MBA Essay Questions and Deadlines

Stanford Graduate School of Business (#1 US News; #4 Financial Times)

Stanford University, California

Essay 1 : What matters most to you, and why? (750 words)

Essay 2 : Why Stanford? (400 words)

Round	Deadline
1	September 22, 2015
2	January 12, 2016
3	April 5, 2016

Harvard Business School (#2 US News; #1 Financial Times)

Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

There is one question for the Class of 2018:

It’s the first day of class at HBS. You are in Aldrich Hall meeting your “section.” This is the group of 90 classmates who will become your close companions in the first-year MBA classroom. Our signature case method participant-based learning model ensures that you will get to know each other very well. The bonds you collectively create throughout this shared experience will be lasting.

Introduce yourself.

Note: Should you enroll at HBS, there will be an opportunity for you to share this with them.

Round	Deadline
1	September 9, 2015
2	January 6, 2016
3	April 4, 2016

Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (#3 US News; #3 Financial Times)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Questions, Class of 2018:

• (Required) What do you hope to gain both personally and professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words)
• (Optional) Please use the space below to highlight any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to know about your candidacy. (400 words)
• Additional Question for Reapplicants: All reapplicants to Wharton are required to complete this essay. Explain how you have reflected on the previous decision about your application, and discuss any updates to your candidacy (e.g., changes in your professional life, additional coursework, extracurricular/volunteer engagements). (250 words) All applicants, including reapplicants can also use this section to address any extenuating circumstances. (250 words)

Round	Deadline
1	September 29, 2015
2	January 5, 2016
3	March 30, 2016

The University of Chicago Booth School of Business (#4 US News; #9 Financial Times)

Chicago, Illinois

• We often have a short window of time to make an impression. Introduce yourself to your classmates. (250 words)
• Chicago Booth offers four ways to earn an MBA. Why is the Evening MBA the best fit for your short- and long-term career goals? Why are you the best fit for the program? (500 words)
• Developing leadership skills is an important component of an MBA program. What qualities do you value in a leader? How will an MBA from Booth help develop your leadership skills? (500 words)
• Re-applicant Essay: Upon reflection, how has your thinking regarding your future, Chicago Booth, and/or obtaining your MBA changed since the time of your last application; and what steps have you taken to strengthen your application since the last time you applied? (500 words)
• Optional Essay: If there is any important information relevant to your candidacy you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here. (500 words)

Round	Deadline
1	September 17, 2015
2	January 5, 2016
3	April 5, 2016

Sloan School of Management (#5 US News; #8 Financial Times)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, Massachusetts

We have one required essay at the time of submission:

We are interested in learning more about how you work, think, and act. In your response, please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.

Question:  Tell us about a recent success you had: How did you accomplish this? Who else was involved? What hurdles did you encounter? What type of impact did this have? (500 words or fewer).

A second, short-answer question will be asked only of those invited to interview:

The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. Please share with us something about your past that aligns with this mission. (250 words or fewer).

Optional Question

The Admissions Committee invites you to share additional information about yourself, in any format. If you choose a multimedia format, please host the information on a website and provide us with the URL.

Round	Deadline
1	September 17, 2015
2	January 14, 2016
3	April 11, 2016

Kellogg School of Management (#6 US News; #14 Financial Times)

Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois

• Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
• Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

Certain applicants will respond to additional questions:

• Dual-degree applicants: For applicants to the MMM or JD-MBA dual degree programs, please explain why that program is right for you. (250 words)
• Re-applicants: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 word limit)

All applicants have the opportunity to provide explanations or clarification in Additional Information:

• If needed, use this section to briefly describe any extenuating circumstances (e.g. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, etc.)

Round	Deadline
1	September 22, 2015
2	January 6, 2016
3	April 6, 2016

Haas School of Business (#7 US News; #10 Financial Times)

University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California

• If you could choose one song that expresses who you are, what is it and why? (250 words)
• Please respond to one of the following prompts: (250 words)
  • Describe an experience that has fundamentally changed the way you see the world and how it transformed you.
  • Describe a significant accomplishment and why it makes you proud.
  • Describe a difficult decision you have made and why it was challenging.

• Tell us about your path to business school and your future plans. How will the Berkeley-Haas experience help you along this journey? (500 words)

• Optional Essay: Is there any other information you would like to share that is not presented elsewhere in the application? You may also use this essay to provide further explanation of employment gaps or your quantitative abilities. (500 words)

Round	Deadline
1	October 1, 2015
2	January 7, 2016
3	March 31, 2016

Columbia Business School (#8 US News; #6 Financial Times)

Columbia University , New York. 

• Short Answer Question:
  What is your immediate post-MBA professional goal? (50 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.”

• Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals going forward, and how will the Columbia MBA help you achieve them? (500 words)

• Columbia Business School’s location enables us to bridge theory and practice in multiple ways: through Master Classes, internships, the New York Immersion Seminars, and, most importantly, through a combination of distinguished research faculty and accomplished practitioners. How will you take advantage of being “at the very center of business”? (250 words)

• CBS Matters, a key element of the School’s culture, allows the people in your Cluster to learn more about you on a personal level. What will your Clustermates be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (250 words)

• Optional Essay: An optional fourth essay will allow you to discuss any issues that do not fall within the purview of the required essays.

Round	Deadline
Early Action	October 7, 2015
Regular Decision	Rolling until April 2016

Tuck School of Business (#9 US News; #23 Financial Times)

Dartmouth College , Hanover, New Hampshire

• What are your short- and long-term goals? Why do you need an MBA to achieve those goals? Why are you interested in Tuck specifically? (500 words)
• Tell us about your most meaningful leadership experience and what role you played. How will that experience contribute to the learning environment at Tuck? (500 words)
• (Optional) Please provide any additional insight or information that you have not addressed elsewhere that may be helpful in reviewing your application (e.g., unusual choice of evaluators, weaknesses in academic performance, unexplained job gaps or changes, etc.). Complete this question only if you feel your candidacy is not fully represented by this application. (500 words)
• (To be completed by all reapplicants) How have you strengthened your candidacy since you last applied? Please reflect on how you have grown personally and professionally. (500 words)

Round	Deadline
Early Action	October 7, 2015
November	November 4, 2015
January	January 6, 2016
April	April 4, 2016

Darden School of Business (#10 US News; #32 Financial Times)

University of Virginia , Charlottesville, Virginia

• Describe the most important professional feedback you have received and how you responded to this feedback. (500 words)

Round	Deadline
1	October 8, 2015
2	January 8, 2016
3	April 8, 2016

Stern School of Business (#11Th US News; #18 Financial Times)

New York University , New York

Essay 1:  Professional Aspirations (750 words)

• Why pursue an MBA (or dual degree) at this point in your life?
• What actions have you taken to determine that Stern is the best fit for your MBA experience?
• What do you see yourself doing professionally upon graduation?

Essay 2:  Personal Expression

Please describe yourself to your MBA classmates. You may use almost any method to convey your message (e.g. words, illustrations). Feel free to be creative.

If you submit a non-written piece for this essay (i.e., artwork or multimedia) or if you submit this essay via mail, please upload a brief description of your submission with your online application.

Please note the following guidelines and restrictions:

• If you submit a written essay, it should be 500 words maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font.
• If you submit a video or audio file, it should be five minutes maximum. NYU Stern accepts most common video formats.
• The Admissions Committee reserves the right to request an alternate essay if we are unable to view your submission.

Essay 3. Additional Information (optional)

Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include current or past gaps in employment, further explanation of your undergraduate record or self-reported academic transcript(s), plans to retake the GMAT, GRE and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.

If you are unable to submit a recommendation from your current supervisor, you must explain your reason, even if you are a re-applicant.

If you are a re-applicant from last year, please explain how your candidacy has improved since your last application.

Round	Deadline
1	October 15, 2015
2	November 15, 2015
3	January 15, 2016
4	March 15, 2016

Ross School of Business (#11Th US News; #24 Financial Times)

University of Michigan-Ann Arbor , Michigan

• What are you most proud of and why? How does it shape who you are today? (400 words)
• What is your desired career path and why? (400 words)

Round	Deadline
1	October 5, 2015
2	January 4, 2016
3	March 21, 2016

Fuqua School of Business (#13Th US News; #21 Financial Times)

Duke University , Durham, North Carolina

Three short answer questions and 2 essays are required from all applicants.

Required Short Answer Questions

Answer all 3 of the following questions. For each short answer question, respond in 500 characters only (the equivalent of about 100 words).

1. What are your short-term goals, post-MBA?
2. What are your long-term goals?
3. Life is full of uncertainties, and plans and circumstances can change. As a result, navigating a career requires you to be adaptable. Should the short-term goals that you provided above not materialize what alternative directions have you considered?

First Required Essay: 25 Random Things About Yourself

Instructions: Answer the following question — present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages.

1. The “Team Fuqua” spirit and community is one of the things that sets The Duke MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. When a new person joins the Admissions team, we ask that person to share with everyone in the office a list of “25 Random Things About Yourself.” As an Admissions team, we already know the new hire’s professional and academic background, so learning these “25 Random Things” helps us get to know someone’s personality, background, special talents, and more.In this spirit, the Admissions Committee also wants to get to know you–beyond the professional and academic achievements listed in your resume and transcript. You can share with us important life experiences, your likes/dislikes, hobbies, achievements, fun facts, or anything that helps us understand what makes you who you are. Share with us your list of “25 Random Things” about YOU.

Second Required Essay (choose 1 of 2)

Instructions: Choose only 1 of the following 2 essay questions to answer. Your response should be no more than 2 pages in length, and should reflect your knowledge of the Fuqua program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student.

1. Why Duke: When asked by your family, friends, and colleagues why you want to go to Duke, what do you tell them? Share the reasons that are most meaningful to you.
2. Team Fuqua Principles: The Team Fuqua community is as unique as the individuals who comprise it. Underlying our individuality are a number of shared ideas and principles that we live out in our own ways. Our students have identified and defined 6 “Team Fuqua Principles” that we feel are the guiding philosophies that make our community special. At the end of your 2 years at Fuqua, if you were to receive an award for exemplifying one of the 6 Principles listed below, which one would it be and why? Your response should reflect your knowledge of Fuqua and the Daytime MBA program and experience, and the types of activities and leadership you would engage in as a Fuqua student.
   1. Authentic Engagement: We care and we take action. We each make a difference to Team Fuqua by being ourselves and engaging in and supporting activities about which we are passionate.
   2. Supportive Ambition: We support each other to achieve great things, because your success is my success. The success of each individual member of Team Fuqua makes the whole of Team Fuqua better.
   3. Collective Diversity:  We embrace all of our classmates because our individuality is better and stronger together.
   4. Impactful Stewardship: We are leaders who focus on solutions to improve our communities both now and in the future. We aren’t satisfied with just maintaining the status quo.
   5. Loyal Community: We are a family who looks out for each other. Team Fuqua supports you when you need it the most.
   6. Uncompromising Integrity: We internalize and live the honor code in the classroom and beyond. We conduct ourselves with integrity within Fuqua, within Duke, and within all communities of which we are a part.

Optional Essay

If you feel there are circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them in an optional essay (such as unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance). Limit your response to two pages.

Round	Deadline
Early Action	September 15, 2015
1	October 14, 2015
2	January 5, 2016
3	March 22, 2016

Yale School of Management (#13th US News; #17 Financial Times)

Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut

The Yale School of Management educates individuals who will have deep and lasting impact on the organizations they lead. Describe how you have positively influenced an organization as an employee, a member, or an outside constituent. (500 words)

Round	Deadline
1	September 16, 2015
2	January 7, 2016
3	April 21, 2016

Anderson School of Management (#15 US News; #25 Financial Times)

University of California-Los Angeles, California

**Last year’s essays, to be updated August 1st

FIRST-TIME APPLICANTS – ONE REQUIRED ESSAY:

UCLA Anderson is distinguished by three defining principles: Share Success, Think Fearlessly, Drive Change. What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA Anderson’s principles, and the environment they create, will help you attain your post-MBA career goals? (750 words maximum)

OPTIONAL ESSAY:
The following essay is optional. No preference is given in the evaluation process to applicants who submit an optional essay. Please note that we only accept written essays.

Are there any extenuating circumstances in your profile about which the Admissions Committee should be aware? Please use your best judgment. (250 words maximum)

RE-APPLICANTS – ONE REQUIRED ESSAY:
Reapplicants who applied for the class entering in fall 2014 or 2015 are required to complete the following essay:

Please describe your career progress since you last applied and ways in which you have enhanced your candidacy. Include updates on short-term and long-term career goals, as well as your continued interest in UCLA Anderson. (750 words maximum)

Round	Deadline
1	October 6, 2015
2	January 5, 2016
3	April 12, 2016

Johnson Graduate School of Management (#16 US News; #28 Financial Times)

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

**Last year’s essays and deadlines, to be updated in August

All applicants are asked to write “Your Life Story” in 2,000 characters or less.  We’re looking for creativity and authenticity here.  It helps us understand who you are, how you’re unique, what motivates you, and more.  Tip: Tell us something unique about yourself … tell us “your story”. This is not a traditional MBA essay.  You can approach this from any number of ways – it doesn’t need to be just a chronological list of your life.

If you’re a Two-year applicant, you’re then asked to share – in 2,000 characters or less – the job you would like to have immediately upon graduating with your MBA. This essay helps us determine whether Johnson is the right place to move you toward your future goals.  Be honest and authentic!

If you’re a One-year applicant, you’re asked to explain – in 2,000 characters or less – how your pre-MBA experience has prepared you for the job you envision upon graduating with your MBA.  We use this information to determine if you can transition into your next job at an accelerated pace.  Strong candidates for this program have done their homework on the career field they want to move into and are confident they’ve got the skills and experience to move to the next level in their career.

And finally, we offer an optional essay (also <2,000 characters).  It’s your platform to address one or more aspects of your application (e.g. undergraduate record, test scores, etc.) that you don’t believe accurately reflect your potential for success at Johnson.  Or it could be the reverse.  You could use it as an opportunity to showcase all of your strengths!  It’s up to you.  Tip: This is not the place to drop in the essay you wrote for another program, even if you are particularly proud of it! *2015-2016 deadlines not yet released

Round	Deadline
1	October 1, 2014
2	January 7, 2015
3	March 11, 2015
Rolling	June 3, 3015

Tepper School of Business (#20 US News; #36 Financial Times)

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

There are two questions to help us get to know you better. In addition, we offer an optional essay if there is additional information you wish to share about your candidacy.

Essay 1    (Maximum 300 words)

Describe a defining moment in your life. How has it shaped you professionally?

Essay 2    (Maximum 300 words)  

Based on your research and interactions, describe how your strengths contribute to the Tepper School community. How will you benefit from being a member of the Tepper School MBA program?

Round	Deadline
1	October 5, 2015
2	January 4, 2016
3	March 15, 2016