2010-2011 European MBA Essay Questions

CASS

1. Why have you applied to the Cass MBA? How will you contribute to the course? What will you do if you are not accepted to the Cass MBA?

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ESADE

1. Which aspects have you improved on during your academic and professional career so far? Which tools or values have helped you achieve this?

2. How will your background, values and non work-related activities enhance the experience of other ESADE MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at ESADE? (Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished)

3. What are your motivations in pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? Describe your mid-term and long-term visions for your post-MBA career path. What is it about ESADE you think will help you reach your goals?

4. Complete two of the following four questions or statements

a) I am most proud of...

b) People may be surprised to learn that I...

c) What has your biggest challenge been and what did it help you learn about yourself?

d) Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?

5. Please provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT or any other relevant information.

HEC (Paris)

JOB DESCRIPTION

Please describe your current position (200 words)

CAREER GOALS

Please describe your immediate career goals following your MBA (200 words)

ESSAYS

1. Why are you applying to the HEC MBA Program now? What is the professional objective that will guide your career choice after your MBA, and how will the HEC MBA contribute to the achievement of this objective? (500 words)

2. What do you consider your most significant life achievement? (250 words)

3. Leadership and ethics are inevitably intertwined in the business world. Describe a situation in which you have dealt with these issues and how they have influenced you. (250 words)

4. Imagine a life entirely different from the one you now lead, what would it be? (250 words)

5. Please choose from one of the following essays: (250 words)

a) What monument or site would you advise a first-time visitor to your country or city to discover, and why?

b) Certain books, movies or plays have had an international success that you believe to be undeserved. Choose an example and analyse it.

c) What figure do you most admire and why? You may choose from any field (arts, literature, politics, business, etc).

6. Is there any additional information you would like to share with us? (900 words)

IMD

Essay 1: Two situations of importance to you

Essay 2: Failure to reach objective

Please comment on a situation where you failed to reach an objective and what you learned from it.

Essay 3: Leadership

Describe a situation where you had to demonstrate strong leadership skills. Explain how effective you were and what you learned.

Essay 4: Describe yourself

How do you imagine your superior would describe your strengths and weaknesses to someone who does not know you?

Essay 5: International Exposure

Describe a situation where you successfully worked across cultures and/or nations.

Essay 6: Differentiators

IMD receives numerous applications per year. Give us four bullet points that clearly differentiate you from this applicant pool.

Essay 7: Alternatives

If you are not admitted, what alternatives will you consider?

Essay 8: Finance

Please explain how you intend to finance your studies at IMD. What would be your budget?

Essay 9: Disability / illness

Do you have a disability or illness that could affect your performance at IMD? If so, please explain.

Essay 10: Additional Information

Optional question: Is there any additional information that is critical for the Admissions Committee to know which has not been covered elsewhere in this application?

Application Questions:

Most important achievement

What do you consider to be your single most important achievement and why? (maximum 1230 characters)

Position sought after graduation

Please give us your short term career goal post MBA (up to 5 years). Describe how the IMD MBA will help you achieve this goal and how you will approach your job search.(maximum 2000 characters)

INSEAD

Job Essay

1. Please give a detailed description of your job, including nature of work, major responsibilities; and, where relevant, employees under your supervision, size of budget, number of clients/products and results achieved. (250 words)

2. Please give us a full description of your career since graduating from university. If you were to remain with your present employer, what would be your next step in terms of position? (250 words)

Essay

1. Give a candid description of yourself, stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors, which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. (400 words approx.)

2. Describe what you believe to be your two most substantial accomplishments to date, explaining why you view them as such. (400 words approx.)

3. Describe a situation taken from school, business, civil or military life, where you did not meet your personal objectives, and discuss briefly the effect. (250 words approx.)

4. Discuss your career goals. What skills do you expect to gain from studying at INSEAD and how will they contribute to your professional career. (500 words approx.)

5. Please choose one of the following two essay topics:

a) Have you ever experienced culture shock? What did it mean to you? (250 words approx.), or

b) What would you say to a foreigner moving to your home country? (250 words approx.)

6. Is there anything that you have not mentioned in the above essays that you would like the Admissions

Committee to know? (200 words approx.) This essay is optional.

7. In case of reapplication, please use this page. Your essay should state any new aspects of professional, international, academic, or personal development since your last application. We would also like you to explain your motivation for re-applying to INSEAD. This essay should not exceed 400 words.

A. If you had the opportunity, what would you ask the president or leader of your country, and why?

B. Cite the most difficult situation you have faced in your professional life and how your input helped to resolve it.

C. Cite at least one example in which your leadership impacted or changed a situation and discuss how you think IE Business School will help you refine, focus, or enhance this skill.

LBS

Question 1 (750 words)

Give us a brief assessment of your career progress to date.

In what role do you see yourself working in immediately after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

How will your past and present experiences help you to achieve this?

How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal?

Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Question 2 (300 words)

Give a specific example of when you have had to test your leadership and team working skills. Given this experience what role will you play in a first year study group?

Question 3 (300 words)

Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. Please describe how you will contribute to student clubs and the community and why?

Question 4 (300 words)

London Business School offers a truly global and diverse experience. Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country or culture. What did you gain and how will your experience contribute to London Business School?

Question 5 Please choose ONE of the following options.

Question 5a (150 words)

You have decided to stand for the role of Student Association President. Announcing your campaign to the London Business School community for the first time, please describe your manifesto.

Question 5b (150 words)

What is your most substantial achievement to date and why?

Question 6 (300 words)

(This question is optional)

Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application?

Question 7 (300 words)

(This question is for re-applicants only)

How has your candidacy for the London Business School MBA improved since your last application? Have your views of London Business School or the MBA programme changed since you last applied?

Question 8

Please provide a CV/Resume. This CV must only be one page in length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, please tell us why on a separate sheet.

LSE

All applicants - please upload a personal statement that describes your academic interests and your purpose and objectives in undertaking graduate study. If you are applying for a Master's or diploma programme this is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the selectors. Please describe your academic background, strengths/interests, ambitions/research interests. If your chosen programme has more than one stream (e.g. MSc Social Research Methods) you should indicate which stream you are interested in following.

Manchester

1.Tell us about your company, your current position and responsibilities. What have been your greatest achievements and contribution to your department/company strategy (quantify if possible)? How do you influence decision making? (350-650 words)

2. Please describe and comment on your career progression to date. Please provide the dates of any promotions and details of any increased responsibility and salary? (350-650 words)

3. Highlight elements of your career that have included the following: (350-600 words)

- Colleague and/or client management

- Financial/budgetary responsibility

- Project management/leadership

- International Exposure

4. What will your post MBA career look like, in 5 years, in 10 years? Which aspects of your previous roles will form the building blocks of your new career and how you will develop the additional skills to shape your ideal role? (250-400 words)

5. Tell us about yourself outside the work environment. What inspires and motivates you? What are the successes and achievements you are most proud of? Tell us about any significant personal involvement in social entrepreneurship. Tell us about your hobbies, sports and social activities. Also tell

us about any significant personal challenges you have undertaken or overcome. (350-600 words)

Business profile

Please complete your career profile in the box below. If you are successfully registered on the MBA programme this profile will be used in a booklet that will be distributed to staff and classmates on arrival. Please do not exceed 5 lines.

Additional Information

Please provide details of how you intend to fund your MBA studies and living expenses (150 words maximum)

RSM

1. How do you see your career developing and how will earning the RSM Erasmus University MBA help you achieve your goals? (Please do not exceed 500 words.)

2. Describe your favorite hobby, pastime or sport and explain how it reflects your personality. (Please do not exceed 500 words.)

3. Describe the most difficult decision you have made and its personal effect on you. (Please do not exceed 500 words.)

4. Please feel free to supply any additional information that you believe would be helpful to the Admissions Committee in making the final decision on your application.

SDA

1. Write down, in order of importance, all possible past or present community or cultural responsibilities. (Character limit:1394)

2. What interests and occupations do you pursue in your free time? (Character limit:1394)

3. What do you think you gained from your university studies? Conversely, what important things do you think your studies lacked? (Character limit:1394)

4. Explain the most significant goals you think you have achieved so far and the reasons for their importance in your personal growth. (Character limit:1486)

5. Describe your strong points, personal and professional, explaining why you see them as such. (Character limit:1486)

6. Describe your weak points, personal and professional, explaining why you see them as such. (Character limit:1486)

7. What are the reasons that lead you to apply to the MBA program at this point in your life? (Character limit:2406)

8. What do you hope to get from the MBA program? (Character limit:2406)

9. What other possibilities have you seriously considered, apart from the MBA program, for reaching your goals of personal and professional growth? (Character limit:2406)

10. Have you applied to other business schools in Italy or elsewhere? (Yes or No) If yes, which ones and why? (Character limit:2042)

11. Where do you wish to pursue your profession after receiving the MBA diploma? (Italy, My home country, Elsewhere) Why? (Character limit:2281)

12. What are your short-term professional goals (within the next four years)? (Character limit:2282)

13. What are your long-term professional goals? (Character limit:2544)

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U of Navarra (IESE)

1. Please describe your short term professional goals (post MBA). (200 word limit)

2. Please describe your long term professional goals (post MBA). (200 word limit)

3. Describe two substantial accomplishments and one failure in a professional or private endeavour. (600 word limit)

4. Describe your job responsibilities. (250 word limit)

5. Describe the most difficult project (personal or professional) that you have faced recently (within last two years).

(200 word limit)

6. I wish that the application had asked me... (200 word limit)

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Cambridge

1. What are the key issues facing organisations in your sector over the next three years? What course of action would you recommend to such organisations?

2. What did you learn from your most spectacular failure?

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Oxford

1) Explain why you chose your current job. How do you hope to see your career developing over the next five years? How will an MBA assist you in the development of these ambitions?

2) Which recent development, world event or book has most influenced your thinking and why?