It is beyond a doubt essay writing season for Round 1 applicants. Keeping our essay topic analyses coming for those who are looking for guidance, here are some thoughts on Carnegie Mellon’s essay questions for this admissions season:
A. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you to achieve these goals? (2 pages, double spaced)
Tepper has taken the fairly typical approach of leading off with a standard career goals essay and at two double spaced pages they allot a reasonable number of words to this subject, though not quite as many as those schools that give applicants 1000 or even 1500 words to work with. They key will be to formulate a directed discussion that speaks to the question, making judicious mention of one’s career to date where appropriate in explaining one’s motivation and preparedness for his or her goals.
B. How will your academic and professional background, personal characteristics and life experiences contribute to the diversity of the Tepper community? (2 pages, double spaced)
This is another classic second question in terms of MBA essays; after learning about what you feel Tepper can do for you, the adcom turns its focus to what you might bring to the CMU community. See our comments on Darden’s very similar essay for some suggestions as to how you might approach the topic selection process for this response.
C. Please answer three of the following five questions or statements (2 pages total, double-spaced).
1. Describe an ethical dilemma that you have faced in your professional life, how you dealt with the situation, and what the outcome was.
2. Describe a failure or setback in your professional or academic life. How did you overcome this setback? What, if anything, would you do differently if confronted with this situation again?
Issues of ethics and the ability to accept and learn from one’s mistakes are understandably popular topics among business schools, and applicants should keep in mind that the adcom will be using their account of their past thoughts and experiences as a barometer to measure their current attitudes and future approaches. Two similar questions appear in this year’s Wharton essays – see our thoughts on those inquiries for some advice that will be applicable here.
3. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement and why?
This question gives applicants a wide berth in selecting a topic, as this achievement could come from the professional, academic or personal realm. Remember that the “why” in this essay will be just as important as the “what,” and that it will also be important to fully explore the reasons that this achievement is significant (overcoming impossible odds, making a positive impact, etc.). While it’s important to be candid and reflective, it will also be important to select an accomplishment that is in some way material to your business school candidacy.
4. Describe your most challenging experience while working in a group?
This question could be interpreted in a number of ways: a story about a time you worked together with others to complete a very difficult task could be just as appropriate about an anecdote discussion a personality clash or communication breakdown in a collaborative context. In choosing an example, keep in mind that the adcom wants to hear about your ability to navigate group dynamics, and that the interpersonal element of this experience should likely be at the fore.
5. Of what skill or talent are you especially proud?
This is a great opportunity to showcase an interesting characteristic to stand out from other applicants and help the adcom get to know you better. Keep in mind that the adcom will also be curious as to the reason for your pride; whether you are delight in your Latin dance skills because you have worked hard at your lessons for years or value the ability to entertain others through your musical talent, an explanation of why you mention your chosen topic will lend equal insight into your character and candidacy.
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