Blog Archive University of London (London Business School) Essay Analysis

Blog Archive University of London (London Business School) Essay Analysis Note: The following essay questions pertain to the previous academic year. This section will be updated when the new question are released in early to mid-July of 2008.   London Business School  recently confirmed that its essays  would remain the same this year. Our analysis of its essays follows:   Question 1 (500 words) In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Because of significant overlap from one MBA application to the next, we have produced the “MBA Mission Personal Statement Guide.” We offer our guide to candidates free of charge, via our online store.   Please feel free to download your copy today. The first part of LBS’s personal statement is slightly different  from others in that it is very specific, requiring you to identify your particular postgraduate role. There is no room here for aspirations (Stanford) or vision (HBS) â€" name your position and state exactly how LBS will help you get there. As for your “past experiences,” you need not offer a work history; you are to relate these experiences  to your goals. This is not a discussion of your “path to your MBA,” but a statement of how your MBA and professional experience will enable you to succeed in the future. This is a nuanced distinction, but it is important. Question 2 (200 words) Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision? In essay two, you should again be particular in identifying your role in five years, but can be a bit more “grand” thereafter. Here, you get to identify less of a role and more of an ideal end. Again, you need to ensure that there is a logical connection between your plan, from post-graduation to five-year progress to long-term vision. Question 3 (500 words) Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your study group, and how do you intend to contribute to it? Ideally, you will offer a diversity of personal and professional experiences  that show compelling examples of when you had an impact on a team, both as a leader and an equal team member or even as a junior. You can use this opportunity to give the AdCom insight into your  communication skills and personality; furthermore, with the reflective element of the question, you can contemplate how you have been successful in team environments and how you will harness these experiences to be a positive force on your learning team. Also, by proving that you possess a clear understanding of the demands of your learning team, you can show the AdCom that you have done your homework and are truly interested in LBS. Question 4 (400 words) Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself leading? How would you set about becoming involved in a leadership position and how would you align and communicate the goals and vision for the club to the wider School community? In this essay, you have the opportunity to give insight into your interests and passions, whether they are academic, professional or personal (we have a bias toward the academic and professional). Then, again, you can show that you have done your homework on the school, are aware of the program’s offerings and understand the dynamic on campus. Finally, you can explain how you would promote the club, showing both knowledge of the school’s resources and dimensions of your personality â€" industrious, enterprising, creative, etc. This is a tremendous opportunity to differentiate your candidacy from others, by providing an interesting idea, connecting yourself with the school and revealing yourself to be a shrewd promoter of your ideas. Question 5 (150 words) Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these? In a very short space, you have the opportunity to discuss your international experiences and explain why they were important to you. This should not be a long list of travels with one sentence at the end connecting them all. Even in such limited space, you should try to tell a brief story and incorporate some reflection about your adventures. Share ThisTweet Blogroll