Prompt: What is your short-term career goal, and how will Ross' philosophy in Action-Based Learning help you achieve it? Please be specific. Please answer both parts of this question. (300 words maximum)
Your short-term career goal is the one that you will pursue immediately after graduation from your MBA program. You would describe a potential career path.
I highly recommend including the "Why," which is a bit more difficult. The answer you provide should not be a "this seems like a logical next step from my experience," although that is part of it. I call that a "community college / trade school" type of answer (no offense, community colleges!).
You would want to take the opportunity to describe your personality and motivation. What is it about your career experience that makes you interested in continuing that in a post-MBA career? Why are you motivated towards your goals? You only have two short essays, so you want to take full advantage of these essays to bring your personality into the admissions equation.
Secondly you need to describe how you will be leveraging Ross Experiences in Action-Based Learning (REAL)to achieve your goal: REAL.Start, REAL.Advise, REAL.Invest, and REAL.Lead. Don't just describe what the experience will be, but what you will do with that experience. Don't repeat back to them what they already know, but put yourself and your goals at the center of the essay.
Prompt: Michigan Ross is proud to support a community of leaders and impact makers.
As a future member of this community, we want to know more about who you are and what drives you.
Please choose ONE of the following prompts to tell us more about what makes you stand out beyond your academic and work experience.
List the prompt you are answering at the top of your response. (200 words maximum)
Again, the purpose of the short essay is to find out something MORE about you beyond what appears on your resume, and additionally, something distinctive. You are presenting a more complete picture of yourself.
Through your choice of what to write about, you are telling the Admissions Committee about your character, values, and what matters to you.
The essay looks back at your past, and cannot be a description of what you want to do in the future. Yes, this is true even of the essay that asks what makes you excited to get up in the morning.
To choose the best prompt for you, consider the following questions"
"Share your strengths. Some things can't be communicated just be listing experiences on a resume. This is your chance to demonstrate what is special about you beyond what the Admissions Committee can pick up from your resume or test scores." - Lysa Wang, Associate Director of Admissions
Prompt: Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate. (250 words maximum)
By "need some explanation," they mean refer to something that might be unclear to the Admissions Committee. This space can also be used to address any extenuating circumstances that you would like the Admissions Committee to consider. Use to address:
Use this essay to turn a potential weakness into a strength. Tell the Admissions Committee what happened and why it happened. Be honest in your self-evaluation. Most importantly, tell them what you have learned from a negative experience, and how this learning has influenced future actions.
Ross also suggests that you use the Optional Essay to provide information on any supplemental coursework that you have completed; if you are coming from a non-business background, taking business courses is a good way to demonstrate proactive preparation for business school.