Tuesday Tips – London Business School Essay Tips

The London Business School is a close knit program with an international focus, set in one of the most exciting centers of culture in Europe.  LBS is also one of the top ranked international options with US recruiters.

When approaching this set of essays, which has very specific questions, you will want to make sure you are also presenting your well-rounded self, with focus on career, extracurriculars and personal attributes.

Question 1 (600 words)
In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

This classic career goals question focuses more on your short-term goals than the typical school might. Make sure you can clearly demonstrate how your past and present career and personal experiences support your goals, and why you have settled on your particular aspirations. In addition, you will need to demonstrate why London Business School is the particular MBA program for you and why you are planning to pursue an MBA at this point in your career and your life.

In just 600 words to answer 5 distinct questions you will need to demonstrate your commitment and reasons throughout the essay. Through your narrative thread it should be obvious why you are pursuing an MBA, why now is the right time and how LBS will help you achieve your goals. If you are planning to switch careers and do not have the track record to demonstrate you are serious about your goals, it will be helpful to show your commitment through research you have done, extracurricular activities you have been involved with, or relevant accomplishments in your current position.

When researching the LBS difference for this essay, you might find some help in the form of the student blogs on the London website.

Question 2 (200 words)
Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

As a continuation of essay one, this is your opportunity to talk about your long-term goals ”“ both those that are more in the short-term and those further down your path.

This essay should flow very smoothly from essay one. There should be a clear link between your immediate post-MBA goals and these two milestones, and all of them will flow from your current and past experiences.

Question 3 (500 words)
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group?

This question offers the opportunity for you to demonstrate your teamwork skills and demonstrate your knowledge of LBS teams. You may want to refer to student blogs, the programme website or current or former students to understand the role of study groups at LBS and how you will likely fit in.

In providing your team work example, you have the option of a variety of settings, whether at work or in an extracurricular involvement and an option of discussing either working within or leading teams. Because the essay asks for several experiences, it will be useful to choose a few specific examples to cite, though you will want to be judicious due to the short length of the essay. Think about examples that most typify your approach to working within a team, and use these examples to support your speculation about the role you might play within your study group.

Question 4 (400 words)
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute?

This question provides an opportunity to describe some of the community involvement you have been involved with and relate it to what you might do at LBS. Thorough research will be helpful here, whether online or in person. To be most effective in answering this question you will want to be specific and logical in your choices. What activities make the most sense in the context of your career and industry interests? What about your hobbies? Any community involvement you are currently pursuing and plan to continue will be especially credible here.

Question 5 (150 words)
Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these?

This question is brief and mainly seeks to understand your international experiences in breadth and depth. Any particular insight you gained from international travel will be helpful, and if you can tie it to your overall application theme, that’s even better. Since LBS is a particularly international program they are certainly seeking applicants who are well traveled and thoughtful about the rest of the world.

Question 6 (300 words) (This question is optional)
Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application?

If you have a situation you need to explain, whether it is a low GPA or academic probation, this is the correct space to address it. Focus on explanations and not excuses. If you have additional material that you think will be helpful to your application this may also be an opportunity to offer another reason to admit you.

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