The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has announced the Ross MBA essays for the 2020-2021 admissions season. This year, the Ross School has streamlined the short-answer questions and trimmed the word count for its Career Goal essay.
Michigan Ross MBA Essays
Part 1: Short-answer questions
Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total). Every word counts here — the tight word count is intentional to force you to focus.
Group 1
I want people to know that I:
I made a difference when I:
I was aware that I was different when:
Group 2
I am out of my comfort zone when:
I was humbled when:
I was challenged when:
Part 2: Career Goal Essay
Michigan Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. What is your short-term career goal and why? (200 words)
Application Updates from Ross Admissions
As MBA Admissions Director Soojin Kwon shared on her blog, authenticity should guide your responses. “The most interesting and insightful responses to these prompts remain when applicants share personal examples that allow us to learn more about who you are as a person, and what unique experiences and insights you would bring to the MBA class,” Kwon explained.
Additionally, the admissions director described the thinking behind reducing the word count for this year’s career goal essay by a third. “We found that the best responses to this essay were clear and succinct. The ones that were less successful tended to be less focused or focused too much on the ‘what’ and not enough on the ‘why’,” she shared.
The admissions committee cares exponentially more about the why behind your actions. Because, as Kwon acknowledged, “The ‘why’ is the most impactful and differentiating aspect of each essay to me.”
Now Accepting MCAR and LSAT Scores
From Director Kwon:
“We want to be supportive of prospective students around the world at this time and we recognize that the pandemic has placed limitations on your ability to take the GMAT and GRE. Therefore, we will also accept the MCAT and LSAT in place of the GMAT or GRE this year.
We have accepted those tests for current dual-degree students at the University of Michigan and have found that their performance in the MBA program is comparable to students who took the GMAT or GRE.”
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The new application will go live in July. For more information on applying, please visit the Michigan Ross admissions site. If you need guidance on your Ross MBA essays or wish to discuss your MBA plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis of your candidacy. We’re here to help!
