Business schools put their best brains behind formulating the MBA applications essays. The essays are designed to showcase the applicant’s creativity, goals, diversity as well as team spirit as clearly as possible. The questions force the students to be truthful yet innovative during answering them. Read on to know the MBA questions from Top Business Schools 21–30 by QS Rating for 2018–2019.
QS Rank | Business School | University |
21 | ESADE Business School | ESADE Ramon Llull University |
22 | Melbourne Business School | The University of Melbourne |
23 | AGSM Business School | The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney) |
23 | School of Management | Yale University |
25 | Ross School of Business | University of Michigan |
26 | Warwick Business School | The University of Warwick |
27 | IESE Business School | University of Navarra |
28 | Faculty of Business and Economics | The University of Hong Kong |
29 | Rotterdam School of Management | Erasmus University Rotterdam |
30 | Alliance Manchester Business School | The University of Manchester |
Click here to know MBA Essays: Topics from Top 10 Business Schools.
Click here to know MBA Essays: Topics from Top 20 business schools
Stuck with your essays? Download MBA Application Essays Guide E-book.
21. ESADE Business School, ESADE Ramon Llull University
MBA Essays 2018 – 2019
Personal essays (each question is limited to 2000 characters including spaces, 30 lines approximately)
Essay1. What makes you YOU?
Today there is a growing need for outstanding business leaders who excel in their field and adapt quickly to the changing needs of the market.
Companies look to us for future leaders - people whose expertise and entrepreneurial abilities are flexible and suit a variety of leadership roles. Your drive and motivation and the individual qualities that you bring to the table are your best selling points and are what will enrich your team members most.
It is this individuality, together with the diversity at ESADE and our commitment to leadership, innovation and entrepreneurship that make us what we are: a talent pool for the business leaders of tomorrow.
The following questions are designed to help us get a more complete picture of who you are and the impact that you will have both here at ESADE and on society after completing your MBA.
Please respond openly, explaining what makes you the person that you are and who you will become.
Which aspects have you improved on during your academic and professional career so far? Which tools or values have helped you achieve this?
Essay 2. How will your background, values and non-work-related activities enhance the experience of other ESADE MBA students and add to the diverse culture we strive for at ESADE? (Note: The goal of this essay is to get a sense of who you are, rather than what you have accomplished)
Essay 3. What are your motivations in pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? Describe your mid-term and long-term visions for your post-MBA career path. What is it about ESADE you think will help you reach your goals?
Essay 4. Complete two of the following four questions or statements (1000 characters per response)
a) I am most proud of...
b) People may be surprised to learn that I...
c) What has your biggest challenge been and what did it help you learn about yourself?
d) Which historical figure do you most identify with and why?
Essay 5. Please, provide any additional information that you would like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee. This may include gaps in employment, your undergraduate record, plans to retake the GMAT or any other relevant information.
Application Fee: €135
Application Deadlines
Deadlines | Application package complete | Feedback given by |
1st Round | 3 October 2017 | 21 November 2017 |
2nd Round | 28 November 2017 | 23 January 2018 |
3rd Round | 16 January 2018 | 27 February 2018 |
4th Round | 13 February 2018 | 23 March 2018 |
5th Round | 6 March 2018 | 24 April 2018 |
6th Round | 10 April 2018 | 15 May 2018 |
7th Round | 22 May 2018 | 19 June 2018 |
8th Round* | 12 June 2018 | 3 July 2018 |
* For EU residents only, subject to places remaining on the programme
Click here to apply.
22. Melbourne Business School, The University of Melbourne
MBA Essays August 2018:
Please give careful thought to your personal statements. As a guide, your response to each question should be between 100 and 300 words long.
Essay 1. What are your long term career goals?
Essay2. What is unique about your background and experience that you would bring to your classmates at MBS?
Essay 3.What gaps in your knowledge or skills do you hope that this program will help you to work on?
Essay 4. Describe a workplace situation where you had a responsibility for managing people. Reflect on what you learned.
Application Deadlines for August 2018 intake
Round | Application deadline | Interview invitation | Final decision notification |
Early Round | 31 August 2017 | 15 September 2017 | 16 October 2017 |
Round 1 | 31 October 2017 | 13 November 2017 | 15 December 2017 |
Round 2 | 15 January 2018 | 31 January 2018 | 15 February 2018 |
Round 3 | 31 March 2018 | 19 April 2018 | 7 May 2018 |
Round 4 Late applications | 20 April 2018 | 4 May 2018 | 31 May 2018 |
Click here to apply.
23. AGSM Business School, The University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney)
MBA Essays
Essay topics:
1.What are you made for and how will an AGSM degree help you achieve it? (approx. 250 words)
2.What are you most proud of personally and/or professionally and why? (approx. 250 words)
3.How will you contribute to your classes and to the AGSM community? (approx. 250 words)
4.(Optional Question) Is there anything else we need to know about you? (approx. 250 words)
Application Fee: $100
Application Deadlines
| Application deadline | Offer sent out | Offer acceptance deadline |
Round 1 | 1 June 2017 | 30 June 2017 | 30 July 2017 |
Round 2 | 1 August 2017 | 30 August 2017 | 30 September 2017 |
Round 3 | 1 October 2017 | 30 October 2017 | 30 November 2017 |
Round 4 (Domestic) | 30 October 2017 | 15 November 2017 | 15 December 2017 |
Click here to apply.
24. School of Management, Yale University, USA
MBA Essays
Essay 1. Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words maximum)
Essay 2. (Optional) If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation (unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance, promotions or recognitions, etc.), please provide a brief description here. (200 words maximum)
Post-MBA Career Interests
Which industry best aligns with your short-term, post-MBA career interests?
Which industry best aligns with your long-term, post-MBA career interests?
How did you arrive at these career interests? How have you or how will you position yourself to pursue them? (250 words maximum)
Application Fee:
Standard | $225 |
applicants earning less than $20,000 a year | $175 |
applicants earning less than $20,000 a year | $125 |
Application Deadlines
Round | Application Deadline* | Admission Decision* | Enrollment Deadline* |
Round 1 | September 13, 2017 | December 6, 2017 | February 9, 2018 |
Round 2 | January 4, 2018 | March 27, 2018 | April 27 2018 |
Round 3 | April 18, 2018 | May 17, 2018 | May 30, 2018 |
*by 5pm ET
Click here to apply.
25. Ross School of Business, University of Michigan
Part 1: Short Answer Questions
Select one prompt from each group. Respond to your selected prompts using 100 words or fewer (<100 words each; 300 words total).
Group 1
I want people to know that I:
I turned an idea into action when I:
I made a difference when I:
Group 2
I showed my resilience when I:
I was humbled when:
I am out of my comfort zone when:
Group 3
I was aware that I am different when:
I find it challenging when people:
A valuable thing I have taught someone is:
Part 2: Essay
Please share your short-term and long-term career goals. What skills/strengths do you have that will be relevant to your career goals? How will Ross prepare you for your goals? (300 words)
Optional Statement
This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example, completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.
Reapplication Essay
Submit a letter to update us on your achievements and goals since your original application. Please upload the letter with your updated resume.
Application Fee: $200
Application Dates & Deadlines
| Application Due | Decisions Released |
Round 1 | October 2, 2017 | December 15, 2017 |
Round 2 | January 2, 2018 | March 15, 2018 |
Round 3 | March 19, 2018 | May 11, 2018 |
Click here to apply.
26. Warwick Business School, The University of Warwick, UK
MBA Essays
Essay 1. Describe the short and long-term career goals you have set yourself and how the WBS MBA will help you to achieve these?" Please limit your response to 350 words.
Essay 2. Outline the top strategic objectives for your current or previous organisation and in what ways you have helped contribute to achieving these objectives?" Please limit your response to 300 words.
Essay 3. If you are self-funding and interested in applying for a scholarship, please outline why you believe you are a worthy candidate?" Please limit your response to 300 words.
Essay 4. Please use this page for any additional information that was not captured within your application. If you feel you've already provided us with sufficient information about yourself, you need not add anything here. Please limit your response to 300 words.
Application Fee: £80
Application deadlines
Phase | Application deadline | Shortlisting decision communicated | Interview period | Application and Scholarship decision date |
Round 1 | 01 Oct | 06 Oct | 07 Oct - 26 Oct | 27 Oct |
Round 2 | 26 Nov | 01 Dec | 02 Dec - 20 Dec | 21 Dec |
Round 3 | 07 Jan | 12 Jan | 13 Jan - 01 Feb | 02 Feb |
Round 4 | 25 Mar | 29 Mar | 3 Mar - 19 Apr | 20 Apr |
Round 5 | 31 May | 8 Jun | 09 Jun - 27 Jun | 28 Jun |
Round 6 | 31 Jul | 06 Aug | 07 Aug - 23 Aug | 24 Aug |
Click here to apply.
27. IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Spain
MBA Essay
Essay 1. Please answer ONE (and only one) of the following two questions. (300 words)
1.If you look at yourself in the mirror, what do you see? Please give examples of both your strengths & weaknesses.
2.Describe a recent situation (1-2 years ago maximum) that demonstrates your fit with IESE's mission and values.
Essay 2. I wish that the application had asked me...
This essay can be submitted either written (200 words) or as a video (max 2:00 minutes total in length). We are aware that you are not a media professional.
Application Fee:$200
Application Deadlines
Round | Application Deadline | Decision Released | Commitment Fee Due (Latest by) | Full Deposit Deadline |
1 | October 17, 2017 | December 15, 2017 | January 10, 2018 | May 30, 2018 |
2 | January 9, 2018 | March 23, 2018 | April 18, 2018 |
|
3 | March 6, 2018 | May 4, 2018 | May 30, 2018 |
|
4 | April 24, 2018 | June 1, 2018 | June 13, 2018 | June 13, 2018 |
Click here to apply.
28. Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
University of Hong Kong
Application Fee: HK$300
Application Deadlines
Round | Deadline |
Round 1 | 16thNovember 2017 12:00 noon HK Time |
Click here to apply.
29.Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherlands
MBA Essays: Your three essays should address the following topics and be around 500 words per essay:
Essay 1. How do you see your career developing and how will this programme help you achieve your goals?
Essay 2. Describe how the socio-economic environment in which you live/work impacts your business decisions. Please explain your answer and use examples from your own experience whenever possible.
Essay 3. Describe the most difficult decision you have made and its effect on you.
Application Fee: € 100
Application Deadlines
Round 1 | Monday 24 April 2017 |
Round 2 | Monday 26 June 2017 |
Round 3 | Monday 21 August 2017 |
Round 4 | Monday 16 October 2017 |
Round 5 | Monday 13 November 2017 |
Click here to apply.
30. Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester, UK
MBA Essays
Essay 1.Your professional experience and achievements (minimum 500 words)
Essay 2: Your aspirations (minimum 300 words)
To address the following questions:
What are your professional and personal aspirations and why is an MBA important in your plans?
What type of industry sector(s), organisation(s) and location(s) would you ideally like to work in?
How do you think your current experience combined with the Alliance Manchester Business School MBA will help you to achieve your aspirations?
If you aren’t able to reach your primary goal immediately do you have a plan B?
Presentation: Tell us about you
Taking into account what we currently know about you from your CV and application, we would like you to send us a presentation to share anything else that you would like us to know. Your presentation will be printed and reviewed by the MBA Admissions Committee.
Application Deadlines
| Application deadline | Interview period | Final decision period |
Round 1 | 29 September 2017 | 9- 20 October 2017 | 30 October - 3 November 2017 |
Round 2 | 27 October 2017 | 6 - 17 November 2017 | 27 November - 1 December 2017 |
Round 3 | 17 November 2017 | 27 November - 8 December 2017 | 18 - 22 December 2017 |
Round 4 | 5 January 2018 | 22 January - 16 February 2018 | 26 February - 2 March 2018 |
Round 5 | 2 March 2018 | 19 March - 13 April 2018 | 23 - 27 April 2018 |
Round 6 | 20 April 2018 | 8 - 25 May 2018 | 4 - 8 June 2018 |
Round 7 | 18 May 2018 | 28 May - 15 June 2018 | 25 - 29 June 2018 |
Round 8 | 15 June 2018 | Rolling admissions | |
Click here to apply.
Also read,
MBA Essays: Tackling questions related to Diversity
MBA Application Essay: Tackling Goal Essay
MBA Video Essay - 10 Tips to remember while recording
MBA Essays: Tackling Ethics and Challenge Essay questions
