How to Write University of Manchester MBA Essays in 2024?

University of Manchester Essay: Being a member of the Russell Group and the N8 group, the University of Manchester has earned the reputation of one of the most prestigious institutions in the world. Specifically, the MBA program at Manchester is ranked under 50 in the world by 2023 Global MBA Ranking, and fifth within the UK. Therefore, the Manchester University essay for the MBA program is designed to select the best and most competitive candidates, who can also contribute to the program as well as the institution.

University of Manchester MBA Admission Deadlines*

*The dates provided above are only tentative. Application deadlines for Fall 2024 will be available in September 2023.

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The essays for the September 2023 intake are as follows:

University of Manchester Essay 1: What makes you a strong candidate for the Manchester MBA programme? (Mandatory, minimum 400 words)

Please write a personal essay that covers the following:

Professional Experience

1. Share with us the story of your career to date; how have you progressed, what achievements are you most proud of and how have they shaped you as a person?

2. Tell us about any leadership/management experience you have gained – this could also be in your personal life (e.g. managing people, leading teams or projects, managing important client relationships etc.).

3. Do you have any career gaps on your CV or very short-term positions that need explanation? If you do, please tell us about this.

Personal and Academic

1. Tell us about any personal and/or academic achievements that you would like to highlight.
2. What motivates and inspires you and what would you hope to contribute to your MBA class?
3. We understand that for various reasons not everyone is ready to ‘fly’ during their first degree and can be great achievers later or in other ways – you are welcome to tell us about that if relevant.

For this mandatory Manchester University essay prompt, you need to prepare an answer of at least 400 words. Start with your story of when you started working, where, your promotions and progress to date. Thereafter, quantify your professional achievements, such as the revenue that you generated. Further, elaborate upon a leadership experience with specific details, like, the number of people you managed and in which capacity. It should be significant in terms of the size of the team and worth as well as the challenges you had addressed. It should reflect your leadership potential, analytical abilities and resilience. Further, justify any gaps in your professional life, short-term positions or sudden changes in your career path.

The following paragraph should focus on your personal and academic details. State your achievements that will reflect certain qualities of yours, such as the ability to take initiative, problem-solving attitude or innovative approach that will make you stand out. Further, discuss your motivation and inspirations that are relevant to your decision of pursuing an MBA program. What factors have influenced you? Also, express your intent to contribute to the program, based on these motivations and interests. Also, if you believe that your academic performance was not up to the mark in your previous degree, then please justify it. Highlight how you overcame your shortcomings to succeed in your pursuits ahead.

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University of Manchester Essay 2: Career Planning Questions (Mandatory, minimum 300 words)

Candidates take the Full-time MBA programme for different reasons including, to fast track their career in their current sector, to change sector, to develop entrepreneurial skills, and/or to increase opportunities for an international career in another country or region of the world. Our experiential MBA programme will help you to develop your skillset and our Postgraduate Careers team provide a personalised approach to support you with your career journey.

In the careers questions, we would like to learn about your post-MBA goals. We understand that you may not currently have a fully developed career plan and are looking explore opportunities and develop your skill set during the MBA. However, we expect you to have reflected carefully about your post-MBA career and have realistic goals that build on the transferrable skills and experience you have gained in your career to date. To provide the best answers to the careers questions, you need to be authentic. We will discuss your answers if you are invited to the interview stage.

Please make sure you structure your essay to cover the following questions:

1. Why is this the right time for your MBA?

2. Tell us about your short-term career goals immediately after graduating from the MBA.

3. It is important to be flexible and adaptable, so also tell us about your Plan B if you are unable to achieve your preferred goals immediately after graduating.

4. If you are looking for an international career – to change the country or region in which you are currently working - tell us more about this.

5. What is the connection between your current career background and your post-MBA goals and what gaps in your skill set do you need to develop through the MBA?

In this goals essay, start with an explanation of your reasons to pursue an MBA degree at this juncture in your career by expressing your personal opinions. Further, explain where do you wish to work, and in which designation, after acquiring an MBA degree. Focus on your intent to lead, manage and contribute towards your endeavours. Also, discuss a relatable alternate plan which you may pursue, if you do not succeed in fulfilling your primary immediate goals. Also, you need to state the country where you wish to work and why. Lastly, relate your existing range of experiences and capabilities with your goals. Demonstrate how they will be your assets in accomplishing your goals and what are the current gaps in your profile that you need to cover with an MBA degree. Specify the skills that you wish to develop and the knowledge that you seek through this degree.

As these essays can make or break your chances of securing an admit, pay close attention to your content, and grammar and adhere to the requirements of the prompt in order to prepare outstanding and captivating answers. Candidates looking for assistance with university admissions can get in touch with our Shiksha Topper Counselling services on our website. For other queries feel free to get in touch with us in the comments below. To read more about MBA Essays from top universities, visit our website. 

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