IIM Calcutta Executive MBA Essay Questions 2010-2011
Q1 Statement of Purpose
A good statement of purpose should effortlessly weave your experiences, achievements, and career goals to come up with why you wish to gain admission to the particular program you are applying to. This is not a resume, so refrain from restating your professional and academic achievements. Instead, write a narrative which, while chronicling significant accomplishments, focuses more on revealing your personal attributes, strengths such as leadership etc. It should lead up to the stating of future career goals, and the role that the present program will play in preparing you for these goals.
Q2 Give detailed descriptions of three activities you performed in your workplace in the last five years which will help us assess your abilities and strengths. Use extra sheets if necessary
IIMC PGPX candidates typically have over five years experience, so the Ad com wishes to gauage both the breadth and depth of your experience through this answer. Ideally, pick up 3 activities where you have performed different kinds of roles – e.g. as a leader, or as a team member in a cross-cultural team and a new project developer/manager. You should aim to bring out diverse strengths but focus on one special strength from each activity you describe. Keep each description tightly composed which must include your role, results you got and a brief explanation of the process involved.
Q3 Narrate an important/unusual incident of your life when you had to face a very demanding/challenging situation. How did you overcome the situation? What lessons did you learn from this incident? Use extra sheets if necessary
The purpose of this essay is to understand how you respond to difficult and challenging situations. First of all, explain what created the difficulties or made the situation complex. What impact did this have on you? What role did you perform in overcoming the problem and how did you go about this? Round off with what you learnt –also if you got a chance to apply this learning in a similar situation, mention that.
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Renowned business schools including Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD and ISB; will accept Pearson’s PTE Academic scores for accessing applicants’ English proficiency. PTE was launched eight months ago and is in the process of being recognised by more than 1500 programmes worldwide. It is endorsed by the Graduate Management Admission Council GMAC, the owners of the Graduate Management Admission test GMAT.
“We have a 10-year plan for the test and are targeting 3 per cent of the academic English market in India which is currently 200,000 students. For us, the testing parameters are listening, reading, writing and speaking and all these four modules can be tested in three hours,” said John K Philip, Regional Director (SAARC Countries), Pearson Language Tests.
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LBS essay questions 2010-2011
Q1 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? (750 words)
Summarising your professional experience, build a link between the skills/knowledge base you have already acquired and what further you need in order to achieve your future career goals. This part should also answer the question on why you feel that an MBA is needed at this stage. Are you clear about your immediate post MBA goal – keep in mind that this goal needs to flow well with the rest of the essay on how the LBS experience will help you to get to it. By the words ‘career vision’, the AdCom wants to get a sense of why your long term career goal is meaningful to you. Finally, devote about a quarter of the essay to explaining why LBS is suitable for you- research the LBS MBA and point out its significant advantages to you e.g. 1 year MBA which allows you to get back to your family business sooner, yet equipped well with management knowledge etc.
Q2 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 (300 words)
Pick an example where your team successfully met certain objectives. Briefly outline what these were, and what role you played vis-a-vis-the rest of the team in moving towards the goal. As a ‘test’ of your leadership, did you meet with some resistance/lack of support from the others and how did you surmount this? Or perhaps your team was low on morale due to early failures and you played a key motivational role? What did the experience teach you – therefore how will you transfer the learning to your work group.
Q3 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? (300 words)
The list of student clubs at LBS is a delight for students who thrive on extra curricular life, ranging from Art and Acting to Wine and Cheese Clubs! But to answer this question, choose judiciously, keeping in mind that you need to demonstrate clear interest/involvement in the activities of the respective clubs. This could be through similar involvement in the past; perhaps you were in the Dramatics Society of your college, and you would like to pursue this hobby at LBS too! Just a listing of the clubs will not suffice, be sure to answer what you would contribute e.g. would you use your mass communications experience in XYZ country to share with the Media Club, how media affects popular perception.
Q4 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? (300 words)
The LBS MBA is known for its ‘international nature’. Keeping this in mind, do you adapt quickly and easily into a multi cultural or diverse environment? Can you substantiate this with a real instance- perhaps initially you faced some hesitation in being accepted by a diverse group or you yourself felt reluctant to engage with them? How did you change this mindset and what did this teach you about adapting to diverse groups? How will this experience help you at LBS – will you for e.g. play a mediator in a diverse work group?
Q5 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 (150 words)
Research the role played by the Student Association – you will notice that the SA is an influential group and therefore its members have a clear agenda and role. As President of the SA, you will be the chief liaison between the SA and the School´s administration. As a campaigner, what new initiatives do you propose e.g. will you initiate greater networking events with alumni, demand higher budget for career services function, press for expanding the representation of international students etc
Q6 What is your most substantial achievement to date and why? (150 words)
A short essay- so without much ado, clearly state the achievement – what results did you achieve, how did they compare with past results or those of peers etc. What key steps did you take to achieve this – and what does this say about your strengths such as resilience, leadership etc. Why was this accomplishment important to you – did you set a new standard, or did you uncover hidden potential in yourself etc.
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Duke-Fuqua essay questions 2010-2011
Q1 Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path. (1000 words)
The key word here is ‘vision’ – your career goals must be guided not only by the past experiences you have had but more importantly based on what you wish to achieve as a future business leader. Link the past to the present and the future i.e. what is your skill/knowledge/experience inventory and keeping these in mind how you see your career unfolding – also what additional steps do you need to take to get there? In pursuing this path, what are your personal and professional motivations? Have there been defining experiences which have influenced your career vision?
Q2 How will your background, values, and non-work activities enhance the experience of other Duke MBA students and add value to Fuqua’s diverse culture? (1000 words)
Fuqua is a school that highly values diversity – both in terms of geography and background. So focus on unique experiences which make you stand out – they need not be professional ones only. Show how these experiences have shaped your development and how you can transfer learnings from them to your peers and to the classroom learning environment. Also, use this essay to reveal what matters to you as an individual – personal values derived from your life experiences and other activities that you have engaged in and with what motivation.
Q3 Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.) (1000 words)
You need to deeply research the institute’s offerings and match them with your own interests. An important point to be addressed here is how you will benefit from the tremendous diversity and Duke’s emphasis on Global Business- their MBA program itself begins with a 3 week Global Institute. Give reasons backed by evidence for your choice of certain electives/concentrations etc e.g. if you have had IT experience and wish to specialize in Strategy Consulting, what electives will you take towards this goal. When discussing extra curricular involvement in clubs etc, remember ‘less is more’- so dont draw up a long list of clubs you intend to join, rather give concrete examples of how you have pursued interest in 1-2 specific areas/ activities and therefore how you intend to do the same at Duke.
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Michigan Ross essay questions 2010-2011
1. Introduce yourself in 100 words or less. (100 words)
Absolutely desist from bio data facts like what you studied and what your current work role is! This is a place to get creative and highlight lesser known aspects of yourself – maybe you speak 4-5 different languages, or you started your first venture at high school! What do these reveal about you -that you are very adaptable, you have an entrepreneurial streak etc. This question is also ideal to talk about what values or personal goals are meaningful to you and why – e.g. coming from a family of researchers, innovation and creativity are important to you etc.
2. Describe your career goals. How will the Ross MBA help you to achieve your goals? (500 words)
Ross’ outstanding feature is the Multidisciplinary Action Program (MAP) which emphasizes action based learning ie. you learn by being part of a team that works with a real company on a real business issue. Therefore address how you will stand to gain from such a curriculum design e.g. you may have limited exposure to international businesses through your current work ex and so such a program will add much value to you. They also have highly specialized tracks such as Social Enterprise etc- so research these well and mention appropriate courses/electives you want to take and your reasons for the same. Include also how your work experience until now has influenced your career goals and what general direction you will pursue in your career post MBA.
3. Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed. What did you learn from that experience? (500 words)
You need to come across as a ‘real person’ – one who gets disappointed when results are not as per expectations and yet has the maturity and resilience to handle such disappointment and bounce back. Describe the situation briefly – what went wrong and why you think you did not get desired results. Was it your responsibility alone or were there others involved too such as a team? In that case what did you feel? Finally, what did you learn about how to deal with such frustration at a personal level?
4. Option1:What are you most passionate about and why? (300 words)
As in essay 1, help the reader know you as a ‘person’ with varied likes and interests – so dont make it drab by restating your professional interests. Your passion could be a hobby such as a sport or even a cause or value you champion. However, try not to sound like Ms. Universe if you are talking about a social cause. Remember to answer ‘why’ you are passionate – this could be certain experiences which have made you feel very strongly about the issue/activity or simply the positive things you feel/experience which make you want to pursue this passion.
4. Option2:We expect that Ross MBAs will not only be effective leaders, but also effective teachers. How will you contribute to the learning experience of your peers at Ross? (300 words)
Have you had interesting experiences from which you can share your learnings and insights -these could be professional assignments or extra-curricular involvements. What did you learn and how can this learning benefit others -e.g. from leading a sports team what have you learnt about leadership which you can apply and share with your peers. An important pointer – don’t overdo the ‘teach about my culture’ bit in this answer or try to fit in too many learnings.
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Stanford essay questions 2010-2011
1. What matters most to you, and why? (750 words)
There are two important parts -’what matters’ and ‘why’. Both these must be well connected, logically and through the examples you give, so choose the answer to ‘what matters’ carefully. Also, be genuine, and do not try to appear lofty. You could talk about a value/principle that you strongly believe in e.g. integrity at the workplace or a goal that you are deeply committed to e.g. social entrepreneurship. Trace the genesis of why and how this particular value/goal became important to you. With examples, show how you practice this value/ are working towards the goal.
2. What are your career aspirations? What do you need to learn at Stanford to achieve them? (450 words)
Stanford GSB offers a degree in general management with the option of tailoring your courses to meet your specific needs including course planning mentoring by faculty. – Therefore be sure not to say that “I intend to specialize in Finance etc’. That said, what direction do you wish to give your career post the Stanford MBA – e.g. do you wish to work in the healthcare or consumer products industry? What is your current skill set and to achieve your career goal, what specific additional skills/competencies that you want to add at Stanford? In what way does Stanford offer you a unique advantage in doing this, e.g. the right mix of courses (for which you should give examples), access to certain companies/industries (again, give examples), a practicum on leadership/entrepreneurship etc
3) Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations. (300 words)
As this and the next three essays are short ones, be precise and specific.
Start by stating the purpose for which your team was formed and what the expected deliverables from the team were. Compare the actual results achieved against these to show how your team excelled. What was your role vis-a-vis the team- were you the designated leader or maybe you took on an informal leadership role? What steps did you take to motivate the team and what was your personal interest in doing so? Did you come across roadblocks and as a leader how did you help your team to surmount these? You can end by briefly mentioning what this leadership experience taught you.
3) Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization. (300 words)
The key word here is ‘lasting’. This is not just about meeting your routine work goals but rather being responsible for significantly affecting the organization. Maybe you suggested an innovative work practice which had far reaching impact, or due to your efforts, your company secured a major client. You could organize the essay to first briefly explain your accomplishment/initiative and how it has made a lasting impact. Thereafter, elaborate your role in this, highlighting the special efforts you might have put in or your unique talents/ideas which made this possible.
3) Option C: Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative. (300 words)
Are you a persuasive leader and how do you respond in the face of opposition to your ideas? Try to bring out these elements in this essay. What was your initiative and in what form did you need the support of others to achieve your result? What might have happened if you did not succeed in getting their support? If you met with resistance to your initiative, how did you go about overcoming this? You could round off by summarizing upon the measures you took to reach out to the group and what the whole experience taught you.
3) Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected. (300 words)
First of all, why did you make the extra effort to go beyond the expected? In what way was the outcome particularly meaningful to you which made you strive to better yourself? Give a comparison of what was the expected outcome and to what extent you exceeded meeting this outcome. In doing so, what skills/abilities did you use and what personal qualities such as perseverance, risk-taking etc helped you go beyond? Finally, did you set a new standard through your efforts – you could mention this.
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Duke University (Fuqua) has announced the MBA application deadlines for 2010-2011 admission cycle. Here are the deadlines:
Early Action
Deadline: September 30, 2010
Notification: December 3, 2010
Round-1
Deadline: November 1, 2010
Notification: January 31, 2011
Round-2
Deadline: January 4, 2011
Notification: March 25, 2011
Round-3
Deadline: March 8, 2011
Notification: May 8, 2011
(Reference: Duke Admissions)
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Sloan Masters in Leadership and Strategy at London Business School Essay Questions 2010-2011
University of California -Berkeley (Haas) has announced the MBA application deadlines for 2010-2011 admission cycle. Here are the deadlines:
Round-1
Deadline: October 13, 2010
Notification: January 13, 2011
Round-2
Deadline: December 2, 2010
Notification: March 3, 2011
Round-3
Deadline: January 20, 2011
Notification: April 21, 2011
Round-4
Deadline: March 16, 2011
Notification: May 26, 2011
(Reference: Haas School of Business)
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