If you could choose
one song that expresses who you are, what is it and why? (250 word maximum)
- What can we say, don't pick "I'm sexy and I know it!" :-)
- Great question - but also tough - remember to explain why the song is important to you - not just because it was played at a certain event etc. - it should express who you are.
What is your most
significant accomplishment? (250 word maximum)
- Pick only one accomplishment - can be personal or professional - describe why you think it is your most significant accomplishment
- To the extent possible, try and qualify and/or quantify the impact of what you did so that a reader can relate to it more easily -- this is especially true if you are picking a professional situation
Describe a time in
the last three years when you overcame a failure. What specific insight from
this experience has shaped your development? (250 word maximum)
- Please people – a failure is a failure. It’s not supposed to make you look good – i.e., don’t use examples where you fixed something that you broke
- Take only 2 – 3 sentences to describe the failure itself – and spend the majority of this essay explaining how you overcame it, why it was important and what you learned from it
- Note: For some reason, candidates are very tempted to include a second story about when they were in the exact same situation and then reacted differently to it. You do NOT need to reiterate what you learned by saying this way.
What are your
post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How have your professional
experiences prepared you to achieve these goals?
b. How will an MBA
from Haas help you achieve these goals? (750 word maximum for 4a. and 4b.)
The most challenging part of this essay is the writing –
that is, writing a 750 word essay that has a tight structure, smooth
transitions, and content that keeps the reader interested and engaged in your
story.
To keep it as structured as possible, avoid going back and
forth chronologically – keep the timeline as easy as possible on the
reader. A simple approach to this that
usually works:
- Prior professional experiences and background
- Short-term goals
- Long-term goals
- How the MBA is a bridge between your past and your goals
- Why Haas? (should be completely tied in with all the previous pieces).
Ideally, all of these fragments should have one theme – one consistent
story about your professional life and future goals that give AdCom a real
detailed picture of what you are bringing to Haas.
