be poetry. It can be anything.”

Essay 1 – Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

This is similar to Columbia‘s Why MBA in that it is a forward looking question. They have not explicitly asked for your career history. You may briefly touch on them to explain your future goals, but you should not dedicate an entire section of this essay to your past. This question is made up of two questions (budget your 500 words between the two).

Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals?
You need to present your goals through the lens of how an MBA will help you reach them. Be specific about what aspects of the MBA will help you reach them – courses, organizations, network, etc. As always with presenting career goals, reveal your values by explaining why your goals are meaningful to you (and maybe how your goals were inspired). Your career vision need not be one and the same with what matters most to you, but that there should be some correlation. You could touch on your previous career (or volunteer or personal) experiences to articulate how you developed your goals, but do not dwell on past experiences. Be sure to articulate a realistic but ambitious plan that includes both short-term and long-term goals.

Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you?
As with every school, you must be specific about why Tuck is the right fit for you. Research their classes and clubs and articulate how you will add to them. They want to see that you are ready to make a difference in their community. Further take note of what’s unique about Tuck such as its size, culture, location. Think about how Tuck can help you to develop as a person and a professional and not just how it can help propel you towards that “dream job”.

Essay 2 – Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?
This is similar to the HBS leadership question in they are asking for your relfection on your strengths and weaknesses (areas of development). Do not omit weaknesses – doing so shows a lack of self awareness. Further, they are looking for examples where you inspired others and accompished either a business or societal goal. Think exapansively when considering what example to use – you can draw from work, volunteering, your personal life.

Essay 3 – Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?
As with the previous question, don’t shy away from revealing a weakness. Self-awareness is a hallmark of maturity. However, focus on what you did with this difficult feedback. Set up the situation quickly and focus on steps you’ve taken to address the feedback and the lessons you’ve learned. Explain how your feelings, reflection, and actions.

Essay 4 – Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?
This is a great opportunity to round out your essays and show your personality. You can present sides of yourself that have not come out through examples of leadership or feedback. Think broadly about who you are, where you’ve come from, and what you enjoy doing. Further, explain how you will bring these aspects of yourself to Tuck – how will you engage your classmates? They want to see that you will engage and inspire your peers.

Essay 5 – Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.
As with all questions of this nature, be concise and simply present the facts.

Columbia does not have many essay questions – all the more reason to choose your examples wisely in order to provide a well-rounded picture of you. Again, the most important advice is be your true self, show your personality, values, and humor.

What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit)

This is a forward looking question. They have NOT asked for your past career experiences. You may briefly touch on them to explain your future goals, but you should not dedicate an entire section of this essay to your past.

What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals?
Take this opportunity to reveal your values by explaining why your goals are meaningful to you (and maybe how your goals were inspired). Your career vision need not be one and the same with what matters most to you, but that there should be some correlation. You could touch on your previous career (or volunteer or personal) experiences to articulate how you developed your goals, but do not dwell on past experiences. Also note that they ask “post-MBA” not just “career” goals, so your plans can encompass more than just your career. Further, you need to be concise as you articulate a realistic but ambitious plan and be sure to include both short-term and long-term goals.

How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals?
As with every school, you must be specific about how Columbia will help you. Research their classes and clubs and articulate how you will add to them. They want to see that you are ready to make a difference in their community. Further take note of what’s unique about Columbia and how this will impact your career and future plans. Think about how Columbia can help you to develop as a person and a professional and not just how it can help propel you towards that “dream job”.

In a recent speech delivered to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Dean Glenn Hubbard discussed the new, essential elements of the 21st century MBA. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment (Recommended 500 word limit)?
First, read the speech provided by the link. Next, do some thinking on the rapidly changing business environment and your future. This question asks you to think not just about Columbia but why you need an MBA overall. Consider what you want to gain from your time at school, personally and professionally, and how this will help you navigate your personal and career goals. Remember that in revealing your priorities for business school, you are communicating what is important to you in how you live your life.

The entrepreneurial mindset is an integral component of the Columbia Business School MBA. Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity (Recommended 500 word limit).
Again, pay attention to what professional and personal examples you are providing across your essays so you can balance them. This question is similar to the greatest accomplishment question in that Columbia wants to see that you set goals and reach them. But they also want to see your creativity and passion. As with all questions of this nature, focus on your thoughts and actions instead of just describing the situation.

Please tell us about what you feel most passionate in life (Recommended 250 word limit).
Even though the word limit is tight, you want to SHOW them instead of just telling them what you feel most passionate about. To that end, provide a colorful and well-rounded examples from your life.

(Optional) Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.
As with all essays of this nature, stick with the facts and explain the situation succinctly.

We are quite honored to be awarded “Blog of the Day“. Thank you.

What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals (Recommended 750 word limit)?

In a recent speech delivered to the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, Dean Glenn Hubbard discussed the new, essential elements of the 21st century MBA. How will your MBA prepare you for a rapidly changing business environment (Recommended 500 word limit)?

The entrepreneurial mindset is an integral component of the Columbia Business School MBA. Please discuss a time in your own life when you have identified and captured an opportunity (Recommended 500 word limit).

Please tell us about what you feel most passionate in life (Recommended 250 word limit).

(Optional) Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.

As with the other essay tips we’ve presented, the most important advice is be yourself! Show your personality, values, and humor.

Short Answer:

1) If you could have dinner with one individual in the past, present, or future, who would it be and why? (250 word maximum)
This is a good opportunity to articulate what is important to you. Think about what you care about, what you are curious about, how you would like to impact the world, what you want to learn. Don’t dedicate the whole essay to talking about that you want to meet. Make sure this essay is still about you. You can show what is important to you and reveal who you are through your answer.

2) Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)
With this question, show that you set goals and reach them and also reveal what is important to you. You could choose a professional event, community service experiences (the more recent the better), or even personal hardships you have overcome. Be sure to balance professional and personal examples across your collection of essays. Most importantly, set up the accomplishment succinctly and focus on WHY you view this event as an accomplishment.

3) At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)
Again, pay attention to how many professional and personal examples you are providing across your essays. If you used a community service or personal examples for the accomplishment essay, then consider a professional example for this one. Haas wants to hear what you thought and did in the face of a challenge. Don’t just say that your solution was innovation, explain why it was a different approach and how you got the idea to do that. In other words, SHOW instead of tell.

4) What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)
This question requires some pre-writing preparation. If you don’t have time to visit Haas, then try to find ways to speak with students or alums. Maybe there’s an information session in your area. You can search your undergraduate school database for Haas alums and contact them via email to hear about their experiences. But don’t just list out what you did to learn about Haas. Articulate how you were affected by what students or alums said or what you read. Relate your own value system to what Haas values. Reveal what is important to you and how you’ll find that at Haas.

Required Essays:

1) Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)
Haas has worded this so that you can think outside of the box, meaning you don’t need to write about work. Consider volunteer or even personal experiences that have required resilience, vision, creativity, and achievement. Think about when you have led a group of people and demonstrate your ability to motivate a group and make things happen. As with the other essays, set up the experience quickly (500 words is short) and focus on your actions and reflection (lessons learned).

2) What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)

This is the standard why MBA question. There are a few questions embedded in this question and you must hit on each of them and budget your words.

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Your career goals should in some way reflect what is important to you (this does not mean they are one and the same, but that there is some correlation). By specifically asking for your short-term and long-term plans, Haas wants to see concrete, specific goals. Show that you have a realistic but ambitious plan, and explain why your goals are meaningful to you. Be sure to lay out short term and long term plans.

How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Note that they are asking specifically how your career background has informed your goals for the future. They do not want a list of your experiences or even a colorful description of these experiences. They want to you to reflect on how past experience connects to your future plans. You may have a fairly linear career path with obvious links between past and future plans. In which case, articulate what you have enjoyed and learned. Or you may be desiring a career change. In this case, explain what you have learned (stay positive) and your thought process to get to your current goals.

Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career?
This is a combination of Why Berkeley and Why Now. As with every school, you must be specific about how Haas will help you achieve your goals – offer up classes, clubs, etc that will help you. They want to see that you are ready to hit the ground running, that you will take advantage of Haas and make a difference in their community. Do not neglect the Why Now aspect – explain what is motivating you to apply to school. This could be woven into how your past experiences have informed your goals. Maybe you want to move up in current career, change careers, etc. Or perhaps a personal experience has inspired you to delve into a different field. Or maybe you’ve gained the skills you wanted after college and now feel ready to reach for your dream. Just be sure to articulate your reasoning.