Michigan Ross Deadlines, Essays & Analysis (Class of 2012, Starting Fall 2010)
DEADLINES[table id=16 /]
Provide responses to the following four essay questions, each on a separate page. At the top of each page, please include your full name and a complete statement of the question being answered.
Use at least 11 point font and 1.5 line spacing.
Required Questions
You must answer the four questions below.
Long answers: (500 word max)
1. Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why is an MBA the best choice at this point in your career? What and/or who influenced your decision to apply to Ross?
Analysis: Straight up - please see The MBA Goals Essay and Why MBA School X? While the question doesn't ask for it specifically, you should consider including a brief career summary as well to provide context and help you answer the "why now" aspect of the question.
2. Describe your most significant professional accomplishment. Elaborate on the leadership skills you displayed, the actions you took and the impact you had on your organization.
Analysis: Straight up - please see The MBA Leadership Essay
Short answers: (300 word max)
3. If you were not pursuing the career goals you described in Question 1, what profession would you pursue instead? (For example, teacher, musician, athlete, architect, etc.) How will this alternate interest contribute to your effectiveness in solving multidisciplinary problems?
Analysis: This is clearly a chance for you to describe an outside interest, something you feel strongly enough about to consider making it a career. As with most MBA essays, it is difficult to write about something convincingly without experiencing it first. That means you should avoid choosing something "you've always wanted to try" but haven't. It's important to describe your experience, involvement and accomplishments in the field, and why the activity lights you up personally. The second half of the question is murky, but it touches on a cornerstone of the Ross program, that of "team-based multidisciplinary projects." (see the Dean's letter) One approach is to extract the teamwork elements of your activity and show how those will contribute on a Ross project. Another is to extract the various skills necessary to excel in your activity - hard, soft or both - and show how those will contribute to a Ross project, particularly MAP. Overall, you should be trying to show how you are a team player with the flexibility to make multiple contributions on a project.
4. Describe your experience during a challenging time in your life. Explain how you grew personally, either despite this challenge or because of it.
Analysis: Ross wants to know about your personal growth resulting from a trying time in your life. A difficult work project doesn't work here. This question is actually a good approach to an MBA Personal Essay.
Optional Question
Is there anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to evaluate your candidacy?