2016-2017 London Business School MBA Essay Tips
London Business Schoolis a close-knit program with an international focus, set in one of the most exciting centers of culture in Europe. Among one of the top-ranked programs in the world, LBS is equally valued by employers in both the US and Europe.
This year LBS has further refined the essays in the application to one career goals question and an optional question. To cover all of your career accomplishments, extracurriculars and personal attributes will require using other parts of the application like your resume and recommendations.
Make sure your resume highlights what you are most proud of at work and in extracurricular activities, and that your recommenders support those stories. Your recommenders can also talk about your leadership, ambition and teamwork.
Essay 1
What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
Self-awareness about your strengths and interests will help you refine what you truly want in your career. To take your research into your post-LBS options deeper it could be helpful to talk to colleagues and alumni who have MBAs in your field to identify various career paths. Make sure that your career goals are both realistic and aspirational. Think about the short term roles that may lead to your most ambitious longer term goals.
Your past experiences have certainly informed your post-MBA plans, and touching on those most relevant will be helpful to setting the background for your current pursuit of an MBA. To make this essay more than a rehash of your resume, think about explaining the rationale for your decisions throughout the essay.
Why did you pursue your past experience and what has been the impetus behind subsequent career choices? At this point, why are you choosing LBS? If space permits, you will want to discuss the question of timingwhy you have made the choice to pursue an MBA at this time, and why you want to attend LBS now.
Essay 2
Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500 words)
The formerly optional question from the LBS application is now required. This open-ended question is a great opportunity to touch on a personal story or add color to your career goals. This could be the ideal place to describe a unique background, experience or attribute that did not fit elsewhere in the application.
If you cant think of a topic, consider using a story that illustrates your passion for London or an aspect of LBS culture. To inform your story, make sure you have done as much school research as possible. Ideally you have visited the school or attended an admissions event, or at a minimum, spoken to current or former students.
Because this essay is required, we would recommend using at least part of it to cover a positive aspect of your application instead of explanations of weaknesses, but taking a paragraph to address an issue like a low GPA or GMAT score may be a good use of this essay.
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If you are looking for guidance on your MBA application, Stacy Blackman Consulting can help with hourly and comprehensive consulting services. Contact us to learn more.