Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth is a top ranked school set in a rural setting, with a close knit community. In evaluating candidates, Tuck looks at several criteria. Demonstrated academic excellence, demonstrated leadership, demonstated accomplishments, interpersonal skills, diversity of background and experience, and a global mindset. Note that many of these criteria specify that Tuck is looking for “demonstrated experience.” Aside from the raw data in your application, your essays are the best place to demonstrate what you will bring to the school.

When approaching this set of application questions it will be important to clearly assess which of the desired traits are ones that you can demonstrate through your own experience. What are the areas you want to communicate to the Tuck admissions committee? Which essays work best for a work example or a community service example? Be sure to provide specific examples for each essay. Specific examples provide the best evidence of your leadership qualities, team work skills and management potential.

While Tuck does not require a certain word limit, the 500 word guidance should be adhered to. Generally 10% plus or minus the word limit suggestion is reasonable when there is no formal limit.

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 standard career goals question requires you to clearly outline your short- and long-term career goals. Your short term goals are the aspirations you have for your job immediately after graduation, while your long-term goals may be 10 or 20 years after you complete your MBA. In this relatively short essay you will need to explain what you have been pursuing in your career thus far, and why you need an MBA at this point in your life, along with your career goals.

“Why Tuck” is an important aspect to this essay, and your opportunity to demonstrate fit. Make sure you have researched the school’s programs and determined your education will suit your plans. By reaching out to current students and alumni you will gain crucial insights that will provide a personal perspective on the culture of the school.

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 the 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 essay is similar to Kellogg’s leadership essay. As in the Kellogg essay, you will want to define your strengths and weaknesses as a leader. What are you good at, and what do you hope to develop at Tuck? Unlike the Kellogg essay, this version requires that you describe one specific example that illustrates your leadership challenges and strengths.

The example you choose can be from work or community involvement, as “great leadership can be accomplished in the pursuit or business and societal goals.” You will need to adhere to the Tuck definition of leadership and include a team based aspect to your example. As you describe your leadership experience, make sure you explain how you were able to inspire and enable others to accomplish.

3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?

Criticism and constructive feedback is often difficult to hear. In many cases the most difficult feedback to hear can ultimately be the best route to professional growth. In approaching this question, you may want to start by recalling performance reviews and other formalized feedback settings. As you go through feedback you have heard in your career, you may recall informal feedback that was helpful as well.

The key to this question is to discuss your reaction to the feedback. Self-awareness and ability to change are fantastic leadership qualities to demonstrate through this question. Regardless of the feedback you received, and how difficult it was, describing what you learned will be valuable.

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 question provides you with an opportunity to describe why you are different from other applicants. Do you have a unique background? Unusual work experience? Or have you demonstrated a consistent history of community involvement? The part of your application strategy that is most unique and surprising should be described here.

Once you have determined what is special about your candidacy, you need to tie your personal history, values and/or life experiences to how you will interact with your fellow students at Tuck. The most obvious approach is to outline the clubs and organizations you will contribute to. Beyond formal groups, you may contribute your unique perspective to the classroom, provide networking opportunities in your industry to your classmates, or mentor your fellow students.

5. (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application.

This is your opportunity to discuss any perceived weaknesses in your application such as low GPA or gaps in your work experience. When approaching a question of this nature, focus on explanations rather than excuses and explain what you have done since the event you are explaining to demonstrate your academic ability, or management potential. If you do not have a weakness to explain, this may be an opportunity to address any additional facet of your application strategy you have not been able to illuminate in previous questions. There is no requirement to complete this question, and it would be wise to use the space for something truly new and important to your application that has not been addressed elsewhere.

The Johnson School at Cornell offers a flexible program, including a new virtual EMBA with Queens School of Business in Kingston, Ontario Canada. Top areas of study at The Johnson School include consulting, finance, entrepreneurship, and portfolio management. New concentrations demonstrate a focus on preparing MBA students for a tough job market.

According to the Cornell admissions committee, they are seeking “to enroll a class composed of students whose insights are distinct and whose actions are penetrating. The essay portion of your application gives you the opportunity to candidly demonstrate your attributes and your compatibility with our rich and vibrant program.”

Cornell’s relatively short essay set is a strong opportunity to focus your application strategy and demonstrate your accomplishments, goals and fit with the Johnson School. Both questions 1 and 2 are in line with other MBA application questions, while essay 3 requires a fresh approach to demonstrate your unique attributes.

1) Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you added value to your organization. (400 word limit)

This version of the accomplishment essay asks you to focus specifically on a professional achievement. The second part of the question, requiring you to describe how you added value to your organization, suggests that your greatest accomplishment should be one that is not just significant to you personally, but was also recognized by others.

When you select an achievement, one particular accomplishment may stand out. It was likely one that was above and beyond your normal work responsibilities. Choosing an achievement that demonstrates your strengths and the work that you most enjoy is a great way to both showcase your skills and describe what drives you to achieve.

If you are in a profession that allows you to demonstrate quantifiable results, it will be important to outline those specifically. Did your accomplishment lead to a product launch? Increased revenue? Reduced costs?

Even if your impact cannot be measured in numbers, think about specifics you can cite. Did you receive feedback from your boss or coworkers? Did your accomplishment lead to a better process or solution?

2) What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 word limit)

This standard career goals essay requires you to demonstrate that your MBA from the Johnson School will be the right next step to achieve your career goals. While short- and long-term goals are not explicitly requested, you may want to describe how you view your career unfolding from graduation to achievement of your ultimate goal.

Since your past experiences are likely indicators of your skills and future direction, you will likely want to briefly outline key aspects of your career history. The question does not specifically require career history, so you have the flexibility to choose key inflection points rather than an entire resume review.

To learn more about the Cornell MBA, this is the ideal time of year to either visit the school or attend admissions events. Speaking with current students and/or attending classes are both great ways to understand your fit with the program and how it will meet your career goals.

3) You are the author for the book of Your Life Story. Please write the table of contents for the book.
Note: Approach this essay with your unique style. We value creativity and authenticity. (400 word limit)

Similar to the creative essays required for Chicago, NYU or even Stanford “what matters most”, this essay is an opportunity to show who you are on a personal level. Though the essay specifically asks for the Table of Contents, you can certainly illuminate each chapter through brief descriptions. This is the perfect opportunity to highlight areas you may not have been able to touch in the previous career focused essays, and demonstrate your unique personal attributes or community involvement.

Think of this essay as a way to communicate a narrative theme of your life to the admissions committee. What are the key moments that are meaningful to you? Were there key moments with your friends, family, hobbies or interests that led you to be the person you are today? Illuminate the major milestones and be sure to share your essay with friends and family to make sure you are communicating effectively though the creative exercise.

Optional Essay: Complete this essay if you would like to add additional details regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate record or test scores) do not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School. (400 word limit)

This optional essay allows for either an explanation of any weaknesses in your application or additional information that may bolster your application. If you have a poor GPA or GMAT, concerns with your undergraduate record, or were unable to provide a recommendation from a current supervisor, this is the place to offer explanations, not excuses. Quickly describe the situation and what may have contributed to the issue (illness, family difficulties, etc.) without editorializing. Focus the balance of your essay on looking forward: what have you done in the recent past to demonstrate your skills and intelligence?

This essay could be an opportunity to communicate exceptional leadership experiences, accomplishments or extracurricular involvements that did not fit into your previous essays. If you focus on an additional aspect of your application strategy you need to make sure your essay demonstrates significant information that will benefit the admissions committee’s decision making process.

Unlike many of the top programs, Michigan Ross remains consistent with its 2010 essay questions. This year Michigan has kept a cornerstone career goals essay and an accomplishments and challenge essay with a few short answers. One of the short answer questions is a fairly creative question asking for your “Plan B” if you were not pursuing an MBA.

Key to answering the first question is a strong understanding of the program at Michigan Ross. Action-based learning is “an essential element of leadership” for Ross. Contemplating your fit with the program that emphasizes inquiry, critical thinking and leadership will be important to your strategy when answering this set of questions. Think about the key strengths you have identified that you want to communicate to the admissions committee, and how you will utilize each question to reach that goal. Ross has two questions (Short Essays 3 & 4) that will allow you to express your personal attributes, and several opportunities to discuss your professional and leadership skills.

Long Essays (500 word max)
1. Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?

This is Michigan’s version of the fairly standard career goals essay. Make sure to answer all of the questions posed by this essay by describing what your career goals are both in the short- and long-term, why an MBA is a logical next step and why Ross is the right place for you.

In discussing your goals, focus on the future. Craft a concrete plan that will bridge your MBA, your short-term idea for immediately after graduation and your long-term career dream. The story should fit together logically and naturally, and also arise clearly from the career progress to date you will articulate in the next part of the question.

This question offers flexibility when discussing your career thus far. By not asking specifically what you have been doing, you have the choice to select the highlights that relate specifically to your plans for an MBA and your future career goals. When discussing past career experiences, think about the important pivot points in your story such as promotions, job changes or high profile projects that also fit in solidly with your career goals and MBA plans. Laser focus on a few vivid examples will help your application stand out from the crowd. There are many valid reasons to apply for MBA programs at this point in your career. Perhaps you have reached a plateau, are ready for a career change, or realize that you need the specialized skills of an MBA to reach the next level on your current path.

In addressing part three of this question, why Ross, make sure to highlight the people and experiences you have had. Specific information gathered from school visits, the website and course curriculum will help you answer the “what” part of the question, while networking (at a Ross Reception for instance) with current students and alumni will help you understand the culture at Ross and give you personal examples to highlight your fit with Ross.

2. Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization.

This essay is the perfect opportunity to both address a significant accomplishment and to provide a solid example of your leadership qualities. The example must be from work or another professional arena.
A key part of this question is bringing the example alive through describing the actions you took and the result of your accomplishment for both you and the organization. The STAR framework is a great way to approach this question. First briefly explain the situation, then the tasks that the situation required, the actions you took and the result. Solid (and preferably quantifiable) results are a satisfying way to end any situational essay.

Self-reflection is a great aspect to contribute to this essay as you elaborate upon your leadership skills. What type of leader are you? Do you mentor and teach others? Direct your team towards results? Or ask questions to achieve buy-in? Whatever your own personal style is, this is an opportunity to reveal how you operate and why.

Short Essays (300 word max)
3. If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (For example, teacher, musician athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multidisciplinary problems?

Have fun with this one. This essay is an opportunity for you to discuss some of your extracurricular activities and hobbies, while illuminating the influence they have had on your life. Think about the activities you most enjoy outside of work, preferably an activity you have been involved in over time, and reflect on the ways this activity has affected your approach and thinking over your life.

While explaining your alternate career path, think about the professional applications of your passion. You may have once dreamed of being a rock star, and can you take that influence and creativity and apply it to your work in marketing? If you were a history major in college, how has that contributed to your problem-solving as an investment banking analyst? Demonstrating that you are more than one dimensional will be a great asset to your application.

4. Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.

Challenges can be the catalyst for change, and this essay asks you to describe a key point in your life that may have been a personal development moment for you. This is a great opportunity to highlight your resilience and ability to learn from even the most difficult circumstances.

The question allows the flexibility to pick a self-created challenge (a mistake or misstep) or to address an external challenge like an illness, being laid off, or family issues. In describing the situation, explain what happened briefly. Then focus primarily on your response to the situation and how the experience has changed your approach and attitude since the event.

Our tips on the HBS mistake essay may help with your approach to this one as well.

Optional Question: Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?

Use the optional essay if you have an issue that needs to be addressed through a short essay, such as low GPA, gap in work history or unconventional recommenders. Explain the situation clearly and succinctly, and provide explanations rather than excuses.

Fit is a crucial aspect to demonstrate in your Kellogg application. The close knit community values leadership and teamwork. To understand what Kellogg offers to prospective students, note the areas of excellence demonstrated in the academic program, from Marketing to Finance. As Kellogg’s Dean Dipak C. Jain explains, the Four Pillars are “instrumental in advancing the Kellogg School’s dual mission of creating knowledge and producing socially responsible global leaders, The Four Pillars — intellectual depth, experiential learning, global mindset and values/people skills — [provide] our students with the balanced tools to succeed at the top levels of any organization.”

As you determine your application strategy for this set of Kellogg essays, think about how the Kellogg community reflects your own background and goals. In addition, make sure to choose a range of experiences in your professional and community life. When approaching any MBA application essay, be as specific as possible in every example to authentically communicate your unique leadership and teamwork style.

Essay #1
MBA Program applicants – Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg. (600 word limit)

The Kellogg career goals essay takes a standard approach, asking for your past experiences, your future goals, and how Kellogg fits into your plans. Since you have a fairly limited amount of space to explain your entire career path, focus on the high points. When did you face a turning point or make a big decision about your career? What were some of your proudest accomplishments?

As you describe your career background, keep in mind any aspects that will relate to your future career plans. If you are a management consultant now and want to become an entrepreneur, what have you learned and experienced that will help you with those plans?
Having done your research on Kellogg’s academics and resources will help you answer the question about your motivation to pursue a graduate degree at Kellogg. Choose specific classes, professors and programs that fit into your career goals. Think about clubs and conferences that are unique to Kellogg and will advance your career.

Essay #2
Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences (600 word limit)

Answering this question effectively requires a candid self evaluation. Think about your key strengths and development areas in the realm of leadership. When you look back at your key leadership experiences, what did they all have in common? Can you identify a particular behavior or approach you take in your leadership style? Are you directive, collaborative, or a teaching leader? When people choose to follow you, why do they do so?

Once you know your own strengths as a leader, it’s easier to identify some areas for development. If you are great at motivating people, but not as strong in driving follow through and results, you might want to develop your directive qualities. If you are good at pushing results, yet alienate your team members, developing a consensus based leadership style may be worth your focus. Whatever your own unique approach, determine what you could use a little bit of help with and describe the specific Kellogg resources to help you reach your own leadership potential.

Essay #3
Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would your peers select you to become a member of the Kellogg community? (600 word limit)

It’s important to note the subtle change in this question since last year, when Kellogg asked what “in your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills [would]l enhance the experience of other Kellogg students” While you have more latitude this year in answering the question, it may help to refer to this list for brainstorming ideas.

Doing your research is essential here. What will you contribute to the Kellogg community? Investigating the activities, people and projects available at Kellogg will help you determine what you would like to be involved in. Once you determine what you are interested in participating in, you will want to clearly explain what you have to offer.
Your peers might be interested in: your ability to bring unique company or industry knowledge, attract interesting speakers to your club of interest, or manage teams in the classroom or in a club. Think about the attributes you can bring to the table and how you will drive value for the Kellogg community.

Essay #4
Complete one of the following three questions or statements. (400 word limit) Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this grouping, but this is not required.

a) Describe a time when you had to make an unpopular decision.
This question requires a very specific example to work effectively. The decision could be one that had ethical or moral implications, or perhaps demonstrated your courage and tenacity. It could be a decision you made at work or in an extracurricular setting. Whatever the story, make sure it demonstrates core attributes you want to communicate to the admissions committee. Though you are only asked to describe the decision, a satisfying result to your decision would be welcome to conclude the essay.

b) People may be surprised to learn that I….

An open ended question that is ideal for any differentiating factor. If you are a typical Indian IT applicant who actually grew up in France on a vineyard, this is the place to discuss it! Think about what aspects of your background that might be interesting, unique, and surprising in the context of the information you have already shared in this set of essays. Do not forget your overall application strategy, whatever topic you choose should be relevant to your story.

c) I wish the admissions committee had asked me……

This is a great question to help you fill in any gaps in your application strategy. What did you want to communicate to the admissions committee and weren’t able to in any other essay? Here’s your chance. You may want to use this space to highlight special leadership or teamwork examples or to differentiate yourself from your peers. Whatever topic you choose, make sure you can compose a concise and specific example and outline your own thinking and motivation.

Required essay for re-applicants only – Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (400 word limit)

When determining how to strengthen your reapplication, you likely improved aspects like GMAT score, formulated an alternative transcript or become more involved in extracurricular activities. Whatever advances you have made since the last time you applied, make sure you can clearly explain what you did and how it makes you a stronger candidate. Think beyond the benefits in the MBA application to how your progress rounds out your experience. For example, an improved GMAT score could have helped you brush up on your quant or verbal skills to be more prepared for demanding MBA classes.