2010-2011 US MBA Essay Questions

CMU

ESSAY A*(Required)

What are your short term and long term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you achieve these goals? (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about Tepper.)

ESSAY B*(Required)

The Tepper School’s culture relies on all members to be active contributors to our community. With your values, experiences, and interests, how will you make a unique contribution to the Tepper community? Your examples may include: classroom interaction, student activities, career development, community service, etc.

ESSAY C*(Required)

Please answer two of the following three questions or statements. Please clearly specify which questions you are answering. Your two answers should equal a total of two pages or less.

1. Describe an obstacle you have faced in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this obstacle and how did it foster your development?

2. Describe a time in which your ethics were challenged. How did you deal with the situation and what did you learn from it?

3. One thing people would be surprised to know about me is…

Additional Essays

ESSAY D

Is there anything else that you think we should know as we evaluate your application?

Note: If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a place for you to add information that you think is important but is not covered elsewhere in the application.

Note: You must complete this essay if you answered 'yes' to either of the 'additional information' questions above.

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Columbia

Essay 1

What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will Columbia Business School help you achieve these goals? (Recommended 750 word limit)

Essay 2

Please tell us about yourself and your personal interests. The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally. (Recommended 500 word limit)

Optional Essay

Is there any further information that you wish to provide to the Admissions Committee? (Please use this space to provide an explanation of any areas of concern in your academic record or your personal history.)

Cornell

Essay 1

Describe your greatest professional achievement and how you added value to your organization. (400 word limit)

Essay 2

What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why? How will the Johnson School help you achieve this goal? (400 word limit)

Essay 3

You are the author for the book of Your Life Story. Please write the table of contents for the book. (400 word limit)

Note: Approach this essay with your unique style. We value creativity and authenticity.

Optional Essay

Complete this essay if you would like to add additional details regarding your candidacy. For instance, if you believe one or more aspects of your application (e.g., undergraduate record or test scores) do not accurately reflect your potential for success at the Johnson School. (400 word limit)

Re-applicant Essay: How did you strengthen your application since you last applied to the Johnson School? (400 word limit)

Dartmouth (Tuck)

Essay 1:

Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals?

Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree,

please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

Essay 2:

Discuss your most meaningful leadership experience. What did you learn about your own individual strengths and weaknesses through this experience?

Essay 3:

What is the greatest challenge or hurdle you have overcome, either personally or professionally, and how did you manage to do so?

Essay 4:

Tuck seeks candidates of various backgrounds who can bring new perspectives to our community. How will your unique personal history, values, and/or life experiences contribute to the culture at Tuck?

Essay 5 - 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.

Essay 6 - Reapplicant Essay:

(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.

Employment Question:

Have you had any gaps of longer than 2 months in your employment history? If yes, please explain (200 words maximum)

Duke

Applicant Essays : Answer all 3 essay questions.

1. Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.

2. How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua's diverse culture?

3. Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.)

Optional Essay (not required)

If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Admissions Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weakness in your application).

Re-applicant Essay (All re-applicants are required to complete the Re-applicant Essay. Please limit your response to two pages.)

Write an essay describing how you are now a stronger candidate for admission compared to the application you submitted the previous year.

Emory

Answer all essays (numbers 1 through 4), following the directions indicated in the questions.

1. Please answer each of the following four questions in a short paragraph of no more than 250 words each.

a. Why have you decided to pursue an MBA at this time?

b. What interested you in Goizueta Business School’s MBA program?

c. What are your short term post MBA goals?

d. What are your long term professional aspirations?

2. Share one of your most significant professional accomplishments. Describe your precise role in this activity and how it has helped to shape your management skills. Please limit your response to 1000 words.

3. Goizueta Business School takes pride in our Core Values: Courage, Integrity, Accountability, Rigor, Diversity, Team, and Community. These ideals drive principled, effective leaders in business, and are the values we seek to instill in all of our students, both during their education at Goizueta and beyond. Provide a specific example of how you have demonstrated one of these values in your professional experience. Please limit your response to 500 words.

4. Complete one of the following statements. Please limit your response to 500 words.

a. I am unique because...

b. My most memorable cross-cultural experience...

c. I am passionate about...

d. My personal brand is...

e. I took a risk when I...

Optional Essay: If you have additional information or feel there are extenuating circumstances which you would like to share with the MBA Admissions Committee (i.e. unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance issues, areas of weakness in application), please complete this optional essay in 250 words or less.

Georgetown

ESSAY ONE (Required) - Limit: 750 words

A) What position do you plan to obtain upon graduation from the MBA program? Please include both industry and function in your explanation.

B) How will the combination of your past experiences and the Georgetown MBA position you for this new opportunity?

C) Please describe how you envision your career progression beyond your initial post-MBA position.

ESSAY TWO (Required) - Limit: 750 words

A) What does leadership mean to you? What are the personal characteristics and skills required to be an effective leader?

B) Provide a specific example of when you demonstrated leadership skills. Describe a challenge that you faced and the results that you achieved.

C) What areas do you wish to develop in order to become a more effective leader?

ESSAY THREE (Required) - Limit: 750 words

How will your classmates benefit from your presence in the Georgetown MBA program?

ESSAY FOUR: COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS (Required) - Limit: one page

A) Please provide a bulleted list of your post-undergraduate involvement in the community. Indicate the nature of the activity or organization, dates of involvement, offices held, and average number of hours spent each month.

B) What motivates you to continue contributing to the community? Limit: 250 words

OPTIONAL ESSAY ONE - Limit: 500 words

If you are not currently employed full-time, use this space to provide information about your current activities.

OPTIONAL ESSAY TWO - Limit 500 words

Please provide any information you would like to add to your application that you have not otherwise included. Candidates wishing to be considered for a functional scholarship (finance, marketing, consulting, non-profit/government) will address their greatest accomplishment(s) in their chosen field and why they should be selected for this scholarship.

Harvard

1. What are your three most substantial accomplishments and why do you view them as such? (600-word limit)

2. What have you learned from a mistake? (400-word limit)

3. Please respond to two of the following (400-word limit each):

- What would you like the MBA Admissions Board to know about your undergraduate academic experience?

- What is your career vision and why is this choice meaningful to you?

- Tell us about a time in your professional experience when you were frustrated or disappointed.

- When you join the HBS Class of 2013, how will you introduce yourself to your new classmates?

Indiana (Kelley)