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Kellog Admissions Essay Requirements
Northwestern University (Kellogg)
U.S. News Ranking: 5
BusinessWeek Ranking: 4
Financial Times Ranking: Not Ranked
If you’re applying to Kellogg, pay close attention to all four of the MBA application essay prompts; they’re quite detailed and require specific information.
The first asks for an assessment of your career progress to date. With only 600 words to work with, you’ll need to spend significant time deciding what to mention and focus on in your response. As if that weren’t enough, the prompt also asks you about your career plans and motivation for pursuing an MBA. Each of those questions on its own could easily take 600 words – if not more – to fully answer. Responding to them all in 600 short words total will take significant effort.
Also, don’t neglect essay 4, even though it may seem less serious than the other options. It’s just as important and forces you to think and respond in a different way than you may be used to.
Ready to start writing your Kellogg essays? EssayEdge has you covered with detailed analysis of all the 2011-2012 Kellogg essay prompts below.
Prompt 1 (Required): MBA Program applicants - Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA.
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Approaching the prompt With so much ground to cover in such a short space (just 600 words), taking the time to create an outline will make the difference in both the quality of this essay and the time it will take to you have a finished product. If you decide to plunge right into writing, expect an essay that is 900 words or more. Then you will have to decide what to cut and risk having a choppy, disjointed essay. Instead of creating a situation where you will ultimately have to backtrack, designing a solid plan for this essay before you even begin writing. This will help you have a more realistic picture of how much space to dedicate to each aspect of the essay: past achievements, current goals, future plans, and your reason for choosing the Kellogg MBA program. Common pitfalls Focusing too Much on the Past: While you should address past accomplishments, keep in mind that the admissions officers will have a copy of your resume available to them. Listing your achievements in literary format will not impress the committee. Therefore, focus on the ones that have been most pivotal in defining your progress to date. Show how each has led you to where you are today. Wanting to Create an Expressive Essay: The small word count limit is Kellogg’s signal to you that they want you to get to the point quickly. There isn’t much room for creativity here. The sheer pace of the essay should give it an energy that will hold the reader's attention, and the well-chosen anecdotes will make for a smooth flow as you move swiftly from one idea to the next. |
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Prompt 2: Describe your key leadership experiences and evaluate what leadership areas you hope to develop through your MBA experiences.
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Approaching the prompt There are many different approaches available for this essay. You may wish to show a broad range of leadership abilities across numerous circumstances or you can demonstrate how you have progressed and grown as a leader. However, it can be difficult to decide which experiences to choose as you likely have had many leadership opportunities in your workplace, in your personal life, and in other environments such as volunteering or hobbies/clubs. As you brainstorm, pick a theme that summarizes your unique definition of leadership or your particular leadership style. This will help you stand apart from the crowd. Common pitfalls Making a Laundry List of Leadership Examples: The admissions committee won’t be impressed with sheer numbers. They are looking for quality. Meet their expectation by choosing your anecdotes carefully and offering insight into why these are meaningful to you. Moreover, be clear on how they express your potential to do well at Kellogg. Not Demonstrating any Growth Areas: Ultimately, Kellogg wants to help you. They want the students who will gain the most from their program while, in return, offering a unique contribution that will enhance the Kellogg experience for all students. For this reason, take the time to get to know the program in detail. Make direct connections between the ways you wish to grow as a leader and the program’s offerings. |
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Prompt 3: Assume you are evaluating your application from the perspective of a student member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Why would you and your peers select you for admission, and what impact would you make as a member of the Kellogg community?
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Approaching the prompt This is an essay where feedback is of the utmost importance. Asking for insight from someone who has worked with you but does not know you very well personally can give some interesting information that will help you understand how you will likely be viewed by admissions officers. Common pitfalls Seeming Unaware of Other Applicants: Just as the admissions officers will, you must view your application in the context of competing with other applicants. For this reason, avoid including information that would be true of most applicants who would be well-qualified for the program. Instead, focus on what makes you a unique individual. Kellogg is looking for you to have insight into your particular strengths and knowledge of how to contribute those to the program. Going for ‘Humble’: Simply put, Kellogg is asking, ‘Why should we choose you?’ Therefore, you need to tell them directly and without equivocation why you should be one of the very few applicants to receive an acceptance letter. Your growth areas and ability to maximize the Kellogg experience are strengths. For this reason, when writing about these aspects, be sure to keep a positive, upbeat tone. Assume an admissions officer would be genuinely excited about your application, and then offer details as to why this would be true. |
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Prompt 4: Complete one of the following three questions or statements. (400-word limit)
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Approaching the prompt In this essay, you can choose to complete one of the following statements: a) Describe a time you had to inspire a reluctant individual or group. Here is the place where creativity and expressiveness count the most. Kellogg is looking for insight into your character in your response, and this is your opportunity to showcase aspects of your personality or background that demonstrate you are a well-rounded individual. With the shorter word count limit, this is a good indication that Kellogg wants a lighthearted, even fun essay that will help them understand you better. Common pitfalls Being too Conversational: Kellogg is loosening the leash here, but not removing it entirely. Remember that this essay is still part of the formal application process to a graduate business program. Pick a topic that will show them a different side of you, but still demonstrate a quality that is relevant to your ability to excel as a student. Being Boring: This essay is not a ‘summary’ essay where you will reiterate all your achievements or extend on other essays in the group. Let this one complement the previous essays while still standing on its own. Take the opportunity to break out of the business mold here, if only for 400 words. |
Ready to write? EssayEdge offers a variety of services to help you create outstanding MBA essays. "I really felt that my editor was an outstanding teacher. She clearly cares about her clients." - Elizabeth, MBA Proofreading Service |
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