MBA Admission Essays for Top Universities in 2025

MBA Essays are an integral part of the MBA admission process. While writing an Essay Prompt could be time-consuming, however, the MBA Admissions Essay is an opportunity to showcase to the MBA admissions committee your personality, uniqueness, share your goals and discuss your future contributions to the dynamic community of your target business school. In short, the MBA essay holds about 15% weightage in your MBA admission process and allows you to showcase all that is not present in your resume.
If you are planning to apply for an MBA abroad, then writing a good MBA essay is super important. Many students ask, "Why do I need to write an essay for MBA?" The answer is simple: this is your chance to tell your story, your goals, and why you want to join that MBA college abroad.
MBA admission essays help the university know you better. Not just your marks or job, but who you really are. You can talk about your dreams, your past, and what you will bring to the MBA program. That’s why many top MBA colleges give around 15% importance to your essay in the MBA selection process.
Writing the essay may take some time, and yes, it may feel hard at first. But don’t stress too much. In this guide, we will show you the different types of MBA essays, share some real MBA essay examples, and give you simple tips so you can write your own essay easily.
- MBA Essay Samples
- Types of MBA Essays
- MBA Admission Essays Dos & Don’ts
MBA Essay Samples
MBA essay examples: Each year, universities require candidates to attempt MBA essays as part of the MBA admission process. The MBA admission essay helps candidates to add credence to their MBA application process. For the benefit of our readers, we have provided MBA essay samples that were part of the admission cycle across top universities offering MBA. Along with MBA examples, we have also provided students with suggestions on how to attempt each MBA example.
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MBA Essay Examples for Top Universities
Harvard MBA Essays | MIT Essays | Stanford MBA Essays |
Columbia MBA Essays | Cambridge MBA Essays | Yale MBA Essay |
Types of MBA Essays
Broadly speaking, there are different types of MBA essay questions that candidates would be required to attempt as part of the MBA admission process. Candidates can identify the type of admission essay through the keywords used in the essay question. All types of essays would have a pre-defined length requirement that the candidate should adhere to. Please note this is not an exhaustive list of MBA essay types, but talks about the most frequently asked essay types of questions.
- Goals: For the MBA admission essay on Goals, the candidate would be required to detail his/her personal and professional motivation to attend business school and what thereafter. MBA essays on Goals are classified as all essay questions that ask you about your ambitions or what you hope to gain from an MBA programme.
- Self-Reflection: These are MBA essay topics that would require candidates to look within. The MBA essay on Self Reflection could ask candidates to introduce themselves to a classmate or talk about how they handled a personal moment in their life. Both essay topics would require the candidate to do some deep reflection to answer the prompt.
- Contribution Essay types are simply a way for MBA schools to understand how you would be adding value and contributing to the MBA programme of the university. It is simply an opportunity for universities to find out what the candidate is bringing to the table.
- The leadership MBA essay basically allows the candidate to describe a moment from the past that required the candidate to showcase his leadership impact. This would allow the admissions committee to assess your future leadership potential and the impact you could have on their MBA programme. READ: How to Write a Leadership Essay for MBA Admissions Abroad
- Video Essay: Many universities have transitioned from conventional essay submissions to requesting video essays from candidates. These video essays may include concise introductions to more complex, multi-component questions. This approach allows the admissions committee to evaluate not only academic qualifications but also softer aspects of your candidacy, such as body language, communication skills, and quick-thinking abilities.
MBA Essay Examples for Top Universities
Michigan University Essays | Cornell MBA Essays | Northwestern Essays |
Duke MBA Essays | NUS MBA Essays | UBC Essays |
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- Top MBA Universities in the World
- Eligibility for MBA Abroad
- MBA Abroad Entrance Exam - Requirements and Eligibility
- Top Countries to Study MBA Abroad
MBA Essay Examples for Top Universities
McGill Essays | University of Manchester Essays |
MBA Admission Essays Dos & Don’ts
Writing MBA essay: It is always important to put your best foot forward. The Admissions Committees are looking for leaders and not applicants following the herd. In this section, we are going to be talking about a couple of pointers that would help you in shaping your MBA Admission Essays. These are simple Dos and Don’ts that will help you make your MBA essay topics stand out.
Writing MBA Essay Dos
- It is important for candidates to stress what makes him/her exclusive and not the number one candidate in the batch.
- Applicants should be enthusiastic in their approach. The Admissions Committee are looking for candidates who are passionate about their approach in their classrooms.
- It is always good to have essays that reflect real-life experiences. Candidates should avoid general claims and broad summaries.
- It is always a bonus to demonstrate a sense of humour or vulnerability. This helps the candidate to come across as a human and not a resume.
- Pay Attention to your essay structure. It is easy to drift from the topic or go overboard with the word count. Candidates should stick to the topic and not exceed the prescribed word limit.
- It’s important to be genuine while writing MBA essays. The Admissions Committee want to know about you as a person and they will be able to tell if you are being insincere in your approach or simply writing what you think they want to hear from you.
MBA Essay Examples for Top Universities
Carnegie Mellon MBA Essays | Brown Essays | Purdue Essays |
Rice University Essays | Arizona State University Essays | LBS MBA Essays |
INSEAD MBA Essays | n/a | n/a |
Writing MBA Essay Don'ts
- Plagiarism in your Admissions Essay is a big NO. Candidates should always make sure that their admissions essay is real. Any hint of plagiarism will lead to a rejection of your MBA application.
- It is easy to digress from the real topic. Candidates should stick to the MBA essay topic that is required of them and answer well within the prescribed word limit.
- Be personal in your MBA admission essay approach. Candidates should have a strong reason to pursue MBA. Half-baked reasons will lead to candidates providing generalized answers to their prompts which would obviously have a negative impact on your whole MBA admission process.
Also Read
- Cost of Studying MBA Abroad
- Scholarships for Study MBA Abroad for International Students
- 10 Tips for Writing a Great College Essay
Candidates looking for assistance with university admissions can get in touch with our Shiksha counselling services on our website. For other queries feel free to get in touch with us in the comments below.
The MBA admission essay is very important because it tells the college who you are, beyond your marks and work. It shows your personality, your dreams, and what you can bring to the MBA class.
Most colleges give about 10% to 15% importance to your MBA essay. A good essay can help your application stand out from others.
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An MBA essay is a short written answer you give during the MBA admission process. It helps the university know you better. You can talk about your career goals, your past experiences, and why you want to do an MBA.