Lucky for MBA applicants, Ivy College of Business at the Iowa State University tends to stick to the same prompts year-on-year, which means it’s never too early to get started! Wondering where to start, what to write? No worries, we have all the tips you need to get a nice start on writing a quality essay for Ivy College of Business.
The Iowa State University MBA program is looking for graduate 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. 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. With that being said, the essay required of the prospective Ivy MBA student is the career goals essay.
Although the Ivy MBA application requires what they call a “personal statement,” closer reading will let you know that this is in fact a career goals essay.
The career goals essay is the space to emphasize your post-MBA plans. MBA programs want 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)! Iowa State also wants MBA students to promote their program to friends, co-workers, and prospective applicants.
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 an Ivy MBA is essential to your plan. Also, research what fields the graduates of Ivy College of Business enter, and emphasize your findings in the essay to show you’re genuinely interested.
Discuss your academic and career goals and how the Ivy MBA will help you attain your goals. Also discuss your unique qualities and experiences that you will bring to program and how they will help you as an Ivy MBA student. (Upload file, PDF)
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 Ivy 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!
