Lucky for MBA applicants, Boston Questrom tends to stick to the same prompts year-on-year, which means it’s never too early to get started! Every MBA program will highly value the personal statement in your application, so don’t slack on it! Writing a unique essay that captures your individuality while responding to the prompt is a challenging task, but here at Menlo Coaching, we have a comprehensive guide to perfect it.
Questrom is looking for students with a well-rounded background and lots of experience that can be translated into a succinct and compelling statement. One of the essential tips for an impactful essay is asking yourself why you chose to highlight a particular experience to the admissions committee. Did it show significant professional development? Did it show how you overcame a personal struggle? Making sure your essay connects to the prompt, especially that it shows why you are pursuing an MBA, will make your essay stand out.
No matter what the essay prompt is, these tips are broadly applicable. At Questrom, you have the option to submit either one video or one written essay. With that being said, the essay you will see on the Questrom MBA application is the career goals essay.
The career goals essay is the space to emphasize your post-MBA plans. The Boston University MBA program wants to accept students who have concrete, achievable career plans and a roadmap to success. MBA programs want a glowing post-grad report that proves they produce successful graduates with many job prospects (and who will donate money in the future)! Boston University also wants MBA students to promote their program to friends, co-workers, and prospective graduate students.
The career goals essay combines your hard statistics (ex: GMAT score) with your interpersonal skills (ex: recommendations) to formulate the case for getting an MBA. Make sure to state your achievable short-term and long-term goals explicitly. Explain why an MBA would help you achieve these goals and how the Questrom MBA program is essential to your plan. Also, research what fields Questrom MBA students enter, and emphasize your findings in the essay to show you’re genuinely interested.
Your written essay should be no more than 750 words, and should explain to the admissions committee why you’d like to earn your degree from the Questrom School of Business specifically. It should also address why you have selected the program you are applying to (Full-Time MBA) – and how that program will help you achieve your post-graduate goals.
Boston Questrom also invites applicants to record an optional video essay, after submitting their application.
When it comes to video essays specifically, we have some advice:
Once you’ve completed your application, Questrom’s optional essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.
One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.
You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.
If you have any additional information to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee, you may address it in an optional essay of no more than 250 words. Acceptable topics for the optional essay include gaps in post-college work experience, choice of recommenders, and concerns about academic/test performance. If you plan to retake any admissions tests (GMAT or GRE; TOEFL, IELTS or PTE), please provide the date of your scheduled test here. To upload an optional essay, please scroll to the “Essay” section and click “Add Document.”
Overall, honesty and growth are the most important parts of a successful MBA application essay. In addition, applying the lessons you learned shows improvement in your interpersonal and professional skills, making you a more attractive candidate for the Boston University MBA program. At Menlo Coaching, we are prepared to help you take the next step and perfect your essays. Visit our process page to understand how Menlo Coaching can help you!
