How to Write a Leadership Essay for MBA Admissions Abroad
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The business schools (B-Schools) offering Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs look for qualities of initiative, leadership, team spirit, ability to work under pressure, time and people management, problem-solving skills, adaptability, and tolerance for diversity among others in their prospective students. To ensure these abilities, the B-Schools require applicants to write essays on various topics/ prompts that bring out their personalities.
More often than not, admission essays are asked as a part of MBA admission applications by reputed MBA universities or B-schools abroad. The total number of essays may vary from one to five. Also, while the actual questions may differ, they can be clubbed under broad categories or personality traits that the universities are looking for in their applicants. Universities abroad, especially for their MBA program, want to pick the people who are the best fit for their ideologies. As such, it becomes important for them to look at certain personality traits and markers, and one of the most often searched for is – Leadership.
Most of the top-tier universities abroad lay a premium on the ‘leadership’ ability of the candidate. After all, they are being trained to be future leaders of organizations and the business world. Thus, the top-tier universities abroad have a keen eye for recognizing traits of leadership in applicants, so that the foundation is already there for them to build upon. The verbiage of the prompts could vary, however, the intent, which is to find students with leadership qualities, remains the same.
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Before we learn how to write a leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad, let us look at a few leadership questions that universities abroad ask:
- If we were to admit one more student to the class of 2012, make a compelling argument as to why that student should be you? (300 words max)
- Describe an experience where, working in a team as a member or leader, you successfully managed to deal with a challenge posed by the diversity of the group. (Maximum 500 words)
- Discuss why you are interested in pursuing an MBA at this point in your career (250 words), why this university, and the specific program to which you have applied, is the best fit for your MBA experience (250 words), and discuss how you will leverage both your professional and academic experiences thus far to achieve your post-MBA career goals (250 words).
- Leadership and ethics are inevitably intertwined in the business world. Describe a situation in which you have dealt with these issues and how they have influenced you. (250 words)
Let us discuss how to write a leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad:
- Choose an example: You may discuss a personal, academic, or professional space, where you worked in a team situation and displayed your leadership skills. Use concrete examples and details.
- Focus on your role: The incident could be a challenging situation in terms of handling a diverse team, a project with a stringent deadline, an offshore assignment, or any other. It may be a small incident, but what is important is how you handled it and the leadership qualities that you demonstrated.
- Define your style of leadership: Your style of leading a team/ group is also crucial – leading from the front, empathy, sharing appreciation with the team, motivating and mentoring the team, innovation, good listening skills, ensuring maximum participation of the team in everything, being approachable, and other such aspects. Also, reflect on how your leadership style has evolved and what you have learnt.
- Be authentic: Your content should be authentic and not copied from somewhere else. The admissions committee (Ad Com) will know if the content is fabricated or plagiarized.
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How to Write a Leadership Essay for MBA Admissions Abroad - FAQs
Q. What are some basic leadership traits that one can choose to discuss in MBA essays?
A. Leadership is a broad term, which encompasses many qualities. Some basic traits of a leader are: good communication, people management, goal-orientation, initiative, empathy, motivating the team, sharing knowledge and appreciation with the team, keeping a positive attitude, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of team members, good inter-personal skills and so on.
Q. What kind of leadership experiences can one share if there are not many professional examples to talk about in the leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad?
A. The leadership instances do not necessarily have to come from your professional life. Some applicants are comparatively new in their field and do not have much to talk about. However, one can always go back and see if in college life there have been instances where one has taken an initiative to organize/conduct an event, led a team/group, started a club, impacted the community by taking some important steps and galvanized others, taken care of the family when a parent was seriously ill or out of job, and many others. You basically need to reflect on how you have been a leader in your own right.
Q. How to write a leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad?
A. To write a leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad, you must keep the requirements of the university/program in mind and align your values with those of the university. You must select a strong instance of leadership that you may have demonstrated in your life and then discuss the situation, challenges, your role in it, leadership qualities that you displayed, and the impact of your leadership on the team/ project. Adhere to the word limit specified and answer each part of the prompt adequately.
Q. What kind of leadership questions can I expect? Please share a sample prompt where I can learn how to write a leadership essay for MBA admissions abroad.
A. Given below is a prompt from Stanford University, which basically intends to gauge your leadership abilities:
Prompt: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
Outline of the essay:
- Describe an incident/anecdote which shows the outcome of your efforts at creating a team, either in your job or college, or extracurricular life.
- You could begin with a description of the team which you created, in order to create an impact straightaway.
- Next, go back to the time when you were first faced with the requirement, and describe it.
- You need to show not only that your team met the requirements, but that it went beyond and above them. Hence, outline expectations that were lesser than what your team actually achieved.
- Talk about the challenges to your leadership, and how you tackled and overcame them, systematically. You could pick out challenges in people-management, circumstances, and logistics.
- Finally, reiterate your brilliant results, and emphasize how your team went beyond expectations.
- Devote two-three lines to the learning from the experience.
Q: How can I get admission in the University of Manchester?
The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses:
The Undergraduate Application Process:
Step 1: You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.
Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.
Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
Step 6: Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
The Postgraduate application process:
Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
Step 4: Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
Step 5: If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
Q: Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
Q: What is University of Wales, Trinity Saint famous for?
University of Wales, Trinity Saint (UWTSD) was founded in 2010, is a public institution for higher education and research at multiple locations. It was set up under the 1828 royal charter of Lampeter, the institution was the result of the merger between Trinity University College and the University of Wales. The institution merged with the Swansea Metropolitan University in 2013.
- Top Ranked University: The UWTSD is not ranked by any major ranking body, however as per the university ranking given on the official website of the university, it is ranked among:
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Film Production and Photography
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Fashion and Textiles
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Graphic Design
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Education
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Sports Science
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Mechanical Engineering
- #1st in Wales for Fine Arts
- Variety of Courses: UWTSD offers more than 300 programs at various levels including undergraduate, postgraduate degrees as well as multiple online courses.
- Highly distinguished and learned faculties: the faculty at UWTSD is highly learned and distinguished which enables students to be the best in their field of study.
- High Placements: According to Graduate Outcome data 2019-2020 quoted by the UWTSD, more than 95% of its graduates were found to be employed within 15 Months of graduation. The average salary of a graduate is not explicitly released by UWTSD, however, as per some unofficial sources the average salary of the graduates of UWTSD is approximately INR 30-35L. with the highest salary being reported as high as INR 66.5L for jobs in Financial Services.
Q: What rank is Wolverhampton University in UK?
The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below:
| Ranking Body | Ranking |
|---|---|
| The Guardian University Guide 2024 | #101 |
| The Complete University Guide 2024 | #117 |
Q: Does the University of Essex require IELTS?
International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:
English Language Test | Score |
|---|---|
IELTS | Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section |
The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:
English Language Test | Score |
TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 72 to 114 |
PTE | Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section |
Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities
Q: Why indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School - UK?
Indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School in the UK for several reasons, including its highly ranked programs, global outlook, and career support. Hult offers a range of full-time master’s degrees, immersive bachelor's programs, and MBA options that prepare students to excel in the global job market. The school is the largest and top-ranked global business school, providing students with an incomparable universal outlook. Additionally, Hult's focus on experiential learning, extensive career support, and the opportunity to study at multiple campuses around the world are attractive to Indian students seeking a global business education. Furthermore, the school's emphasis on innovation and meeting the needs of students and employers may also contribute to its appeal to Indian students
Q: How to prepare for UK 10th board exam 2025?
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.
- Know the exam pattern
- Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
- Solve previous year question papers
- Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
- Revise regularly
- Figure out weaker areas and learn them well
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.
Q: How to download UK Board 12th date sheet 2024?
Following are the steps to download the UK 12th date sheet 2024.
- Open the Uttarakhand Board's official website at ubse.uk.gov.in
- Click on 'Examination Scheme' available on the homepage
- A new window will appear on the screen containing a link of the UK Board 12th date sheet 2024
- Click the link and download the Uttarakhand 12th date sheet 2024
Aishwarya is a professional Writer currently working as a Study Abroad Expert in the Editorial Team at Shiksha. She has over 5 years of experience and is skilled at creating Online Content with leveraged knowledge i... Read Full Bio
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