P -
I believe they key to the Why MBA question is making a link between your current work expereince, what your future career goals are and how the MBA will bridge the two together

(in other words, how can you leverage your previous work experience with what you will obtain from the MBA program to achieve your long term career goals.)

Thank you. This is exactly the type of response I was looking for.

Let me add that --and I say this without a scrap of irony-- that the best answer is an honest one. Here's why:

- The energy level (which correlates directly to the "let this applicant in" factor of your application) will go about many many notches when you are really talking about a vision for yourself that you have really bought into.

- Directly related to this --and I know this probably doesn't apply to you-- if you cannot make an honest and genuinely felt case for why you should go to business school...then you probably shouldn't go. I have had paid clients who, after just a bit of our noodling together over the why's and wherefore's of an MBA, said, "You know what? I'm going to wait another year." Or, "You know what? This just isn't for me." And some of those folks have been among my most satisfied clients!!


One other related point. Sometimes the challenge is not having the vision but articulating the vision. Take great care in describing your vision for yourself and your career with total clarity and accuracy is TOTALLY worth it: that little bit of extra effort can really make an application sing!!

Good Luck!

Paxton

P.S. The metaphor I like to use for an MBA application is that of a bridge. The bridge goes from where you are now to where you want to go in the future. Your task is to make the case that where you want to go is a logical follow-on to where you're coming from and that the MBA bridge is the fastest and most efficient way for you to make that trip. The bridge metaphor (which I often use early in the consulting process) is a great "self-corrective" that clients can use when they are thinking about how to structure their story. -JPH