As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?   The Harvard essay is as open as they come. What more would you like the committee to know about you? When you sit down to write this, you will […]

There are two Stanford essays – a personal essay that seeks to understand who you are as a person, and a second essay which asks “why us?” Stanford suggests dedicating 750 words to the first essay and 400 words to the second, totaling 1,150 words. Because this is a suggestion and not a hard cutoff, […]

Cover Letter: Please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Senior Director of Admissions. (250 words or fewer) The first MIT question is your classic career history and aspirations essay, except more succinct. […]

  (Required) What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words) This question is your classic career question. Wharton wants to know what your short, mid, and long-term goals are. This is your opportunity to briefly tell the admissions committee what your professional history has been and where you hope to […]

Short Answer Question:
What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (51 characters maximum) Examples of possible responses: “Work in business development for a media company.” “Join a strategy consulting firm.” “Launch a data-management start-up.” This short answer is as straightforward as they come. Columbia is essentially asking you to cut the crap and say exactly what […]

In this entry, we will take a close look at what the motivation essays of the INSEAD application are asking. This analysis will hopefully provide you with a basis for understanding how to begin answering your essays strategically. While the job essays give them an understanding of what you did, these essays should give an […]

In this entry, we will take a close look at what each question of the INSEAD application is asking. This analysis will hopefully provide you with a basis for understanding how to begin answering your essays strategically. Also, unlike past years, a CV is now a required document for the application, so the admissions committee […]

Recommendations are not the afterthought of your application. Let’s put it this way: they aren’t the movie’s protagonists, but they are the best friends who turn the protagonist into a hero. Here’s another metaphor because we’re feeling generous: who would you bring as your wingman at a bar? The person who brings out your attractive […]