How to ace your MBA essays for HBS and the GSB

Applying for your MBA can be a daunting and challenging task. MBA hopefuls often wonder how they can stand out from the competition. While statistics, such as GMAT or GRE scores, GPA, and years of work experience are necessary for admission, they are only the first hurdle.

The strongest MBA candidates know that they need to pass the selection stage. From within the pretty large pool of MBA candidates who all qualify for admission – that can often be as many as half of all applicants even to the most selective MBA programs! – YOU need to be someone they actually want to invite to the class.

Lets’s look at two case studies that take you behind the scenes of how compelling MBA stories are built.

The Four Essential Stories

Every top tier MBA program looks for certain qualities and asks for them in various parts of the business school application. They may be “disguised” under different names but they invariably fall into one of these categories.

Leadership

Leadership is frequently one of the hardest parts for MBA candidates to demonstrate. However, MBA programs appreciate many different kinds of leadership. As Harvard Business School tells you, “We appreciate leadership on any scale, from organizing a classroom to directing a combat squad, from running an independent business to spearheading initiatives at work”. In essence, MBA programs are looking for evidence of your potential.

The best way to demonstrate leadership potential is by finding the stories in your background that highlight your ability to inspire and influence others.

Let’s take a look at how the Four Essential Stories framework fits into the admissions criteria of top MBA programs such as Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In this video, you will find the stories of two successful MBA candidates who were able to create compelling stories in their MBA essays.

Accomplishment

When it comes to accomplishments, many candidates feel pressure to present extraordinary projects or heroic achievements. However, it is more about how and why you did what you did than about the project itself. In the video above, you will find an example of a successful Stanford GSB applicant who approached a tech project as an intellectual puzzle, highlighting the very qualities Stanford GSB looks for in MBA candidates - “intellectual vitality, demonstrated leadership potential, and personal qualities and contributions”.

Challenge

Challenges are an essential narrative that helps you demonstrate resilience, perseverance, and creativity. Rather than simply stating that you faced a challenge, you need to be specific about what the challenge was, how you overcame it, and the impact it had on you and others.

Growth

The narrative of growth is about how you have developed over time, both personally and professionally. It is essential to show that you are self-aware and actively seeking opportunities for growth. Career progression is important but growth goes well beyond moving up the corporate ladder. Overcoming failure or even learning how do graciously accept constructive criticism can be an example of growth.

Using the four stories in your MBA application

By focusing on the four essential narratives of leadership, accomplishment, challenge, and growth, you can curate the building blocks of your MBA application story. Remember that it is not about presenting extraordinary projects or heroic achievements, but rather about how and why you did what you did. By demonstrating your potential and growth, you can show MBA programs that you are the right candidate for their program. And if you are in need of questions to ignite your self-reflection in the MBA application process, you can start with the “7 Questions that Bring Your MBA Story to Life”.

Onwards and upwards,

Petia

P.S. Hungry for more insights on how to build a great MBA story? I’ve got you covered: MBA Story Differentiation Dos and Don’ts