Avoid These Three Mistakes in Your MBA Application Essays
Originally published on December 14, 2023. Updated on December 2, 2025.
If you’re applying in Round 2, you’re likely deep into refining your MBA application essays. As you put the finishing touches on your stories, it’s worth stepping back to make sure your writing avoids a few common mistakes that can weaken an otherwise strong application. Below, we outline three frequent pitfalls in MBA essays and how to steer clear of them. The good news? Each one is entirely fixable, even if your drafts are nearly complete.
We’ll be the first to say: most essay missteps aren’t dealbreakers on their own. But the three below can hurt your chances more than you think. Use this list as a final checkpoint to ensure your essays are showcasing your strengths and not holding you back.
For additional strategies and examples of how to craft standout essays, check out our guide on Writing Compelling MBA Essays.
Mistake #1 – Being Negative (Even When You Feel It’s Warranted)
Unless you’re a star on Bravo, most people can’t get away with complaining all the time and come across as likable or interesting. Maybe your boss is difficult. Or maybe you work at a company that is imploding, with morale declining and everyone jumping ship. Whatever the situation, be mindful of how much airtime you give to venting about it. That takes precious space within your MBA application essays that you could be using to write about how amazing YOU are!
You may think it’s important to explain the full context so the reader “gets” you and your experience. Background is important, and so is getting personal (see Mistake #3 below). However, what we often see is this: someone will write three paragraphs describing how horrible their company is, then quickly gloss over how that relates to them and their actions.
How to Highlight Your Resilience
Flip that approach. Explain the situation honestly and truthfully but also concisely. Avoid putting down your boss or your job. People generally react negatively when someone speaks ill of another person. Fair or not, especially when you’re young, people often assume that, in fact, you were the problem or that you’re making excuses.
After you briefly present the facts, focus on explaining how you felt, reacted, rose above, or otherwise operated incredibly well despite the situation around you. The reader will get it (and likely be impressed).
Mistake #2 – Being a ‘Wanderer’
We really like the quote, “Not all those who wander are lost,” but it doesn’t relate to MBA application essays. The admissions committees at top MBA programs do not want you to be wishy-washy.
It’s surprising how often we read an MBA essay that says something like, “My long-term goal might be investment banking but could also be non-profit or general management for a CPG company.” Or even worse yet, “I want to use the two years of business school to explore my options.” The reader interprets this as, so basically, you have no idea, and you made no effort to have an idea.
Of course, almost everyone who applies to business school is a little unclear about what life will look like after those two years. Admissions committees know that. However, you must be able to demonstrate that you have a target career that is a logical starting point. Maybe you will change your mind, and that’s okay, but at least you can show the admissions committee what you’re excited about, what interests you, and how you will get started with the process.
Why a Clear Career Plan Matters
A focused career plan isn’t just helpful for your essays. It is essential for navigating the fast-paced MBA environment. From day one, the recruiting process begins. Company presentations, networking events, and club prep sessions come at you quickly. Time becomes a limited resource, and you won’t be able to explore every industry or function at once. You need to know where to focus.
This is why we encourage applicants to think carefully about the career goals they describe in their MBA application essays. Perhaps you are currently in banking and think you want to go into private equity, but you’re also considering consulting if you learn more about it. Great! There are fantastic “whys” for both paths, so do your research and put the logic behind their appeal down on paper.
For purposes of the application, it’s probably best to focus on one path as your “Plan A” and keep the other in your back pocket as an interesting alternative. Nothing you write is binding. It’s okay for you to note your starting point and then change your mind once you learn more as a student. Crafting essays with this kind of focus is essential, and our guide on How to Write a Great MBA Essay offers insights into articulating your goals clearly and effectively.
Mistake #3 – Coming Across as a Robot
Getting personal and sharing more than you would in typical business writing is one of the hardest things for many of our clients. It’s tempting, and natural, to default to simply reiterating your resume and then telling a boilerplate story about what you want to do and why you want to go to business school.
At work, your colleagues don’t typically ask you to explain what made you who you are, what influenced your choices in life, and what that says about you as a leader. So of course, writing in this style for your MBA application essays is not natural for many people. But it’s necessary, especially for top MBA programs like Harvard Business School and Stanford GSB.
How to Add Depth to Your Essays
Instead of focusing solely on your resume or writing in a business-like tone, try incorporating personal stories that highlight your values and motivations:
- How or why did I get that opportunity or experience?
- Is the way that I handled that situation reflective of one of my central traits?
- If so, how did I get that trait, and how else does it show up in my life?
- How did I feel about that experience (surprised, afraid, cautious, elated, anxious, etc.) and why?
Questions like this should help you tease out your core values and motivations. Describe these in your MBA application essays to give the admissions committee a better picture of who you are as a person beyond your resume.
One Last Mistake to Keep in Mind
To round out our conversation on MBA essay mistakes, we’re sharing a brief video with one additional insight to keep in mind. It’s especially relevant in the age of AI and worth considering as you refine your essays.
Avoid This MBA Essay Mistake (Episode 3)
We use strategies like these every day to help applicants and reapplicants gain admission to top MBA programs at three times the average acceptance rate. If you’re looking for personalized, expert support, we’re here to help. Request an initial consultation with our team of top MBA admissions consultants.