Columbia MBA 2017 - 2018 Essay Tips and Guidance

Essay 1: Through your resume and recommendations, we have a clear sense of your professional path to date. What are your career goals over the next 3-5 years and what, in your imagination, would be your long-term dream job? (500 words)

Columbia has changed its focus in recent years to learn more about a candidate's professional aspirations.  The lead-in suggests that they do not want you to waste words explaining your past - rather, they want you to focus on the future.

Our recommendation is to spend about half the words in the essay explaining your short term goals (roughly 250 words).  Explain not just what your goals are, but why - and where it seems authentic, explain how Columbia gives you the resources to achieve the short term goals. 

It's perfectly fine if your goals aren't a continuation of your path to date - but if you are wanting to completely pivot your career to a new industry or profession post-MBA, explain your desire to do so in a few words.

Spend the other half on long term goals - really give thought to your dream job - think big, think ambitious.  Since Columbia is asking where you would ideally like to be in 15 - 20 years, there's no downside to being bold and brave with this part of the essay.


Essay 2: The full-time MBA experience includes academics, recruiting, and networking. What are your personal priorities and how do you anticipate allocating your time at Columbia Business School? (250 words)

This is also another pragmatic, realistic question.  Where do you expect to spend most of your time?  Our recommendation is to be very specific in how you would do this - "a third to x", or "half to x", etc.  You can also say "In year 1, I expect to..." - and vary your response by time.

Also explain why - either make a direct linkage to your goals that you discussed in the prior question, or make clear linkages to your personal experiences that explain why this time allocation is right for you.

Again, there is no "right" answer - there is only a right answer for you - that explains how you would like to design your Columbia experience.

Essay 3:
Please select and answer one of the following essay questions: (250 words)
a. Please tell us what you feel most passionate about in life.

Start by truly thinking about what you care the most about.  This could be a person or a group of people, a hobby or interest, an event that occurred or might occur in the future, or a situation that you’re in, or a passion or topic you care deeply about addressing

This essay needs to be pretty introspective – and it needs to be about you.  If you are going to say “eradicating poverty or hunger” or “spreading literacy”, take care to not make this essay about the cause – it must be about why it matters to you.

The essay isn’t just about stating why something or someone matters to you – it’s about explaining the deep relationships or connections that make this so important in your life.

b. If you were given a free day and could spend it anywhere, in any way you choose, what would you do?

This essay presents a terrific opportunity to showcase a side of your personality that may not be obvious or apparent in your essays and resume.  We strongly recommend using it, especially if you have a great story to tell about your past or an event in your life that you wouldn't  otherwise have a chance to include in your admissions package. 

It's a nice way to give Adcom something to remember you by - and we urge keeping this answer fun, joyous and positive.

Interested in getting your essay reviewed or in a consulting session with an alum?  Email us at essaycritique@gmail.com or use the Buy Now link on our site. 

Stanford GSB Essays 2017 - 2018 Tips and Guidance

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? 

This is perhaps one of the hardest business school essays - where do you start?  Start by truly thinking about what you care the most about.  This could be a person or a group of people, a hobby or interest, an event that occurred or might occur in the future, or a situation that you’re in, or a passion or topic you care deeply about addressing

This essay needs to be pretty introspective – and it needs to be about you.  If you are going to say “eradicating poverty or hunger” or “spreading literacy”, take care to not make this essay about the cause – it must be about why it matters to you.

The essay isn’t just about stating why something or someone matters to you – it’s about explaining the deep relationships or connections that make this so important in your life.

Don't try to be too lofty or moralistic - just be yourself.  There is nothing more annoying than reading an essay that seems to be written to fit a "template".

There isn't a "right" answer - the "it" isn't as important as why - "it" can be something as simple as - "Spreading joy in the lives of those who surround me through humor or comedy", or "being an amazing dad to my kids" or "making the world 100% reliant only on clean energy"... it can be any one of these things but what the AdCom is really looking for here is why it matters to you.

Essay B: Why Stanford?

This is a good "open" topic - an opportunity to describe your background, experiences, goals and then clearly tie in how Stanford helps you bridge between your current situation and your short term and long term goals.

Be specific about why Stanford appeals to you - not just by referencing a club or two - but by going one level deeper about how you will contribute to those resources, how you will use them and how you will apply them toward your experience.  Similarly - mentioning a professor or two is helpful - but more important is why what they teach - how they teach it - will help you get to the next step.

Just as important are the "softer" resources at Stanford - the culture, the environment, the network, the support, diversity etc.  Think about these as you consider why Stanford is the right place for you given your personality and experiences.

There are two tests of success in this essay:

• Is the bridge between your current situation, Stanford and your future goals clear?
• Are you being specific enough about what Stanford is going to offer you and vice versa?

AdCom will be looking to "check" both boxes - both demonstrate your "fit" at Stanford in the classroom and in the environment there.

Note: Stanford is one of the few schools that has very prescribed formatting criteria on their applications page - make sure you conform to all of it!

Interested in getting your essay reviewed or in a consulting session with an alum?  Email us at essaycritique@gmail.com or use the Buy Now link on our site. 

HBS 2017 - 2018 Essay Guidance and Tips

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?

There are a few different ways to approach this essay (and you can use a combination of these if that works for you as well):

•  Focus on your personal accomplishments – if you think your resume and recommenders will best capture your professional achievements (and don’t have much to discuss further in that area), this might be the right approach for you. 
• Why should HBS admit you – what do you bring to HBS?  How will you add value to the classroom?  What specific contributions will you make to the community? 
• Highlight the “highs and lows” of your life – provide context to one or more accomplishments or discuss struggles that may explain a certain time frame in your career or education
• What is most important to you? – Adapt this long-standing Stanford essay on what matters to you most and why to paint a picture of your life and your values that may not be evident to someone through your application
• Discuss your family and relationships – and how they impacted you and helped shapes your values and belief system 

These are some ideas, but there may be other ways to do it too.  A few other things to keep in mind:

• Avoid regurgitating something that is already in your application – this can be very putting off to the reader especially since it is clearly specified to discuss what is not included in your application already
• Keep the tone of your essay direct and authentic – HBS is moving more and more toward a no-frills application and the essay should reflect that

The average suggested length of the essay, based on our reviewers’ feedback, is 600 – 900 words.  

Obviously, if you have a legitimate reason to use more words, go for it, but we think this is most appropriate for most applicants. 

Interested in getting your essay reviewed or in a consulting session with an alum?  Email us at essaycritique@gmail.com or use the Buy Now link on our site. 

Wharton MBA 2017 - 2018: Essay Tips and Guidance

Essay 1:  What do you hope to gain professionally from the Wharton MBA? (500 words)

We recommend using half the essay (i.e., approx. 250 words), for briefly describing your past experiences and your goals.

Use the second half of the essay to describe what you hope to gain from the MBA - and it should be evident how that helps you achieve your professional goals.

• The most important test for this essay: The bridge between your experiences, the MBA, and your future goals should be clearly laid out.
• If you are looking for a career change - be honest and authentic about this - don't try to cover up and "fake" a transition bridge that is not aligned with your real goals - the AdCom can usually sniff this out. 

The essay is ONLY asking for professional takeaways from the MBA - not personal - so it is best to avoid any references to personal background or experiences - unless they are absolutely relevant to your story


Essay 2:  Teamwork is at the core of the Wharton MBA experience with each student contributing unique elements to our collaborative culture. How will you contribute to the Wharton community? (400 words)

Wharton truly prides itself on its collaborative culture - learning teams are formed with that in mind and students almost always cite the diversity of their learning teams as one of their most enriching parts of the Wharton MBA experience.

In answering this question, our best recommendation is to be as specific as you possibly can.  Stay away from generic, "motherhood and apple pie" statements about diversity, your cultural experiences, etc.  Be specific in terms of...

• Sharing your knowledge – how will you creatively share your knowledge and experiences with others who are interested in learning from you?  Think with an open mind, and don’t hesitate to be innovative! 
• Contribution to co-curricular and extracurricular clubs – e.g., the Energy club or the Entrepreneurship club, and how will you serve them? 
• Contributions to the classroom – which classes can you add specific value to?  How will you do so?  Can also be very creative with this!
• Networking / professional engagement with industry – what type of professional network do you bring with you and how will you tap this network to bring speakers, recruiters, etc. to Wharton? 

Interested in getting your essays reviewed by an alum, or in speaking to a Wharton alum to discuss your application?  Email us at essaycritique@gmail.com

We're Back!

After a two year hiatus, the EC team is back again for the class of 2020!

Michigan Ross Essay Tips and Guidance 2013 - 2014

Introduce yourself to your future Ross classmates in 100 words or less.

• This is your elevator pitch.  The best advice I can offer here is – KEEP IT SIMPLE.  Give your reader a few clear signals to remember you by – “he’s the Peace Corps guy from NC”, or “he’s the marathon runner from McKinsey” or “she’s the professional dancer from India”, or “she’s the Indonesia Govt emissary..”.  You get the message.
• Keep your “change the world” ambitions out of this one – how would you really introduce yourself to other classmates?  Where you’re from, where you grew up, what your professional experiences have been, what your goals are, what your interests and hobbies are – that’s it!

What about your professional experiences has led you to determine that business school is the right next step? (150 words)

It is hard to answer this question without discussing your goals (which is asked in a subsequent question below), but try to avoid discussing the future in too much detail.  Focus on your past experiences and why now is the most appropriate time for you to do an MBA.

As you have researched MBA programs, what actions have you taken to learn more about Ross and what has led you to believe that Ross is the right MBA program for you? (150 words)

This essay should flow very smoothly from the previous one – i.e., your past experiences and the “why Ross” piece should not seem disjointed.  Be sure to include specifics about classroom courses, extra-curriculars such as interest and hobby clubs, as well as professional and academic clubs and ventures that apply to your goals and past experiences.

What career do you plan to pursue after business school and why? (150 words)

Most structured way to respond to this would be to address both short term (post-MBA and beyond) and long-term career goals.   The “why” part should be self-evident in your response.  Again, this essay and the previous two should flow smoothly with each other, and if read together, should give a complete picture of your candidacy.

Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed. What advice would you give to a colleague who was dealing with a similar situation? (400 word maximum)

• Please, try to avoid blaming someone else through this essay – a large number of candidates will write about a co-worker who let them down or a horrible boss – remember, this is an essay about you, not them!
• A lot of candidates also think “what you learned from the experience” actually means “how did you fix the problem” – please don’t fall into this trap.  It’s okay just to describe a setback or challenge, and what you took away from it – you don’t have to describe how much better you were the next time you faced the same issue or how you resolved it.

What are you most passionate about and why? How will this passion positively impact Ross (300 word maximum)

Can be a cause, a hobby, a sport, a professional objective, a personal goal, etc.

If you don’t have a passion, it’s okay.  A lot of people don’t.  Think of a something you have a strong interest in that you can positively leverage to bring value to Ross.