Georgetown has a unique international focus, exemplified by the International Executive MBA program and the Georgetown-ESADE MBA program.  The Georgetown MBA program is seeking candidates who can fit in with the small and focused classroom experience, by demonstrating leadership qualities, cross-cultural awareness and diversity.

You have three brief essays and a list of activities to demonstrate your qualifications to Georgetown.  Be sure to choose examples that show your range of experience and personal qualities, as well as your knowledge of and interest in Georgetown.

Essay 1:  Briefly state your short-term and long-term career objectives. How have your prior professional, academic, and personal experiences influenced your career plans? Specifically, how will your participation in Georgetown’s MBA Full-Time Program contribute to your career objectives? (750 words)

Georgetown leads off this set of essays with a classic career goals question.  The focus is on your goals, your past experiences and how a Georgetown MBA will help you achieve your objectives.  The difference between this essay and other similar questions is the focus on your experiences, not just professional, but also academic and personal.  To answer this question effectively in 750 words think about the pivotal points in your background that may have changed your direction, triggered an epiphany or crystallized an idea.  Focus on these distinct points and relate them to your more general overall path – clearly linking your past, MBA education and goals.

Essay 2:  In your own words, how do you define leadership? Please provide a specific example (professional or personal) of a time when you embodied the characteristics of a leader. Be sure to highlight the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What areas do you wish to develop in order to become a more effective leader? (750 words)

This essay has three distinct parts, calling for your own definition of leadership, a leadership example, and a question about your plans for leadership development.  When defining leadership, be sure your answer is based on your personal perspective and experiences rather than a stock response.  Ideally your answer would tie in with the example you describe, and the areas you hope to develop.

The leadership example you choose should be specific and concise so you are able to discuss the challenges you faced in the situation, and the results.  In addition, you will want an example where you can illustrate the third part of the question, when you are asked to illuminate the areas of leadership you plan to develop.  If you can incorporate any specific attributes of Georgetown that will help you in your leadership development, they will be a great addition to this essay.

Essay 3:  What is the most significant change you have made to any organization with which you have been recently affiliated? Please describe how you identified the need for change and how you managed the process of implementing change. What were the results? (750 words)

This essay focuses specifically on change within an organization.  You can choose a professional or extracurricular example, likely depending on the type of example you choose for essay 2.  If you are providing a professional answer and are part of a large organization, you may not have a dramatic example of a change you instituted.  Even a small change can be appropriate here, what is most important is how you were able to identify the need for change and implement it. 

Specific examples of your thought process and actions will be crucial here.  This essay can demonstrate innovative thinking, clear judgment and leadership qualities, all important characteristics for a strong MBA candidate.

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Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta offers a variety of programs, including a one-year MBA, which is more common outside the United States. The requirements of the one year program vary slightly from the typical two year applicant profile. One year students are expected to arrive at Goizueta with a prior business background and undergraduate degree in business or economics. The one year students will have already completed the basic core elements of an MBA program by taking classes in Statistics, Economics and Calculus prior to attending the program. In addition, the one year students will have focused career goals without the need for an internship. The one year program is smaller than the two year.

The two year program is composed of students from all backgrounds who will complete a core program and an internship. In addition, two year students benefit from more elective opportunities and the ability to study abroad.

When approaching the Goizueta essays, it is important to be focused on your overall application strategy and clearly understand your own unique strengths and weaknesses. You will want to demonstrate your professional skills and personal qualities, along with clearly demonstrating that you are familiar with the Goizueta program and that it is an appropriate fit for you.

1. List one of your most significant professional or organizational accomplishments.
Describe your precise role in this event and how it has helped to shape your management skills. Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

This is similar to the HBS accomplishment essay, and you should choose topics in a similar way. Think about the important accomplishments in your life, and pick one that you can describe precisely. Because Emory is asking for an accomplishment that has shaped your management skills you will likely want to think about professional accomplishments first. If you work as an individual contributor without the opportunity to manage at work, you may have robust leadership experiences in your extracurricular activities that would be appropriate for this question.

In describing your accomplishment be specific about what the accomplishment was, and if possible, have solid results. Describe what you did to accomplish the achievement with specific examples whenever possible. You have the room to thoroughly describe the events and your role in the accomplishments.

The second part of this question is to reflect upon how this accomplishment has shaped your management skills. Think about the lessons you learned and the way you were able to grow as a result of the experience. To be thoroughly convincing, a recent example of a time that you used these learnings would be effective.

2. Please complete/address two of the following statements.
Full-time candidates (Two-Year and One-Year Programs) must complete/address choice F as one of the two options. Please limit each response to one, double-spaced, typed page.
a. I have always wanted to….
b. My most memorable cross-cultural experience….
c. My family background is unique because….
d. The person who has had the greatest influence on my leadership style is… because…
e. The greatest lesson I have ever learned….
f. Of Goizueta’s core values (courage, integrity, accountability, rigor, diversity, team, community), which value resonates most with you and why?

This question offers a wide range of options to illuminate almost any area of your application strategy. Think about what you would like to communicate to the admissions committee about yourself and your values, and then choose the appropriate question.

If you are seeking to differentiate yourself, choosing option c or b may be ideal to communicate why you are unique despite any typical statistics or background you may have. If you need to bulk up in communicating your leadership style, option d will be appropriate. Communicating about your personal qualities would be effective in option a and option f.

Goizueta asks all full-time applicants to answer option f. When approaching the question it would be useful to think about what specific example or examples you can use to illustrate why you choose that particular core value. You will certainly want to back up your choice effectively as well as make sure you can use the opportunity to communicate another aspect of your candidacy to the admissions committee.

3. What do you expect to accomplish in the Goizueta Business School MBA program?
How will your participation in the MBA program fit in with your experiences and responsibilities as well as your short and long-term career goals? Please limit your response to two, double-spaced, typed pages.

The classic career goals essay comes at the end of this set of essays and starts with the question of “why Goizueta?” To effectively answer this question you will want to demonstrate your specific knowledge of the program from all angles – academic, social and community. In researching the program you will want to take advantage of the formal programs available, from school visits to admissions information sessions, as well as informal networking with current and former students.

To answer the rest of this question, you will want to demonstrate how you will contribute to the program based on your experiences, and how the program will help you reach your short and long-term career goals. As in other career goals essays, this essay is most effective if you are able to clearly show the links between your past experience, the Goizueta MBA program, your short-term goals, then your long-tem goals.
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UNC Kenan-Flagler rise in the rankings in recent years comes as the program continues to invest in the MBA program and drive innovation through focusing on what actual recruiters want in MBA recruits. Recently Kenan-Flagler announced the new Luther H. Hodges leadership center, which is a great opportunity for students to learn leadership principles and practice them. Kenan-Flagler’s full time MBA program was recently ranked #6 on the WSJ rankings and is in the top 20 for the other major periodicals.

Essay One:
What are the 2 or 3 strengths or characteristics that have driven your career success thus far? Do you have other strengths that you would like to leverage in the future? (500 words maximum)

This question is similar to other inquiries about your strengths and weaknesses, except for the key difference that it optimistically focuses solely on strengths. This is an opportunity to demonstrate your ability to either self-assess or seek feedback from others. When brainstorming ideas for this essay it may help to take a self-assessment test or to refer to the reviews you have received throughout your career. What are the themes? Where have you excelled the most?

The other aspect of this question is to demonstrate your accomplishments. Rather than listing out strengths, you will want to provide the real world examples of where you have used these strengths in your career and the results you have achieved.

In answering the question about the strengths you would like to use in the future, think about your extracurricular activities and hobbies. Perhaps you are exceptionally creative in your personal life and would like to apply that strength to your career. If you are involved in teams outside of work but are an individual contributor professionally, this is the perfect opportunity to highlight that strength and communicate how you plan to develop it as you rise in your career.

Essay Two: Briefly describe the career path you intend to pursue immediately after b-school. Explain why this career option appeals to you and why an MBA is appropriate at this time. (500 words maximum)

Ideally this question fits in well with the assessment of your strengths you presented in Essay One. Similar to a standard career goals essay, you need to discuss your plans after business school and why an MBA is the correct next step for you. The question implies a “Why Now” inquiry, so you will need to clearly outline where you are at this point in your career and why this is the right time to return to school.

This question focuses on the short term, asking for a very clear link between your short term career path and your MBA. Due to Kenan-Flagler’s focus on the perspective of recruiters, this focus on the short term is logical. However, you may want to add perspective and bring in your long term goal if it fits smoothly with the other goals you outline in this essay and does not require significant explanation.

Essay Three: What personal qualities or life experiences distinguish you from other applicants? How do these qualities or experiences equip you to contribute to Kenan-Flagler? (500 words maximum)

This question is a gift to any applicant who needs to differentiate his or her story. Similar to the Kellogg and Tuck essays with the same theme, think about what is unique about your background or perspective. If you have an interesting and diverse background you will certainly have enough material and the task will be to link your background clearly to a contribution you will make to the Kenan-Flagler community. Think about clubs or activities you will join and what you will bring that is unique.

If you are someone without a particularly unique background you will want to focus on personal qualities. What personality trait helps you stand out in a group? What do people often tell you about yourself? And how will this trait contribute to the community at Kenan-Flagler?

Essay Four: What do you expect from your MBA program? How and when will you measure the return on your investment in the MBA? (500 words maximum)

This question is a great opportunity to address why you want to attend Kenan-Flagler at length. Think about the areas you hope to enhance through an MBA. There are skills you will obtain, people you will meet, and opportunities to enhance your teamwork and leadership skills. Outline what you are expecting to gain from the MBA program, both while you attend and afterwards.

When addressing the second half of the question, avoid a direct discussion of monetary awards (which is likely your first instinct!) and focus on the qualitative benefits you will gain through increased skills, improved leadership qualities, and enhanced network. Also discuss what length of time is meaningful to you. Is this an investment for the long-term?

Be sure to work in many references to the benefits of the Kenan-Flagler program. To research the school, go beyond the website and network with students and alumni. The admissions office is currently on a world tour, offering many opportunities for personal interaction.

Essay Five: If your GMAT quantitative score is low, or if you have not had coursework in calculus, microeconomics, statistics and financial accounting, please tells us how you plan to prepare yourself for the quantitative MBA curriculum (300 words maximum)

This optional essay is straightforward and simply requires you to outline your preparation for the program. If you do not have the requisite coursework you may have gained training through work that will result in the same preparation. If you do not have the preparation through work or courses, it may be worth registering for continuing education classes and informing the admissions committee in this essay.

Essay Six: Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you in order to evaluate your candidacy? (300 words maximum)

This optional essay can be used to explain anything unusual or problematic about your application, from poor undergraduate GPA to choice of recommenders. In addition, because it is so open-ended, you may use it to communicate any additional information that may be beneficial to your candidacy. If you did not have the opportunity to communicate one of the areas of your application strategy, this may provide the space to do so.

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UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business offers students a diverse community and world class academics. In addition, the school’s focus on the four key pillars of leadership (1. responsibility/integrity, 2. knowledge/understanding, 3. collaborative/communication 4. worldview of business and society) also provides students with opportunities like the Plus Program to connect their academics with real world projects and leadership training.

With only three core essays to communicate your candidacy to McCombs, you will want to remain focused on your application strategy and choose examples that demonstrate that you are well rounded and fit with McCombs’ focus on integrity, understanding, communication and a global perspective. Think about how you have demonstrated these qualities across your personal, professional and community life.

Fall 2009 Admissions Application Essay Questions
Please define your short- and long-term goals and objectives, your career progression to date, and how an MBA fits in at this time. What makes the Texas MBA the perfect fit for you? Limit: 900 words

This is a classic career goals question, and it will be helpful to refer to some of the advice provided for Wharton, Columbia and Kellogg. Note that McCombs is asking you to answer the question “Why Now” for your MBA, and you will need to have a solid reason to pursue your advanced studies at this point in your career and your life. In addition, spending a significant amount of time to answer “Why Texas?” will be important. As McCombs is often a back up school for programs that are a bit higher in the rankings, your sincere interest in the program is an important element to your application strategy.

Understand the curriculum, professors, programs and McCombs’ culture by visiting campus, interacting with current or former students, and by attending admissions events if possible.

The Texas MBA is built around four key pillars of leadership. Describe an experience that you have had that clearly demonstrates your leadership as it relates to one of our four pillars: 1) Responsibility/Integrity; 2) Knowledge/Understanding; 3) Collaborative/Communication; or 4) Worldview of Business and Society.

In choosing which of the pillars to focus on, think about your overall profile and what areas may need more explanation. You can use this essay to show that you are an expert in your field, that you are a strong team player, that you have a global perspective and that you are ethical in your dealings. Overall it will be important to demonstrate your impact on the community around you – whether personal, professional or extracurricular.

This essay calls for a specific example that will relate to one of the pillars and illustrate your leadership style. In addition to describing the situation and what you did, you will want to comment on the pillar and it’s importance in your life. Be sure to involve McCombs in the commentary, and use this opportunity to reiterate your fit for the program.

At the McCombs School of Business, you will be part of an active and diverse community. How will you use your personal strengths and unique experiences to enrich the McCombs community during your two years in the program?
Limit: 500 words

This essay is quite similar to the Kellogg and Tuck essays on the same theme. This is an ideal essay to differentiate yourself from your fellow applicants. You can easily pull from personal, extracurricular and/or professional experiences for material, and be sure to weave in how you will use your experiences and strengths to contribute to the McCombs community.

Specific understanding of what clubs and activities you will be involved at when attending McCombs will be useful here, and provide a third opportunity to show your overall fit with the program.

Optional Essay
Please provide any additional information to the Admissions Committee that you believe is important and/or will address any areas of concern that will ultimately be beneficial to the committee in considering your application.
Limit: 350 words

As with all optional essays, use it if you have an area of genuine concern. Focus on explanations rather than excuses, and clearly demonstrate why this area of concern is not an issue for your candidacy at this point in your life and career.

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NYU Stern is a diverse community located in the center of New York City.  The school offers international perspective and the ability to interact with other NYU programs, including a joint project with Tisch School of the Arts students in film production.

In describing yourself to NYU Stern admissions, you will want to focus on demonstrating your fit with the community very clearly.  You will need to clearly demonstrate why you are right for Stern and Stern is the ideal place for you.  Because there is some crossover with Columbia in student interest, knowing what sets NYU apart will be a competitive advantage.

Essay 1 – Professional Aspirations (750 word maximum):

Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

This essay is similar to both Wharton and Kellogg’s career goals essays and requires you to think carefully about all three sections of the essay.  You do not necessarily need to structure the essay in the order NYU asks the questions, though it is extremely important to answer each sub question thoroughly.

To answer (a) you will need to clearly articulate what you have done in your career and your life to achieve your current career success.  Think about all aspects of your path to your current position.  Did your studies in college have an impact?  Were there formative experiences along the way?  And did you take on pivotal projects or responsibilities?

For (b) you need to clearly demonstrate why an MBA is the logical next step from this point in your career.  Think about gaps in your knowledge and experience that may benefit from the opportunities an MBA will provide.  You have the opportunity to address why Stern is the ideal place for you in Essay 2, though you will certainly want to highlight specific classes or programs that are important to achieve your career goals.

Section (c) is an articulation of your short- and long-term goals upon graduation, and should demonstrate your vision and plans for the future as a logical extension of your career thus far and your Stern MBA.

Essay 2 – Fit with Stern (500 words maximum):

The NYU Stern community is one of our strongest assets. Please answer the following questions about community:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?

This essay is an opportunity to describe your own interest in Stern with specific examples of the homework you have done on your program.  In part (b) you are asked to comment on a situation where you received constructive feedback, and relate the experience to your interpersonal skills as a member of the Stern community.

Ideally you will create a cohesive essay out of the two sub questions in this essay question.  If you can focus some of your experience with Stern on the community, and link your own maturity and ability to learn and grow through interaction with others, the essay can be a clear piece of writing that effectively demonstrates your fit with Stern.

In addressing the section on constructive feedback you should succinctly describe the situation and the feedback, and then reflect upon your response and thought process as you worked through the difficult experience of receiving constructive feedback.  Show your growth as a result of the feedback, and if there was a solid action that you took to correct the situation, demonstrate that result.

The ideal way to research the Stern program is to take solid action in the form of a school visit and interaction with current students.  If you are unable to visit campus, you may be able to attend an admissions event on the road.  Supplementing your in-person research with reading about Stern from the student perspective in the Stern blogs may be another great way to learn more about the program.

Essay 3 – Personal Expression (500 words maximum, if written):

Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

This is an infamous essay that intimidates most applicants.  We have seen many successful versions of this essay ranging from a simple written essay that uses creative writing to describe the applicant, to creating a piece of art or clothing to demonstrate new aspects of the applicant to the admissions committee.  Because Chicago GSB has introduced a creative essay using power point, it is probably best to avoid that particular media.

When brainstorming ideas for this essay, think about what you need to communicate.  It is likely that after writing about your career goals and fit with Stern you have demonstrated your professional achievements.  This essay may be an opportunity to describe who you are as a person, demonstrate your diverse background or perspective, or to illuminate your community involvement.   Whichever direction you choose to go, and whatever media you use to communicate your message, remember that the question requires you to communicate with your Stern classmates.  Ultimately, that means you want to think about what a future teammate and friend would want to know about you.

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Cornell is a close knit MBA community where faculty, staff and students interact regularly on an informal basis.  Cornell is looking for students who are happy to be responsible for creating their own community, and requires engagement and leadership.  Innovation is another hallmark of the Cornell experience and a core educational program with flexible electives reflects that value.

Essay 1: Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you were able to add value to your organization (400 words)
This essay is an opportunity to show your leadership and management potential.  In the 400 words provided you will need to describe the achievement itself, while reflecting upon your own actions in the context of your company and teammates.

Focus on why you consider this to be your greatest professional achievement, which will demonstrate your values in life and the workplace.  In addition, show how you were able to add value to the organization through specific details.  Ideally you will be able to provide both evidence of your leadership abilities and your motivation.

Essay 2: What career do you plan to pursue upon completing the MBA and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 words)
This essay requires both a thorough explanation of your career goals, likely requiring some context in the form of your career progress thus far, and a significant amount of school specific detail to demonstrate your interest in the Johnson school.

Focus on articulating your goals clearly, and provide detail on how you plan to achieve your career goals, linking your development needs with your Johnson MBA.  Since your career goals are not specifically divided into short- and long-term you may focus on the general career you plan to pursue, though it will be most convincing if you are able to describe your overall career vision clearly.

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 needs.

Essay 3:  You are the author for the book of Your Life Story.  Please write the Table of Contents for the book. (400 words)
This is a creative essay that will allow you enough leeway to demonstrate how you view Your Life Story.  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.  Are there various themes in your life you would like to highlight?  Perhaps you will want to organize your Table of Contents thematically and focus on international experiences, community involvement and professional achievements as separate sections of your book.  Illuminate the major milestones through clever chapter headings, 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 there is other information you would like to add regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate GPA or test scores) do(es) not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School (400 words)

Optional essays are your opportunity to explain any weak or questionable areas in your application.  Focus on telling your story succinctly, and providing information that explains and reassures the admissions committee that you have overcome the issue.  Avoid any excuses in this essay, and focus instead on solid evidence that the issue will not inhibit your performance in the Johnson MBA program.

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For a concise, thoughtful guide that will help you navigate the MBA admissions process with greater success, order our NEW book, The MBA Application Roadmap.