Ross Admissions Essay Requirements

Approaching the prompt

You guessed it: Ross is looking for your elevator pitch. Use this space to grab the admissions officers’ attention and show them that the rest of your essays are worth their time. Demonstrate that you are excited to have been chosen for the program and looking forward to getting to know the other students and professors. Briefly discuss your top strengths as well as what you are hoping to gain from the program.

Common pitfalls

Being too Conversational: Remember that you are not actually introducing yourself to your Ross classmates. You are actually introducing yourself to the admissions committee. Short though it is, this brief response is still part of the formal admissions process. Offer enthusiasm, but also respect. However, you can have some fun here. Show yourself to be a real human being who is genuinely interested in the other people you will meet through the Ross program.

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Approaching the prompt

In a very round-about way, Ross is asking: Why Ross? Tell the admissions officers what it is you want to accomplish and why attending the Ross MBA program will equip you with the skills and experiences that you need to begin making concrete steps toward achieving those goals.

There should be a one-for-one connection between your responses to the first and second sentences of the prompt. Attending an MBA program is a significant investment of your time and money. Therefore, impress the admissions officers by demonstrating that you have done your homework and deeply familiarized yourself with what Ross has to offer. This will help the Ross admissions officers see you as a person who has researched the program thoroughly and made an informed decision in applying to their school.

Common pitfalls

Forgetting to include what you can contribute to Ross: Many applicants misread the prompt regarding their ‘vision’ and refer to their career vision. In the second half of the prompt, Ross is asking about your vision regarding how you will add to the Ross community. They’re asking you: What do you see yourself accomplishing within the context of your Ross classmates? In what way do you see yourself fitting in?

Running out of room: There’s quite a bit of ground to cover in this essay. With less than a single-spaced page available, Ross applicants can easily find themselves at 450 words before they even get to the second question. Avoid this by planning your essay well. Taking the time to create a strong outline will save you from major rewrites or even from having to start from scratch.

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Approaching the prompt

In the real world, things don’t always go the way we planned. Ross is looking for an example of a time when the actual outcome of a situation did not match your expectations. Therefore, describe the situation briefly, but focus on your internal process as you reflected on the circumstances. What conclusions did you draw? How did you grow? What are you ‘more’ of now because of this situation (responsible, realistic, optimistic, organized, flexible, etc.)? Show the Ross admissions committee that you have the ability to navigate your own emotions well and integrate your experiences in a way that strengthens your resilience and professionalism.

Common pitfalls

Writing about a time where you behaved in a way that you regret: Ross is asking for a time when there was a mismatch between what you were hoping for and what actually happened. Therefore, avoid writing about times when you overacted or behaved unprofessionally. We’ve all had such unfortunate moments, but that’s not what this prompt is about. Ross is looking for emotional maturity and the ability to handle yourself when things don’t go your way.

Not showing introspection: While you do need to provide a rough outline of the situation itself, the actual circumstances are not the focus of this essay. Ross wants to know about what was going on inside of you. What was it that you had expected to happen or wanted to happen? Why did you think this would be the outcome? Did things change along the way, but you hadn’t made the connections necessary to foresee the different result? How would you view similar situations in the future? Why are you wiser now than before this happened?

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Approaching the prompt

This prompt allows you to choose from two possible prompts. You must select either:

What are you most passionate about?

or

Describe a personal challenge or obstacle and why you view it as such. How have you dealt with it? What have you learned from it?

While you are free to choose either one, the fact that the second prompt so closely matches the third essay would indicate that Ross really wants you to choose the first one. And it makes sense. Ross’ motto of ‘Leading in Thought and Action’ assumes a certain level of passion in the people who attend the program.

Moreover, why would you not choose to talk about your passion? Even if your passion is for entertaining your friends for dinner, you could talk about the organizational skills you need to plan and execute such events as well as your improvements in navigating complex social situations and the level of leadership involved in ensuring that everyone feels welcomed and part of the group. All of these are skills that translate well to the business environment.

Common pitfalls

Not connecting the response to the program: Despite the high level of freedom that Ross is offering in deciding what to write about, this response is still part of your Ross application package. Make sure that you are demonstrating the character traits and mindset that Ross is seeking. Don’t hedge, and don’t place the responsibility on the admissions officers to glean these from the context. State your traits and skills outright.

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