Top Business Programs

Applying to a top MBA program is a remarkably complex and challenging process. Between pulling together the required recommendations, transcripts, test scores, and admissions essays, applicants are pulled in many different directions. EssayEdge understands how daunting this task can be and is pleased to provide MBA applicants with detailed writing advice for the essay prompts at many of the world's top business schools.

Below, you will find a list of the programs EssayEdge has analyzed for the 2011-2012 application season. Clicking a given program's link will take you to a page that provides in-depth breakdowns of the essay prompts featured on this year’s application at that particular school. Be sure to check back often, as we regularly add information for new top MBA schools.

• Prompt analysis Yale School of Management (SOM) (NEW)
• Prompt analysis New York University (Stern) (NEW)
• Prompt analysis Columbia Business School (GSB) (NEW)
• Prompt analysis University of Michigan (Ross)
• Prompt analysis Duke (Fuqua)
• Prompt analysis Dartmouth (Tuck)
• Prompt analysis London Business School (LBS)
• Prompt analysis INSEAD
• Prompt analysis Berkeley (Haas)
• Prompt analysis University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• Prompt analysis MIT (Sloan)
• Prompt analysis Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Prompt analysis University of Chicago (Booth)
• Prompt analysis Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB)
• Prompt analysis Harvard Business School (HBS)

Top MBA Schools Are More Competitive Than Ever

Earning admission to any type of school today, from college to medical school, is a complex and competitive task. Even among the broad variety of academic options out there, few are more selective than top MBA programs.

Earning admission to a top business school is particularly challenging for several reasons. In particular, MBA application essays allow prospective students to share in-depth information about their lives, especially their professional accomplishments. Such success strongly correlates with future business accomplishments, and shows the admissions committee that applicants are ready to face the rigors of business school. It also shows that the prospective student is focused enough to make the most out of their time at a top MBA school.

When it comes to showcasing professional accomplishments to the admissions committee at a top MBA program, applicants have a couple of chances. A resume can provide a solid overview of the basic details of your employment history to date. Unfortunately, it does not do a good job of providing more detail about those experiences and how they have impacted you as an applicant. That’s where your MBA application essays come in.

Essays are a Vital Part of Applications at Top MBA Programs

MBA admissions committees consider essays extremely important, perhaps more than anyone else. That is why top business schools ask for so many essays compared to other types of programs. While a college application might require 2-3 essays and a medical school or graduate school application usually requires a single personal statement, top MBA schools usually require applicants to submit between 4 and 7 distinct essays.

They do this because essays tell the admissions committee a great deal about the applicant, even if they haven’t actually met him or her. In particular, MBA application essays allow prospective students to share in-depth information about their life, primarily especially their professional accomplishments. That is why essay prompts at top MBA programs usually ask for information about:

• Professional accomplishments and failures
• Facing or overcoming challenges and setbacks
• Leadership and teamwork
• Organization skills
• Plans/goals for the future

By asking questions like these, top business schools build a better understanding of applicants' experiences and how they have readied them for MBA studies. If your essays are boring or uninspired, it is highly unlikely you will even earn the chance to elaborate on your written stories in a coveted interview. That’s why it’s so important to give your application the best chance of success with dynamic, original essays.