Essay Tips: The University of Michigan Ross School of Business

Michigan Ross has published deadlines for their MBA application. With a mid-September deadline, it’s time to start planning your submission.

Round Application Deadline Decision Notification

Round 1 14 September 2023 08 December 2023

Round 2 11 January 2024    15 March 2024

Round 3 04 April 2024         03 May 2024

Michigan Ross is looking to build a diverse community of collaborative learners. In reading your essay responses, the admissions committee wants to get to know you as a whole person. They want to learn more about your motivations, meaningful experiences, and abilities, as well as how you hope to contribute to the Ross community both inside and outside of the classroom. While your career goals and resume are important, the admissions committee specifically notes that they hope applicants use their essays to complement, rather than reiterate, other application materials. 

Part 1: Short-answer questions

Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total). 

Group 1 

• I want people to know that I: 

• I made a difference when I: 

• I was aware that I was different when:

Group 2 

• I was out of my comfort zone when: 

• I was humbled when: 

• I was challenged when: 

We encourage you to start this answer with a brainstorm, not by selecting the prompts you will respond to.  Write down stories from your past. A lot of them. (And, bonus! This will serve as an excellent starting point for essay responses for other school applications and/or when preparing for various interview questions.) In particular, think about your most meaningful experiences that changed or impacted your worldview. This may involve key decisions, beautiful and/or catastrophic moments, feelings of pride or shame, times of success or struggle, unexpected discovery, and notable relationships. 

Now that you’ve refreshed your memory and reviewed some of your most pivotal moments, consider each of the prompts. These responses are your chance to show some personality and demonstrate your personal traits and values to the admissions committee. Despite having a limited word count, you’ll want to anchor each response in an anecdote from your past to show the reader your periods of growth and discovery. What did the experience teach you about yourself and others? 

When pondering how to respond to the Group One prompts, keep in mind that Michigan Ross is looking to build a close-knit and cohesive class (and alumni base). Use these questions as an opportunity to show the admissions committee your strength of character, abilities in collaborative leadership and teamwork, as well as your past experiences thriving alongside people unlike yourself.  

For the Group Two prompts, it is important to note that the Ross MBA incorporates a lot of “action-based learning,” which may take you out of your comfort zone. When discussing a particularly challenging or humbling time, remember to spend about 20 percent of the response on the challenge, but the majority (80 percent) on the actions you took, and what you learned and how you grew as a result. 

​Part 2: Career Goal

What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you? (150 words)

State a specific post-MBA goal, and make it clear that, given various post-baccalaureate full-time work experiences you’ve had, as well as plans to obtain a general management education, that you will be qualified and able to achieve this goal.   

Optional Statement: Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc.  Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

This essay is for additional context around a weak spot in your application. Did you get a C in calculus? Or withdraw from your courses your sophomore year to help a family member? Do you feel that your lackluster GMAT score isn’t indicative of your abilities?

If you are going to address a low grade in an analytical course or a low GMAT score, don’t make excuses. Spend the majority of your word count demonstrating your ability to excel in rigorous academic or professional environments by using specific examples. Provide information on similar classes in which you achieved excellent grades or give details about a professional pursuit that resulted in success.

If you are speaking to a more sensitive situation, perhaps a big mistake or legal issue that impacted your GPA, spend approximately 20 percent of your essay addressing the situation. Then use the remaining 80 percent on the actions you took to improve and what happened as a result. Again, do not make excuses. Simply address the situation, placing the emphasis on what you learned. Everyone makes mistakes. Taking accountability and moving forward demonstrates maturity.

The Writing Process

Begin with a brainstorm. Do not underestimate the importance of this step. Document your experiences, positive and negative, that prompted an evolution in your perspective—you know, those “ah-ha!” moments without which you would be a different student, professional, and/or person today. Then, record those experiences that will show the reader your abilities in innovation (critical/creative thinking and problem solving), leadership, and teamwork, as well as those experiences that reinforced your interest in business school. Capture as many details as possible, paying particular attention to what you thought, felt, said, and did in each situation. Your focus should be on adult experiences (from the start of college and later), though stories from your youth could comprise up to 20 percent of this brainstorm.

During your brainstorm, don’t limit yourself by worrying about a cohesive narrative, the quality of your writing, and/or the number/length of your stories. Simply focus on collecting those situations that helped to guide your path to this point and impacted your decision to apply to the Michigan Ross MBA program.

Craft an outline. Select the key stories you will use to anchor your narratives. Remember that you’ll use your essays to go deep into experiences that demonstrate the traits you want to emphasize. 

Write. Keep in mind that you must be showing, not telling the reader who you are. In contrast to your resume, which provides a general overview of your experiences, your essay responses should go deep into a story that allows the reader to come to their own conclusions about some of your character traits and abilities. Highlight how you’ve struggled, triumphed, learned, and how these experiences have developed you into the person you are now.  

Review. Revise. Repeat. Read your essay aloud noting where you stumble. Make revisions as necessary. Once it reads smoothly, set it down and walk away for at least 24 hours. Then re-read it. Is it you? Is it personal and authentic? You want the reader to see the real person behind the applicant number. While we caution against “oversharing,” being appropriately vulnerable will create connection. 

Related:

Essay Tips: Harvard Business School

Essay Tips: The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania

Essay Tips: The Stanford Graduate School of Business

Essay Tips: The Yale School of Management

Essay Tips: Columbia Business School

Essay Tips: Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley

Essay Tips: The University of Chicago Booth School of Business

Essay Tips: NYU Stern School of Business

MBA Interviews: When the Interview Requires More than an Interview

To get to know applicants better, some MBA programs will ask interview participants to submit additional materials or participate in supplementary activities. We have profiled a few of these exercises below to provide you with additional insight. 

1.       Harvard Business School, Post-Interview Reflections

Description: Within 24 hours of the interview, candidates are required to submit a written reflection through Harvard Business School’s online application system. The submission is not a formal essay. Rather, it should be written similarly to a post-meeting summary one would write to a colleague or supervisor at work.  

Rationale:  Shortly after instituting the Post-Interview Reflection, Harvard’s Admission Blog described the exercise as a chance to both get students’ opinions regarding their interviews, as well as a real-world practicum. Professionals routinely need to send emails summarizing meetings and offering assessments and their ability to do this well is critical for workplace success.

Your Strategy: Be genuine and think critically about the interview. What were the highlights? What could have gone better? Were there remaining “gaps” after your interview, and if so, how do you wish you could have addressed these? The post-interview reflection is an opportunity for you to demonstrate real-world critical thinking and writing skills, as well as offer any information that you feel you did not adequately explain in the interview. In other words, Harvard is not expecting your most polished product, but rather a thoughtful assessment of your interview coupled with a compelling communication. As such, this piece should not be crafted prior to the interview, adapted from another essay, or used as additional resume space. However, you may want to take some time immediately after your interview to make notes on areas that you’ll want to include in your submission. Then give yourself a bit of reflection time prior to producing your final product. You’ll want to make the most of this final opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are and how you think.

2.       MIT Sloan, Pre-Interview Essay Submission

Description: Those invited to interview at Sloan will be asked to answer the following question: The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe how you, as a member of the MIT Sloan community, would work to create a campus that is welcoming, inclusive and increasingly diverse. 

Rationale: The interview process is about getting to know applicants more thoroughly. This is a chance to not only demonstrate that your values match those of MIT Sloan, but that you are willing to proactively work to put those values into action during your business school tenure.

Your Strategy: Your response to this question should go beyond what clubs and extracurricular activities you will participate in at Sloan. Rather, it should examine how you will demonstrate leadership in creating a diverse environment and promoting wellbeing among your peers. Using examples from your past leadership experiences, demonstrate your ability to cultivate a positive culture. And be sure to clearly link the perspective you gained from these experiences to what you hope to accomplish at Sloan. 

3.       Northwestern Kellogg, Video Essay

Description: In responding to several short video essay questions, Kellogg’s video essay allows you to further demonstrate what you will bring to the community in an interactive way.

Rationale: Kellogg states that the video essay questions are “designed to bring to life the person we have learned about on paper.” Student culture is a key focus in Kellogg’s admissions efforts, and they want to get to know applicants as fully as possible to ensure they construct a close-knit and collaborative class. As such, this is an opportunity to showcase your personality, values, interests, and goals rather than worrying too much about the “correct” or expected response. 

Your Strategy: While the video essay may feel uncomfortable at first, it is an excellent opportunity to allow the admissions committee to know you better. Kellogg provides practice questions that will help you to get comfortable with the format and the technology, and we recommend taking advantage of this. Prior to the video essay, review your submitted application and think through your personal goals and interests and how those align with Kellogg. While you do not want to look scripted in your responses, you do want to be prepared, which will help you to relax and show your personality.

4.       University of Michigan Ross, Team Experience 2.0

Description: Those invited to interview at Ross will also be invited to participate in the Team Experience 2.0. In this exercise, teams are tasked with developing a business challenge and solution using random words. Then, they are required to present the case to an evaluator, who will ask each group a follow-up question based on the solution they present.

Rationale: The Ross Admissions Committee says that the goal of the exercise is to assess how an applicant can contribute to and problem-solve as a team-member in real-time. This exercise will mimic the format of most business school group work and will demonstrate to the admissions committee your ability to lead, collaborate, and contribute to a group’s shared goal.  

Your Strategy: As you take part in the Team Experience 2.0, you will want to consistently show your leadership and collaboration abilities. This includes ensuring that all members of the team are participating, celebrating and enhancing good ideas, kindly but productively questioning your teammates, and ultimately encouraging the group towards a decision. Similar to the Wharton Team Based Discussion, you will succeed to the extent that your team succeeds. As such, do not become overly competitive or domineering in the discourse. Instead, look for the ways in which you can help your team to determine the best solution.