Sample Essays

‘Should I drop out of school to pursue full time?’, ‘What will I tell my parents if I fail?’, ‘Is this a side hustle or can it turn into something big?’, ‘How do I convince people twice my age to join?’ These are all the questions that ran in my head while I was building …

How will the Booth MBA help you achieve your immediate and long-term post-MBA career goals? Read More »

Through constant reviews for career progression, and being proactive about different opportunities, my pursuit to fulfill my potential has been a consistent journey. Right from business development, to social-media analytics, and product-manager responsibilities, I have secured diverse roles to further my learning. A math postgraduate, I risked digression to grow within the social-media industry. My …

Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your near term (3-5 years) future career objectives and how pursuing an MBA will help you achieve them. Read More »

 27-August-2001 was a seminal day as my father had to shut down his manufacturing business due to poor adoption of technological paradigms. Witnessing the devastating impact of this failure on livelihood of 100+ households catalysed my life’s ambition, I thus became determined to empower such Small-Medium-Enterprises (SMEs), the lifeblood of any economy. Subsequently, I acquired …

What are your long term career goals? Read More »

My short-term goal is to raise series-A funding and take “Boriya Bistar”, the venture I am leading for last 5 years to all the major metropolitan cities of the country, such as Mumbai and Hyderabad. I want to add new verticals such as furniture rental and co-living spaces for the blue-collared workers. I have built …

What will a management degree bring to you at this stage of your career? Read More »

True to my ambition, my short-term goal is to become the Director of Global Sourcing, and increase the revenue of the company manifold. I want to meticulously lead the country managers in China, India, and Turkey, to optimize global sourcing strategies. The plan is to forge new business development channels in countries which, currently, Mohawk …

Define your short-term post-MBA career goals. How are your professional strengths, past experience, and personal attributes aligned with these goals? Read More »

Growing up reading stories and writing my own tales, had a tremendous impact on shaping my personality and became instrumental in determining my professional life, as it smoothly paved my way into journalism, and eventually into content marketing. While as a business journalist I learnt the nitty-gritties of reporting and editing, as a content specialist …

What are your short term and long-term career goals? How will Post Graduate Program at ISB assist you in achieving your goals? Read More »

India harbors a most lucrative financial market. My tryst with the mortgage business taught me that in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, nearly 70% of the population still lacks sound knowledge about finances, and depends on traditional banking systems. I want to design, develop and market easy-to-access financial products for this audience. This is …

What are your short term and long-term career goals? How will Post Graduate Program at ISB assist you in achieving your goals? Read More »

When times are great, everyone is a hero. But only a true leader steps forward during tough times. I had the opportunity to demonstrate my leadership abilities when our family-run business, an OEM for Indian Railways, was going through a difficult phase. Although our business was expanding, we were losing revenue owing to late deliveries. …

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? Read More »

What matters to us the most also defines us the best, and, I believe, my choices truly mirror my personality. Born as the younger child in my family, I craved for attention and competed with my older sibling in literally everything—grades, extracurriculars, and even trivial family games! My hunger to be better than the rest, …

What matters most to you, and why? Read More »

A leader is not born within the four walls of a classroom. A leader rises from real-life experiences, struggles and achievements that mold one’s personality into its best version. Having been an entrepreneur for six invaluable years, I have incurred quite a few leadership qualities that I am confident will be able to contribute to …

What is so special about you that professors and peers would like to have you in the class? Read More »

In 2013, my life’s journey took an unexpected turn when I joined an NGO, ‘MAD’, to teach English to some underprivileged children. Though I was their teacher, my students taught me the true meaning of compassion, empathy, love, and optimism; to be happy and satisfied despite limited privileges. I grew to be a better person …

One of the intrinsic values at the Indian School of Business is “to develop principled, future leaders who improve lives around the world…” Please discuss how you will contribute towards this mission citing examples from your past work experience and activities? Read More »

It was a difficult moment, sitting in my doctor’s clinic and being told I had been tested positive for the human leukocyte antigen B27. The seriousness in his voice made me shudder, even as I struggled to comprehend the terminology of the disease that had hit me at the age of 10. I was quickly …

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Read More »

One cannot be a true leader if one cannot stick to one’s commitments, and that is why, throughout my life, I have stuck to my pledges with unfaltering passion.  Before joining one of the top business colleges in Pakistan, I lived in a shell—protected and oblivious of the outside world. However, the moment I stepped …

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made Read More »

Countries. Cultures. People. Relationships. I love to embrace the new! Being the daughter of a public sector employee with frequent job transfers, I have lived in five different cities in the 27 years of my life. Adapting to different environments and finding beauty in myriad new cultures, comes naturally to me! I have made meaningful …

Give a candid description of yourself (who are you as a person), stressing the personal characteristics you feel to be your strengths and weaknesses and the main factors which have influenced your personal development, giving examples when necessary. Read More »

“The art of communication is the language of leadership” – James Humes During most of my childhood days, I was mostly an introvert with my social circle limited to my immediate family members, and only a small bunch of classmates. While this never became a deterrent during my primary education, I realized an inherent gap …

What is your biggest strength and area of improvement? Read More »

If my successes have made me ambitious to achieve more, my failures have ignited in me the passion to pursue my goals with greater determination! Embracing these steep learning curves and pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I have, today, become a better version of myself.  When, in 2020, I joined Shopee, Philippine’s leading …

Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned Read More »

I feel a sense of accomplishment when my efforts lead to creation of long-term value for not only primary but secondary as well tertiary stakeholders involved. During my extremely fulfilling career with national and international organizations, I have had unique opportunities to create such an impact for people both at the top as well as …

Describe your biggest accomplishments so far. Read More »

From an individual performer to a team contributor, my professional metamorphosis has not just been highly rewarding, but also significantly enriched my motivation to achieve beyond my limits. As manager of social media analytics, I was part of a team entrusted with setting up social-media command center for one of India’s largest telcos. I executed …

Tell us about two achievements (one as a leader and one as a team member) that you are most proud of, and why you feel that to be so. Read More »

Misfortunes and setbacks build a person. It makes one fight all odds and acquire success. My story is no different. Being extremely skinny, a mere 27 kg (59.4 pounds) at 22 years old, I was body-shamed, no holds barred! I became conscious of my image, losing my self-confidence and suffering from severe depression, even as …

Describe the achievement of which you are most proud and explain why. In addition, describe a situation where you failed. How did these experiences impact your relationships with others? Comment on what you learned( Read More »

With the rapid development of artificial intelligence and robotics technology, the future of automation looks promising. Multiple industries are adopting automation to drive productivity, safety, profitability, and quality. So, after completing my PGPEX from IIM C, I intend to work as a Product Manager in the field of cloud automation and RPA, in a company …

This should include an objective and clear statement on why you want to join the PGPEX program? what qualities, experience and achievements do you have to justify your admission; what types of jobs and at what level do you expect after successful completion of PGPEX? Read More »

My professional experience of analyzing millions of data points from varied sources and churning actionable insights for stakeholders in the Oil & Gas, Heavy Engineering and E-Commerce industries, and the overarching opportunity the future holds in the field, has encouraged me to pursue a Tech focused MBA from Johnson Cornell. Post completion of the program, …

Describe your motivation to join the Cornell Tech MBA program. Read More »

India harbors a most lucrative financial market. My tryst with the mortgage business taught me that in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, nearly 70% of the population still lacks sound knowledge about finances, and depends on traditional banking systems. I want to design, develop and market easy-to-access financial products for this audience. This is …

This should include an objective and clear statement on why you want to join the IIM B EPGP program? what qualities, experience and achievements do you have to justify your admission; what types of jobs and at what level do you expect after successful completion of EPGP? Read More »

I ardently believe in the Japanese proverb “Fall down seven times, stand up eight” and have diligently practiced it in my personal and professional career. This ingrained quality has helped me stay motivated and overcome failures to excel in multiple endeavors. As a teenager, I wanted to serve the nation from the battlefront and in …

Do you have anything special that you would want the Admissions Committee to know? Read More »

Over the last 1 year, I have made conscious efforts to come closer to my long-term career goals, successfully handled a challenging work assignment, and overcame one of my biggest fears. In my endeavor to transition into Product Management, I completed the Scrum management certification and applied the learnings at work. In May 2022, my …

Please use this space to explain significant improvements in your profile since your last application to the ISB PGP. Note: It is mandatory for you to write this essay. Read More »

Last year, though I was determined to apply for the ISB PGP program, I failed to appear for my GMAT before the deadline.  Due to rapid adaptation of CISCO’s remote working and productivity tools by enterprises, risk factors in the infrastructure, application and data domains had considerably increased, and demanded my fullest attention. Failing in …

Please use this space to explain significant improvements in your profile since your last application to the ISB PGP. Note: It is mandatory for you to write this essay. Read More »

According to the stats released by ISB, 43% of the cohort comprised of engineers and 12% were from the financial background. Assuming the CO24 will have similar distribution, I am confident that as a CA and a finance professional with 6+ years of experience across multiple facets of the industry, I will be able to …

Peer Learning is a major building block of PGP at ISB. Help us in understanding how will you be able to add value to the PGP peer group through your personal and professional qualities/capabilities? Read More »

“Congratulations Saketh ! After a year of multiple pilots, your team has won the $40 Mn 4-year contract with a major O&G” While this announcement from our Practice lead at Accenture was music to my ears, his subsequent statement made me feel proud. “All the Junior Consultants in the team have been fast tracked to …

One of the intrinsic values at the Indian School of Business is “to develop principled, future leaders who improve lives around the world…” Please discuss how you will contribute towards this mission citing examples from your past work experience and activities? Read More »

Hailing from a family of doctors, making a positive contribution to the institutions and communities that I have been a part of, has gotten ingrained in my blood! My greatest inspiration is my father—a neonatologist who despite getting international job offers, chose to serve people in his hometown, Ghaziabad. So since college, I too have …

At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. Taking into consideration your background, how do you intend to make a meaningful impact on an elite MBA community? Read More »

 I bring with me a unique mix of experiences that cuts across Network engineering (Dell International Services), B2B marketplaces (Indiamart) and a financial intelligence platform (Sentieo). While at Dell, I led projects to provide networking solutions for mission critical infrastructure of a hospital, at Indiamart I designed Quality Assurance systems to provide fastest and most …

Peer Learning is a major building block of PGP at ISB. Help us in understanding how will you be able to add value to the PGP peer group through your personal and professional qualities/capabilities? Read More »

I acknowledge that my academic performance is below the average qualifying GPA, but I also firmly believe is not a just representation of my academic abilities. Coming from an orthodox background, my parents’ only focus during middle-school was to ensure that I scored high grades. I spent my days surrounded by books, with no exposure …

If you would like to provide additional information to expand on your responses to any of these questions, please do so in the “Optional Information” section Read More »

I believe that academic scores are just one of the many facets of gauging the potential of a person. IESE admits a wide range of students to its MBA cohort every year. However, the common thread between them is that they are all purpose driven and committed to make a positive impact on the world …

What would you like to highlight about yourself or your journey which may have not been captured in your application? Read More »

Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, how do you see yourself engaging in and contributing to our community outside of the classroom? People anywhere are always motivated to change through meaningful work done in collaboration with others. Fostering a culture of engagement becomes critical, something that Fuqua encourages, and that I have been …

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? Read More »

Nothing guides better than real life experiences, and I would like to contribute to the Duke community through mine, both as a student and an alumnus. I have harnessed the power of community and teamwork throughout my career as well as in my efforts to improve access to education for children in marginalized communities in …

Fuqua prides itself on cultivating a culture of engagement. Our students enjoy a wide range of student-led organizations that provide opportunities for leadership development and personal fulfillment, as well as an outlet for contributing to society. Our student-led government, clubs, centers, and events are an integral part of the student culture and to the development of leaders. Based on your understanding of the Fuqua culture, what are 3 ways you expect to contribute at Fuqua? Read More »

My quest to provide learning opportunities to the lesser privileged has made me explore uncharted avenues—one of them being volunteering at a non-profit organization called SDC Africa. I have mentored five college students at this organization dedicated to improving education standards and providing career opportunities to meritorious students from underprivileged backgrounds. It is during this …

Tuck students are encouraging, collaborative and empathetic, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a meaningful experience in which you exemplified one or more of these attributes. Read More »

We all grow up idolizing someone. For me, it is my father. An early riser, he would open his shop at 9:00 am sharp, irrespective of the weather or his mood, and welcome customers till 10:00 pm. He taught me that discipline is the definite mantra to success. Today, his Dedication, Discipline and Determination have …

Describe with examples the most important personal quality that you possess, which significantly enhances your prospects of being successful as a leader? Read More »

There was complete mayhem when, in 2016, the VP of Global Sourcing wanted to shut down the China office and subcontract the sourcing responsibilities to one of our top suppliers! Discontentment among employees, rapidly spreading panic, chances of a major lawsuit and disruption in operations, faced the company. Devaluation of the company stock price and …

The business school is named for Roberto C. Goizueta, former Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company, who led the organization for 16 years, extending its global reach, quadrupling consumption, building brand responsibility, creating unprecedented shareholder wealth, and demonstrating a commitment to values and positive impact on society. Roberto Goizueta’s core values guide us in educating principled leaders to have a positive influence on business and society. Provide a specific example of your leadership and explain what you learned about yourself through the experience. Read More »

As the old Chinese proverb goes, “The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water molds itself to the pitcher,” I believe in acclimatizing myself to all situations. From studying English Literature at India’s biggest, cosmopolitan university, to completing my post-graduation in journalism from an institute in a hamlet of Kerala, to working in corporates, startups …

Describe with examples the most important personal quality that you possess, which significantly enhances your prospects of being successful as a leader? Read More »

The activities we indulge in during the course of our life become vital in shaping who we are. Needless to say, I am no different. Over the years, every activity that I have indulged in has helped me become a better version of myself. When the pandemic struck and a lockdown was imposed, I was …

List community activities (clubs, church, civic, etc.) and professional associations you contributed to since graduation from college. Please include the organization name, your role, hours dedicated, elected offices held, and dates of participation. Read More »

“Food and fashion have everything in common. They’re sensory. They’re emotional. It’s creative.” When the American designer, Zac Posen, quoted these invaluable lines, he spoke my mind out! Food and fashion have been an integral part of my life since childhood, shaping my passions, providing comfort, building my confidence, and defining the extracurricular activities I …

Describe all types of extra-professional activities in which you have been or are still involved for a significant amount of time (clubs, sports, music, arts, politics, etc). How are you enriched by these activities? Read More »

I am an avid Poker player, and contrary to popular belief, it is actually a game of one hundred percent skill. I got introduced to poker in college, and used to play with a close group of friends every week. Over time, it became more than just a weekly game that we got together for, …

Tell us about your main interests and activities in your free time. Read More »

1. I never stayed in a single city for over 18 months during my schooling years. Relocated 8 times during my school days. 2. I used football, a sport I knew nothing of, as an ice breaker to make friends in Nigeria when my family moved there. Fast forward 7 years, I got to kick …

List 10 facts about yourself that will help your future classmates get to know you. Read More »

2. I simply love music! As a child, I used to make mixtapes to play through speakers mounted on the bus used for our family business’ trade shows. 3. I have modelled for my friend’s beauty care brand and getting more than 0.1MN views on ads has really boosted my confidencThe ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit and …

The ‘Team Fuqua’ spirit and community is one of the things that sets the MBA experience apart, and it is a concept that extends beyond the student body to include faculty, staff, and administration. Please share with us “25 Random Things” about you. Read More »

Every adversity you face in life, teaches you a lesson and makes you stronger. I realized this in 2019, when, during a journey across the Pacific, I took to the bed for 18 days. I survived off pain killers as the veins near my groin and thighs had swollen up. My active lifestyle and my …

Share with us a situation where you faced adversity. Describe how you resolved/managed it and what you learned from the experience Read More »

Every challenge is an opportunity to prove oneself and I found mine when Reckitt recently partnered with the Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan, for a project to ensure that water scarce areas had a sustainable access to clean water. The project that aimed to run the plant using renewable solar energy to ensure environment friendly …

The Phillips Pathway for Inclusive Leadership (PPIL) is a new co-curricular program designed to ensure that every CBS student develops the skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader. Through PPIL, students attend programming focused on give essential diversity, equity, and inclusion skills: Creating an Inclusive Environment, Mitigating Bias, Communicating Across Identities, Addressing Systemic Inequality, and Managing Difficult Conversations. Tell us about a time you were challenged around one of these five skills. Describe the situation, the actions you took, and the outcome. Read More »

As product manager at a health-tech start-up, I came up with the idea of launching an eCommerce division. The very idea of venturing into something that was not aligned with the company’s initial goal, was not well received by the management. My idea for this endeavour was based on two factors – the innovation it …

Share with us a situation where you faced adversity. Describe how you resolved/managed it and what you learned from the experience Read More »

If I continue to work in my present company, in a year’s time, I will be promoted to the post of Senior DevOps Engineer, and in four years, to Development Manager. In these new challenging roles, apart from managing the Operations Team from different geographies, I will interact with more customers, work closely with the …

What would be your next step in terms of position if you were to remain in the same company? Read More »

Post graduation, my career has been quite a rollercoaster ride – thrilling and adventurous! I discovered my love for kids’ fashion in my final year at NIFT, and started my career as a Kidswear Designer at Max Fashion, Landmark Group. Later, I launched Flipkart’s first private fashion label, eventually moving into category management. Though I …

Please give a full description of your career since graduating from university. Describe your career path with the rationale behind your choices. Read More »

We welcome reflection on any events that influenced you in your personal or professional lives, or in society in general, and look forward to learning about specific ways you want to leave your mark and positively impact those around you. Life is the foremost teacher, and in my life, two phenomenal experiences have been pivotal …

How have recent events influenced the impact you would like to make in your community, career, or both? Read More »

We welcome reflection on any events that influenced you in your personal or professional lives, or in society in general, and look forward to learning about specific ways you want to leave your mark and positively impact those around you. Two recent events have made me realize my true calling and inspired me work towards …

How have recent events influenced the impact you would like to make in your community, career, or both? Read More »

The last 3 years have been extremely fulfilling for me professionally as I have gotten the opportunity to build teams from scratch, to learn the finer nuances of the financial services industry and role of technology in productizing offerings earlier delivered through professional services, and to experience the highs and lows across the lifecycle of …

Can you walk us through some challenges you faced in the last three years of your work life? Please describe how you were able to overcome them. Read More »

According to Frost & Sullivan, the global market for Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) and Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) is projected to reach a size of 958 billion USD by 2026. Dixon, being a leading EMS player in India, key destination for China plus one strategy for global brands, is well positioned to tap into this …

WHAT ARE THE MOST FORMIDABLE CHALLENGES FACING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND/OR BUSINESS UNIT? Read More »