unc mba essay example

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples

August 23, 2023

Jeremy Shinewald

Applicants to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School must provide two written essays of no more than 500 words each. The school’s first essay question requests several common elements of a traditional personal statement—career goals, why our school—plus a less common Plan B option. For the second required essay, candidates are asked to discuss a situation in which they helped create a positive impact for another person, group, or organization and to explain how the experience has influenced their view of what makes a responsible leader. Applicants with more to share about themselves or issues to explain can use the school’s optional essay to (briefly) offer this key information. Read on for our in-depth analysis of Kenan-Flagler’s 2023–2024 essay questions.

UNC Kenan-Flagler 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Essay 1 is required. your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following questions:, – what are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an mba at kenan-flagler business school, – as the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change and guide you in a different direction. should your goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore.

Kenan-Flagler’s career-related essay focuses strictly on applicants’ initial post-MBA job. Business schools know only too well that students regularly change their long-term professional plans after being exposed through the MBA experience to new people, information, and options and after learning new skills and ways of looking at the world and themselves. Given that reality, asking about candidates’ long-term goals can in some ways be a waste of time, if an admissions committee is not simply doing so to see evidence that the applicant has put serious thought into their plan for attending business school. With the first part of this prompt, Kenan-Flagler wants to know that you have thoroughly considered this next step in your career and are pursuing an MBA for very clear, specific reasons—not because you feel you are supposed to or because you are following in a parent’s footsteps, and definitely not because you do not know what else to do at this juncture in your life! (Believe it or not, these are all actual reasons some people choose to earn the degree.) Kenan-Flagler, like all top programs, wants engaged, driven, and focused individuals who are ready to be an active part of its MBA experience and to do big things with the knowledge and skills they acquire from it. Although the school does not ask you to lay out your background and explain how you reached this choice, providing some basic context for your goal is a good idea (just be succinct!) to ensure that the admissions committee understands that your plans are reasonable and fitting for you.

The school is also looking for a brief explanation of “Why Kenan-Flagler?” The admissions committee wants evidence that you have researched its MBA program thoroughly enough to have pinpointed resources and offerings that directly align with your particular interests and needs. This is the part of our essay analysis where we once again urge you to get to know a school well beyond its website and published materials. If at all possible, visit the campus or sit in on a class in person right now (or at least do so online), and connect with students and alumni, read recent press releases and student blogs, and peruse the Kenan-Flagler YouTube channel. Identify clubs, events, courses, initiatives, and other opportunities that resonate with you and relate to who you want to be by the time you graduate and going forward in your career. Ideally, Kenan-Flagler offers one or more specific resources or experiences that you believe are vital in achieving your goals and are not available elsewhere. When you include this information in your essay, do not simply provide a list but instead explain how you will engage with these elements of the MBA program and what you expect to gain from them.

With career goals essays, candidates often feel they must be totally unequivocal in their stated aspirations, but with the second part of this essay prompt, Kenan-Flagler is giving applicants room to speculate on and discuss other options. The admissions committee knows that sometimes the best-laid plans do not play out as expected or might even yield unintended results, and the school wants to know not only that you are prepared to switch gears and recommit to a different path, if necessary, but also that you are fully capable of doing so. The key is to show that your alternate goal is just as connected to your skills, interests, and ambitions as your original plan and does not come “out of left field,” so to speak. For example, you would probably have a difficult time convincing the admissions committee that your short-term goal is to work in technology consulting while your alternate goal would be to work in human resources, because these industries, for the most part, require entirely different skills and personalities. Just be mindful that both goals you present must be plausible and achievable.

Overall, this essay encompasses a few core elements of a traditional personal statement essay, so we encourage you to download our free mbaMission Personal Statement Guide for more in-depth guidance. This complimentary publication offers detailed advice on approaching and framing these subjects, along with multiple illustrative examples.

Essay 2 is required. Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following question:

Reflect on a project or initiative you were involved in that had a significant positive impact on a community, organization, or individual. how did this experience shape your sense of responsibility as a future leader dedicated to making a difference in the world .

Although Kenan Flagler asks you to explain how the experience you discuss in this essay has influenced the kind of responsible leader you intend to be in the future, take note that you do not have to have served as the leader in the story you are sharing. This—and the fact that you can draw your story from any area of your life (professional, personal, community/volunteer)—opens up your options quite a bit. Your core goal here is to describe a time when your actions resulted in a positive outcome for others and the result left a lasting mark on you as well.

You will obviously have to convey what the “positive impact” ultimately was, and on whom. And despite the limited word count, do your best to “show,” or really spell out, how things unfolded—rather than just stating the outcome or flatly presenting the situation—to give the admissions reader perspective on how you conduct yourself and achieve. The admissions committee wants to understand that the decisions you made (or were involved in making) and the actions you took clearly paid off and that an organization, individual, or group subsequently experienced an improvement of some kind. And because past behavior is generally believed to be a reliable indicator of future behavior, by explaining your specific role in the situation, you show the admissions committee not only some of the skills you possess but also how you apply them.

As part of your discussion of what you took away from the experience with respect to how you anticipate conducting yourself as a leader in the future, be sure to touch on why you believe making a positive difference for others matters. This will provide the admissions reader with some insight into your values as well as your capabilities and could help you stand out. Kenan-Flagler wants individuals who intend to use their knowledge and talents to achieve good things not just for themselves but also for the communities they belong to, and ideally, to the world. So show the admissions committee you are just this kind of candidate.

Essay 3 is optional. We encourage you to tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person and potential member of the Carolina community. Use this essay to convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application. Your response should be no longer than 200 words.

Optional topics:, – personal or professional accomplishments, – interests and passions, – gaps in work experience or inconsistent academic performance, – context for recommender selection, – a fun fact about yourself.

Kenan-Flagler’s optional essay prompt swings the door wide open (or as wide as 200 words will allow, that is) for applicants to discuss pretty much anything they feel strongly that the admissions committee needs to know about them. In general, we tend to believe that the best use of the optional essay is to explain confusing or problematic issues in your candidacy, and this prompt obviously offers an opportunity to do that. So, if you need to, this is your chance to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your profile—a poor grade or overall GPA, a low GMAT or GRE score, a disciplinary issue, etc. In our free mbaMission Optional Essays Guide , we offer detailed advice on how best to take advantage of the optional essay, with multiple examples, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your application.

However, Kenan-Flagler does not stipulate that you can only discuss a problem area in this essay and even offers some lighthearted suggestions in its “optional topics” list. So this is where you can technically share anything you feel the admissions committee must be aware of to fully understand you as a candidate and evaluate you effectively. We caution you against trying to fill this space simply because you fear that not doing so would somehow count against you, though. (It will not, and remember, whenever you submit an additional essay, you are asking the admissions committee to do extra work on your behalf, so make sure that time is warranted!) If you ultimately decide to write an optional essay, avoid being overly verbose or needlessly creative. Simply craft a brief submission that reveals this illuminating new aspect of your candidacy.

Re-Applicant Essay: Essay 4 is required only for previous applicants to any UNC MBA program format. Your response should be no longer than 100 words and should address the following prompt:

If you are re-applying to the program, we appreciate your continued interest in unc kenan-flagler. we require a complete application in addition to a brief essay that describes how your application differs from your previous submission and that alerts us to new test scores, a recent promotion, or other areas that demonstrate how you have strengthened your candidacy. .

Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Kenan-Flagler wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because an MBA from its program is important to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.

2023-2024 Business School Essays MBA Essay Tips University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)

Tags: business school essay MBA application essays optional essay reapplicants UNC Kenan-Flagler

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UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022 – 2023]

Are you a team leader? Are you committed to sustainable enterprise? Are you seeking resources and intellectual capital needed to shape both business and government? Are you a motivated, goal-oriented, innovative individual? UNC Kenan-Flagler adcoms are interested in seeing your multidimensional personality and capabilities. Your challenge: Prove that your goals mesh with the school’s goals and that your talents will contribute to the program’s collaborative nature.

UNC Kenan-Flagler 2022-2023 MBA application essays

The Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina has two required essays and one optional essay.

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA essay #1

Please respond to the questions below that will assist us in learning more about you: (500 words)

What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School.
As the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change and guide you in a different direction. Should your goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore?

What do you see yourself doing immediately upon graduation and why? Perhaps include the most influential experience that convinced you to go down this path? And then the critical: Why do you need an MBA from UNC with its approach to business education to realize your dream?

UNC also wants to know your Plan B. If you are aiming for Goldman Sachs and a career in investment banking, would your backup plan be a similar position with, let’s say, Bank of America or would it be a position in corporate finance or with a startup? If you are aiming for McKinsey, Bain, or BCG, what would your Plan B be? Perhaps a position in a leadership rotation program? Or would it be working for a company like Deloitte or A. T. Kearney?

Your Plan B needs to be at least as achievable as Plan A – if not more so. It should also be related to A so that the education you receive can also help you attain it.

Check out our free guide, Why MBA? for more tips on writing about post-MBA goals.

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UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA essay #2

We all belong to different communities representing various aspects of who we are, including groups we belong to, where we come from, how we think, what we believe, and how we see and experience the world. The process of discovery is strengthened when people with diverse perspectives and life experiences come together to share and learn from one another, negotiate differences, and engage in diplomacy. How do you envision furthering your growth as an inclusive leader as a MBA student and future business leader? (500 words)

This is a big question with limited room for your answer. You can succinctly – perhaps illustrating with a brief example or anecdote – discuss an aspect of your identity and how in the past you included someone of a different identity or belief system. Illustrate with a brief example or anecdote. Then bring this story and value forward to your hoped-for experience at UNC and as a future business leader. How will you use that previous experience to continue down the inclusive path you establish at UNC and beyond?

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA essay #3 (Optional)

We encourage you to tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person and potential member of the Carolina community. Use this essay to convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application. (200 words) Optional topics:

Personal or professional accomplishments
Interests and passions
Gaps in work experience or inconsistent academic performance
Context for recommender selection
A fun fact about yourself

Key elements in the instructions for this optional essay:

“Tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person.” This is not about the widgets or apps you’ve created or the 3-letter acronyms that define your work. It’s about you as a human being and potential member of their community. Why should they want to hang out with you?
“Convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application.” Don’t repeat material found elsewhere in the app. No grand finales.

While you could use it to provide context for an application weakness, you can also use this essay for “interests and passions” or a “fun fact about yourself.” Let them see this side of you, which may not come through in the required portions of the application.

Again, they are genuinely trying to meet you and assess whether you will add to their community. Give them reasons to conclude that you will.

Watch: UNC Kenan-Flagler alum, Al Dea, discusses the most valuable aspects of his UNC MBA experience

UNC Kenan-Flagler 2022-23 MBA application deadlines

*Final deadline for international applicants.

Source: UNC Kenan-Flagler website

For expert guidance with your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages , which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you too!

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Related Resources:

Why MBA? , a free guide
A Kenan-Flagler Student Discusses Industrial Engineering, Healthcare and Business
MBA Insider and UNC Alum Shares His Secrets in New Book , a podcast episode

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UNC MBA Essays: Tips for Kenan-Flagler 2023-2024

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, behavioral essays, etc. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School.

Career Goals Essay

What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School?
As the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change and guide you in a different direction. Should your goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore? (upload file, 500 words)

Behavioral Essay

How do you envision furthering your growth as an inclusive leader as a MBA student and future business leader? (upload file, 500 words)

Optional Essay

Personal or professional accomplishments
Interests and passions
Gaps in work experience or inconsistent academic performance
Context for recommender selection
A fun fact about yourself

Applying to UNC Kenan-Flagler

At UNC Flagler, they have a customizable curriculum that urges their students to think innovatively and deal with problems head-on. Through the story you relate in your essay, the admissions council is looking to see if you reflect these same values that the school does. The school is looking for students who are innovative and yearn to gain tangible work experience in the program that they can use to further their career. The best way to represent that you possess those qualities is through the type of essay you choose to write.

It’s crucial to pick the right experience to discuss in your essay, and the different types of prompts help narrow that down for you. Keep reading for a closer look at the different types of essays, and how best to utilize them in order to write some stand-out UNC MBA essays.

The Career Goals Essay

You’re not the only one hoping you’ll have a job after you’ve graduated with your MBA. Admissions committees are looking for students who are motivated and clear in their intentions so that when they get a job post-grad, they’ll be more willing to speak positively of their experience in the program. And, of course, in the hopes that their alumni will earn enough money to become a donor to the school one day.

For example, if you aim to work in real estate, this is an essay to take seriously. UNC Kenan-Flagler is well-known for their alumni’s success in the real estate field, and showing them that you also strive to achieve that same success is wholly beneficial to your chances of being admitted.

There are three aspects to the career goals essay:

What you want your future profession to look like.
Why an MBA is necessary to advance your career.
Particularly, why a degree from UNC Kenan-Flagler will be most beneficial to you and your job plan.

Your aspirations need to be convincing, ambitious, and realistic. The admissions committee is looking for applicants who have meaningful goals grounded in their past experiences, and it’s important that you relate that notion in your essay, however it applies to your experience in life.

The Behavioral Essay

To make it simple: the behavioral essay is meant to show UNC Kenan-Flagler that you have developed some sort of leadership skills, what your values are as a leader, and how you are going to most benefit from their development programs.

The admissions committee is looking for applicants that are self-reflective. Whether it’s through a setback you’ve experienced, or how you dealt with situations that have gone awry, the school is looking for students who are resilient and able to learn from their mistakes.

Do not overexaggerate (or underexaggerate!) the situations you decide to write about. Be honest about what happened; UNC Flagler is looking for genuine people to join their campus community, and they are less likely to admit an applicant who has overinflated their prior experiences.

Last but not least, make sure to describe what you learned and how you implemented this in a subsequent situation. This is an expected element of the behavioral essay, even if it’s not directly written in the prompt. Prompts that deal with these topics can be daunting, especially when they require you to write about a weakness you have or a failure you’ve experienced.

Once you’ve completed your application, the optional UNC MBA essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

Writing strong, coherent, genuine stories is an essential part of your MBA application. These essays are meant to help you stand out among many other applicants, so it is worth your time to do the work and write about situations unique to your life and that you truly learned from.

Struggling to tackle Kenan-Flagler MBA admissions essays? Our experienced team specialize in MBA admissions consulting , offering personalized guidance to help you craft compelling essays that stand out.

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UNC MBA Essays 2023-2024: Tips From an Insider

Are you gearing up to apply for your MBA at UNC Kenan-Flagler? Congratulations on taking this important step in your academic and professional journey! With an exceptional reputation, a tightly knit alumni network, and an experienced admissions team dedicated to helping applicants succeed, UNC is truly a great university. But as with any top-tier program, getting accepted requires more than simply meeting the minimum requirements — it involves knowing how to stand out among competitors from around the world. As a former assistant director of MBA admissions at Kenan-Flagler Business School with experience reading hundreds of applications every year, we are here today to provide you with invaluable advice about preparing for one of the most important parts of your application: The UNC MBA essays.

UNC MBA Essays 2023-2024 Overview

For the 2023-2024 academic year, UNC Kenan-Flagler is asking applicants to submit three essays: the career goals essay, the leadership essay, and the optional essay. The career goals essay provides an opportunity for you to share your short-term and long-term career aspirations, including why you have chosen an MBA as the path to achieve these goals.

The leadership essay allows you to showcase your leadership skills and experiences, demonstrating your ability to succeed in managerial roles.

Finally, the optional essay is a chance for you to share additional information that can’t be conveyed in other parts of the application, perhaps explaining any gaps in employment, academic challenges or unique circumstances that merit elaboration.

The Most Crucial Part of Your Essay Writing Strategy: A Flawless Resume

Before diving into your UNC MBA essays, ensure your resume is impeccable. Your resume serves as a comprehensive snapshot of your academic and professional journey, highlighting your accomplishments, skills, and experience.

Think of it as the foundation upon which your essays are built. If your resume is flawed or incomplete, it can undermine the credibility of your application, irrespective of how well your essays are crafted.

herefore, your resume must be meticulously reviewed and updated to accurately reflect your qualifications and achievements. A well-crafted resume will not only reinforce the claims made in your essays but also provide a consistent narrative about your career progression and aspirations.

The bell tower is an iconic view of the UNC-Chapell Hill campus

Why Are Essays Important in the Admissions Process at Kenan-Flagler?

The essays in your UNC MBA application are a crucial aspect of your admissions process, providing a platform for you to address the admissions committee directly and share your narrative. These essays reveal your motivations, ambitions, leadership potential, and unique qualities that aren’t captured by your test scores or resume . They provide an understanding of who you are as an individual, beyond your professional achievements.

The committee looks for compelling, well-articulated essays that reflect a deep self-understanding, clear career goals, and a strong rationale for choosing UNC’s MBA program. This is why perfection in your essays is not just about impeccable grammar or eloquence; it’s about delivering a coherent, authentic and inspiring narrative that aligns with UNC’s values and objectives. A perfectly crafted essay can be the determining factor that tips the balance in your favor in a pool of highly competitive applicants.

Now, let us examine each prompt more closely.

Essay 1 is a mandatory requirement. Your response must not exceed 500 words and should encompass the following inquiries:

What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School?
As the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change that can guide you in a different direction. Should the goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore?

This is a typical career goals essay. In terms of structure, we recommend that you address each section of the essay in the presented order. You should start by outlining your professional aspirations, including the immediate post-MBA position you aim for, as well as your long-term objective. Subsequently, you should provide a compelling explanation for your decision to pursue a graduate business education at Kenan-Flagler. Refering to an online event, or conversations with students and alumni — will work well here.

You should allocate an important part of your essay to discuss how specific courses and student clubs at UNC can equip you with the necessary skills and knowledge to bridge the gap between your current abilities and the requirements of your chosen career paths. To answer this part of the prompt, it is essential to thoroughly research Kenan-Flagler’s MBA program , including its curriculum, special programs, and extracurricular activities. Familiarizing yourself with these details will be crucial.

To effectively demonstrate your genuine interest and alignment with the objectives of the program, you should invest time in understanding the intricacies of Kenan-Flagler’s offerings. This will not only enhance your ability to demonstrate fit but also present your candidacy in a polished and articulate manner, capturing the essence of your qualifications and achievements.

In conclusion, consider exploring additional paths that may contribute to your long-term plan. It is important to acknowledge that flexibility is sometimes required while pursuing a long-term goal. By understanding this, you can demonstrate your ability to navigate the MBA journey with greater adaptability and resilience.

Your UNC MBA Essays Should Not Repeat Your Resume

Your UNC MBA essays should not merely replicate your resume; instead, they should serve as an extension that offers deeper insights into your capabilities, experiences, and aspirations. A resume often provides a limited view of your accomplishments, defined by specific roles, responsibilities, and achievements.

In contrast, an essay allows you to articulate your journey, motivations, and vision in a more comprehensive and personal manner. It enables you to narrate stories that reflect your character, values, and decision-making process, which might not evidently transpire through a resume. Thus, by providing this expanded view of your profile, the essays help the admissions committee to understand you better as an individual, beyond just your professional credentials. This in-depth understanding, in return, can significantly influence your admission prospects.

Brainstorming for Your Essays

Brainstorming for your UNC MBA essays is crucial to crafting compelling narratives that highlight your strengths, passions, and aspirations. This process should start by reflecting on your career goals and leadership experiences, as well as any unique circumstances you may need to address in the optional essay.

Consider drafting a list of key points you wish to communicate in each essay to ensure that you present a well-rounded picture of your potential as a business leader. Remember, the essays are your opportunity to provide the admissions committee with insight into who you are beyond your transcript and résumé. Therefore, be genuine and thorough in your responses, ensuring they align with your overall application narrative and reinforce your candidacy for the MBA program at UNC Kenan-Flagler.

Crafting Your Responses to the UNC MBA Essays

When crafting your responses to the UNC MBA essay questions, it’s essential to maintain a clear and concise narrative that aligns with your overall application. Start each essay by succinctly presenting your thoughts and gradually delve into the details, ensuring your responses directly address the essay prompts.

Use specific examples from your past experiences to highlight your qualifications and to demonstrate how an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler will help you achieve your career goals. Avoid being overly verbose or straying from the topic.

Remember, the goal is to allow the admissions committee to understand your individuality, motivations, and potential as a future business leader. Be sure to proofread your essays for clarity, coherence, and correct grammar, ensuring they present a polished and professional image.

Main building of the UNC-Chapell Hill campus

Review and Refine Your Writing

Once you have completed your initial drafts for the UNC MBA essays, it’s time to review and refine your writing. This process is vital to ensure your content effectively communicates your thoughts and intentions. Reread your essays with a critical eye, checking for any inconsistencies in your narrative or unclear statements.

Look for instances where you could be more precise or where an example could better illustrate your point. Consider getting feedback from a mentor, a colleague, or a career coach, as they can provide an outside perspective and potentially identify areas for improvement that you may have overlooked.

Additionally, use online grammar and spell-check tools to catch any errors. Remember, your goal is to submit well-crafted responses that effectively convey your potential as a future business leader.

What to Avoid When Writing Your UNC MBA Essays

Avoiding certain mistakes can significantly improve the quality of your UNC MBA essays. For instance, steer clear of generic or clichéd statements that don’t add value to your narrative. Be careful not to overuse buzzwords or jargon, which might make your essays sound artificial or insincere.

Avoid making unsupported claims; always back up your statements with specific examples or experiences. It’s also crucial not to underestimate the importance of following the essay instructions. Ignoring word limits or straying off-topic can leave a negative impression on the admissions committee.

Lastly, avoid submitting your essays without thoroughly proofreading for grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors, as they can detract from the overall quality and professionalism of your application.

UNC MBA essays should adress main aspecis of the Kenan Flagler Culture such as the bell tower

Strategies for Preparing an Application That Stands Out

Every element of your UNC MBA application should be meticulously crafted, presenting a piece of the puzzle that, when put together, offers a comprehensive portrayal of your unique character, experiences, and aspirations.

Think of your application as an opportunity to tell a compelling story in which each component – from your essays to your resume and recommendation letters – contributes a distinct yet cohesive chapter.

This approach is critical as it allows the admissions committee to gain a nuanced understanding of who you are, both professionally and personally. A disjointed or inconsistent application could lead to confusion or misinterpretation.

Achieving harmony in the separate elements not only demonstrates your attention to detail and organizational skills, but also helps paint a vivid, truthful, and engaging picture of your journey and potential.

Tips From an Insider on How to Make Your UNC MBA Application Shine

A UNC MBA insider would advise applicants to make their essays shine by delving into personal, tangible experiences that highlight their leadership skills, teamwork abilities, or entrepreneurial spirit.

Be authentic and sincere, allowing your true personality to shine through. Showing your passion for your chosen field or the specific program at UNC can be a compelling addition to your essay.

Moreover, ensure that your essays align with your other application components, such as your resume and recommendation letters, to present a consistent and cohesive picture of who you are as a candidate. Lastly, don’t forget the power of storytelling—a well-told narrative can captivate the admissions committee, making your application memorable.

Now that you know the critical tips for crafting a standout UNC MBA essay, you may be wondering where to go from here. You should start by keeping these ideas in mind as you work on your essays: create a strong narrative of who you’ve become and what drives you, focus on the storytelling aspect of writing, and don’t forget to edit!

As daunting as this process may seem right now, with the right approach and resources, it will prove an enjoyable challenge. Do bear in mind that mistakes are often positive learning experiences; some of our favorite acceptance letters came after numerous revisions. Ultimately, putting forth your best effort in this endeavor will very likely result in success. So if you find yourself truly at a loss or just unsure about how to best approach your essays, there is no shame in reaching out for help.

Check out our MBA essay services ; we offer packages (from scratch) or hourly service to refine draft — helpful resources that can make all the difference in standing out among hundreds of other applicants With dedication and persistence, you will reap the rewards expected of an aspiring member of America’s foremost business school. Good luck!

With a Master’s from McGill University and a Ph.D. from New York University, Dr. Philippe Barr is the founder of The Admit Lab. As a tenure-track professor, Dr. Barr spent a decade teaching and serving as assistant director of MBA admissions at Kenan-Flagler Business School before turning to full-time consulting. With more than seven years of experience as a graduate school admissions consultant, Dr. Barr has stewarded the candidate journey across multiple master’s and Ph.D. programs and helped hundreds of students get admitted to top-tier graduate programs all over the world .

Follow Dr. Barr on YouTub e for tips and tricks on navigating the MBA application process and navigating life as an MBA student.

FOUR WAYS TO CRAFT A COMPELLING MBA ESSAY

October 9, 2014

Writing an MBA admissions essay can be daunting for many prospective students—but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, the essay section presents a unique opportunity for applicants to show that they’re more than just a GMAT score, a GPA or the jobs outlined on a resume. MBA admissions essays are not one-size-fits-all, and while this flexibility allows applicants to express themselves more freely, the lack of structure can leave many students scratching their heads. The truth is that there is no secret to impressing the admissions committee—and if you try too hard to tell them what they want to hear, you may end up hindering your chances of acceptance. Instead, you should take full advantage of the creative freedom that you’ve been given while also adhering to a few core points that can help you demonstrate that you are an ideal candidate. As you prepare your application, here is some guidance for making your essay stand out.

1. Make Sure You Answer the Question

It may sound obvious, but it is imperative that you actually answer the question that is being asked. When you only vaguely address the question, it shows a lack of focus or worse—an inability to follow directions. To ensure that you are on the right track, stop writing and re-read the question halfway through. Have you veered off topic? Sometimes gaining an outsider’s perspective is necessary to determining whether you have clearly answered the question, so you might also ask for feedback from someone you trust. One good strategy is to have a colleague read your essay, without letting them know the prompt. Can your colleague tell you what the prompt was? If so, you know that you have answered the question clearly.

2. Explain Your Career Goals

The admissions committee is looking for applicants who are dedicated and goal oriented. To demonstrate these qualities, you need to do more than state what industry you see yourself working in post-graduation. Be specific. What kind of company appeals to you? What role do you see yourself stepping into in the future? How is an MBA going to help you get there? Separate your short-term and long-term goals to show that you have distinct objectives for your time in the MBA program and beyond. Then, detail how your studies and work experiences contribute to your overall strengths and help differentiate you as an applicant. Most important, explain how an MBA degree is going to help you achieve your long-term career aspirations. It may help to look through the course catalog and identify specific classes that will allow you to reach your goals. Do market research to demonstrate your knowledge of the industry and your understanding of recent trends and developments within the field, and consider including a timeline for your career objectives so that the admissions team can see you have a realistic vision.

3. Be Clear and Concise

Wordiness, particularly in the introduction, will get you nowhere—and may turn off the reader. In fact, U.S. News & World Report noted that many schools have cut the essay length by as much as half . Pay attention to your word count, and be sure you don’t exceed the maximum length requirement. Many schools consider it far more impressive when a student’s writing is straightforward and succinct, rather than long and wordy. It is a skill that shows discipline and attention to detail, and one that the admissions committee knows will be valuable in the business world, whether a person is giving a presentation, pitching an idea or composing a report. However, it can still be easier to start out with more content and trim as needed. That way you can make sure you cover all the essential points.

4. Highlight Your Unique Selling Points

It’s important to reflect on what personal qualities or experiences might give you an edge over other prospective students. Share specific anecdotes and vivid details to make your essay more memorable and help distinguish you from other applicants. Many schools offer an optional additional essay, and it can be in your best interest to answer this question. Depending on the school’s essay prompts, it can be challenging to share everything that makes you a viable candidate within the confines of the required essay questions. Feel free to use the optional essay to present any facts or details that show a different side of you. If there are any inconsistencies in your academic or professional background, the optional essay is a great chance to address them.

Request More Information

The following questions will help us get a better understanding of your background and whether you are a good fit for the program. After completion, you will receive additional information via email and an admissions counselor will reach out to help answer any questions.

We can improve your MBA profile and boost your candidacy. Gain insight into the review process and eliminate weaknesses from your MBA application.

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Tuesday Tips: Kenan-Flagler Application Essay Tips for 2023-2024

The UNC Kenan-Flagler application essay questions focus on learning more about you. At UNC, a world-class university offers resources beyond the MBA program. The Research Triangle region is home to global corporations as well as startups, small and midsized firms, and nonprofits. In Raleigh alone, you’ll find more than 500 startups spanning sectors such as software, automated marketing, life sciences, consumer packaged goods, media/design, and IoT device manufacturers.

There are several global immersion opportunities with each program at UNC Kenan-Flagler . Also, students love the environment in Chapel Hill; it’s a beautiful and lively college town. Celebrated for its temperate climate, flourishing foodie scene, and friendly locals, the Triangle offers UNC MBA students a vibrant atmosphere without the urban grind.

Curious about your chances of getting into a top B-school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.

UNC Kenan-Flagler Application Essays

From the admissions committee: You’ll respond to two required essay questions and one optional question. Your responses should be concise, clear, and introspective, as we’ll use them to learn more about you, your motivations, and your aspirations.

Required Essay 1

Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following questions:

What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School?

As the business world continues to evolve, circumstances can change and guide you in a different direction. should the goals that you provided above not transpire, what other opportunities would you explore.

This first essay in the Kenan-Flagler application asks a primary career goals question and a “Plan B.” Knowing yourself is the best first step in this essay. What has your career taught you, both in hard skills and soft skills? How have leadership opportunities grown your perspective? Think about the experiences of your work life. And what you have learned about yourself.

Then, describe your short-term career goals. As a program, UNC provides individual career guidance and has a recruiter focus. Therefore, realistic career goals help the admissions committee imagine you at UNC. Finally, show a clear link between your career goals and your MBA. What skills will you gain from classes and clubs to bring to your post-MBA job?

UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School essay questions

Everyone’s life takes twists and turns. And, often, your path takes you in another direction. For that reason, this essay also asks about your Plan B. To answer the question, consider how your experience and MBA can apply to different goals.

For example, your Plan A is to work in consulting and then transition to a strategy role at a CPG firm. If you cannot land that job, you could look for in-house strategy roles to gain experience. Or, you could work in a different kind of professional services firm, such as marketing research. Finally, as long as you focus on the type of work that appeals to you and the roles that fit, you will find the right path.

Required Essay 2

Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following question:

Reflect on a project or initiative you were involved in that had a significant positive impact on a community, organization, or individual. How did this experience shape your sense of responsibility as a future leader dedicated to making a difference in the world?

Like most schools, UNC Kenan-Flagler focuses on inclusive leadership and impact leadership, specifically making a difference in the world. Thoughtful and nuanced leadership is vital to your UNC MBA application. That means showing that you are empathetic and understanding. Even if you are not a leader now, you can positively impact those around you. For this essay, you are asked to describe a time when you had that positive impact on a community, an organization or an individual.

Consider using the STAR method for this essay. In the STAR method, you will first describe the Situation, which is the background to the story. Think about where you were working and volunteering, and with what group of people or individuals. Then, you will describe the Task. Think about the Task as the goal you were trying to accomplish. The third part is the Action you took. Here you should be specific about what you thought, said, and did in the situation. Finally, the Result. What happened, and how did everyone feel about it?

Finally, this essay asks you to reflect upon the experience and how it has shaped your sense of responsibility as a future leader. Consider the impact you had and how you felt about it. Ideally, you have already demonstrated a desire to make a difference, and you have the basic ability to do so.

You will also learn more about leadership in your MBA program, and you could write about some of those leadership skills you plan to hone in this essay. As always, be specific and identify programs and professors you are excited to learn from.

Optional Essay

We encourage you to tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person and potential member of the carolina community. use this essay to convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application. your response should be no longer than 200 words., optional topics:.

Personal or professional accomplishments
Interests and passions
Gaps in work experience or inconsistent academic performance
Context for recommender selection
A fun fact about yourself

This Kenan-Flagler optional application allows you to discuss either areas of concern or personal topics.

First, identify any gaps in your overall application. Then, consider if you need to explain those gaps. For example, if you do not have the required classes listed, you may have learned the same topics at work. Or consider registering for continuing education classes. Finally, substantial work experience can help offset poor academics. Or, explain that you have taken courses since undergrad and received high grades.

Reapplicant Essay

If you are re-applying to the program, we appreciate your continued interest in unc kenan-flagler. we require a complete application in addition to a brief essay (100 words or less) that describes how your application differs from your previous submission and that alerts us to new test scores, a recent promotion, or other areas that demonstrate how you have strengthened your candidacy..

The Kenan-Flagler application requires re-applicants to complete all of the required essays. You should take 100 words to describe what has changed since your last application. Also, ideas for this essay include updates like a promotion or a new job.

If you don’t have a resume change, consider updates like a change in career focus. Or, you may have learned new skills in other ways, such as in a stretch project at work. Overall, this is your chance to show you are a stronger candidate now than last year.

Finally, to learn more about the Kenan-Flagler UNC MBA program, please visit the school website .

Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership to test prep to hourly help with targeted tasks. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant. Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

If you have an interview coming up, you will want to review SBC’s interview prep services . The key to interview success is practice and we provide you with all the tools you need to do just that.

Leverage our video platform to practice, view yourself and improve
Work with our experts for live rehearsal and feedback
Download a guide for lists of practice questions, tips on how to prep and overviews of interview formats
Experience a real group interview before your big day

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The UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Interview – What to Expect + Sample Questions

Oct 28, 2023

How the Kenan-Flagler interview works

Who is kenan-flagler looking for, how can you prepare for your kenan-flagler interview, what to do if you get a question you haven’t prepared an answer for, make sure you get into kenan-flagler.

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on February 17, 2020. It has been updated with 2023/24 information and tips below.

Located in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, UNC Kenan-Flagler is a popular school for savvy professionals seeking a school with top-notch academics and recruiting and a ton of school spirit.

However, with a highly-regarded STEM-designated business analytics major, the competition to join Kenan-Flagler’s elite MBA is more difficult than ever.

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Kenan-Flagler admissions interview to stand out. We’ve rounded up not only our best tips but have also included sample interview questions to ensure you give your Kenan-Flagler interview your best shot.

Making sure you shine during your Kenan-Flagler interview is no easy task.

UNC interviews, since they are conducted by the admissions committee, tend to be highly personalized and focused on getting to know you better . During the interview, the interviewer is also trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how interested you seem in the Kenan-Flagler program, and if you are truly a good fit for UNC’s tight-knit community.

Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as questions designed to test just how collaborative you really are. You can also expect numerous follow-up questions.

Our clients who have interviewed with Kenan-Flagler in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers . Though questions do tend to focus on standard MBA interview questions, be ready for anything.

Who will interview you?

You will interview with a member of the admissions committee.

Will the interviewer have read my application?

The Kenan-Flagler interview is blind, meaning the interviewer will only have access to your CV. This means that you can repeat examples from your essays if you choose to.

How long will the Kenan-Flagler interview last?

30 minutes.

“At UNC Kenan-Flagler, you’ll learn and collaborate in a diverse, team-based culture built on our core values. When you graduate, you’ll join a powerful network of ambitious, successful Tar Heels who take initiative, lead teams, and make an impact for the companies they serve and the communities in which they live.” UNC Kenan-Flagler Admissions

Every year, UNC Kenan Flagler selects a group of outstanding professionals to join its annual class of around 250 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity, there is no “typical” UNC student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2025 did tend to have a 696 average GMAT score and 5 years of work experience.

Beyond the impressive statistics, though, UNC is looking for candidates who want to make a positive impact on the world through their careers and be active contributors to the Tar Heel family. That’s why, in addition to strong academic performance (demonstrated through the GMAT and university grades), Kenan-Flagler seeks candidates who possess the following qualities:

Though no interview is 100% predictable, Kenan-Flagler interviews do tend to center around a fairly standard list of MBA interview questions. As such, we have prepared some model questions below that previous candidates have received in their past UNC interviews.

SAMPLE KENAN-FLAGLER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

The questions below are drawn from our clients’ interview reports, as well as from sites like clearadmit.com . Though these are not all the potential questions you could possibly receive during your UNC interview, preparing for these (and any follow-up questions you think you might be asked) should give you a very solid foundation for your interview.

STARTING UP QUESTIONS

Tell me about yourself. (Expect follow-up questions)
What do you do in your current job? What does a typical day look like?
Why did you choose your university?
What was your undergraduate experience like?
Can you tell me more about any international experience you have?
What is your greatest professional achievement so far?
What is your greatest personal achievement so far?
What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
What is your plan B in case these goals are not achievable?
Why do you want an MBA?
Why UNC Kenan-Flagler?
What will you bring to Kenan-Flagler?
What other schools have you applied to? If you get into all of them, how will you choose where to go?
Have you visited campus? Spoken with alumni?

LEADERSHIP & TEAMWORK

Tell me about a time when you didn’t get along with someone on your team. What did you do?
Tell me about one instance when you disagreed with your boss and how you handled the situation.
Do you have any experience leading or managing a team?
For you, what is the difference between a manager and a leader?
Tell me about a time you were a leader.

MISCELLANEOUS BEHAVIORAL

Tell me an example of when things didn’t work out as you planned.
Tell me about a time when you were pushed to your limits at work.
How would your friends describe you?
How would your manager describe you?
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Tell me about a time you failed.
Is there anything else you would like us to know about you?
Is there anything you wished I had asked you?
Questions for me?

We have found that answering real interview questions on the spot is a much better means of preparation than reading lists of interview questions for most candidates.

We highly suggest you take a look at mock interview questions and sample interview responses before your interview .

Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of real interview mocks from Kenan-Flagler, as well as detailed guides to help you prepare for questions ranging from “Why our MBA program?” to “Tell us about a time you failed.”

The Ellin Lolis Consulting MBA Resource Center is your one-stop shop for interview success. Click to join !

If you’re still not quite confident with your interview skills, our interview experts can help you craft your answers or prepare you for the Kenan Flagler interview through mock interviews tailored to your profile.

Despite your most diligent preparation, you will almost always receive a question you had not prepared.

First, stay calm and take a deep breath . You have already made it this far in the process, and one question will not trip you up!

Second, make sure you directly answer the question the interviewer asked you. For example, if the interviewer asks you about a time you had to deal with a difficult manager, make sure to tell a story about a difficult manager and how you handled the situation.

If you’re having trouble thinking of an answer or an example to support your answer , however, take a drink of water to give yourself a few more minutes to think. If you really can’t think of an example from your personal or professional experience, you can use a hypothetical answer about how you would act in a certain situation.

Finally, assume that the interviewer is testing how you think on your feet and respond to questions you didn’t prepare in advance. Though your answer might not be as polished as if you’d had weeks to rehearse it, smile and confidently respond to show you can handle any question they throw at you.

Several years ago, I had the pleasure of helping a client, Phillip, put the finishing touches on his MBA admissions essays . A stellar candidate in all regards, those essays secured him interviews at all of the impressive set of elite programs he applied to!

Phillip was overjoyed when he called me with the news but was surprised that the first words out of my mouth (after “Congratulations!” of course) were, “Well it sounds like we have a lot of practicing ahead of us.”

Though Phillip knew the statistics — at most elite MBAs, only 50% of candidates called to interview are actually admitted — he felt he’d already overcome the toughest hurdle and could relax a bit. “I’m really good with people,” he said, “so I’m just going to go in there and be myself.”

In the end, Phillip got 5 dings and ended up having to reapply the following year.

Practice is incredibly important. Especially when it comes to public speaking and highly-competitive selective processes.

Our interview prep and practice service focuses on helping you determine what to highlight in your interview depending on the program while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic. We also help you choose (and perfect) culturally appropriate examples based on the schools you’re interviewing for.

Don’t undersell your success. Get in touch and discover why, after helping dozens of candidates get accepted into top MBA programs through 1:1 interview prep , we have a 98.9% success rate.

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted

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98.9% Success Rate

With our expertise and 98.9% success rate in placing our consulting clients in at least one of their target schools, we can add more value to your application than you ever thought possible.

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Curriculum Overview

In the Full-Time MBA Program, you’ll learn practical skills and knowledge that will act as a catalyst for your career in the business world. Our customizable, future-forward curriculum will challenge you think differently, tackle problems head on and find innovative solutions.

You won’t do it alone, however. Teamwork, an essential skill in real-world settings, is also a critical component of our program. During orientation, you’ll be assigned to a study team with whom you’ll work closely throughout the core courses. As a team, you’ll learn the principles of team effectiveness, solve problems and cases together, and practice giving and receiving feedback

Along the way, you’ll complete 62 credit hours across core courses, electives, independent study projects and concentration courses .

Learn what it takes to join the UNC-Kenan Flagler Full-Time MBA program

The core curriculum

In 14 required core courses, you’ll build the foundation of your education and develop solid literacy with key business concepts. You’ll work across several disciplines, including finance, accounting, economics, data analytics, business strategy, operations, marketing, and you’ll learn important soft skills in leadership, communications, and ethics.

Check out a sample schedule for two-class and three-class days.

Core course descriptions

This engaged, experiential course focuses on how to facilitate belonging, open discussion, drive change, and engage in diplomacy with people, especially about challenging topics and across personal differences. Inclusive leaders foster diverse opinions and ways of contributing, and they inspire people to engage, innovate, and deal with uncertainty. You’ll learn how our backgrounds, identities, and thought processes affect relationship, decision making, behaviors and communities. This course focuses on understanding and developing your intercultural mindset and skills, increasing your self-awareness and growth as a leader, and influencing others.

It is increasingly expected that business leaders be knowledgeable about the opportunities for data-driven decision-making and the inherent challenges and tradeoffs, and also proficient with manipulating and analyzing data themselves. Business Statistics and Analytics covers data analysis, sampling and estimation, hypothesis testing and multiple regression. You’ll learn basic statistical techniques and will acquire proficiency with the “art” of applying these techniques to practical managerial decision problems.

The purpose of this course is to increase your ability to analyze the strategy of corporations. You’ll focus on answering two main questions: (1) What allows certain firms to succeed – that is, earn positive economic profits – while other firms fail? (2) Why can certain firms sustain their economic profits over long periods of time, while for other firms these profits quickly disappear? In this case-based course, you will learn practical analytical techniques for analyzing these issues, evaluating alternate strategic plans and anticipating the consequences of specific decisions.

Leading ethically and inclusively is highly beneficial to employees and organizations. This course focuses on identifying and building leadership skills that can enable you to match your leadership approach to specific organizational demands focused on leading ethical and inclusive outcomes. You’ll develop your skills by reviewing course material on theoretical principles of ethics and inclusion, with emphasis on experiential learning through cases, scenarios, and activities geared to engaging you in recognizing ethical aspects and inclusion opportunities in business situations, diagnosing problems associated with ethics and inclusion, and developing action plan to best fulfill ethics and inclusion priorities within organizations. The course focuses on four key areas: self-awareness, decision-making, capacity for action, and harnessing stronger connections. This interdisciplinary, skills-based approach to understanding ethics and inclusion aims to help you master skills to become an ethical and inclusive leader.

This course is designed to introduce you to financial management. Coursework approaches topics from the perspective of the discounted cash flow (DCF) principle, which provides a unifying framework to achieve value maximizing decisions in the context of finance. You’ll explore the role of financial markets in the economy and the role of financial managers in the firm, study corporate valuation, and learn about investment and financing policy.

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the concepts and techniques necessary to implement optimal investment decisions by firms and investors. The course studies the effect of time and uncertainty on financial decision making. Topics include discounting techniques, applications to personal finance, bonds, stocks and options valuation, optimal portfolios, project valuation and capital budgeting.

This course will cover core concepts and theories from psychology and organizational science, which form the knowledge base for leadership and management skills. The focus of the course is on surveying key skills for understanding yourself as a leader, improving individual and group decision-making, and motivating and influencing followers. This introductory course will help prepare you for continuous learning throughout the MBA program and your career.

This experiential course will reinforce best practices related to developing and delivering business presentations, including creating and organizing impactful presentations to accomplish specific rhetorical purposes, delivering information confidently with refined executive presence, and designing and integrating savvy visuals. Early in the course, you’ll deliver a baseline presentation, which will reveal your presentation strengths and opportunities.

This course is designed as an advanced level introduction to the basic principles and concepts in marketing. The goal is to expose you to these concepts as they are used in a wide variety of settings; including consumer goods firms, manufacturing and service industries, and small and large businesses. The course will give you an overview of marketing strategy issues, elements of a market situation analysis — company, customers, and competition, as well as the fundamental elements of the marketing mix — product, price, placement (distribution) and promotion. You will be challenged to apply the principles you learn in class to current and real-world marketing issues.

Effective and efficient team-based problem solving is critical in the dynamic business environment. Leaders face complex challenges on an ongoing basis that require an objective evaluation in order to make a strategy, marketing, or operational decision that considers market opportunities, financial implications, risk and overall objectives. They often must do so in teams, distributing work and managing one another as they generate ideas and solve problems. This course will introduce students to problem solving skills and tools, as individuals and teams, and then provide an opportunity to apply those skills in a traditional case competition format. The final project will enable student teams to make fact based, creative and insightful recommendations that are presented in an executive style format.

This course develops the tools used in price forecasting and price setting, and applies these tools to a wide variety of topics along the way. Basic supply and demand methods are used to analyze the effects on prices of government policy and shocks to demand or output, both in the short and long run. This includes policies in markets with externalities and other market failures. After completing the course, you will be able to forecast prices of inputs and outputs of the production process, and will understand the basics of pricing.

Operations management is defined as the design, operation and improvement of the systems that create and deliver the firm’s primary products and services. This class provides an understanding of the operations management function and its relationship to other functional areas within the firm. In this class, you will develop frameworks to analyze the strengths and weakness of a firm’s operations and to develop viable alternatives in pursuing its goals and objectives. You will examine the tradeoffs that managers face in emphasizing one goal (such as high capacity utilization) as compared to another goal (such as minimum throughput time). Operations management will provide you with the tools, techniques, and strategies for making organizations work more effectively and efficiently, to make you a better manager.

This course aims to prepare future executives for the challenges of resisting corporate corruption in a number of ways. First, it seeks to sensitize you to the warning signs that a firm’s financial control culture is weak. Inadequate financial control typically is symptomatic of a potential for scandal. Second, it aims to illustrate how younger employees come to be placed in vulnerable circumstances, and how inexperience renders them both more exposed and more expendable. Most importantly, it seeks to equip you with a tool kit of tactical options for resisting pressures to behave unethically. By the end of the course, students should be well prepared to see trouble coming and identify more options for handling it than futile struggle, acquiesce or resign.

This course focuses on exploring how managers of complex organizations effectively exploit information to achieve organizational objectives, and covers all types of organizations, including profit seeking companies, non-profits and public sector entities. The premise of the course is that the achievement of organizational objectives depends on both making good decisions and aligning managers and employees with the organization’s objectives. You’ll develop a sophisticated understanding of the powerful role of strategic cost analysis and performance measurement in supporting decision-making, performance management and incentive alignment in a timely, efficient and effective manner.

This course focuses on internal operations and cost analysis as opposed to the evaluation of external financial statements. Its target audience includes students intending to become management consultants, entrepreneurs, managers (e.g., CEOs, CFOs, product managers), and anyone with an interest in how firms make decisions about products and services. Topics covered include overhead allocation, activity-based costing, capacity costs, transfer pricing, performance evaluation, and internal controls, and their specific application in the manufacturing and services sectors.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) challenges have become major strategic issues for companies around the globe, where managers increasingly struggle to integrate sustainability into organizational strategy formulation and implementation. In this course, you will evaluate 1) the various drivers behind sustainability (from institutional, such as social movements and global pressures, to strategic reasons, such as cost savings, firm differentiation and competitive advantages); 2) how companies respond to various sustainability issues; and 3) when firms maximize social, environmental and economic value from engagement in solving sustainability issues. This course will help you develop critical thinking skills that are useful for corporate sustainability and leadership in the 21st century, analyze and identify sustainability challenges and opportunities, and become an effective social change agent.

The breadth of our 125 electives, and the unique curriculum covered in these courses, allow you to tailor your education to focus on specific career goals. Our curriculum reflects emerging topics in business and faculty research, and, as such, approximately 10% of the electives we offer each year are newly developed courses. You’ll begin taking electives during Module III of your first year in the program.

Electives focus on the same disciplines for which we offer concentrations . These disciplines include broad concepts, such as data analysis, operations and marketing, as well as industry-specific topics in real estate, healthcare and energy.

Independent study projects

In addition to the elective courses, independent study projects allow you to develop specialized knowledge that expands your business and professional insight. You can pursue independent studies by serving as a teaching assistant, conducting faculty-directed research or completing an unpaid internship during the academic year. Some recent examples of independent study projects include:

Industry and market analysis for an alternative energy company seeking a new digital marketing platform.
Market analysis of various geographies for a real estate development firm.
Assessment of various investment options for a private equity firm.
Development of mobile payment options for a software company seeking entry into foreign markets.

Applied work experience

Applying the skills and knowledge you learn through tangible work experience will prepare you to make an immediate impact when you begin your career. Before beginning your second year of coursework, you’ll need to fulfill the Applied Work Experience degree requirement with an established company or organization. Prior to starting your MBA, and while you’re in the program, our Career & Leadership coaches will help you identify, evaluate, and find opportunities to complete this requirement. These opportunities can include company internships, entrepreneurial endeavors, consulting engagements, faculty-directed research projects and other externally oriented experiential opportunities.

Concentrations

We offer thirteen concentrations , plus one focus area , which allow you to further customize your academic plan. Whether it’s our popular Consulting concentration, our innovative Real Estate concentration (one of the country’s largest), our dynamic Healthcare concentration (which teams up with UNC’s top-tier School of Medicine), our Business Analytics & Management Science concentration, one of several other concentrations, or a fully customized approach, choosing to focus on a specific area can help you deepen your expertise and become more marketable for particular roles and industries.

Learn more about our concentrations

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Strong UNC Chapel Hill Essay Example

UNC Chapel Hill is a pretty selective school, especially for out-of-state students, so it’s important to write strong essays to help your application stand out. In this post, we’ll share an essay a real student has submitted to UNC Chapel Hill. (Names and identifying information have been changed, but all other details are preserved).

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Read our UNC Chapel Hill es say breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

Prompt: If you could change one thing about where you live, what would it be and why? (200-250 words).

Sitting behind the loaded plates on our dinner table, I predicted my mom’s first question with 100% accuracy: “So, how did you do on the trigonometry test today?” Notorious for failing math classes, my brother paused from chewing his chicken wing.

I knew he’d be in trouble.

Indeed, after hearing his grade, my mom scolded: “Look at our neighbor’s kid; then look at you! She never gets anything below a 90!”

There it is again: “the neighbor’s kid,” a Chinese concept that I wish would serve a different purpose. Upon learning about their children’s unsatisfactory academic performance, Chinese parents often bring up a so-called perfect neighbor’s kid for comparison. It saddens me to see individuals raised under the shadow of “the neighbor’s kid” not able to simply enjoy exploring knowledge. They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being. Worse, some measure their self-worth by grades alone: my brother believes he’s not good enough, despite all his admirable traits outside of academics.

Instead of “the neighbor’s kid who got a good grade” at the dinner table, I suggested my parents discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets to raise money for charity” or “who had a hot discussion with the teacher about whether animals have consciousness.” I look forward to a more vibrant and colorful dinner conversation, where families talk about their roses and thorns of the day, rather than a neighbor’s kid defined by numbers.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay does a great job of opening with a strong anecdote and seamlessly transitioning the anecdote into an answer to the prompt. The reader feels the suspense of sitting at the dinner table with the student and their family waiting for the response to their mom’s question, and might even relate to hearing the student’s parents complain about their grade. It’s a simple and quick story, but everyone can find something in it they relate to, which makes the reader want to keep reading.

The essay was also successful at transitioning from a personal anecdote to a broader topic that addresses the prompt. The anecdote is connected to the larger issue the student has with their home environment and provides context for their reasoning that growing up surrounded by this mentality is harmful. The use of the anecdote bolsters the entire essay by perfectly setting up the student’s response to the prompt, rather than being an out-of-place inclusion to add some empathy or imagery, which is a common mistake with anecdotes.

Another positive aspect of this essay is how the student’s passion for the issue shines through. The reader learns a good deal about the student’s family life and familiarity with the “the neighbor’s kid.” The student’s expressed sadness and disapproval at not being able to enjoy learning because the immense amount of stress their parents place on them to get good grades is evident when they said, “ They toil through years of schooling for good grades and a prestigious college’s acceptance letter at the cost of their mental well-being.” The inclusion of the student’s brother also shows how close this issue is to the student’s heart because they are watching stereotypes harm someone they love. The details and direct language included provide strong evidence for why the student wants to change this aspect of where they live, which is the most important part of the prompt to address.

What Could Be Improved

For the most part, this is a great essay. The one thing that could be improved is the last paragraph that explains what the student wants to change. As far as the reader knows, the suggestions the student makes to discuss “the neighbor’s kid who sells bracelets” or “the neighbor’s kid who had a hot discussion with the teacher” are random topics the student chose to contrast with the idea of valuing a kid for a numerical grade. Since these appear as random topics, it distracts from other qualities the student and their brother might possess and want to showcase to their parents.

In an essay that is focused on changing the norm of equating worth with a grade, it would reveal more about what the student wants to be recognized for if they mentioned topics of conversation that related back to their interests. For example, if the student liked to ice skate and play the trumpet they could say: “Instead of the dreaded question about my grades, my parents would ask about how my axel is coming along or what new song I’m considering for the winter concert.” An ending more like this, that discusses the student’s interests rather than randomly mentioning other students, still achieves the same goal of the student not wanting to solely be measured by a number, but conveys the idea while also providing more insight into the student and what they value.

Where to Get Your UNC Chapel Hill Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UNC Chapel Hill essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

How to Nail Your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Interview: Overview, Questions, & Tips

Learn how to ace your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview with this comprehensive guide.

Posted March 1, 2024

Featuring Geri T. and Andy P.

Applying to Top MBA Programs as a Consultant

Wednesday, april 24.

11:00 PM UTC · 60 minutes

In the competitive world of business and management, pursuing a MBA is a great way to develop your skills and broaden your career opportunities. If you have your sights set on attending the prestigious UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, it's essential to ace your MBA interview to stand out from the crowd. This article will provide you with a comprehensive overview, a list of common interview questions , expert tips, and general MBA interview advice, all tailored specifically for the UNC Kenan-Flagler program.

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Application and the Role of Interview

Before delving into interview strategies and tips, it's crucial to understand the significance of the MBA application process and the role the interview plays. The UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA application is a comprehensive process that evaluates a candidate's academic achievements, work experience, leadership potential, and personal attributes. The interview is an invaluable opportunity for the admissions committee to get to know you on a personal level, beyond what is conveyed through your written application.

During the interview, you will have the chance to articulate your motivations for pursuing an MBA, demonstrate your leadership qualities, and showcase your potential contributions to the UNC Kenan-Flagler community. It's essential to prepare thoroughly, as your interview performance will play a pivotal role in determining your acceptance into the program.

50 UNC Kenan-Flagler Common Interview Questions

To help you navigate your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview with confidence, we have compiled a list of 50 common interview questions that you may encounter. These questions cover a wide range of topics, including your professional background, leadership experiences, teamwork skills, career goals, and personal attributes. Familiarizing yourself with these questions and preparing thoughtful, concise responses in advance will set you up for success on interview day.

For example, you may be asked about your most significant career accomplishment, how you handle difficult team members, your long-term career aspirations, or your ability to adapt to changing environments. It's important to come prepared with specific examples and anecdotes that highlight your strengths and demonstrate your suitability for the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program.

What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
Tell me about a time when you faced a significant challenge in your professional life and how you overcame it.
Describe a situation where you had to work in a team with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
How do you handle feedback and criticism?
What are your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

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List of Expert Tips for the UNC Kenan-Flagler Interview

Now that you have a good understanding of the interview process and common questions to expect, it's time to delve into some expert tips that can help you ace your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview.

1. Research the UNC Kenan-Flagler Program

Demonstrate your genuine interest in the program by conducting thorough research on UNC Kenan-Flagler. Familiarize yourself with their curriculum, faculty, extracurricular activities, and any recent initiatives or achievements. This knowledge will enable you to ask insightful questions and showcase your enthusiasm for joining the school.

2. Reflect on Your Experiences

Take the time to reflect on your experiences, both personally and professionally. Consider your strengths, weaknesses, notable achievements, and challenges you've faced. This introspective process will allow you to articulate your experiences effectively during the interview and highlight how they have contributed to your growth and readiness for an MBA.

3. Practice Mock Interviews

Practice makes perfect, and conducting mock interviews can significantly improve your interview performance. Seek out a mentor, career advisor, or friend who can simulate an interview scenario. Request their honest feedback and work on refining your responses, body language, and overall delivery.

4. Use the STAR Method

The STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) is an effective framework for structuring your interview responses. Start by describing the situation or challenge you faced, then explain the task at hand, the specific actions you took, and conclude with the positive results or outcomes you achieved. This method ensures your responses are concise, focused, and highlight your problem-solving skills.

5. Connect with Alumni and Current Students

Reach out to UNC Kenan-Flagler alumni or current students to gain insights into the program and their own interview experiences. Their firsthand knowledge can provide valuable insights into the school's culture, interview format, and what the admissions committee is looking for in prospective candidates.

General MBA Interview Tips: How to Stand Out

While the following tips are applicable to any MBA interview, they are especially vital when you're interviewing for the UNC Kenan-Flagler program. Standing out from other candidates can significantly increase your chances of being accepted into this highly regarded institution.

1. Be Authentic

Authenticity is key in any interview setting. Avoid the temptation to memorize responses or present yourself as someone you're not. Be genuine, honest, and showcase your true personality. The admissions committee is not only evaluating your skills but also how well you will fit into the school's culture and contribute positively to the diverse community.

2. Demonstrate Passion

Passion and enthusiasm can make a lasting impression on the interviewer. Show genuine excitement about pursuing an MBA, articulate why you are specifically interested in UNC Kenan-Flagler, and demonstrate how the program aligns with your career goals. Passionate individuals are more likely to make a significant impact within the program and contribute meaningfully to the UNC Kenan-Flagler community.

3. Ask Thoughtful Questions

At the end of the interview, the interviewer will typically ask if you have any questions. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your interest and engagement in the program. Prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask about the curriculum, career services, faculty, or any recent initiatives. Well-thought-out questions demonstrate your genuine interest and active participation in the interview process.

4. Follow-Up with a Thank You Note

After the interview, promptly send a personalized thank you note expressing your gratitude for the opportunity to interview. Mention specific aspects of the interview that resonated with you and reiterate your enthusiasm for joining the UNC Kenan-Flagler program. A thoughtful thank you note demonstrates professionalism, attention to detail, and reinforces your genuine interest in the program.

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Interview FAQs

To wrap up this comprehensive guide, let's address some frequently asked questions about the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview:

1. How long does the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview typically last?

The UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview typically lasts around 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the depth of the conversation and the number of questions the interviewer has for you. It's essential to manage your time effectively to ensure you can cover all relevant topics within the given timeframe.

2. Should I bring any materials or documents to the interview?

Unless specifically requested by the interviewer, there is no need to bring any materials or documents to the interview. The interview is primarily focused on getting to know you as an individual and assessing your fit for the program. However, it's always a good idea to carry a copy of your resume in case the interviewer requests it.

3. Is it appropriate to ask about financial aid or scholarships during the interview?

While it's perfectly acceptable to inquire about financial aid or scholarship opportunities, it's generally recommended to address these questions during separate conversations with the admissions office or by exploring the school's financial aid resources. The interview should primarily focus on your qualifications, motivations, and fit for the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program.

4. When can I expect to hear back from UNC Kenan-Flagler after the interview?

The timeline for hearing back from UNC Kenan-Flagler after the interview can vary. Generally, candidates are notified of their admission decision within a few weeks of the interview. However, it's important to be patient as the admissions process may sometimes take longer. In the meantime, stay engaged with the admissions office and continue exploring your options.

By following these tips, preparing thorough responses, and showcasing your genuine interest in the program, you will increase your chances of nailing your UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA interview. Remember to stay calm, confident, and articulate your experiences effectively. Good luck on your journey to the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School!

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UNC Kenan-Flagler 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Essay 2 is required. Your response should be no longer than 500 words and should address the following question:

Re-Applicant Essay: Essay 4 is required only for previous applicants to any UNC MBA program format. Your response should be no longer than 100 words and should address the following prompt:

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UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA essay #1

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Watch: UNC Kenan-Flagler alum, Al Dea, discusses the most valuable aspects of his UNC MBA experience

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FOUR WAYS TO CRAFT A COMPELLING MBA ESSAY

1. Make Sure You Answer the Question

2. Explain Your Career Goals

3. Be Clear and Concise

4. Highlight Your Unique Selling Points

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Tuesday Tips: Kenan-Flagler Application Essay Tips for 2023-2024

UNC Kenan-Flagler Application Essays

Required Essay 1

What are your immediate career goals and how will you benefit from earning an MBA at Kenan-Flagler Business School?

Required Essay 2

Reflect on a project or initiative you were involved in that had a significant positive impact on a community, organization, or individual. How did this experience shape your sense of responsibility as a future leader dedicated to making a difference in the world?

Optional Essay

Reapplicant Essay

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