What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)
The high pitch anti immigration rhetoric in US has forced thousands of international applicants to focus on Europe. Situated at the heart of London, LBS is the center of attraction for thousands of international applicants from Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe. As they have asked only one required essay, the criticality of this one is paramount. This is your only sales pitch to the admissions committee (the optional essay also provides you some space provided you attempt it). So you should be as rock solid in your argument as possible. Your chief job is to differentiate yourself from other competitors in your applicant pool and present yourself as a unique candidate.
If you are a rock star applicants (750 GMAT, Consulting experience or gold plated PE firm experience), you don’t have to worry too much about this essay. As a finance school, LBS is eager to listen to your story and they will try hard not to reject you. But if you are a Tech applicant, a Liberal art major etc., then you need to think meticulously before you write this essay.
Writing credible career goals aren’t difficult. But what is difficult is to convince them about why you need a LBS MBA to switch career from media to consulting or from hi-tech to venture capital. You need to evaluate your profile and find out enough reasons why a VC firm would recruit you post MBA if you have worked in software development in Microsoft. Don’t get me wrong. People do switch career/function after B-school. That’s one of the fundamental reasons of getting into a top tier B-school. But it needs elaborate home work. It needs writing and rewriting your goal essay during the application process and network like crazy during your studies. You need to highlight what are the things that you have done during your professional career that has prepared you for your post MBA career goal. That needs some deep thinking. If you can come up with even few credible justifications, half of the battle is over.
The other half is to convince LBS why you need a LBS MBA. That’s not super difficult to articulate. But it is paramount not to sound like other applicants in your pool. The more you can differentiate yourself, the better it is. But that’s quite a tough job.
Good luck with this essay! Let me know in case you need any assistance to create a winning essay.
Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500 words)
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