Kellogg MBA Essay Tips 2026-2027
Kellogg overhauled its application for 2026-2027, and the new format includes one 550-word written essay in two parts, a 250-word reapplicant essay, and five 60-second video essays. These Kellogg MBA essay tips show how to lean into authentic, self-aware storytelling over a polished pitch, which matters more than ever now that the video essays carry real weight.
Quick Summary
- Treat Part I and Part II as two separate questions, and split your 550 words so the contribution half does not get squeezed out by the journey narrative.
- There is no longer a standalone goals or why-Kellogg essay, so weave your ambitions and your fit into Part I and the video answers.
- Part II is new and looks outward. Beyond what you want from Kellogg, be specific about what your classmates will gain from having you there.
Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management has long sought students who lead and collaborate equally. It’s that blend of impact and humility that insiders call “Kellogg DNA.” The 2026-2027 application asks you to prove that DNA in a tighter, more reflective format, so some guidance from past cycles no longer fits.
Our revised Kellogg MBA essay tips will show you how to lead with intentionality, make a genuine case for what you will contribute, and sound like yourself across five video essays.
What changed in the Kellogg MBA essays for 2026-2027?
Quite a lot. Kellogg replaced its two 450-word essays and its short-answer goals questions with a single 550-word written essay split into two parts. The video round grew from three questions to five. The reapplicant essay is unchanged. Read together, the changes point in one direction: Kellogg rebuilt the application around authenticity, and it leaned harder on video at a moment when written essays increasingly sound the same.
How should you approach the Kellogg written essay?
The biggest adjustment this application cycle is space. You now have 550 words to cover two distinct asks, where applicants previously had 450 words for each of two essays. Budget deliberately. Part I and Part II are separate questions, and a strong response gives each its due rather than letting the journey narrative crowd out the contribution piece.
Strategy for Part I
Part I asks about the pivotal experiences and decisions that brought you to this point, how they shaped your ambitions, and why now is the right time for an MBA. Kellogg has always framed this as your journey, so your past, present, and future should all show up.
Walk the reader through your path: what you have learned, where you are hitting a ceiling, and what gaps an MBA fills. Then connect that history to clear ambitions and a credible why now. If your goals read as vague or default, sharpen them before you write.
This is also where differentiation matters most. SBC Principal Consultant Caryn, a former Kellogg admissions officer and Kellogg MBA alum, stresses the value of unique points of difference in your application.
“This is especially true for candidates from oversubscribed industries like consulting and banking, or for international applicants from overrepresented regions,” Caryn explains. If you sit in a high-volume pool, the experiences you choose to highlight in Part I are your best chance to stand apart.
Strategy for Part II
Part II turns the lens outward: beyond what you hope to gain, what will you contribute to the students who learn alongside you? This is a genuinely new framing, and it rewards applicants who understand Kellogg’s collaborative, low-ego culture. Kellogg describes the leaders it develops as empathetic and innovative, people who draw strength from diverse teams to solve hard problems.
Show where you fit that picture. Point to the specific clubs, courses, communities, or perspectives you will add to, and be concrete about how your classmates will be better off for having you in the room. Generic enthusiasm reads as filler here. Evidence of how you actually show up for a team reads as fit.
Where do your career goals and “why Kellogg” fit now?
This trips up applicants who studied last year’s application. Kellogg dropped the dedicated career goals essay and the short-answer goals questions, so at a glance it can look like goals and fit no longer have a home. They do.
The written essay’s own instructions ask you to reference the specific program you are applying to, name the goals that brought you there, and make the case for why Kellogg is right for you. Goals and fit have now moved to within the main written essay. So build them into Part I, where your experiences, ambitions, and why now already live, and let your program specifics and goals ground that narrative.
Part II then shows fit from the other direction, through what you will add to your classmates. Do the full goals and fit research you always would. You are simply weaving it through the written essay instead of parking it in a separate response, and reinforcing it on video.
Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
How do the Kellogg video essays work, and how should you prepare?
The video essays are where this application gets more demanding, and Kellogg pays closer attention. You will answer five questions, 60 seconds each, due 96 hours after the application deadline.
The experience takes roughly 30 minutes, including setup, and you’ll have a moment to consider each question before recording. You can use the practice questions as many times as you like, but you cannot re-record your official responses, so treat the practice rounds as real reps.
Kellogg is direct about what it wants here. They have already read your essays and resume, and now want to meet “the person behind all those carefully crafted words.” That means no scripts or recycled essay anecdotes. Admissions readers can tell when an answer is memorized, and an AI-flavored delivery works against you at exactly the moment Kellogg is testing for authenticity.
Preparation is still vital and should be used to build fluency with your story. Recruit a friend to play the role of a mock interviewer and record yourself answering common prompts like “tell us about yourself” or “what is a recent accomplishment you are proud of.”
Watch the footage for distracting tics, filler phrases, or a flat tone. Have two or three personal stories ready that show your values, resilience, or teamwork, so you have versatile material no matter what comes up. The goal is to sound like yourself on a 60-second clock: warm, clear, and unrehearsed.
Stacy Blackman’s MBA Launchpad app is built for exactly this. You can work through realistic mock interview questions on your own schedule, record your answers, and get instant feedback that scores your responses and flags where you were vague or off-point. Because it is self-serve and available to everyone, you practice as many times as you want, whenever you want, and build real on-camera ease before it counts.
Learn more on B-Schooled Podcast #86: Spotlight on Kellogg School of Management
Advice for Reapplicants
The reapplicant prompt is direct, so your answer should be too. In about 250 words, show how you have grown personally and professionally since you last applied and what steps you have taken to become a stronger candidate.
Kellogg wants progress, not persistence. Lead with concrete improvements. A higher test score or a completed quant class signals academic readiness. A promotion, a bigger project, or a role change that brings you closer to your goals signals professional growth. Community involvement, a side venture, or sharper long-term goals all count when they show intentional forward motion.
Close by connecting that growth to what you will bring to Kellogg, because the strongest reapplicant essays prove you are not just a better applicant but a more prepared classmate.
Generative AI in your Kellogg Essays
Kellogg’s position this cycle is permissive but firm. The application encourages the kind of reflection that benefits from a sounding board, and it allows AI tools to play that role. Then it draws the line clearly: the essay’s authorship must be yours. Kellogg says it is looking for “your voice, your reasoning, and your story,” and warns that none of it can be outsourced.
Notice the shift from last year. While the previous version asked you to cite any AI tool you used, this version says nothing about citation and centers entirely on authorship, which is the harder standard, not the easier one.
In practice, let AI help you think. Use it to pressure-test your logic, talk through which experiences matter most, or catch a typo. Do not let it draft your sentences. A generated voice is exactly what admissions readers are trained to spot, and it rings especially hollow at a school built on authenticity. The same rule applies to video essays, where a scripted or AI-polished answer defeats the entire purpose of putting you on camera.
Go Deeper: Q&A with Kellogg’s Director of MBA Admissions
The Kellogg MBA essay tips that matter most
Lead with substance and sound like yourself. Budget your 550 words so that Part I and Part II each land, and weave your goals and your case for Kellogg throughout the essay as the instructions ask. Treat the five video essays as the authenticity test Kellogg clearly intends them to be. These Kellogg MBA essay tips all point to one idea: in a cycle defined by sameness, applicants who read as genuine and specific stand out.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kellogg MBA Essays
How many essays does Kellogg require for 2026-2027?
All applicants write one 550-word written essay with two parts. Reapplicants add a 250-word essay. Every Full-Time MBA applicant also completes five short video essays.
How long is the Kellogg written essay?
It is capped at 550 words total, covering both Part I and Part II. You decide how to divide the space between the two questions.
How many video essays does Kellogg have?
Five—each is 60 seconds long and due 96 hours after the application deadline. You can practice as many times as you like but cannot re-record your official answers.
Does Kellogg still have a separate career goals essay?
No. The standalone goals essay and the short-answer goals questions are gone, but the written essay’s instructions still ask for your goals and your reasons for choosing Kellogg, so they belong in Part I.
Can you use AI to write your Kellogg essays?
Kellogg allows AI as a sounding board but requires the writing to be your own. There is no citation requirement this cycle, and the school stresses authentic, unscripted responses, especially on video.
Feeling inspired, or maybe a little overwhelmed, after these Kellogg MBA essay tips? That is normal, and it is exactly where we come in. Stacy Blackman Consulting offers personalized guidance, from full application strategy to fine-tuning your Kellogg essays and video responses. Reach out for a complimentary analysis of your candidacy and take the first step toward a standout Kellogg application.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...
×Pauline
A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...
×Laura
Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...
×Andrea
Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...
×Jennifer
Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...
×Davina
Davina received her MBA from Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB), with a certificate in Public Management, and her BA in Psychology from UC Berkeley. Davina is an experienced strategic planning leader, facilitator, and business case writer who spent more than 15 years building culture, entrepreneurship, and leadership initiatives across Stanford University and the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She designed ...
×Erin K.
Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...
×Susie
Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...
×Dione
Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...
×Anthony
Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...
×Meghan
Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...
×Amy
Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...
×Ally
Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...
×Emma
Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants. ×
Dana
Dana served as Assistant Director of Admissions at Columbia Business School for the Full-Time MBA program and has over 10 years of experience working in higher education. Known as a scrupulous file reader, Dana reviewed countless applications and assisted in rendering final decisions for the Admissions Committee at CBS. While leading information sessions at Columbia and on the road, Dana met and advised myriad applicants� ...
×Holly
Holly worked as a member of the NYU Stern MBA Admissions team for seven years and holds an MBA from NYU Stern. In her tenure as Director of NYU MBA Admissions, Holly worked closely with admissions teams from Columbia, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, Cornell Johnson, Berkeley Haas, Yale SOM, and Duke Fuqua on recruiting events domestically and internationally. On the NYU Stern admissions committee, Holly conducted interviews, planned and hosted events, and trained staff on reading and interviewi ...
×This post was written by SBC Consultant Amy and reviewed by Stacy Blackman.
