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LBS Essay 1
1. Give us a brief
assessment of your career progress to date. In what role do you see yourself
working in immediately after graduation and what is your longer term career
vision? How will your past and present experiences help you to achieve this?
How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal?
Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA? (750 words)
LBS Essay 1
Tips
LBS has
combined the first two essays from last year to create a jumbo 6-part
essay. Despite the multiple questions and the slightly unusual focus on your immediate post MBA job,
this LBS essay remains a standard Goals Essay that essentially demands a logical career
progression that connects your past, present and future with the LBS MBA.
Why
LBS has SO many sub-questions is perhaps
because they got tired of fuzzy answers! - so lets give 'em clarity and
focus.
Career
Progression: The career progression is essentially to link what you are
with what you aspire to be. Your background
should also substantially explain the motivations for your selection of
your short term (maybe even long term) job/function/company/industry.
Convince the admissions committee that though you have some way to go
you do have experience, skills and knowledge that (together with the LBS
experience) will make your goals achievable. Briefly showcasing your
career achievements will be welcomed.
Short
Term Goal: Focus on your short term
professional plans with a vengeance because LBS wants to test the
credibility, practicality and achievability of your dreams and its (and your) fit
with LBS. A
clear goal in terms of job profile and industry would be to your
advantage - enabling you to construct a
multi-point argument that leaves no loose ends. Specify how your
experiences so far, especially in the current job, will help you achieve
your goal.
Longer
Term Career Vision:
What is your career vision? What impact do you see yourself - within your
function/industry/country/universe. Some lucid thinking and
intelligence will go a long way in making this a high point in your LBS application. Logically
link your
long-term goals with the short-term goals, past experience and LBS. Strategic thinking, passion
and intelligence, might be the key qualities you wanna highlight here.
Why LBS?
Why now?: "Why
LBS"
is a critical component of the question and should be dealt with
application, research and intelligence. Look beyond cutting/pasting info
gleaned from the LBS website and make a compelling argument that answers "Why is
the LBS MBA the BEST business school program for you?"
This unasked question will be critical not only for your online
application but also later in your interview. Personalize your answer as
much as possible and plausibly connect what
LBS specifically
(and if possible, uniquely) offers you and your future goals. "Why is
this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?" and seeks to know why NOW, rather than later (or earlier), is the ideal time
for your LBS education.
Do your best!
LBS Essay
2
Give a specific example of
when you have had to test your leadership and team working skills. Given
this experience what role will you play in a first year study group? (300
words)
LBS Essay
2
Tips
This is a rephrased
version of last year's prompt: "Please describe your experience of
working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal
life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this
experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year
study group?". The difference this time is that it is shorter by
200 words and we are limited to a single leadership/team-working
example.
Since we
have just a single example to base the essay on, choose a story that
allows you to present your skills and attitude in leadership/teamwork
while also correlating your skills with the LBS study group. You
can choose from any of the numerous leadership and team situations that
you have experienced; the setting can be personal, professional or
academic.
Though accomplishments have not been directly asked for,
it stands to reason that you will not be cataloging your failures in team
situations! A good, succinct, unique, credible story will make this essay.
Since "test" is part of the essay prompt, delineate specific challenges
challenges you faced, and briefly explain how you overcame them, and
possible even how it furthered your development as a team player and a
leader.
Building some knowledge about
the LBS study groups would be
in order before attempting this essay. Get information from the website and
other sources (alumni); this
example of an LBS study group might
help. Check out the
LBS class profile. As usual keep in mind
that this essay is part of a bigger package and write accordingly. For
example, the very next essay again seeks your ideas about contributing to
yet another facet of the LBS program - student club or campus community
events. Like in the earlier couple of LBS essays keep the other essays in mind
while writing this one.
Go for
it!
LBS Essay
3
Student involvement is an
extremely important part of the London Business School MBA experience and
this is reflected in the character of students on campus. Please describe
how you will contribute to student clubs and the community and why? (300
words)
LBS Essay
3
Tips
This again
is a rephrasing of last year's prompt: "What type of student club or
campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you
contribute?", and it is shorter by a
100 words.
I had
really liked the old 2005-2006 LBS essay question which asked you to
"initiate" an event or club; I liked the 2006-2007/2007-2008
question too which asked "What
type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself
leading?". This essay prompt is less challenging - and only demands that you describe
club/events you will "contribute" to.
However
why sets your sights too low?! After researching student clubs, events, campus
community activities and student life in general at LBS, and then choosing
the appropriate activity that dovetails with your tastes and aptitude,
perhaps you can still take that leap towards leadership and innovation.
Instead of simply detailing activities you might contribute to, attempt to use
this essay to additionally demonstrate your leadership skills and
potential.
Linking
your future involvement at LBS with your past actions/successes in
similar endeavors/field will add definite credibility to your essay. Please
make your decision about essay 5 before writing this essay, since
certain aspects of approach, attitude and possibly even concrete
actions, might overlap with essay 5a.
Go for
it!
LBS Essay
4
London Business School
offers a truly global and diverse experience. Describe any significant
experiences outside of your home country or culture. What did you gain and
how will your experience contribute to London Business School? (300 words)
LBS Essay
4
Tips
Phew! LBS
has at last changed this prompt to expand its scope beyond international
experience. By including experiences outside your home "culture" this
essay is no longer a bugbear to candidates without international
exposure.
Still, LBS is proud of the
"highly international nature" of its programme and consider
themselves especially "suitable for people who want international mobility". So it stands to
reason that as an LBS applicant you are expected to have an inclusive, global outlook;
so, if possible, showcase your international exposure.
Your outlook and
maturity in cross-cultural interactions and your experiences thereof would form the core of this
LBS MBA application essay - how you will interact, adapt and thrive, in a
multi-cultural environment and how this will help you enhance the LBS
community. With a longer essay this time, you can write more substantial
examples that underline your ability to deal with change and diversity.
Go for
it!
5. Please
choose ONE of the following:
LBS Essay 5a
You have decided to stand
for the role of Student Association President. Announcing your campaign to
the London Business School community for the first time, please describe
your manifesto. (150 words)
LBS Essay 5a
Tips
Hey,
first off, lemme make an exception and play favorites. If essay 5b - "What is your most
substantial achievement to date and why?" - does not overlap with content in
earlier essays, go for that essay, and not this one; essay 5a requires
at least a modicum of research, might possibly overlap with Essay 3 and
could be difficult to write with passion.
However,
if you do choose to write this essay start by learning more about the
topic. The
LBS Student Association and perhaps
even a reading of the
Student Association constitution might
help. Once you have a handle on what the role of Student Association
President represents lay out your vision/manifesto.
Try to
display leadership, vision, innovation and a clear understanding of LBS
through this short essay. Identify specific areas and specific actions
that will make a difference to the LBS community. As in Essay 3, we will
add to its credibility if at least some of the actions/ideas can
correlate with what you personally might have demonstrably succeeded in
in other walks of life. Also, ensure that this essay complements Essay
3, but without significant overlaps.
Go for
it? Your call!
LBS Essay 5b
What is your most
substantial achievement to date and why? (150 words)
LBS Essay 5b
Tips
You have several
accomplishments in your roster - personal, professional and academic. Your choice of achievement
for writing this LBS essay should be based on the general
importance of the achievement, the extent of your contribution to its
success and what the story tells about you. Your leadership skills,
initiative, teamwork, intelligence and innovation are just some of the qualities that the
story could
showcase.
As usual keep in mind
that this essay is part of a bigger package. For
example, the earlier essays, especially essays two thru four, require
several stories focusing on several aspects of you; so choose
the achievement carefully. Write accordingly.
Also, within the context of your LBS essay package this should
be "your most significant accomplishment" - see that there are no contradictions
there. Ideally, the "why" aspect should be apparent within the body of the
story itself - an additional short sentence that clarifies the reason/s
might be all the space we have to tackle that aspect in this short
essay.
Go for
it!
LBS Optional Essay
Is there any other
information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when
considering your application? (300 words)
LBS Optional Essay
Tips
As usual an optional
essay requires effort even if you don’t write it. The main question
in any optional essay is to decide whether you need to write it at all. Attempt the
LBS optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and
material strength of your application.
Do not submit your
LBS optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays. Do not submit your
optional essay because you feel that the quality of your earlier essays is
improvable – if that is the case, simply redouble your efforts in those LBS
application essays and leave the optional essay alone.
Use the LBS optional essay to explain shortfalls in your application which you feel are truly detrimental to your candidature. Areas of underperformance (academic or professional or GMAT) or events which stick out (gaps in your resumes or second MBA) can be commented on if you have an explanation that is intelligent, interesting and credible.
One other situation when
the LBS optional essay is acceptable is when you need to convey an extraordinarily positive information that CANNOT be accommodated in the other
LBS essays
– a VERY strong reason that promotes your LBS admit that absolutely
requires another essay.
In case you find any of
the above applicable, note down the options and then consider again if the
optional essay is a robust constructive addition to your candidacy. If
yes, start working on the LBS optional essay.
Go for
it!
LBS
Reapplicant Essay
How has your candidacy
for the London Business School MBA improved since your last application?
Have your views of London Business School or the MBA programme changed
since you last applied? (300 words)
LBS
Reapplicant Essay
Tips
Use these
300 words to convince the LBS Admissions Committee that there have been
enough changes in your profile to justify a revaluation of your
candidature.
Your aim
will be to present the professional, academic, community and personal
improvements that make you a stronger candidate for an LBS admission this
year. State compelling reasons why you deserve a second chance. What steps
have you taken to strengthen your LBS application? Stronger work
experience, professional achievements, better GMAT, personal achievements,
accomplishments on the social front, international exposure or academic
accomplishments can all find place in the LBS reapplicant essay. Proactive
LBS-specific steps taken by you, perhaps based on direct or indirect
feedback from LBS, might prove a trump card.
The
second question, a new addition this year, attempts to discover how much
you have matured as a prospective student and how much better knowledge of
your career, goals, MBA and LBS you have as compared to earlier.
Show
marked, even dramatic, improvement. That's what this essay is about!
Go for
it!
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