How to Pick the Right Mix for Multiple MBA Application Essays | TopMBA
Home Blog Tips and Advice How to Pick the Right Mix for Multiple MBA Application Essays

How to Pick the Right Mix for Multiple MBA Application Essays

User Image
By Ryan Hickey Updated Nov 28, 2014
125 Views

Save

Share

Table of contents

Table of contents

open-arrow close-arrow
 
MBA essay tips
More advice on MBA admissions

"Why on earth do graduate business schools ask for so many essays?" If you're asking yourself this question as you review MBA application essay requirements, you are not alone. It's rare for top business schools in America program to only ask for one MBA essay, although this is a little more common for those outside of the US. Three is the norm, but some schools ask for four or more.

Why? The simple answer is that the admissions officers want to learn more about you and your background. So, why not just ask for one long essay? This is mostly because MBA admissions officers want far more than just your résumé in narrative form. They want you to write about the challenges and victories that have been most meaningful to you thus far and your reasons for choosing to apply to an MBA program at this point in your career.

Here are five tips for creating an ideal set of essays for your MBA applications.

1. Your MBA essays should work together, like chapters in a biography

All of your essays should have a similar writing style and tone. However, that is not to say that they should read like a novel. Don't write in the third person. Don't write something that looks more like a poem than an MBA application essay. And don't use your MBA essays as an opportunity to wax philosophical about all of the wrongs that you see in the world – including the world of business. Instead, choose the prompts that will best allow you to introduce yourself and your background to the top business schools where you are applying .

2. Know your purpose

Think of an elevator pitch for your MBA essays as a whole. What do you most want the admissions officers to notice? What aspects of your leadership style, character, and background will set you apart from other applicants? Knowing the answers to these questions can serve as a guide as you choose which prompts to write about for your MBA application essays.

3. Choose essay prompts where you can write about dissimilar projects in order to avoid overlap

If the MBA program is giving you some options on which essay prompts to address, brainstorm before you start writing to make sure that you have the opportunity to write about different projects or different assignments. Let the admissions directors from the top business schools read that you have participated in projects that have a variety of scope and team members where you drew upon numerous skills in order to achieve success.

4. Always choose essay prompts where you can be positive, even if the school requires you to write about an ethical dilemma, accepting tough feedback or a past mistake

In their essay prompts, many MBA schools specifically ask you to write about challenges that you have encountered. They want to know that you have the maturity and resilience to excel in their program. If you choose to respond to essay prompts concerning an ethical dilemma, state the facts clearly and quickly. Don't dwell on the bad behavior of others. If you are writing about a personal mistake, don't spend too much time in the MBA essay writing about feeling like a failure. Instead, respond to essay prompts by focusing on your personal and professional growth.

5. If there is a total word count to the essays, avoid the temptation to submit unbalanced essays

Some top business schools will offer a total word count for the package of MBA application essays instead of requirements for individual essays. However, avoid the pitfall of writing one very long essay and then not leaving much space available for the other prompts that are required. The school required you to write on those other prompts because they find them important. Because of this, you need to take them seriously, too. Leave enough space for the shorter essays so that you can still tell a meaningful story.

About Ryan Hickey

Ryan Hickey is the managing editor of Peterson's & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements, and consulting directly with applicants.

 

Ryan image
Written by
Ryan Hickey

Ryan Hickey is the managing editor of Peterson's & EssayEdge and is an expert in many aspects of college, graduate, and professional admissions. A graduate of Yale University, Ryan has worked in various admissions capacities for nearly a decade, including writing test-prep material for the SAT, AP exams, and TOEFL, editing essays and personal statements, and consulting directly with applicants.