First get the basic principles right and then move on to the Sloan essay tips 2009-2010.

We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years. In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.

Sloan MIT Cover Letter

Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

Sloan MIT Cover Letter Tips

Write a formal sales document in cover letter format which highlights your key achievements, includes a leadership or team impact example,  explains why you should be admitted to MIT Sloan and also mentions why you are interested in Sloan MIT...gasp.. And yes, this will also act as your "goals essay" (unless you plan to use the fourth Sloan essay to that purpose).

The "impact impact on a group or organization" portion is new this year and tries to compensate for editing out last year's first Sloan essay question: "Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a group or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did." Since this is an all-purpose essay a holistic picture of your candidature needs to be presented. Choosing an "impact example" that merges with the overall theme of your cover letter content would help things.

Sloan MIT Essay 1

Please describe a time when you went beyond what was defined, expected, established, or popular. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 1 Tips

Try to identify the times when you found yourself fighting popular opinion, introducing an innovative concept, taking a principled yet unpopular stand or implementing an out-of-the-box solution. The context can be professional or personal.

Apart from your motivations for the action, it might be useful to show how you (tried to) win over unenthusiastic or hesitant stakeholders, since your action would/should not have been easy to accept by everyone. While it is not essential that this be a "success" story where ultimately everyone agrees with your point of view, it won't serve you ill if you showcased your diplomatic communication, persuasive skills and reasoning abilities - AND end the story with overall consensus (everybody lives happily ever after!). A display of your strength of character, robust value system, and/or intellectual courage might be adequate to polish off the essay.

Like in all essay packages, but even more so in this Sloan application, make the final choice of the example keeping in mind the content, theme and examples you have picked for the other three essays.

Sloan MIT Essay 2

Please describe a time when you coached, trained, or mentored a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 2 Tips

Each person has knowledge and qualities that grant him or her the potential to lead in extraordinary ways. Leadership is the most focused-on single trait that almost all Business Schools look for: Sloan is no exception. This essay prompt demands a sharp focus on the coaching/teaching/mentoring aspect of your leadership.

Choosing the appropriate story from your life is a key ingredient of success in most MBA "story" essays. Selecting the story for this one should be easy. Search out a story that shows you impacting an individual or a group (preferable) through exceptional training/mentoring/coaching. Select an instance in which your ability to coach, guide and/or impart knowledge made a significant difference.

As usual apart from describing the story and celebrating your success, the objective of the essay is also to uncover your attitude and approach towards leadership/mentoring/coaching/training. The story therefore will also act as a preview of how you might be able to coach/mentor individuals or teams at Sloan or in your post-Sloan career.

Go for it!

Sloan MIT Essay 3

Please describe a time when you took responsibility for achieving an objective. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 3 Tips

Once again a new essay prompt, it is similar to this question from 2008-2009 : "Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan."

Describe in detail the process, actions and steps that you took to achieve your objective and to convert an idea on paper into tangible actuality. While you could achieve the objective individually, one in which you had a leadership role will almost always have greater value. In addition the initiative you took to grab this particular opportunity might be an added dimension in this essay.

The heart of the essay would be your approach to executing ideas - how you visualize, manage, organize, plan, synchronize, and execute.

Like in all the Hallmark Sloan essays the purpose is to judge your approach and attitude in a previous situation since that might be reflection of your manner and method in future situations (at Sloan and later) as well.

Sloan Supplemental Information Essay

You may use this section to address any specific circumstances related to your academic background. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan Supplemental Information Essay Tips

Use this optional essay to address areas of concern in your academic background that might be detrimental to your Sloan MIT candidature. Academic underperformance, gaps in your academic resume, an earlier MBA etc. are some potential weaknesses that you might want to tackle.

First get the basic principles right and then move on to the Sloan essay tips 2008-2009.

We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those which have occurred in the past three years. In each of the essays please describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did.

Sloan MIT Cover Letter

Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Describe your accomplishments and include an example of how you had an impact on a group or organization. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

Sloan MIT Cover Letter Tips

Write a formal sales document in cover letter format which highlights your key achievements, includes a leadership or team impact example,  explains why you should be admitted to MIT Sloan and also mentions why you are interested in Sloan MIT...gasp.. And yes, this will also act as your "goals essay" (unless you plan to use the fourth Sloan essay to that purpose).

The "impact impact on a group or organization" portion is new this year and tries to compensate for editing out last year's first Sloan essay question: "Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a group or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did." Since this is an all-purpose essay a holistic picture of your candidature needs to be presented. Choosing an "impact example" that merges with the overall theme of your cover letter content would help things.

Sloan MIT Essay 1

Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 1 Tips

For selecting the particular situation for the essay, look back to identify professional or personal circumstances when you found your interaction with a group/team or individual particularly challenging. While this essay could focus on your people skills, leadership abilities, your communication skills or any other relevant quality which you want to highlight, the what, why & how of the challenge and its resolution will determine the strength of the essay.

Like in all essay packages, but even more so here, make the final choice of the example keeping in mind the content, theme and examples you have picked for the other three essays.

Though your essay does not have to be a fairy tale, a cheerful conclusion to this story (and the following ones) would be preferred - why depress people when you can help it?

Key: Describe what you thought, felt, said, and did in the situation - in a way that best expresses the qualities/skills you have chosen to highlight.

Sloan MIT Essay 2

Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 2 Tips

What are the general circumstances in which a person might find himself/herself fighting popular opinion? It could be the result of an innovative idea. Or perhaps a principled stand. Or.. well you can think too!

What were your motivations? What was your reasoning? How did you (try to) win over an unenthusiastic or hesitant stakeholders.

It is not essential that this be a "success" story where ultimately everyone agrees with your point of view. A display of your strength of character, robust value system, and/or intellectual courage might be adequate to polish off the essay. However it will be even better if you can additionally showcase your diplomatic communication, persuasive skills and effective reasoning - AND end the story with overall consensus (everybody lives happily ever after!).

Sloan has stipulated a three year time-frame from which the stories can be chosen - increasing it from two years in last season's application. While a five year period would have been welcome, even this seemingly small expansion, would considerably widen the scope of choice for most applicants.

Sloan MIT Essay 3

Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. (500 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 3 Tips

Describe in detail the process, actions and steps that you took to convert a plan on paper into tangible actuality. While the plan could have been individually executed - one in which you had a leadership role will almost always add greater value.

The heart of the essay would be your approach to executing ideas - how you manage, organize, plan, synchronize, and execute.

Like in all the Sloan "thought, felt, said, and did" essays the purpose is to judge your approach and attitude in a previous situation since that might be reflection of your manner and method in future situations (at Sloan and later) too.

Sloan MIT Essay 4

Please tell the Admissions Committee whatever else you would like us to know. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan MIT Essay 4 Tips

Now this is an Harvard style optional essay - one which you have to answer anyway.

Use it for any purpose you feel will enhance your application, keeping in mind the themes tackled in the other essays.

The content of the essay can range from highlighting specific achievements to underlining your non-work/community activities or describing any quality of substantive value that could not not find a place in the other essays (and cover letter). This could even be made into a goals essay - if it has not been adequately tackled in the cover letter.

Go for it!

Sloan Supplemental Information Essay

You may use this section to address any specific circumstances related to your academic background. (250 words or less, limited to one page)

Sloan Supplemental Information Essay Tips

Use this optional essay to address areas of concern in your academic background that might be detrimental to your Sloan MIT candidature. Academic underperformance, gaps in your academic resume, an earlier MBA etc. are some potential weaknesses that you might want to tackle.

Use the essays to tell us more about you and how you work, think, and behave. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Include what you thought, felt, said, and did. Please select experiences or events from the past one to two years. More than that, the essays are a chance for you to discuss your passions, values, interests, and goals. Emphasize those experiences that were most important and meaningful for you — which may not necessarily be those that were most outwardly prestigious. Be sincere and be specific. There is no one "right" kind of MIT Sloan student; in fact, MIT Sloan deliberately builds each class to unite varied strengths and perspectives. Tell us what particular experiences and expertise you will bring to the mix. The essay instructions and questions are included below. We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response.

MIT Sloan Essay 1: Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a group or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less)

Sloan MIT Essay 2: Please tell us about a challenging interaction you had with a person or group. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less)

MIT Sloan Essay 3: Please tell us about a time when you defended your idea. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less)

Sloan MIT Essay 4: Please tell us about a time when you executed a plan. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did. (500 words or less)

MIT Sloan Cover Letter: Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Please comment on your career goals and those factors which influenced you to pursue an MBA education at MIT Sloan. The cover letter provides a chance for you to discuss your passions, values, and interests, thereby helping us to determine whether you will thrive at MIT Sloan, and how you will contribute to our diverse community. Address your cover letter to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.

Supplemental Information: Use this part of the application to give us any additional information that might help us understand the choices you have made, your leadership activities and skills, and your scholastic and professional achievements. Please elaborate on your personal interests, activities and hobbies, as well as any special circumstances you feel are relevant. We would like to know what you've learned and how you learned it. Please tell us anything that will round out our impression of you as a unique individual.

Sloan MIT Essay 1: Please tell us about a time when you had an impact on a person, group, or organization. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did (500 words or less).

Sloan MIT Essay 2: Please describe a time when your team had to arrive at a compromise. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did (500 words or less).

Sloan MIT Essay 3: Please tell us a time when you advocated for a position. What alternatives did you consider? Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did (500 words or less).

Sloan MIT Essay 4: Please tell us a time when you put an idea into action. Describe in detail what you thought, felt, said, and did (500 words or less).

Sloan MIT Cover Letter: Prepare a cover letter (up to 500 words) seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Please comment on your career goals and those factors which influenced you to pursue an MBA education at MIT Sloan. The cover letter provides a chance for you to discuss your passions, values, and interests, thereby helping us to determine whether you will thrive at MIT Sloan, and how you will contribute to our diverse community. Address your cover letter to Mr. Rod Garcia, Director of MBA Admissions.