Michigan Ross
has released its
2013 application essays. Unlike most programs this year, it has not shortened
its essays or reduced the number of required essays. It has removed options from
its fourth essay and focused the question for Essay 2.
Essays
Essay 1:
Introduce yourself to your future Ross classmates in 100 words or
less.
What’s
your elevator pitch? What do you want them to know first about you? That’s not
what do you think they want to read, but what do you want your classmates (and
yes the admissions committee readers too) to know?
Essay 2: Describe
your career goals. How will an MBA from Ross help you to achieve those goals?
(300 word maximum)
How
is Ross going to help you achieve your MBA
goals?
First of all, relate them in terms of industry and function. What aspects of the
Ross program convinced you to attend? How will they help you achieve your career
goals. You need to do your homework about Ross before you answer this
question.
Essay 3:
Describe a time in your career when you were frustrated or disappointed. What
advice would you give to a colleague who was dealing with a similar
situation? (500 word maximum)
Choose
one professional experience where you revealed resilience and growth in response
to disappointment or frustration. Please note: Ross is not requesting a general
discourse on frustration or disappointment. It wants a specific example showing
how you respond to challenges and hurdles.
Then
(off the page) think about it. What did you do right? How could you have handled
the situation more effectively. Also possibly think about another time when you
applied the lessons learned in the first situation and had a better outcome.
Now,
what would you tell your colleague? Let’s call her Jane. You would probably tell
Jane what happened and that you can relate to her experience because you once
stood in her shoes. Then you would encourage her based on your experience. You
might share that you too felt disappointed (or ?) and then tell her the
effective part of your reaction and how you have used these lesson personally
later on.
Essay 4:
What are you most passionate about and why? How will this passion positively
impact Ross? (300 word maximum)
If
you are passionate about something, you must have
acted on that passion and shown commitment to it. Passive passion is an
oxymoron. Tell a story illustrating your enthusiasm and commitment for whatever
it is. It does not have to be professional. This could be an excellent essay to
reveal a non-professional side of you.
Optional
question:
Is there
anything else you think the Admissions Committee should know about you to
evaluate your candidacy? (500 word maximum)
Optional
questions aren’t junk drawers or shoe boxes in which to jam “stuff.” Focus on
one facet of your life or an experience that is important to you, reveals the
human being you are, and isn’t described in other parts of the application.
Of
course, you can also use this essay to provide context for a weakness, but I
prefer not to end your application on that note if possible. So weigh your
options. If you have something to explain, do so. If you can slip in the
explanation somewhere else (perhaps #4?), great. If the best place for the
explanation is this last essay, so be it.
Michigan Ross 2013
Deadlines:
Round I:
October 10, 2012
Round II:
January 3, 2013
Round III:
March 4, 2013