The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business has confirmed the Ross MBA essays for the 2021-2022 application cycle. The admissions team has decided to keep the same short-answer questions and Career Goal essay from last season.
As Admissions Director Soojin Kwon explained today on her blog, “We felt really good about the quality of this year’s candidates and the prospective students’ feedback about our application, so I encouraged the team not to tinker too much with what is working.”
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
What is your short-term career goal and why? (200 words)
What You Need to Know, Straight from Ross Admissions
As Director Kwon shared on her blog last year when these updated essays came out, 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 the 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 revealed.
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.”
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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!
