LBS EMBA Essays: Questions, Analysis & Tips 2023

Ideal candidate for the LBS EMBA program:

In the last admission webinar in October’22, the Admissions Director of LBS EMBA program said that the biggest quality he looks into an applicant is his ability to contribute. The successful applicants will be the ones who have natural inclinations to contribute in class and in study groups. They will be comfortable with debates and discussions. They have a global mindset and seamlessly interact with people from all across the world. They are dynamic and energetic high achievers who love to work in teams. They are flexible, open minded, adaptable, and respect others’ opinion. They love to challenge and be challenged. They understand the essence of collaborative learning and aspire to contribute to the overall learning environment to LBS.

Those are the words of the LBS Admissions Director. That’s how he defined the ideal candidate for the program.

Basic Strategy: LBS have granted you 1200 words in two essays to demonstrate that you are an ideal candidate. That’s your basic job. If you appear to be individualistic in nature from your application essays, resume and letter of recommendations, you will be in significant trouble. This is especially true for the IT applicants, as they pretty much work in the silos. If you belong to any profession in which people work alone in their laptop in a corner office or in a cubicle for a significant amount of time, you need to overcome a lot of challenges in the application essays. You need to break the stereotype of your profession and show yourself in a different light.



LBS EMBA Essay One:

Please provide a personal statement explaining how you will contribute to the experience of others on the programme, and how the Executive MBA programme will benefit you.(600 words)

The admissions committee of LBS EMBA program isn’t looking for a run-of-the-mill short term or long term goal and why LBS. You need to portray yourself as someone who has a clear picture of what your goals are, and exactly why you want to pursue them. A really good essay will showcase your strengths: the skills and positive qualities you have acquired or demonstrated in the course of your academic, social and professional life. Following this, zero in on the goals you have set for yourself, the areas where you need to acquire expertise to achieve these objectives, and how the LBS program will be invaluable in this endeavour. You need to know the LBS curriculum inside out, and what the best takeaways are from it for you.

The question of “fit” should be the guiding-light of this essay. What do you intend to give to your study group or the larger LBS community? How are you going to impact your peers? How will you challenge conventional ideas? How will you adapt when others challenge yours? These are the high level questions you need to ponder upon while deciding your pitch.

One of the biggest sources of learning in B-school is peer to peer learning. Just imagine, if you are a tech guy and someone else is from finance, how much you two can learn from each other at LBS. That’s the biggest benefit of having a diversified and extremely talented peer group. You need to think of your core leadership skills and figure out the crucial leadership insights that you will share with your peers. You could share your knowledge on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, Big Data, Analytics etc. or on business domains such as e-commerce, private equity, venture capital etc.

The only way to write a winning goal essay is to differentiate yourself from others in your applicant pool. Your goals shouldn’t be unrealistic; on the other hand, they mustn’t be uninspiring or boring. You need to walk the extra mile to show LBS that you are convinced about the value addition of the program and it can offer you something that other programs (read Oxford, Cambridge and INSEAD) can’t.

LBS EMBA Essay Two:

Describe what it would mean to you personally to be an alumnus of London Business School, what you believe membership of the community represents, and how you would give back to London Business School in the future. (600 words)

To be the member of the LBS alumni group is a tremendous privilege. It's about getting in touch with cutting-edge ideas and networking with corporate leaders across sectors. Being a part of the alumni network means that you will rub shoulders with a group of people who are demonstrating excellence in whatever they are doing. You can make transformative changes in your company and make your mark in the corporate world. You can crack business deals across continents and raise funds from venture capital and private equity players for your business simply by dialing other alumni working in other parts of the world.

On the other hand, there is a tremendous social side as well. You don't want to miss any of the LBS reunion events as those are great fun events in which you can access a wealth of knowledge. There are 100+ alumni clubs of LBS with 10000+ members. From New York to Sydney and from private equity to sustainable business, clubs provide golden opportunities to network, socialize and exchange your views on business, politics, global economy and so on.

Now the question is what you plan to contribute to this vibrant LBS community. Post EMBA, you will become a brand ambassador of LBS and you will be the flag bearer of their rich legacy. So can you support the admissions team and share your LBS experience with prospective EMBA applicants? Will you organize reunion events in your own country or conferences / seminars on burning issues such as global warming and invite key political / business leaders of your country as keynote speakers? Will you organize any entrepreneurship event, a trip to Tanzania or just invite other alumni in your city for a weekend party?

As you realize, you can contribute to LBS community in numerous ways. So, think carefully and write a brilliant essay.

In conclusion, if written well, these two essays can differentiate you from other applicants. Talk to us if you wish to portray your uniqueness and show LBS that you are an ideal candidate that they are looking for.

LBS EMBA Application Deadlines & Class Profiles

Class Profile - London: Click here

Class Profile - Dubai: Click here

Deadlines: Click here


Sandip Bhattacharya MBA Admissions Consultant

Sandip Bhattacharya, General Management Program (Harvard), Master's in Creative Writing (Oxford)

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LBS Differentiation

  • Top ranked global program
  • Finance and Consulting powerhouse
  • Situated at the heart of London

LBS is known for

  • Complete the course in 15, 18 or 21 months
  • Shadow a CEO for up to a week
  • Access to Canary Wharf financial district

Apply if you have

  • Global career trajectory
  • Aspiration to work in global financial centers
  • Excellent leadership profile

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