February 15, 2023

how to write an mba essay explained

Do you remember when you had to write a college admission essay but didn’t where to start? It can feel pretty much the same for a business school. However, we’ve written this guide to teach you exactly how to write an MBA essay without making the process seem overwhelming. 

So whether it’s your first time to want to go to a business school or you want to further your further your studies in a different learning institution, this guide will help you write a killer MBA essay fast.

Why Do Business Schools Want You to Write an Essay?

Business schools ask you to write an application essay because they’ll use it to determine if you have the skills necessary to enroll to an MBA program.

They’ll first look at your written communication to see how you articulate information. By reading your essay, the admissions committee can determine your level of fluency, concision, elegance, and clarity.

An admissions board in a business management school will ask you to write an essay because they want to get to know more about you on a personal level.

For example, they may be interested in knowing how you approach tough situations and how you deal with mistakes. Or they may want to know more about how you use critical thinking and personal insights to demonstrate who you are.

You’ll need to write an MBA essay to demonstrate how you’ll fit in the campus climate. Therefore, your writing needs to demonstrate that you’ve been through unique experiences that can bring a completely new perspective to college life, including contributing to diversity in a more meaningful way.

Moreover, the business school admissions board may use the essay to determine if you meet the qualities they’re looking for from applicants. These include clear communication skills, leadership skills, community development skills, and a problem-solving mindset. 

If your MBA essay meets all these requirements, the admissions committee will no doubt consider you a suitable candidate for the business course.

Types of MBA Essay Prompts

It’s not clear what type of MBA admission essay an admissions board will ask you to write. So be prepared to get any of the following prompts.

1. Personal Growth

If asked to focus on personal growth, it’s best to show what you have been through in the past and how you plan to grow in the future.

Since personal growth MBA essays focus on a lot more about you as an individual, it may even help to get completely personal.

It’s in the personal growth MBA essay that you think about the traits you’ve gathered in the past and how they’ve helped you to become the person that you’re today.

You have to be as specific as possible about your experiences. And don’t forget to explain how they’ve shaped and transformed you into the person that you are today.

2. Open Ended

Open-ended MBA essays are flexible in the sense that they allow you the freedom to approach the assignment from any angle.

However, they can be somewhat challenging since MBA admissions board provides little to no writing guidelines.

To pass such an MBA essay, it’s best to focus on what would grab the attention of the admissions committee from the get go. Try to talk about the traits you have.

For example, you can write more on your problem solving skills and demonstrate how you’ve used your skills to overcome a challenge either as an individual or as a leader.

Also, talk about your education, career goals, what inspires you, and where you envision yourself in the future.

Some institutions don’t have word limits when it comes to open-ended essays. While this again means the freedom to write as many words as you like, keeping your essay concise and straightforward is the way to go.  

3. Diversity

In an age where a person of color is a serious matter, can you really show how your background and personal experiences can contribute to the diversity of learning institution?

In a diversity MBA essay, you have to show how your cultural experiences, background, and identity have given you knowledge about different communities.

Have these differences given you a unique perspective that can add value to your potential schoolmates as you collaborate?

4. Leadership

An admissions board may give you an essay prompt that asks you to describe your skills and experiences from a leader’s perspective.

You don’t exactly have to be leader of a globally recognized institution to get this right.

You just have to demonstrate, in writing, how you’ve handled a particular project, and don’t forget to mention the outcome.

Leadership essays are more of appreciative. But if you want to win the attention of your target, you also have to highlight your challenges.

Don’t self-depreciate yourself; just highlight the challenges you’ve ever faced as a leader and explain how you overcame. 

Including the challenges you faced as a leader and how you solved them go a long way to show that you’re an accountable applicant who can enroll into a business school and get ready to work in a challenging environment where finding solutions to problems is a must-have skill.

5. Write Your Plan

If the MBA application essay prompt asks you to write about your plan, you should focus on how enrolling for a given business program will help you achieve your career goals.

Unlike an open-ended MBA essay, a plan essay is always short. The admissions board may ask you to write no more than 100 words. And even if that isn’t the case, you should still get to the point.

To get this right, name a specific career path you’d like to pursue and explain why you think it’s a good fit for you.

This type of essay may require some research, so set aside some time and dig a little deeper so you can write a great essay for the Masters in Business Administration admissions board.

Let Help for Assessment Write Your MBA Essay for You

If all these still sound confusing, your best bet is to get writing assistance from an academic writing agency that can help you ace essay.


You can count on our team’s essay writing service for the best results. With our guide, you can get your MBA essay written in time.

About the author 

Antony W

Antony W is a professional writer and coach at Help for Assessment. He spends countless hours every day researching and writing great content filled with expert advice on how to write engaging essays, research papers, and assignments.

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