Duke Fuqua Essay Tips and Guidance 2013 - 2014

Share with us your list of "25 Random Things" about YOU.  Please present your response in list form, numbered 1 to 25. Some points may be only a few words, while others may be longer. Your complete list should not exceed 2 pages.

• Wow - this one has a lot of people sweating, doesn't it?  It shouldn't - it honestly is the easiest essay question out there - what a great opportunity to put yourself out and show AdCom that you are more than what's on your resume

• So, what is good to include on the list and what isn't?   You can include your hobbies, what you like, what you do outside of work, crazy things that you have done, things about your family / friends, etc.   What you shouldn't include is too many of the same types of bullets - e.g., too many food-related bullets or too many travel related bullets etc.

• Keep a good balance and try and include 25 different attributes about yourself that will flesh out your personality for the reader.  If you're not sure what to include ask your BFFs, your better halves or others for the few things that they remember you by. 

• Suggestion: If you are really unsure of what to include, send an email to your dearest friends and colleagues and ask them to write up the first few fun things about you that occur to them - then you can adapt that to answer this question.

When asked by your family, friends, and colleagues why you want to go to Duke, what do you tell them? Share the reasons that are most meaningful to you.  Your response to this essay question should be no more than 2 pages in length. Please respond fully and concisely using 1.5 line spacing

Two parts to this:  First, why Duke is right for you.  It’s really important in this part of the essay to tie their offerings to your background and goals described in the first essay – the two should not seem disjointed.   Discuss the classes, interests and clubs you will take advantage of to further your own learning and goals when you are at Duke.

Second, why you are right for Duke.  The best responses to this essay will discuss how the applicant will leverage their knowledge, experiences and skill sets to add value to the Duke community in a few different ways:

• Academically, in the classroom and in groups
• Curricular activities, such as professional clubs
• Extra-curricular activities, such as interest groups

Yale SOM Essay Tips and Guidance 2013 - 2014

What motivates your decision to pursue an MBA? (300 words)

There are two aspects to this classic “why MBA” question.  More prominently, the professional side should include:

• Your background (brief)
• Short-term and long-term goals
• How the MBA will allow you to meet those goals

In the best essays on the topic, the bridge between your current experiences, the MBA, and your future goals will be self-evident.

On the personal front, if you want to add specific goals, e.g., relocation to a particular country or region, you can add that briefly as well.

What motivates you to apply to the Yale School of Management for your MBA? What will you contribute to Yale and Yale SOM? (450 words)

Two parts to this:  First, why Yale is right for you.  It’s really important in this part of the essay to tie SOM’s offerings to your background and goals described in the first essay – the two should not seem disjointed.   Discuss the classes, interests and clubs you will take advantage of to further your own learning and goals when you are at Yale.

Second, why you are right for Yale.  Yale has a very strong academic and extra-curricular community.  The best responses to this essay will discuss how the applicant will leverage their knowledge, experiences and skill sets to add value to the Yale community in a few different ways:

• Academically, in the classroom and in groups
• Curricular activities, such as professional clubs
• Extra-curricular activities, such as interest groups

The question prompt gives you the freedom to discuss the offerings of both Yale and Yale SOM, so both can be used in your response. 

Stanford GSB Essay Tips & Guidance 2013 - 2014

What matters most to you, and why?

• 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
• 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.

What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?

• The guidelines for this essay clearly state that you shouldn’t repeat and reiterate your accomplishments from your resume or other essays – it must be forward looking.
• Career aspirations can be simply stated – i.e., “be a CEO of a Fortune 50 company” – but you should explain in very pragmatic terms the path leading to it and how the MBA fits into that path
• The “why Stanford” piece should follow naturally from your career goals – and remember, this is not an essay about Stanford – this is about how what they offer fits into your goals.

Tell us about a time in the last three years when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.

• The most important part of this essay is that it should be clear to the reader what the expectations were of your team – because without this baseline understanding, it is challenging to prove how you went over and beyond
• “built and developed” – for candidates in consulting, make note that you often don’t build and develop short-lived teams; so don’t forget to address this piece – how did you coach the people on your team?  how did you attract and retain talent?
• The most engaging responses to this question respect the idea that building and developing a good team is extremely challenging.

Tell us about a time in the last three years when you identified and pursued an opportunity to improve an organization.

• If you work in a large multi-national company, this is not an easy question to answer in that setting; unless you are confident that your actions really made a sustainable impact on your company, avoid using this question
• Candidates will often rely on their own characteristics to answer this question – e.g,. “as a woman… ” or “as the youngest Manager..” – if you are going to do this, be very careful not to slight others that don’t share the same characteristic as you – and remember again, the impact must be sustainable and organization-wide.

Tell us about a time in the last three years when you went beyond what was defined or established.

• This is a good question to take on, because it is fairly individualistic, so it is easier to relate why you did something and how you changed what was defined
• Again, pick a practice such that it is obvious to the reader and seems natural why things were established or defined a certain way – so that your efforts jump out as something that was “over and beyond”

Columbia (CBS) MBA Essay Tips and Guidance 2013 - 2014

Essay 1: Given your individual background, why are you pursuing a Columbia MBA at this time? (Maximum 500 words)

This one is fairly straightforward.  A good, structured way to approach this essay:

• Briefly discuss your professional and academic background until now
• Address short-term and long-term goals
• Discuss why an MBA now
• Address why Columbia – include specifics of professors, clubs, etc. 

The best essay responses to this question will cover each of these aspects at a minimum, along with other personal attributes that are relevant to your MBA. 

Essay 2: Columbia Business School is located in the heart of the world's business capital - Manhattan. How do you anticipate that New York City will impact your experience at Columbia? (Maximum 250 words)

There are many mundane ways to answer this question – heart of the financial (retail / marketing / etc.) world, opportunities to network with varied companies and industries, etc. 

An interesting response to this question will tailor your own background to specific offerings that are truly unique to NYC – e.g., let’s say you are interested in Microfinance.  Can you identify two – three organizations based in NYC that are doing groundbreaking work in this specific area?  Can you perhaps identify some Columbia alums that work there?  Can you come up with creative ways to participate and contribute to those specific ventures – e.g., do an unpaid internship during your first year with one of the firms?

The most creative answers to this question will certainly win extra brownie points with AdCom because most responses to this question sound almost the exact same.

Essay 3: What will the people in your Cluster be pleasantly surprised to learn about you? (Maximum 250 words)

Again, it’s important to be creative with this essay and avoid the usual responses.  While it is very tempting to use this essay to showcase one of your grand accomplishments, the end result of such essays don’t really distinguish you very well from many other candidates.

Some very typical (and boring) responses to this essay:

• Speaking 3 – 6 languages – If you come from a trilingual home or a culture where this is the norm (e.g., Indian languages), this is not ‘pleasantly surprising’ anymore, not to AdCom anyway. 
• “Normal” athletic accomplishments – while running a marathon is certainly laudable, there are TONS of MBA candidates who have done this in the past (sorry to burst your bubble)
• Travel to x countries – Unless this is really an outstanding number of places for a unique reason, avoid mentioning this, simply because there are many others who have done the same 

Instead, reflect on your life – what is something about you that would truly make another classmate smile?   What would make you smile about something that a classmate did?  Did you marry your childhood sweetheart?  Did you once fervently believe in a cause that was very dear to you?  Role play a conversation with your classmates and share a story that would indeed make them pleasantly surprised about your past.

To get your CBS essay reviewed by a Columbia alum, or to speak to a Columbia alum with your admissions questions, write to us at essaycritique@gmail.com

Wharton MBA Essay Tips and Guidance 2013 - 2014

What do you aspire to achieve, personally and professionally, through the Wharton MBA? (500 words)

One half of this essay is pretty straightforward – in the professional side of this, include:

• Your past experiences (very briefly)
• Short-term and long-term goals
• How the MBA, and specifically Wharton, will allow you to meet those goals

The bridge between your current experiences, the MBA, and your future goals should be clearly laid out.

The personal front is slightly more challenging, since it can be difficult to articulate how the MBA fits into your personal life and trajectory.  A few things to address in this:

• Address your planned extra-curricular activities at Wharton – clubs and activities that you will participate in, interests and hobbies that you will pursue, etc. 
• Your engagement with the classroom and classmates – what diversity groups you will join, how you will engage with classmates, travel on treks, etc. 
• Non-profit or community service experiences – what you will participate in and how you will use it to further future interests
• Family life / living situation – if you plan to move internationally after the MBA, etc. 

We recommend using half the essay (i.e., approx. 250 words), for each, the professional and personal aspects of your story.


Academic engagement is an important element of the Wharton MBA experience. How do you see yourself contributing to our learning community? (500 words)

Every candidate will bring a unique set of professional experiences – in this essay, the school wants to know how you will utilize your past professional experience to add value to the academic side of school.

First, discuss what past experiences and knowledge you specifically will bring.  Then, there are a few ways of addressing how you will utilize them at Wharton:

• 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 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

HBS 2013 - 2014 Essay Tips and Guidance

You’re applying to Harvard Business School.  We can see your resume, school transcripts, extra-curricular activities, awards, post-MBA career goals, test scores and what your recommenders have to say about you.   What else would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy?

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.