USC Marshall MBA 2022-23 Essay Questions and Tips

USC Marshall MBA Essay One: What is your specific, immediate short-term career goal upon completion of your MBA? Please include an intended position, function, and industry in your response. (word limit: 100)

In just 100 words, you don’t have too much room to play. Describe your aspired position, industry and what are the things that you wish to accomplish in that role (bulk of this short essay should focus on this part)



USC Marshall MBA Essay Two: Please draft a letter that begins with "Dear Admissions Committee" (word limit: 600)

This letter is meant to be your personal statement that provides the Admissions Committee with an understanding of your candidacy for Marshall beyond what is evident in other parts of your application. This essay is purposely open-ended. You are free to express yourself in whatever way you see fit. Our goal is to have an appreciation for and an understanding of each candidate in ways that are not captured by test scores, grades, and resumes.

USC Marshall admissions team has literally given you an empty space to talk about anything. You can take any of the following paths:

  • Explain why MBA, why now and what values USC Marshall will add to your career
  • Talk about any major accomplishment to demonstrate your competence as a leader and describe how Marshall is going to make you a better leader. This accomplishment can be from professional career or personal life; however, I prefer a professional story here as essay # 1 is just 100 words. You can’t showcase your leadership competencies in essay #1. Hence, this is the ideal place to show your maturity as a leader. Example – an extremely challenging project in which you fought against all odds to succeed, any major initiative that you spearheaded in your organization etc.
  • Talk about a life changing event. Narrate the story in detail and explain how it offered eye-opening lessons that changed your life forever. Example – You provided support to your spouse who was battling cancer, layoff from job, an accident, etc.

How to Differentiate yourself?

Read some of the sample essays that I have helped my clients create for their successful B-school applications. All of them have been written and rewritten multiple times to project their differentiation. Read both the finalized essays and the basic write-ups given by the clients in order to understand the huge difference between the two. A meticulous review will help you to realize how much discussions and modifications were done to create the final pieces. Please don’t copy the ideas. I don’t mind if you do. But the chances are, they won’t suit your profile and it will jeopardize whatever odds you now have.

USC Marshall MBA Essay Three: (Optional) Please provide any additional information that will enhance our understanding of your candidacy for the program. (word limit: 250)

This is an optional essay. Please read about my feedback in my blog here.

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Sandip Bhattacharya MBA Admissions Consultant

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

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