UCLA Anderson has only two required essays for first-time applicants, which will allow you only 1500 words to communicate directly with the admissions committee and make your case for admission to UCLA Anderson.

Your personal qualities are of utmost importance to the admissions committee. With a class limited to 360 students, and a desire to create a diverse and interesting atmosphere, your personal answer to essay one will help make your case just as much as your goals and accomplishments in essay two.

What is your proudest achievement outside the workplace, and how has it impacted you? (700 words maximum)

Starting this set of essays with a personal question about your achievements outside of work establishes UCLA MBA’s interest in knowing what you are passionate about and how you may exercise leadership outside of work. When approaching this question, keep your overall application strategy in mind, and make sure you are presenting a holistic view of yourself. Much like Stanford’s “what matters most” essay, brainstorming an overall theme that can take you from the personal tone of Essay 1 to the career goals in Essay 2 could provide a thread to unite your application strategy.

Specific examples are always the best way to demonstrate your personal qualities without sounding generic. In this essay you are invited to tell a personal story. You are unique and an interesting activity outside of work can be an effective way to set the tone for your application holistically. If you choose effectively, your story will support the overall theme of your essays and support what you say about your career and personal development.

What are your short-term and long-term career goals, and how will an MBA from UCLA Anderson specifically help you achieve these goals? (700 words maximum)

The UCLA MBA program is asking for a clear set of career goals that will demonstrate the need for an MBA from UCLA Anderson. Since you are not directly asked to explain your entire career path, focus on the high points that are most relevant to your career goals. When did you face a turning point or make a big decision about your career? What were some of your proudest accomplishments? 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?

Because you have effectively set the stage with question one, you have likely established your passions and personal interests, which will back up your career goals. Briefly explain what you plan to do immediately after graduation, and then what you want to accomplish over the long-term with your career. Keep in mind that UCLA recently rehabbed their curriculum to train MBA candidates more specifically for their chosen careers. While your education will still have some flexibility, you are more likely to be a strong fit with UCLA Anderson if you can see yourself benefiting from the program and its educational approach. Along with citing specific classes, professors and programs that fit into your career goals, include the social and extracurricular aspects that attract you to the small and close-knit experience at Anderson. Be specific as you discuss the clubs and conferences that are unique to the UCLA MBA.

Optional Essay
Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? (250 words maximum)

Focusing on explanations in this essay, rather than excuses, is very important. Potential extenuating circumstances may be a very low GPA, academic probation or using a recommender other than your current supervisor. Clearly explain the situation, and if it is a situation from the past, explain why you have changed. Providing evidence that you will not repeat the actions in question will be very important.

Re-applicant Essay
Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (700 words maximum)

The reapplication essay requires demonstrating significant strides since your last application. Keep in mind that the admissions committee will have access to your previous application. The UCLA MBA specifically asks for an update on your career progress since your last application. You may not have been promoted or taken a new job, so think about the areas in your career that have been improved since last year. Did you take on new responsibility? What about projects or leadership opportunities? While refining your goals is progress and can enhance your application, make sure your story is consistent with your last application and that you have thoroughly explained any changes in your thinking since the last time you applied.

Soul searching and feedback from others likely set you on the path to improve one or more areas that may have been weak in your last application. This essay is your opportunity to outline your better GMAT score, classes you took, additional extracurriculars, or a significant increase in responsibility at work.

The third part of this essay is to demonstrate how you will contribute to the UCLA MBA program. If you are a reapplicant you have likely had the time to learn even more about the school since your last application, and your research will pay off in this essay. Be specific about your skills and how you will contribute, along with the aspects of UCLA Anderson that will be of benefit to your goals.

Looking for help with your UCLA MBA application strategy? Contact us to learn how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help you define your best essay content.

Continuing the trend started last year, UVA Darden again asks candidates to answer only one essay question. While you only have to write 500 words, you have to make those words count. Leadership is crucial to future Darden MBAs. Personal qualities are also crucial to Darden, a school with a small, tight-knit community. Learn more about the school by visiting the Darden website, attending events and speaking with current students and alumni.

MBA Application Essay Question:
Share your thought process as you encountered a challenging work situation or complex problem. How did this experience change your perspective? (500 words maximum)

In this question Darden is asking to understand how you behave in a challenging or complex situation and what such challenges have taught you about yourself. The best use of this essay space will use specific examples to illustrate how you handled the challenge or problem and how you arrived at your change in perspective.

Before you start answering the question it may help to brainstorm some of your best professional accomplishment stories. As you think about the areas where you have excelled you may find that many of your accomplishments were preceded by a challenge or problem you needed to solve.

Once you have a list of all of the potential experiences to discuss, choose the examples that will also demonstrate some of your personal qualities to the admissions committee. You have your career history submitted in your resume and your GPA, transcript and GMAT to demonstrate academic ability. This essay is one of your few opportunities to show how you think, what your leadership approach is, and how you handle teamwork and conflict. Think about the situations that showcased your best performance at work, or that were a turning point in your approach to problem solving.

Because you have only one essay question to present yourself, make sure you have a trusted reader to tell you if you are effectively communicating why you are going to be a strong leader who deserves a spot in the UVA Darden MBA class.

Looking for perspective in your approach to your Darden MBA application? Contact us to discuss how Stacy Blackman Consulting can help.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Our client Sandra was stuck without a current supervisor recommendation to round out her MBA application. She had spent a few years with an ad agency but had recently advanced her career at a client firm with a promotion. However, the timing was tricky- Sandra was working on the core of her business school application with her Stacy Blackman consultant right around the time she finished her initial training in the new position. She would normally ask her direct supervisor for a recommendation for the application, but in this case, Sandra was practically brand new at her job. With no sense of her performance at the new job, Sandra also didn’t think her supervisor knew her story to the degree needed to write a strong application.

Additionally, Sandra was still getting her footing at the new firm, building up trust with her fellow employees, and didn’t want to rock the boat, so to speak. She had heard enough stories to know that while the firm was in good shape, there had been several rounds of layoffs after the financial crisis a few years before, and the general feeling was that shows of dedication were appreciated. In this environment, Sandra thought she should be careful who she informed about her plans.

Of course, she still needed that recommendation, so Sandra and her consultant listed a few possibilities. In many cases, her consultant suggested, they could look to another department within her company for another senior employee who had been a mentor in some capacity. This often helped in cases where an applicant moved to a new position within the same company, or perhaps followed a mentor to the new company. In Sandra’s case, there wasn’t a great fit here, though she kept a research director she had already met with for a few minor projects in mind for the future.

Sandra’s consultant then had her think about people connected to her outside leadership pursuits. Was there someone associated with a charity or a civic group that knew Sandra’s work well and could attest to her leadership abilities? Sandra had years of experience volunteering for kid’s summer camps through her church, so she added Pastor Mike to the list as possibility, but maybe not the strongest. Sandra and her consultant decided Pastor Mike was a good secondary recommendation if needed.

Sandra’s consultant hit on an answer as they went through Sandra’s resume again. If she couldn’t ask her current supervisor for a recommendation, how about a former one? This worked out perfectly for Sandra. Her previous boss knew her well and in fact had strongly recommended her for the position she now held- he was sure it would be a great fit for her and wanted to see her succeed. Raphael’s recommendation slotted perfectly in to Sandra’s application, and she maintains that it was his help that got her into Stanford.

Looking for stories that match you own situation? Find all of the Stacy Blackman Consulting case studies here.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

About a year and a half ago, our client Sachin started working with his Stacy Blackman consultant on his applications, which he was readying for Round One deadlines in the fall. After their initial consultation, Sachin’s consultant asked him why he was starting so far ahead. Sachin thought that it was obvious that if they had as big of a cushion of time as they could get, that they could spend extra time polishing his applications.

What Sachin’s consultant was driving at, however, was that rather than finish up his applications and spend months and months polishing them over and over, instead he could perhaps find some ways to make tangible improvements in his application. A little extra time to rewrite an essay is nice, of course, but Sachin had months and months- enough to add significant entries on his resume.

Sachin and his consultant brainstormed some ideas. Most of the time, if the applicant’s GMAT scores were weak, Sachin’s consultant would recommend taking the time to find a good GMAT course, tutor or self-prep study. In Sachin’s case, he was already set with strong scores and was planning to do some light study for a retake, but didn’t need to set aside lots of time.

The second idea seemed self-evident but was worth thinking about. Sachin was fairly sure who his recommenders would be, but with some major projects coming up at work, the tone of his relationships to potential recommenders at his company- and possibly the context of their recommendations- could change a lot in the coming months. Rather than start too early on his applications, Sachin and his consultant agreed that he should stay laser-focused on doing the best possible job at work to ensure that his recommendations would come in top-notch.

Finally, as they were projecting what Sachin’s application would look like nearly a year out, they detected a major weakness. Though Sachin excelled in his role at work, it was by nature not a leadership role, and though he had some interesting involvements outside of work, he was not particularly in a leadership position with any of them. Sachin knew that a volunteer organization he was a part of was looking for leaders for a summer project, and they identified this as a perfect opportunity for him. Though Sachin already had a group, had he not, his consultant would have recommended finding a way to volunteer or get involved with something outside of work that would show his leadership skills right away. As long as he found the right fit, even a few months at a newer endeavor could be great fodder for his application.

Sachin came back almost a year later with a stronger resume and more interesting stories to shape with his consultant, and they put together a strong application that landed him at Tuck.

Read more Stacy Blackman Consulting case studies featuring real client issues.

*Please note that no client details are ever shared in SBC Scoop or otherwise without complete sign off from client.

Guillaume thought he was on-target for MBA admission the first time around. He had very competitive GMAT scores and found a pair of schools that he felt were a great fit for him. Guillaume was confident when he sent in his applications. Instead of the acceptances he expected, Guillaume was surprised by two rejections. The next cycle he decided to hire a Stacy Blackman consultant to see what he could do to improve- and possibly identify what went wrong.

Guillaume’s experience with a French investment bank seemed to tie nicely into his plan to work in international finance after his MBA program. Guillaume and his consultant polished his essays a bit to better fit each program, but his consultant felt they were strong to begin with. When she got to his recommendations, however, she was sure she had found the issue.

For one of his recommendations, Guillaume had gone to a high-level executive at his bank. The executive was a graduate of a top-tier MBA program as well, and Guillaume assumed his impressive title would lend his recommendation weight. What he had overlooked was that his work was several levels below this executive and their contact was relatively minimal.

When his consultant read the recommendation, she saw a generally positive tone held back by generic language and a lack of tangible details. This recommendation might tell the reader that Guillaume would be a good hire at a similar company, but didn’t provide the personal connection and story needed to catch the attention of an admissions committee.

Guillaume’s consultant found a slightly different problem with his second recommendation as well. He had gone to a supervisor from a previous position, and while he left on good terms personally and professionally, Guillaume had never been fully comfortable at the firm, which was why he left to find a better job he was more passionate about.

Unfortunately, Guillaume’s supervisor had perceived his lack of enthusiasm for his job as well. Along with a few years distance from Guillaume’s work as well, the former supervisor wrote a recommendation that was polite and mainly positive to a hurried reader, but a closer read revealed some deliberate omissions and even a few veiled criticisms. Guillaume’s consultant clearly saw a case of a recommendation that could be called “damning with faint praise.”

As they discussed these recommendations, it was easy to see why Guillaume had overlooked their importance. He had done so much work for the applications himself, and simply getting a few people to say yes had been tough enough, but he was too close to the situations and the recommenders themselves to see the flaws with each.

Together they brainstormed some ideas for new recommendation sources, and Guillaume found his immediate supervisor and a colleague from his university alumni group both happy to write him a glowing, specific recommendations. This time Guillaume and his consultant worked on a document to guide each recommender on specific stories and examples. The strategy worked, and Guillaume was admitted to LBS and Duke.

Looking for more examples of real client success? Review all SBC case studies.

Fit is a crucial aspect to demonstrate in your Kellogg MBA application. The close-knit community values leadership and teamwork. At the same time, diversity in experience, background and thought is valued among the developing leaders of Kellogg. Doing your research on the programs, activities, clubs, classes and professors at Kellogg will be important as you approach your essays. While you are reading and conversing with students and alumni, keep in mind how you envision your own background adding to the community.

The advice we give about every MBA application is also relevant to Kellogg: make sure to choose a range of experiences from your professional and community life for your essay topics. When approaching any MBA application essay, be as specific as possible in every example to authentically communicate your unique leadership and teamwork style.

1. Discuss moments or influences in your personal life that have defined who you are today. (500 word limit)

This essay gets more personal than the Kellogg application has asked for in the past. As the first essay of the set, it will also set the tone for the rest of your story. This question should definitely be personal, and ideally, focus on people and experiences that have influenced you rather than accomplishments or achievements.

To generate ideas, try brainstorming over a period of a few days. Ask friends and family what values they see you demonstrated in your life and choices. Keep a notebook by your bed so you can record your first thoughts upon waking up, and mine your personal history for ideas.

This essay will be most effective if you answer the question with vivid and specific examples that demonstrate who you are today and how your life choices have defined you.

2. What have been your most significant leadership experiences? What challenges did you face, and what impact did you have? This is your opportunity to explain how you Think Bravely (personally and/or professionally). (500 word limit)

The Kellogg MBA seeks to make “strong leaders stronger.” Therefore, you will want to demonstrate that you are a strong leader, and that a Kellogg MBA can make you stronger. This question focuses on leadership experiences you have had and seeks to understand how you think and behave in challenging situations that may have tested your ability to work with others.

This behavioral question requires a very specific example to work effectively. The intention for this question is to see an example of a past experience that indicates how you will behave in the future, potentially when you must lead at Kellogg and in your future career. Make sure you include details about exactly what you did and said in your leadership story.

3. Imagine yourself at your Kellogg graduation. What career will you be preparing to enter, and how have the MBA and Kellogg helped you get there? (Please answer in terms of your program choice: One-Year, Two-Year, MMM, JD-MBA) (500 word limit)

This question focuses mainly on your short-term goal- the career that you will pursue immediately after graduation from Kellogg. Doing your research on Kellogg MBA’s academics and resources will help you answer the question about how Kellogg helped you achieve your post-graduation career goal. Choose specific classes, professors and programs that fit into your career goals. Think about clubs and conferences that are unique to the Kellogg MBA and will advance your career. Your motivation to pursue an MBA at Kellogg should also show that you are interested in being an active part of the community if possible.

If you are applying to the MMM program, you’ll have to show how the MEM degree will prepare you more effectively for your career goals than the MBA alone. Be able to articulate what is different about the Kellogg MMM program as compared to the MBA and other joint degrees. Know the classes you want to take, the professors you hope to work for, and how the MMM experience will be an asset in your future career.

Similarly, the JD-MBA at Kellogg is a highly competitive admissions process and will require a very clear explanation of what you will do with both degrees after school. Consider the unique attributes of the Kellogg JD-MBA program as compared to others, and also why you specifically need both a JD and an MBA.

4. What one interesting or fun fact would you want your future Kellogg classmates to know about you? (25 words or less)

With just 25 words to work with, your fun fact needs to be concise and focused. At the same time, this is an opportunity to describe 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 mention 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. Whatever fun or interesting fact you choose, make it relevant to your story and don’t forget your overall application strategy.

Challenged by your Kellogg MBA application? Contact us to learn how a Stacy Blackman Consultant can help you.