While MIT’s MBA essays and essay format have been among the most consistent of the top MBA programs’ over the past few years, with its cover letter and four pointed situational questions, the school has introduced a few interesting changes this year. The school now requests that applicants include an account of a time they had an impact on a group or organization in the cover letter, which previously focused solely on candidates’s general career path and reasons for applying to MIT. Meanwhile, the school has introduced an open ended question encouraging applicants to share anything else they would like the admissions committee to know – or at least as much as they can convey in 250 words.
The majority of the questions, though, have remained the same since last year. The essays’ main focus continues to be on negative or challenging circumstances, the sorts of situations asked about are consistent – impact, negotiation, persuasion, and execution. The first three questions are entirely open in terms of the origin of the examples the applicant can use – work, current activities and even appropriate personal stories are fair game here. The key will be to show the adcom how you behave given different pressures and objectives by touching upon all of the points about thoughts, feelings, words and actions. It’s important to note that the philosophy behind Sloan’s approach is that past behavior is a reliable predictor of future behavior, so it will be wise to select examples that show you at your best.
Cover Letter: Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.
Rod Garcia has long likened the MBA application process to the recruiting process; MBA aspirants, just like job applicants, need to demonstrate that they know how to market themselves. This is why the school requires a cover letter as part of their application.
As you approach this assignment, keep in mind that many of the standard cover letter themes need to be discussed – your attributes and skills, why you are interested in joining the ‘company’ (MIT/Sloan), and what you feel you could contribute. These certainly intersect with the ideas covered by other schools’ “career goals” essays, so much so that it may be tempting to simply tack a greeting onto the beginning of a career goals essay you’ve prepared for another program. MIT’s request for these ideas in cover letter format, however, actually makes it very easy to spot recycled material, so it’s important that you tailor your response to the school’s unique process. A potential outline for this essay might open with a ‘greeting’ to the committee followed by a statement of your interest in MIT and what you would bring to the school, then a short statement of your career goals with a summary of the ways in which your experience to date has prepared you, then a “why MIT” section explaining why it is the best place for you in terms of what you need from an MBA and your fit with the school, concluding with a thank you.
With the addition of the “impact” angle this year, there’s a good deal of ground to cover in this essay. The best way to satisfy this requirement might be to build a brief professional accomplishment into the overall career background narrative. It will also be important to conduct a fair amount of research on the program in order to efficiently reference the most relevant programs and offerings. Taking the time to learn about MIT’s curriculum, special programs and extracurricular activities – whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to Sloan – will pay dividends here.
Essay 1: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
A repeat from previous years, this question is designed to extract not only information about how the applicant acts when faced with a challenge, but also about what sorts of interactions, situations and perhaps even personalities the candidate finds challenging. It’s therefore a good idea to think about what a potential example might say about you and your interpersonal style and preferences before drafting this essay.
Essay 2: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
This question was also part of last year’s essay topics. The adcom is clearly interested in how potential students handle opposition, as well as how effectively they are able to take an unpopular stance and hold their ground. Some background about the situation and the reason you believed in your idea will naturally be necessary here, but the bulk of your response should focus on your thoughts, feelings and actions during the defense.
Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. (500 words or less, limited to one page)
Though it would be ideal to select a story in which the execution of the plan was successful and resulted in a positive impact, this particular essay is more focused on process. You should include actual steps you took to take the plan from concept to reality.
Essay 4: Please tell the Admissions Committee whatever else you would like us to know. (250 words or less, limited to one page)
In previous years, MIT allowed students to submit a “supplemental essay” covering outside activities and other topics not mentioned in response to its situational prompts. This season, the school’s introduced a catch-all final question with a narrow word limit, encouraging economy of language and strategic selection of subject matter. This is an opportunity for you to highlight any part of your professional or personal background that has not been properly addressed elsewhere in your application. You might use this space to mention a particularly relevant extracurricular activity that you plan on getting involved in once enrolled at the school.
One final thing to note is that, this year, MIT requests that applicants select experiences or events from the past three years – a slight widening of previous seasons’ two-year time frame. While it’s possible that there is some flexibility to draw essay subject matter from early experiences if the subject matter is very compelling, it would probably be prudent to showcase experiences from the past three years in as many essays as possible.
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