Yale’s SOM’s essay questions have undergone a noticeable makeover this year. The addition of two very Yale-specific questions may be an attempt to prevent applicants from applying to the school as an afterthought, as its relatively small number of required essays (three last year and two in the years before) and open topics previously made it rather easy for candidates to submit material they had already drafted for other schools.
Given the possible concern on the part of the Yale adcom, it would likely be prudent to consider options (3.1) and/or (3.4) in response to the two personal statements (see below), as these questions get at the heart of Yale’s focus. In electing to respond to one of these prompts, candidates have the chance to signal a strong interest and commitment to the SOM.
Let’s take a look at each of the school’s essays:
Essay 1: Why a Yale MBA?
What is the impact that you wish to have on the world? How will your previous experiences and a Yale MBA enhance your ability, in the short-term and long-term, to pursue a career that will allow you to achieve this impact? (500 words maximum)
While this prompt remains a career goals essay in essence, it is notable that Yale tweaked this question from last year, tailoring the question from “why an MBA?” to be more school-specific. Taking the time to learn about the school’s curriculum, special programs and extracurricular activities – whether through a visit to campus, conversation with alumni or reading the Clear Admit School Guide to the Yale School of Management – will pay dividends here.
Another interesting adjustment is the framing in the context of larger impact – the question now focuses on an applicant’s vision. In answering this question, candidates should introduce goals that extend beyond simple personal interests and career objectives to encompass larger plans for specific industries and to discuss the greater ramifications of this influence. Candidates need to reflect upon the skill set needed for their career interests and argue for how Yale’s programs will provide crucial aid in developing those skills.
Essay 2: Leadership Example
Describe a professional accomplishment that exhibits your leadership style. The accomplishment should include evidence of your leadership skills, a description of the actions you took, as well as the impact you had on your organization. (500 words maximum)
While Yale posted a similar leadership and teamwork-themed question last season, this year the emphasis has shifted more explicitly to the individual and the applicant’s unique approach. The follow-up prompt asking for evidence of one’s leadership skills and the specifics of the approach mean that the key here is to show and not tell.
The accomplishment would ideally be one that highlights your initiative and drive, emphasizing your personal role while also placing the anecdote in the context of the big picture of a team effort. A true leader understands how to utilize the skills and abilities of those on the team through motivation and leading through example.
As the question also asks about overall impact, it will be important to provide a clear “after” picture, pinpointing what changes resulted or what organization elements improved.
Essay 3: Personal Statement 1
Choose one of the following topics and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)
(3.1) A central premise of our teaching about leadership at the Yale School of Management is that true leadership – leadership that helps to address a significant problem in a new way – is necessarily personal. It is only when personal passion aligns with meaningful aspirations that individuals are able to inspire others to act in support of an important goal or cause. What are you most passionate about, and how have you demonstrated a commitment to this passion?
Echoing Stanford’s standard “What matters most to you, and why?” essay, Yale is looking for candidates with distinct values and an overall motivating vision. Applicants with a deep involvement in some cause outside of work or a strong commitment to their chosen industry might find a ready topic for this response, though candidates might be able to identify a common theme or motivating factor that runs throughout a number of their experiences or activities. Another thing to note is that the prompt hints at an interest in hearing about passion that has or will inspire leadership, adding another nuance to keep in mind when selecting topics.
(3.2) What personal achievement are you most proud of and why?
This question leaves the door open for a wide range of examples. While the focus on “personal achievement” doesn’t necessarily preclude accomplishments from the workplace, it does indicate that the adcom is interested in the significance of the achievement on an individual level. Of course, it might be beneficial to take the adcom up on their invitation to bring the subject matter into the personal realm, as the very open framing gives applicants the opportunity to discuss meaningful experiences that could help them stand out from others and demonstrate valuable skills and qualities that might not be evident elsewhere in their applications.
(3.3) Describe a situation in which your values were challenged. How did you respond to the situation and what did you learn from it?
The most obvious reading of this prompt is as an inquiry about an ethical dilemma. Questions of this sort are designed to gauge an applicant’s ability to see two sides of a situation and appreciate the merits of both – and ultimately choose the best possible solution. First and foremost, you should make sure that the example you present represents a true dilemma. It’s not enough to simply discuss a situation where you chose to do the right thing; you need to be able to show that there was a compelling reason for you to have acted otherwise. The question lends itself to personal experiences as easily as professional ones, but it’s often well suited to examples of how one views and handles ethical complexity in the workplace. For instance, there are often instances of conflicts between people and profit that work well in this context.
After setting the scene in your essay, you should explore the dilemma in depth, analyzing each of your options and explaining the potential positive and negative consequences of each. Once you’ve acknowledged the difficulty of the situation, you should lead the reader through your decision-making process, explaining the reasons behind your ultimate decision. Ideally, your strong grasp of leadership and of problem-solving will be displayed by this analysis. Finally, you should present the results of your decision. Even if there were ultimately some negative consequences, it is important to stand by the decision you made and to be proud that you stood behind your values in this situation.
Beyond the ethics framework, you might also note that the “values” element of the question could provide a great platform to discuss a challenging cross-cultural experience, a great way to showcase international work experience or extensive time spent abroad. If you choose to address a cultural transition, you will want to show that you are flexible and open to different ways of thinking.
(3.4) A phrase often heard among SOM graduates is that they aspire to lead a life that is an “SOM Story” – that of a broadly engaged, values-based leader who owns and solves hard problems that matter. How will you create your own SOM Story? Describe a situation in which you devised and implemented a creative or innovative solution to a difficult problem. What obstacles did you face and how did you overcome them?
There’s a lot going on in this prompt. Through asking how you will ultimately create your own “SOM story,” the primary question focuses on a time the applicant has creatively solved a difficult problem. The response should therefore revolve around the process of pinpointing and overcoming a difficult problem and the challenges it presented, followed by a discussion of the innovative steps you took to overcome this obstacle. While it would be ideal for the story to include evidence of “broad engagement” and “values-based” leadership, these can also be covered in some forward-looking comments at the beginning or end of the essay as part of an explanation of how the traits that you demonstrated in solving the problem will extend to the MBA program and beyond.
(3.5) The Yale School of Management is a community of individuals with diverse backgrounds and interests. What unique attributes would you bring to the Class of 2011?
This question is a standard inquiry, wanting to see how candidates would fit in with the community and contribute to the class. Remembering that the question asks for unique “attributes” and not simply for a description of great accomplishments or features, this response calls for candidates to reflect on a handful of interests and involvements that work in tandem with one another.
Also, keep in mind that personal qualities are not necessarily going to fly. Stating that you are compassionate will not be as interesting as pinpointing a distinctive interest or hobby. Thus, think about what characteristics and interests have led you to do, as motivations for pursuing certain work and activities is more relevant to your MBA candidacy.
(3.6) What is the most difficult feedback you have received and how did you address it? Looking forward, what skills are you most eager to build or improve upon in business school?
Also appearing on Dartmouth’s application over the past years, this question pushes applicants to recount an anecdote detailing a growth and learning process. This learning process is so important because it can reflect maturity, flexibility, adaptability, and humility – all important qualities needed to work effectively in a team. In answering this question, you should identify and explain the issue while also addressing how you reacted to it. Demonstrating a mature response and desire to improve is important, and effectiveness in facilitating this improvement should be apparent. This learning process needs to not only be something that you underwent but something that you can continue to build upon through Yale’s MBA program. Once again, knowledge of Yale’s specific programs will be helpful, as you can pinpoint classes or extracurriculars that will contribute to your ongoing growth.
(3.7) Required for reapplicants: What steps have you taken to improve your candidacy since your last application?
This is a standard essay asking reapplicants to identify how they have progressed over the past year and strengthened their candidacy (through refining career objectives, solidifying their academic performance, etc.).
Essay 4: Personal Statement 2
Choose one (1) of the topics listed in Essay 3, or create a topic of your own about a subject that is meaningful to you, and answer it in essay form. Please indicate the topic number (or state the topic if it is not one of the ones listed) at the beginning of your essay. (500 words maximum)
Yale’s signaled a few values that it cares about through the six non-reapplicant questions above, so it might make sense to address a second one of those questions in order to tailor your application towards the school’s central focus. However, this question also gives you the opportunity to ensure that the important aspects of your candidacy are covered in the application. An applicant can thus introduce a discussion of an experience, value, or trait that is relevant to Yale’s MBA program.
