An MBA is a Master of Business Administration, a professional degree for you to gain advanced skills and knowledge in business so you can move into management or executive-level roles. If you’re considering applying to business school, you’ll need to submit an essay as part of your application. The big question is, do you know how to write an MBA essay?
An MBA essay is an opportunity for you to show the admissions committee who you are beyond your GPA. The essay question will be specific to each school; however, some common topics include discussing your professional goals, explaining how an MBA will help you achieve those goals, and sharing your professional or academic experience.
Your MBA essay is essential because it’s your chance to stand out from the other applicants. How do you make your essay stand out? And what should you include in it? In this article, our MBA essay writing experts will give a full guide on how to write an MBA application essay.
4 Typical MBA Essay Types You Should Know
MBA essays can be daunting, but by understanding the different essay types and their requirements, you can approach them confidently.
Aspiration/Goal Essay
The goal or aspiration essay is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your inspiration for joining the MBA program and what you hope to accomplish. Therefore, use the following tips on how to write an MBA essay on goals. Start by brainstorming a list of your short-term and long-term goals. Then, narrow it down to essential points. Once you have a good sense of your goals, writing about them in an essay will be much easier. Also, address how the MBA program will help you achieve your goals and why you are excited about the opportunity.
Values and Self-Reflection Essay
This essay demonstrates the character that will help you join the MBA program. Moreover, it allows the admissions committee to understand who you are as a person and how you will add value to their school. Although there is no one right way to approach this essay, there are a few things that you should keep in mind on how to write an MBA essay. First, explain how your values and experiences have shaped who you are. Also, remember that this is your opportunity to show who you are as a person, so make sure to focus on your personality and how it will benefit the MBA program.
Contribution Essay
The contribution essay focuses on how you, as a student, can contribute value to the MBA program. Therefore, you can highlight your skills, experience, and knowledge in the essay. You must also prove that you are a valuable asset to the MBA program by showing how your skills and experience will benefit the program. Finally, you must explain how your contributions will make the program better. By following these tips on how to write an MBA essay, you’ll be able to show admissions committees what you have to offer.
Leadership Essay
This essay is your opportunity to demonstrate your leadership skills and potential to the admissions committee. Therefore, Use the tips below on how to write an MBA essay on leadership. First, focus on how you have exhibited leadership in your personal and professional life. What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them? Be specific and provide examples to illustrate your points. Next, discuss how the MBA program can help you develop your leadership skills. For example, How do you plan to use what you learn in the program to positively pact your career and community? finally, conclude with a strong statement about why you believe you would be an excellent leader in the MBA program and beyond.
MBA Essay Format and Structure
It’s no secret that applying to business school is competitive. Therefore, your essay needs to be exceptional to stand out. Therefore, this means taking the time to structure and format your essays. Business schools are looking for students who can communicate effectively, so your essays must be well-written and easy to understand. Moreover, you’ll be able to show that you’re a serious candidate by adhering to their guidelines.
MBA Essay Structure
These are the sections that every MBA essay should have.
Introduction
- Introduce yourself. For example, give your basic details both personally and professionally. Discuss what compels you to pursue an MBA.
- Briefly introduce your objective and goal for pursuing the MBA degree.
- Briefly introduce your major strengths and qualities that can make you stand out in the application. For example, discuss your best relevant subjects and grades.
- Briefly introduce relevant major achievements that will increase your chances in the MBA Program. For example, how did your leadership skills help the community?
Body
- It contains three paragraphs. Therefore, start each paragraph with a topic sentence
- In the first, you could talk about your academic achievements. For example, you can state how your stellar grades help you qualify to join the program. Include academic clubs in which you were a participant or a leader.
- In the second paragraph, emphasize your professional achievements and experiences and their benefit to the program. For example, you can illustrate how your leadership skills benefit the school.
- Explain your long-term and short-term goals in the third paragraph. For instance, what do you hope to achieve after joining the program?
- Describe your passion for pursuing an MBA and how you can use it to serve the community in the school.
Conclusion
- Tie your conclusion to the introduction by reminding the admission officers of key reasons why you are the best candidate for the MBA program.
- Summarize your main goals for the future and illustrate why getting an MBA is essential in reaching that plan.
MBA Essay Length
Some business schools put strict requirements on the length of MBA application essays. For example, they may ask you to write a one-page or 1,000-word essay. If there is the desired word count for your essay, it is crucial to adhere to it.
If there is no stated word or page count requirement, you have a little more flexibility regarding length, but you should still limit the size of your essay. Short essays with five paragraphs are typically better than long essays because it demonstrates that you can express yourself clearly and briefly.
MBA Essay Formatting Styles
Spacing
You should use double space in your essay because this makes the essay exceptional and formal.
Margins
A one-inch margin on each side and the top and bottom is good practice.
The font
size should be 11 or 12. Additionally, the font choice should be Times New Roman 12 because it is formal and globally accepted.
Step-By-Step Guide on How to Write an Outstanding MBA Essay
The step we have discussed below will help you craft a well-formatted and quality essay. Read on!
Step 1 – Read and Understand the Prompt
Your school will usually provide instructions on what kind of essays they want, therefore, ensure you strictly follow these instructions. Misreading the question will lead you to write an essay that completely misses what the admissions committee wants to learn about you. Therefore, familiarise yourself with the essay questions and provide a satisfactory and relevant one that will tackle those questions accordingly.
Step 2 – Draft an Outline
If you’re looking to get into a top business school, you must ensure you know how to write an MBA essay; an outline can help you. It enables you to organize your thoughts and arguments before you start writing. It’s easy to get off topic when you’re writing an essay, but if you have a good outline, you can quickly get back on track. It also helps you identify which topics are most important to cover in your essay.
Step 3- Write the Introduction
The introduction paragraph frames the rest of your essay and is often the first impression your readers get of you. It’s also how you captivate the reader, so you must write a relevant and captivating opening paragraph. Therefore, start by briefly introducing yourself and your career aspirations. Then, provide a brief overview of your educational background and experience. Finally, finish up with why you are pursuing an MBA.
Step 4 – Write the Body
Body paragraphs to prove your essay’s thesis. They provide a path from the introduction — which forecasts the structure of your essay’s content — to the conclusion, which summarises your MBA essay. Therefore, each body paragraph must relate logically and focus on a single topic or idea. The body paragraph should also be divided into three sections, each focusing on a different aspect of your essay. For example, one paragraph could discuss your professional experience, another could discuss your academic achievements, and the third could discuss your goals for the future. Finally, avoid using one-sentence paragraphs because they appear underdeveloped.
Step 5- Write the Conclusion
An MBA essay should have a clear and concise conclusion that highlights the essay’s main points. Tips on writing a reasonable conclusion for an MBA essay include summarising the essay’s main points and highlighting how you can apply your MBA to real-world situations. You can know how to write an MBA essay and create a firm conclusion by following these tips.
Essential Things to Consider When Writing an MBA Essay
We have listed the most important to consider while writing your essay:
1. Stay Focused and Answer the Asked Question
Schools are looking for qualities like leadership and alignment with program values, and each has a different way of discerning this. Therefore, to know how to write an MBA essay, you must focus on the question to ensure you’re speaking to what they’re asking. You must also take the time to read and understand the prompt and then craft a response that directly addresses it.
2. Get Vulnerable
The MBA application process is notoriously competitive. Therefore, you need to know how to write an MBA essay that is both personal and professional. One way to do this is to get vulnerable in your essay. Use your essay to discuss when you faced a challenge or made a mistake and the lessons learned from that experience. Sharing a personal and honest story will show the admissions committee that you are not afraid to take risks.
3. Be Authentic
Being authentic is important because the admissions committee looks for genuine candidates with something unique to contribute to the school. In addition, being authentic will help you build connections with your fellow students and create a more positive learning environment. Lastly, by being true to yourself, you’ll be able to appreciate your accomplishments better and learn from your failures.
4. Keep your language approachable/ Avoid fancy vocabulary.
This is essential because the admissions committee seeks clarity and conciseness. Therefore, using big words won’t impress them. Instead, focus on communicating your ideas clearly or using business language.
5. Consider the Tone You Use While Writing Your Essay
To know how to write an MBA essay, you should consider the tone you use. It’s essential to strike the right balance because you want to come across as confident and professional but not arrogant. You can read through some sample essays from successful applicants that will give you a good sense of what works and doesn’t. Finally, take note of the tone that resonates with you and try to mimic them in your essay.
6. Don’t Exaggerate.
Avoid exaggerating your accomplishments or skills because it appears dishonest and makes it seem like you are trying too hard to impress the admissions committee. Furthermore, exaggerating can backfire – if the admissions committee feels you have overstated your case, they may question your judgment and abilities. Therefore, tell your story authentically and let your successes speak for themselves.
7. Limit Flowery Pose
One common mistake applicants make is using too much “flowery” language in their essays. Unfortunately, this can make your writing sound vague and unfocused. Instead of impressing the admissions committee, it will likely just annoy them. So how can you avoid this mistake?
Here are a few tips:
– Stick to concrete examples and use specific examples to illustrate your points.
– Be clear and concise: Focus on one or two key points and develop them fully.
– Avoid clichés: Try to develop a more original way to express yourself.
MBA Essay Editing Checklist
Your essay is the deciding factor as to whether or not you will get an invitation to the MBA program. Therefore, you need a stellar essay that swers the admissions committee’s questions directly. directly While editing, ensure that your essay appears logically structured, where all your paragraphs relate to one another and the thesis statement. Also, ensure you’ve clearly stated your accomplishments and how you’ve used them to help others or the community. Also, avoid repetition to reduce vagueness; use facts and specific examples to reiterate your claims. Finally, be strict with the word count.
Additionally, there’s nothing wrong with getting help from somebody who knows what they’re doing. In fact, it can be a great way to improve your essay and increase your chances of getting into your dream school. A professional editor will be able to catch errors that you might miss, and they can also help you improve your writing style. So if you’re struggling with your essay, don’t be afraid to reach out for some help. It could make all the difference in your application.
MBA Essay Editing Language
Editing the language of your MBA essay is essential because it eliminates unnecessary mistakes that could cost you to lose admission to the MBA program. Therefore use the language editing tips below to know how to write an MBA essay.
First, ensure your essay is a grammatical-error-free text. Grammar, in this case, includes comma usage, tenses, and voice. Inappropriate lexis and tone of voice can cost you. Therefore, ensure you use an active voice. The essay should also be creative and compelling to pique the reader’s interest. Also, avoid using redundant phrases because it makes your essay vague, and you have a limited word count.
Moreover, use business language so the admissions committee can relate to your ideas and show your passion for the business industry. Finally, ensure your whole essay is cohesive. It should provide a path from your introduction, which should relate to the body and the conclusion.
Good Luck!
So, there you have it. Our guide to writing an MBA application essay. We hope this has been helpful and that you now feel a little more confident in your ability to write a great essay. But if you need some extra help, our team of experts is here to give you the guidance and support you need to submit a top-notch application. Good luck!
MBA Essay Example
Here is an example to help you draft your own MBA essay.
How do you write a strong MBA essay?
Use the tips below
-Demonstrate your fit for the program
-Be authentic
-Highlight your experience
-Discuss your long-term and short-term goals
-Edit and proofread your essay.
What format should an MBA essay be in?
The MBA Essay format consists of three parts; introductory, main body, and conclusion. And it is five paragraphs long, where each of the paragraphs is preferably 5 to 6 lines long.
How long does it take to Write an MBA essay?
It usually depends on how well you’re prepared to write the essay. If you have the essay outline and points, it may take one month at most, including editing. However, it takes longer when you’re unprepared.
