LBS Essays & Analysis (Class of 2013, Starting Fall 2011)

ESSAYS & ANALYSIS Instructions:

The Admissions Committee will consider carefully your answers to the following questions. Please complete all of the essay questions beginning your answer below each question and giving word counts for each answer. Once complete, please attach this document to your online application following the instructions given on the web form.

Please do not write more than the specified word limit for each essay. Any extra words or essays may be disregarded. You should complete just one essay for Question 5, choosing option 5a or 5b.

General Analysis: Please note that essays 1-4 and choice essay 5a all require you to connect to LBS in some fashion. Your "give-and-get fit" with the program is clearly a high priority, so do your homework and outreach!

Question 1 (750 words) Give us a brief assessment of your career progress to date. In what role do you see yourself working in immediately after graduation and what is your longer term career vision? How will your past and present experiences help you to achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?

Analysis: Please see: The MBA Goals Essay & Why MBA School X?

Question 2 (300 words) Give a specific example of when you have had to test your leadership and team working skills. Given this experience what role will you play in a first year study group?

Analysis: LBS has shortened this mainstay question and asked you to focus on just one example, instead of the broader "experience of working in and leading teams" from previous years. However, they still ask you to extract and inject the essence of your leadership and teamwork skills into your future imagined study team, which requires 1) enough details in your example to illustrate the core component strengths of your leadership and teamwork approach, and 2) the imagination of what a study team entails and understanding of team dynamics (including what goes wrong on a team) to express your future contribution.

Please see: The MBA Leadership Essay

Question 3 (300 words) Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. Please describe how you will contribute to student clubs and the community and why?

Analysis: Again streamlining one of their longstanding questions, LBS, like all other schools, wants to know what you can contribute. Since your potential professional contributions can be easily understood from other aspects of your application, I suggest offering your personal accomplishments/activities/experiences as vehicles for fitting into and expanding LBS's club, community and cultural offerings. Avoid the esoteric and describe the concrete.

Question 4 (300 words) London Business School offers a truly global and diverse experience. Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country or culture. What did you gain and how will your experience contribute to London Business School?

Analysis: LBS finally lengthened this essay, which makes sense for such an international program, and added the contribution component. Anyone who has spent considerable time as an "outsider" should have interesting experiences to share, especially hardships overcome and their resulting lessons about living and working with people different from yourself.

Please choose ONE of the following options.

Question 5a (150 words) You have decided to stand for the role of Student Association President. Announcing your campaign to the London Business School community for the first time, please describe your manifesto.

Analysis: As President, what would be your objectives, intentions and motives? What would you like to accomplish in one year? How would you uniquely serve the LBS community, maintaining the good and improving on the weaknesses as you see them, and how would your presidency be different than that of your opponents

OR

Question 5b (150 words) What is your most substantial achievement to date and why?

Analysis: In addition to a typical MBA leadership accomplishment essay, the scope of this essay can include something you take great personal pride in, perhaps learning a language, leading a sports/debate team to victory, running a family business, overcoming illness – the possibilities are endless. If you’ve covered a work accomplishment in Question 2, writing about a personal achievement could provide good balance.

Question 6 (300 words) (This question is optional) Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application?

Analysis: Please see: The MBA Optional Essay

Question 7 (300 words) (This question is for re-applicants only) How has your candidacy for the London Business School MBA improved since your last application? Have your views of London Business School or the MBA programme changed since you last applied?

Analysis: Please see: The MBA Re-applicant Essay

Question 8 Please provide a CV/Resume. This CV must only be one page in length. If you have any significant gaps in your employment history, please tell us why on a separate sheet.