Harvard Business School HBS 2009

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):

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

b. Discuss how you have engaged with a community or organization.

c.* Tell us about a time when you made a difficult decision.

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

Recommendation Questions

1· Please comment on the context of your interaction with the applicant. How long have you known the applicant and in what connection? If applicable, briefly describe the applicant’s role in your organization. (250-word limit)

2· Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant’s response. (250-word limit)

3· Please make additional statements about the applicant’s performance, potential, or personal qualities you believe would be helpful to the MBA Admissions Board. (250-word limit)

Wharton 2009

Essay 1 – (750-1000 words)

*As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”. What goals are you committed to and why? How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals?

Essay 2 – (750-1000 words)

*Tell us about a time when you had to adapt by accepting/understanding the perspective of people different from yourself.

Essay 3 – (500 words)

Describe a failure that you have experienced. What role did you play, and what did you learn about yourself?

Essay 4 – (500 words) Choose one of the following:

*a. Give us a specific example of a time when you solved a complex problem.

*b. Tell us about something significant that you have done to improve yourself, in either your professional and/or personal endeavors.

Essay 5 (Optional) – (250 words)
If you feel there are extenuating circumstances of which the Committee should be aware, please explain them here (e.g., unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance, significant weaknesses in your application).

Recommendation Questions (2008)

1. In less than 30 words, how long have you known the applicant and describe your relationship to the applicant? (required question)

2. In less than 30 words, what is your overall impression of the applicant? (required question)

3. How would you rank this applicant compared to his/her peer group? Please describe the peer group to which you are comparing this applicant (for example,

employees with comparable work experience and level of responsibility).

4. How would you describe the applicant’s personal integrity?

5. What observations do you have concerning the applicant’s leadership abilities, team and/or group skills?

6. How would you describe the applicant’s sense of humor?

7. What are the applicant’s most salient strengths?

8. What are the applicant’s weaknesses? What efforts has the applicant made to address these areas?

9. Do you have any additional comments that you think would assist the Admissions Committee in making its decision? If yes, please elaborate.

10. How will the MBA degree contribute to the candidate’s career development?

Stanford 2009

Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot exceed 1,800 words.

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? 750 words

Essay B: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them? 450 words

Essay C: Short Essays—Options 1-4 300 words each
Answer two of the questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.

*Option 1: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.

*Option 2: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.

*Option 3: Tell us about a time when you motivated others to support your vision or initiative.

Option 4: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

Recommendation Questions

1.Please describe your relationship to the candidate, and describe the circumstances under which you have known her or him.

2.How is the candidate’s impact on your organization different from that of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?

3.What do you like most about the candidate?

4.Please describe the most constructive feedback you have given the candidate. Please also detail the circumstances that caused you to give the feedback.

5. Is there anything else (positive or negative) about the candidate that we should know?

MIT Sloan 2009

Résumé
Please prepare a business résumé that includes your employment history in reverse chronological order, with titles, dates, and whether you worked part-time or full-time. Your educational record should also be in reverse chronological order and should indicate dates of attendance and degree(s) earned. Other information appropriate to a business résumé is welcomed and encouraged. The résumé should not be more than one page in length (up to 50 lines).

Cover Letter
Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

*Essay 1: Please describe a time when you went beyond what was defined, expected, established, or popular. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

*Essay 2: Please describe a time when you coached, trained, or mentored a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

*Essay 3: Please describe a time when you took responsibility for achieving an objective. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Supplemental Information
You may use this section to address any specific circumstances related to your academic background. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

Recommendation Questions

- How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?

- How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?

- Please give an example of the applicant’s impact on a person, group, or organization.

- Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people.

- Which of the applicant’s personal or professional characteristics would you change?

- Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.

Chicago Booth

Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? (750 word maximum).

Please select one of the following two questions to answer. (1000 word maximum)

Option 1

a) Please provide an example of a time when you had to make a choice between two equally important obligations. How did you decide which obligation deserved your attention?

b) Did you try and predict other people’s reactions to your decision? If so, how accurate were you? Why do you think you were or were not accurate in your prediction?

c) Reflecting on this experience, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB might have aided in your decision making process?

-or-

Option 2

a) Have you ever made a decision that caused you to go against popular opinion? Please describe that situation and your rationale for you decision.

b) Did you feel at any point that people misperceived your motives? Explain.

c) In retrospect, how do you think an MBA from Chicago GSB would have affected your decision?

Slide Presentation

We have asked for a great deal of information throughout this application and now invite you tell us about yourself. Using four slides or less, please provide readers with content that captures who you are.

Optional Essay

If there is any important information that is relevant for your candidacy that you were unable to address elsewhere in the application, please share that information here.

Recommendation Questions

Please provide a written letter of recommendation. Be sure to include how the applicant ranks comparative to his/her peer group. Other items to consider are the applicant’s:

· most salient strengths

· areas of development, including efforts the applicant has taken to show improvement

· team skills and leadership ability

· initiative, curiosity and motivation

· other matters which you feel we should know about the applicant

Northwestern Kellogg 2009

1: Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at Kellogg. (600 words)

2: Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experience. (600 words)

*3: Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would your peers select you to become a member of the Kellogg community?(600 words)

*4: Complete one of the following three questions or statements. Re-applicants have the option to answer a question from this grouping, but this is not required. (400 words)

a) Describe a time when you had to make an unpopular decision.

b) People may be surprised to learn that I…

c) I wish the admissions committee had asked me…

Recommendation Questions

1. What are the applicant’s most outstanding attributes?

2. What are the three areas of the applicant’s professional performance that have improved the most in the time you have known him or her?

3. What do you perceive to be the applicant’s weaknesses?

4. Please address the following components of the applicant. Cite specific examples where possible.

a. Intellectual ability (e.g. analytical and quantitative skills, communication skills, creativity, curiosity)

b. Career performance (e.g. responsibilities and progression relative to others in the industry, impact on organization)

c. Career focus (e.g. clarity of post-degree plans, active participation in his or her own career development)

d. Interpersonal skills (e.g. maturity, listening skills, team skills, sense of humor, respect for different viewpoints)

e. Leadership experience and potential (e.g. ability to influence others, initiative, contribution beyond expected responsibilities, integrity)

Columbia

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):

2) Master Classes are the epitome of bridging the gap between theory and practice at Columbia Business School. View link below. Please provide an example from your own life in which practical experience taught you more than theory alone. (Recommended 500 word limit) :

View with Real Player: http://merlin.gsb.columbia.edu:8080/ramgen/video1/faculty/MasterClass-promo.rm
View via Google: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4698876883776961370&hl=en .

3) Please provide an example of a team failure of which you’ve been a part. If given a second chance, what would you do differently? (Recommended 500 word limit) :

(Optional) 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.)

Recommendation Questions

1. What is your relationship to, and how long have you known the applicant? Is this person still employed by your organization? If not, when did he/she depart?

2. Please provide a short list of adjectives describing the applicant’s strengths, and please compare the applicant’s performance to that of his or her peers.

3. Please comment on the applicant’s growth during his/her employment with you and on his or her ability to work with others, including superiors, peers, and subordinates.

4. In what ways could the applicant improve professionally? How does he/she accept constructive criticism?

5. Comment on your observations of the applicant’s ethical behavior.

6. What do you think motivates the candidate’s application to the MBA program at Columbia Business School?

7. If you could change one thing about the applicant, what would it be?

8. Are there any other matters which you feel we should know about the applicant?

NYU Stern

Essay 1. Professional Aspirations:
(750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font)

Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:

(a) What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
(b) Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
(c) What is your career goal upon graduation from NYU Stern?

Essay 2. Fit with Stern
The NYU Stern collaborative community is one of our strongest assets. We seek individuals who are passionate about our community and committed to growing as leaders at Stern. Please answer the following questions:

(a) What is your personal experience with the Stern community? What actions have you taken to learn more about us?
(b) What is the most difficult piece of constructive feedback you have received, and what did you do as a result of it? How will this experience make you a better member of the Stern community?

Essay 3. 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.

Essay 4. 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, plans to retake the GMAT and/or TOEFL or any other relevant information.

a. If you are unable to submit a recommendation from a current supervisor, you must explain your reason in Essay 4.

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

c. If you are applying to a dual degree program, please explain your decision to pursue a dual degree.

Recommendation Questions

1. How long have you known the applicant and in what capacity?

2. What do you consider the applicant’s strengths?

3. In which areas could the applicant exhibit growth or improvement?

4. How would you describe the applicant’s interpersonal Skills?

Dartmouth Tuck

Although there is no restriction on the length of your response, most applicants use, on average, 500 words for each 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.)

2. Tuck defines leadership as “inspiring others to strive and enabling them to accomplish great things.” We believe great things and great leadership can be accomplished in pursuit of business and societal goals. Describe a time when you exercised such leadership. Discuss the challenges you faced and the results you achieved. What characteristics helped you to be effective, and what areas do you feel you need to develop in order to be a better leader?

3. Discuss the most difficult constructive criticism or feedback you have received. How did you address it? What have you learned from it?

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?

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.

Recommendation Questions

1. How long have you known the applicant and in what context? Have you served as the

applicant’s supervisor? If so, please provide approximate dates. Please comment upon the

frequency and nature of your interactions with the applicant.

2. What are the applicant’s three principal strengths? Please provide an example of each.

3. In which three areas can the applicant improve? Please provide an example of each. How

has the applicant worked to address these areas?

4. How does the applicant respond to constructive criticism?

5. Please compare the applicant on the scale below with others in his/her peer group

whom you have known during your professional career.

Please give examples in the space below to support any Top 5% or Bottom 20% ratings.

Yale SOM

1: Why a Yale MBA?

What is the impact that you wish to have on the world? How will your previous experiences and a Yale MBA enhance your ability, in the short-term and long-term, to pursue a career that will allow you to achieve this impact? (500 words maximum)

2: Leadership Example

Describe a professional accomplishment that exhibits your leadership style. The accomplishment should include evidence of your leadership skills, a description of the actions you took, as well as the impact you had on your organization. (500 words maximum)

3: Personal Statement 1

Choose one (1) of the following topics and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)

(1) A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership – leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way – is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion?

(2) What personal achievement are you most proud of and why?

(3) Describe a situation in which your values were challenged. How did you respond to the situation and what did you learn from it?

(4) A phrase often heard among SOM graduates is that they aspire to lead a life that is an “SOM Story” – that of a broadly engaged, values-based leader who owns and solves hard problems that matter. How will you create your own SOM Story? Describe a situation in which you devised and implemented a creative or innovative solution to a difficult problem. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?

(5) The Yale School of Management is a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests. What unique attributes would you bring to the Class of 2011?

(6) What is the most difficult feedback you have received and how did you address it? Looking forward, what skills are you most eager to build or improve upon in business school?

(7) Required for reapplicants: What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application?

4: Personal Statement 2

Choose one (1) of the other topics listed in Personal Statement 1, or create a topic of your own about a subject that is meaningful to you, and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number (or state the topic if it is not one of the ones listed) at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)

Optional Essay

If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation, please provide any additional information that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. (250 words maximum)

Recommendation Questions

1. Relationship with the applicant and context of your interaction.

2. Personal qualities.

3. Strengths and weaknesses.

4. Potential for achievement.

Michigan Ross

Long Answers: (500 word max)

1) Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?

2) Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization.

Short Answers: (300 word max)

3) If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (for example, teacher, musician, athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multi-disciplinary problems?

4. Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.

Optional Question: Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?

Recommendation Questions

1. How long and in what context have you known the applicant? What is the peer group you are using for your comparison?

2. Please describe the applicant’s strengths?

3. Please comment on the applicant’s areas of development. What efforts has the applicant made to address these areas?

4. How has the applicant contributed above and beyond her/his expected responsibilities?

5. Our students are involved in classroom experiences and action-based project courses where their active participation is the mechanism for learning. Please comment on the applicant’s ability to help create knowledge in the workplace (i.e., ask questions, learn, contribute, and transfer knowledge to staff, team members, and supervisors).

6. Please feel free to provide any other information you think is relevant to our evaluation.

Berkeley Haas

1. If you could change one thing you’ve done in your life, what would it be, and how would you do it differently? (250 word maximum)

2. Tell us about your most significant accomplishment. (250 word maximum)

3. At Haas, we value innovation and creativity. Describe an innovative solution you have created to address a specific challenge. (250 word maximum)

4. What steps have you taken to learn about the Berkeley MBA program, and what factors have influenced your decision to apply? (250 word maximum)

1. Give us an example of a situation in which you displayed leadership. (500 word maximum)

2. What are your short-term and long-term career goals? How do your professional experiences relate to these goals? Why do you want an MBA from Berkeley at this point in your career? (1000 word maximum)

(Optional) Please feel free to provide a statement concerning any information you would like to add to your application that you haven’t addressed elsewhere. (500 word maximum)

(Optional) If you wish to be considered for the Haas Achievement Award (for individuals who have achieved success in spite of significant economic, educational, health-related and/or other obstacles), please use this space to address the obstacles you have overcome. (750 word maximum)

Recommendation Questions

1. Are you, or have you been, the applicant’s direct supervisor? If not, what is the nature of your relationship?

2. How long have you known the applicant? How frequent is (was) your interaction with the applicant?

3. How does the applicant’s performance compare with that of his or her peers?

4. How effective are the applicant’s interpersonal skills?

5. What are the applicant’s three greatest strengths? Cite specific examples.

6. What are the applicant’s three greatest weaknesses or areas in need of improvement? Cite specific examples.

7. What significant contribution has the applicant made to your organization?

8. Please comment on the applicant’s potential for leading an organization.

9. Please give us your appraisal of the applicant in terms of the traits listed below. Compare the applicant with others whom you know have applied to business school or with individuals who are being groomed for leadership positions within your organization.

Duke Fuqua

Short Answer Essays (One page)

1-What do you hope to gain from The Duke MBA? How does it fit into your short- and long- term goals? If you are interested in a joint degree or the Health Sector Management program, please address in this response.

2-How will you contribute to the overall experience of your peers at The Duke MBA?

3-Discuss a person, event or experience that has significantly shaped your life and explain why. Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have achieved professionally.

Long Essay – Answer the long essay question below. (Two Pages)

1-Today, companies must navigate through complex and interdependent issues. They must deal with health and security matters, environmental impact questions, and diversity and cultural concerns. Leaders need adaptability, imagination, and emotional intelligence as well as business acumen.

Upon graduation, a Duke MBA will be a leader of consequence – able to deal simultaneously with complex matters and engage skillfully with colleagues, clients, and community. What impact do you hope to have as a leader of consequence?

Optional Essay (not required)

1-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)