Why MBA School X?

All top MBA programs seem to offer the same things: classes, internships, research institutions, consulting and networking opportunities, study abroad trips, etc., all in a challenging but collegial atmosphere. At the same time, top schools expect you to understand the differences between their programs, and explain how and why their school is the perfect match for you. Since this section usually closes the goals essay, it is an excellent chance to impress an admissions committee with your understanding of how the specifics of their program match your needs.

Examples

As a leader in global business, Wharton is committed to sustaining “a truly global presence through its engagement in the world”.  What goals are you committed to and why?  How do you envision the Wharton MBA contributing to the attainment of those goals? (Wharton, 2009-2010 application)

What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them? (Stanford GSB, 2009-2010 application)

The strongest answers are usually a “package” of both logical and emotional reasons that show you 1) made the time and effort to get to know the program and 2) understand how the program fits you professionally and personally.

LOGIC

You must base your answer on thorough research. There is no substitute and no excuse for not reviewing each school’s website, drilling down to the level of individual class and program descriptions. By doing so, you can provide a detailed and up-to-date study plan, including specific courses and their connection with your goals, companies allied with the school you would like to intern or interview with, study trips you want to take, individual professors whose research is relevant to your goals, etc. All of this information and more is available through the web and can help you establish the clear logic behind your desire to attend School X.

Having detailed goals pays off here; the more detailed your goals are, the more tightly you can connect with each school. The biggest mistake I see is applicants who choose things with no clear relationship to their goals, or who do not explain the relationship clearly enough. See the chart below for typical MBA components.

EMOTION

If your goals are clear, establishing your logic should be easy. By including an emotional component, however, your answer will become much richer and tighter. After all, a picky interviewer can always question why School X’s finance course is better for you than School Y’s. However, no one can question your personal connection developed through a school visit or attending classes, or from talking to alumni, exchanging e-mails with current students, or hearing from school officers directly at an MBA fair. Making these connections is much more difficult than simply clicking through a website, but the payoff can be a truly unique and personal answer that cannot be said about any other MBA program.

This brings up an important issue that I’m asked about all the time. What if you don’t have the time or money for a school visit? What if there are no alumni in your corner of the world or no MBA fairs nearby? Don’t panic. As long as you are doing everything you can and utilizing the resources available to you, the schools will understand your situation. After all, they gladly accept soldiers, teachers, and applicants from the developing world every year.  

WHY NOW?

Sometimes a program will ask you why you want to attend their program at this point in time. It doesn’t seem to be a particularly helpful question, but it still confuses many applicants. I advise you to think in terms of push and pull factors. Push factors might include things like you’ve reached a plateau in your current position, the timing will be right to finish up a big project, or you’re looking for a career change after losing your job. Pull factors are basically your goals; you foresee a good opportunity in 2-3 years and you need the MBA now to take advantage of it. 

The following chart can help you analyze and compare the offerings of different programs as they relate to your goals.