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MIT Sloan MBA Essay Examples

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MIT Sloan MBA Cover Letter Samples

MIT Sloan currently requires all applicants to submit a cover letter, org chart, and video essay with their application. The MIT Sloan cover letter format has been used for many years to select candidates. In some ways, this structure reflects MIT Sloan’s goal to admit candidates with practical (though innovative) ideas and experience. Also, the cover letter is a way to describe your key accomplishments and use them to prove that you embody the outlined criteria for admission. Those criteria are: independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.

Successful Examples of MIT MBA Cover Letters

SBC has a former MIT Sloan Admissions Officer and several additional MIT Sloan experts on our team. We know the nuances of applying to MIT Sloan successfully.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure. Ashley holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years, Ashley was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally. Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM. For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students. In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years. Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years. In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School. Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications. She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford. Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year. Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team. During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students. She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS). During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director. Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Mr. XXX & Ms. YYY

Assistant Deans of Admissions

MIT Sloan School of Management

50 Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

Dear Mr. XXX and Ms. YYY:

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my application for MIT Sloan’s MBA Class of XXXX. After working in education with XXX and spending three years in legal business development at an international law firm, I am excited to share my experiences and perspectives and contribute meaningfully to the Sloan community.

Studying biology taught me that the world is a laboratory and that I can apply the scientific method to unconventional challenges in business. My firm recently implemented new software to integrate several existing databases to improve our experience management and is currently beginning a multi-year integration. I made a case to my department’s director to be a pilot user and was invited to join a multi-department and cross-office team to develop an implementation plan. My analytical background helped me identify bugs and propose solutions, while my business development experience allowed me to connect technical features to practical implications. After negotiating with key stakeholders, I am now working to implement an automated pitch generation tool that has the potential to fundamentally change how our business development office functions and will help us adapt to the rapidly evolving legal market. This experience and other collaborative projects at my firm have helped develop my business and management skills, and I am eager to develop them further at Sloan and apply them to the education sector to help make quality education more accessible. At Sloan, I am interested in exploring the intersection of education, finance and policy through research in the Golub Center for Finance and Policy. Through classes such as the A-LAB or G-LAB action learning courses, I could apply that research to real-world problems while strengthening my analytical and entrepreneurial skillset.

I look forward to sharing my talents and experiences with the Sloan community, and thank you for your consideration.

[Address Line 1]

[Address Line 2]

Dr. XXX, Executive Director

MIT Leaders for Global Management

1 Amherst St., E40-315

Dear Dr. XXX,

At age eight, I tried building the fastest Pinewood Derby-Car by installing a model rocket engine on the car-body. After breaking our neighbor’s window during testing, I learned three lessons about problem solving and life—don’t think like others, it’s okay to fail and integrity matters (I owned up). In the two decades since, I’ve grown and leaned on these values to succeed in leadership roles across in the Army.

I recently applied this mentality leading an Army program innovating human performance training. With an ambiguous goal of improving performance under pressure, I focused my team of leaders on restructuring cognitive, physical and social development. First, I implemented new behavioral assessments to build leader self-awareness and a new goal setting model to focus soldiers. From there, I integrated a cognitive psychologist and bio-sensors into operations—physical training, weapons proficiency and maneuver under stress. Finally, I incorporated augmented reality and a sensor-enabled drone into operational planning. I initially struggled tracking and presenting data, but quickly adjusted to highlight the potential of bio-sensors and augmented-reality. After four months, our weapons sections—a critical Company asset—certified as #1 of 16 in combat certifications and the concept was selected by strategic leaders for assessment in the 2020 Army Warfare Experiment.

I’ve always been asked why I became an Infantry Officer after excelling in electrical engineering; the Cyber branch of the Army seems more natural. My desire to join the LGO community is rooted in this Infantry/EE dichotomy—I always appreciated both the people-centric challenge of leadership and the technical underpinnings that drive our digital world. At LGO, I will grow in both domains and focus on how bio-sensors and augmented reality shape the human-machine interaction. While I may never design another rocket car, I bring this curiosity to LGO and throughout life.

Dear Mr. XXX,

As the daughter of a boutique owner, I grew up in retail, which sparked my passion for the industry and inspired my career. While working at Boston-based [company] and in my current role as a management consultant, I have gained extensive knowledge of the retail industry while also bolstering my analytical, leadership and teamwork skills. At [firm], I led a team of executive clients and 5 peer level consultants to establish a cost management function within a fortune 500 retailer. We trained 30 clients in strategic negotiation and supplier management while implementing new processes. This effort resulted in a new department that drives 4-7% margin improvements quarterly. I have also sought opportunities beyond my everyday engagements. I am the most junior member of a team developing perspectives on “next generation retail”. We’ve published our initial findings and are working to commercialize creative approaches that enable customer experiences in stores. Additionally, I have led several community building initiatives including undergraduate recruiting, learning and development for summer interns, and our Women’s Network mentorship program.

Beyond my technical passion for leading teams and collaborating to find innovative solutions, I care deeply about connecting with people. I am the person who puts their phone down to chat with everyone from the Starbucks barista to my Uber driver because every interaction provides a learning that enhances my comprehension of people, the world and how I will change it for the better.

At Sloan, I want to continue my leadership development, invigorate my entrepreneurialism and connect with driven classmates. I am confident that the Sloan experience will allow me to achieve my long-term goal of launching a company at the intersection of retail and sustainability, and I would be honored to bring my passion and skills to the MIT community.

Thank you for your consideration.

I am extremely interested in applying for admission to MIT Sloan’s MBA Program, intending to start during Fall 2017. I believe that my solid professional experience, including a consistent track record of high performance, coupled with the desire to immerse myself in a community of learning, collaboration and professional development make me a great fit for the program.

As a Technology Consultant, I have been in a project in Central America for almost two years. The original proposal was to only be there for three months, in a mostly traditional Analyst role where I would be doing support work for the more experienced practitioners. However, I seized the unlikeliest of opportunities: I teamed up with two other Analysts who also had no experience with the Warehouse Management tool that was being implemented and together learned everything we could about it. After a few weeks, we developed a working model and presented it to both the local business and global headquarters. The prototype was so successful that we were tasked with configuring the full-scale solution that was eventually rolled out, to great success, in four Central American countries and will be used as a template for future global implementations.

I believe this experience highlights the key traits that MIT Sloan looks for in applicants, including innovativeness, drive, teamwork, and impact. I consider that not only will I greatly benefit from everything the program has to offer, but I can collaborate for the betterment of the Sloan community.

Sincerely, XXX

I’m an optimistic realist with a passion for fixing things. In my first year as an engineer in [XX] Leadership Development Rotational Program, I co-developed a method for eliminating material misprocessing within our factories. My colleague and I designed [XX]’s Linux-Operated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Kit, which offers the accuracy of industry OCR systems at five percent of the cost.

I’m honored to be the first [XX] engineer to win two Engineering Innovation Convention awards within the same year. I’m currently in Germany, leading the development of a new barcode reader that will save TI $360,000. This fall, I’ll lead a company-wide initiative focused on improving efficiency across all of our manufacturing sites.

As an engineer, I’m naturally curious, and learning from others is one of my favorite parts of my job. For many of my coworkers, I’m the first out LGBTQ+ individual that they’ve known. Through openness and mutual respect, I’ve led teams – consisting of mostly middle-aged men from Texas – in several successful projects, resulting in an early promotion. When I return to Dallas, I’ll assume a supervisory role in which I’ll manage 35 engineering technicians.

I want to generate solutions to environmental problems. At Sloan, I’ll pursue the Sustainability Certificate to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of industry. Additionally, I look forward to developing further as an innovator through offerings such as the Sloan Innovation Period and hands-on Action Learning Labs. When I attended an AMA event during my visit, I was moved by the humility and curiosity of the student body. Sloan’s values, commitment to innovation, and focus on experiential learning make me confident that it’s the school for me. I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, YYY

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Homepage > MBA Admissions > Business Schools > MIT Sloan MBA Essays 2022-2023: Analysis and Tips from an MIT Fellow

MIT Sloan MBA Essays 2022-2023: Analysis and Tips from an MIT Fellow

Posted by Suheb Hussain | Jan 24, 2023 | Business Schools , GMAT Focus Edition , MBA Admissions , MBA Application Process

The MBA application for MIT Sloan School of Management is quite different from other business schools. The application does not have an MBA essay per se, but has an extensive application with the following requirements:

Cover Letter (300 words or fewer)
Resume (one page)
Video Statement (1 minute)
Letter of Recommendation (one)
Additional References (two)
Organizational Chart
Optional 250-word short answer question

In this article, Prashant Tibrewal from Admitsquare, who has mentored 1,000+ students get into their dream business schools and who is currently enrolled at MIT Sloan himself, shares his expert tips on the MIT Sloan MBA essay and other application components.

As you start working on your MIT Sloan MBA application, ask yourself if you are cut out for MIT . Securing an admit to one of the M7 business schools is not just about a high GMAT score or a unique profile or a strong application.

While all of these are just “prerequisites”, what remains the most important is a strong personality match – between the applicant and the school. You should, therefore, spend as much time understanding your dream schools, as you would, working on your application.

What makes MIT so unique and desirable to applicants?

Getting a seat at MIT Sloan does not just give you access to the business school, but also to the larger MIT university, which is among the most future-focused education ecosystems one can dream of as a student.

Not surprising, therefore, that an MIT team comprising of students from aeronautics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and business management beat out teams from 115 other universities and 20 countries to earn the Best Overall Design Award at the SpaceX Hyperloop competition.

MIT Sloan offers an exciting range of master’s programs, designed for a wide range of students and career outcomes. It may be wise, therefore, to research well and apply to the program that you would benefit the most from:

Sloan Fellows MBA (1-year)
Leaders in Global Operations (LGO)
Master of Finance
Master of Business Analytics

Do you aspire to get into the MIT Sloan MBA Program? A 740+ GMAT score can significantly improve your chances of admission. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by Signing up for our Free Trial ! For any queries, write to us at [email protected] . We are the most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub with more than 2500 reviews.

MIT Sloan MBA Application Deadlines

Take a look at this article to know the MBA application deadlines of other business schools.

MIT Sloan MBA Essays and Application Requirements

While getting an admit at MIT Sloan can be difficult, applying to the program doesn’t come easy either. The MIT Sloan MBA has an extensive application with the following requirements:

MIT Sloan Cover Letter Analysis and Sample Essay Structure

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.”

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia, and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

The MIT admissions team, including Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson, has been the most consistent admissions team among the top business schools, ensuring the highest quality of student recruitment over the years.

The team, having retained the Cover Letter requirement for the fifth year now, clearly loves the format and how it has helped assess applicants. An open-ended question such as this comes with a high risk of submitting an essay that may not be aligned with the expectations of the admissions team.

Why such a short (300 word) cover letter, in contrast to other schools that allow much more space and scope to present yourself?

Well, for an MIT applicant with rich professional experience, applying to a business school is pretty similar to applying for a job. This is your opportunity to convince the team why they should consider your application over thousands of other well-qualified applicants.

Candidates often end up presenting a verbose, high level, broad-based career summary, which is exactly what the adcom doesn’t want to read. With access to your resume, one can pretty much trace your career path and gain a broad level of understanding.

The MIT Cover Letter lays down focused guidelines and seeks to understand specific aspects of your personal and/or professional life. “We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.”

While the school encourages these qualities among its students, to be able to establish through your cover letter that you have already demonstrated these qualities, will be the key to a strong cover letter.

Further, understanding the MIT Style of Leadership or the Problem-led Leadership will be an interesting exercise to help you develop a stronger application. The question specifically asks to substantiate your claim with example(s).

As you recollect your best achievements and think of the examples to present in the cover letter, do not forget that it is a 300-word essay.

You do not want to touch upon too many things and spread yourself too thin. Ask yourself what key qualities you would want to establish through the cover letter and find the best example that demonstrates the quality.

If space permits, back it with another short example. While it goes without saying that you use the STAR format, but go deep with “how” you did what you did. Talk about the extrinsic as well as the intrinsic motivations behind your actions.

And while you do all this, do not lose track of the primary purpose behind writing this cover letter – “to seek a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program”.

A good part of your essay should touch upon why you are seeking a place in the program (your short term and long term career plans) and how the MIT MBA will equip you to achieve your plans. How well you know yourself and how well you know the school is both critical to presenting a strong match.

MIT Sloan Resume Format

The resume you submit to a business school holds extremely high significance, given that it helps the adcom get a detailed perspective about your professional experience and is often the only document that the interviewer has access to (once you receive an interview invite).

Not all business schools prescribe a resume format, but MIT Sloan does. In addition to suggesting the order of the different components of the resume, you are specifically asked to redact your personal information. Further, the following are the instructions to be followed.

Please submit a one-page resume that includes the following information and formatting:

One page limit
Times New Roman font
Size 10 font
Word or PDF formats only
Redact (remove or blackout) your name, address, and contact information

For formatting purposes, please list the information in the following order in reverse chronological order:

Education – please feel free to include relevant awards, scholarships, and professional societies.
Company name
Results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your skillset, and
Additional information – languages, extracurricular activities/community service, technical skills/certifications, and special skills/interests (if appropriate).

MIT Sloan MBA application video statement

Applicants are required to upload a 1-minute video as part of their application. In your video, you should introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and touch on why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree.

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

No more than 1 minute in length
Single take (no editing)
You should be speaking directly to the camera
Do not include background music or subtitles

When most other schools are using the Kira video format where you must answer the video questions live, MIT allows you enough time to plan and record your video.

Is this supposed to be your Elevator Pitch? Probably yes, albeit a more personal one. Having presented most of your information through your resume and the cover letter, this should be your space to “connect” with your future classmates as well as the admissions committee.

You may talk about your personal background, unique life experiences, interests, and passions, and how specific opportunities at MIT connect with your plans and interest areas.

Sloan doesn’t want you to hire a video expert – an unedited video makes it a level playing field for all applicants.

While the video will allow the admissions committee to see you and hear you, it is your passion and your story that will invite them to feel your presence and personality. Prepare a story that is authentic, exciting, and enchanting. Above all, sound fluent, but not rehearsed!

The following article discusses the analysis and tips related to MIT Sloan video statement in detail. Have a look! 4 tips to ace MIT Sloan video statement . You can also refer to the following article for insights on how to make an impressive MBA application video essay: Make an impactful MBA Application Video Essay .

MIT Sloan Letter of Recommendation and Additional References

Several schools are now moving to a single recommendation, thus making the application less demanding for the candidate.

While the MIT LOR format isn’t very different, what’s unique is the requirement for two Additional References. These references do not need to submit any document upfront, but they may be called if required.

Choose your references like you would choose your recommenders – people you have worked closely with, who may be in a good position to talk about your strengths with specific instances.

Most of our candidates did not report their references being called, but you may want to pick the best possible options, nevertheless.

MIT Sloan MBA application – Organizational Chart

Please upload an organizational chart that outlines the internal structure of your department and company. Limit to two pages.

Note: You may choose to create your own document or redact individuals’ names. However, please provide as much information as possible.

We should be able to see your line of reporting to the top of your organization, and to easily find you, your peers, your supervisor, their peers, and your direct reports (should you have any), as well as any recommender or references from your current organization. For those in consulting, please submit an organizational chart of a current or previous project you were staffed on.

This is again a unique requirement for the MIT Sloan application. This isn’t really a new addition to the application, which means that MIT has found it useful to evaluate the applicant’s relative position in the organizational hierarchy.

The key is to make it informational, with good details about your own position as well as those who may be in levels higher and lower than you.

You may not need to invest a lot of time making the organizational chart super fancy, but a simple chart presenting the different levels should work pretty well. Refer to the sample organizational chart suggested by the school.

MIT Sloan MBA application- Optional 250-word short answer question

For the 2022-23 applications, the applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250-word short-answer question:

“How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, and community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.”

According to the MIT website , This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

Suggested Reading: “Problem-led Leadership” – Are you cut out for the MIT Sloan MBA? Applying to Kellogg? Read our detailed Kellogg Essay Analysis

About the Author

Prashant_Tibrewal_US_News_Business_School_Rankings_2020_Analysis

Prashant Tibrewal is the founder of Admit Square Consulting and has mentored 1000+ MBA aspirants to get into top global universities such as Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD, Oxford, HEC, ISB, etc. Prashant has also served on the Board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) and led the AIGAC Conference 2020, attended by admissions officers from 25+ top-ranked MBA programs.

Admit Square Consulting has mentored applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply to top MBA programs. With a proven track record of 10+ years, and admits to universities such as Stanford, MIT, Kellogg, Cambridge, INSEAD, etc., Admit Square was awarded the Most Successful International MBA Consulting Company in India at the India Education Awards, 2019. With a team of Consultants from top business schools such as MIT, Yale, LBS and Oxford, Admit Square offers 100% Money-back Assurance on its services. You may send your details to [email protected] for a free profile evaluation.

That was all about MIT Sloan MBA essays. Here are a few other that can help you with your MBA application essays:

5 Different Types of MBA Essays Explained
MBA Application Process – Weightage of Different Components
2020-2021 MBA Application Deadlines

Do you aspire to get into the MIT Sloan MBA Program? A 740+ GMAT score can significantly improve your chances of admission. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by Signing up for our Free Trial ! For any queries, write to us at [email protected] . We are the most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub with more than 1940 reviews.

About The Author

Suheb Hussain

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MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

July 3, 2023

Jeremy Shinewald

Rather than framing its required application essay as a traditional “essay,” the MIT Sloan School of Management instead requests that applicants submit a “cover letter,” including even the standard formal correspondence elements of an address and opening salutation. Writing cover letters will undoubtedly be a large part of students’ career development efforts at Sloan, after all, so why not start now? Candidates must also submit a one-minute self-introduction video in which they are expected to convey their personality and basically “be themselves.” Some MBA programs use video essays to evaluate candidates’ communication skills, grace under pressure, and potential to contribute to classroom discussions, and even though Sloan’s admissions committee will likely be able to glean hints about these qualities through its video, its primary purpose appears to be to reveal who the school’s applicants are as living, breathing people , rather than one-dimensional aggregates of words and numbers in a folder. As we have noted in the past, while somewhat unorthodox, the school’s “essays” allow applicants to deliver a balanced view of their professional and personal profiles, with a good amount of leeway for creativity. Read on for our full analysis of MIT Sloan’s application prompts for 2023–2024.

MIT Sloan 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Cover Letter: MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative—true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the mit sloan mba program. your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the admissions committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation)..

To start, we strongly advise that you avoid beginning your letter with a rote opening like “My name is , and I am seeking a place in the MIT Sloan Class of 2026.” Your admissions reader will likely be asleep before they even finish the sentence! Such information is obvious—we can assure you that the admissions reader is well aware of your desire to be admitted to the MIT Sloan program—and is therefore a waste of precious word count, not to mention that it is hardly the kind of gripping opening that will grab and hold someone’s attention.

The broad scope of this essay prompt allows you a great amount of freedom to choose and share the information you believe is most important for your candidacy. The 300-word maximum is equal to roughly three short paragraphs. Including specific examples of impact and leadership that clearly illustrate that you possess the qualities discussed in the prompt is crucial (we would encourage you to share at least two). Informal guidance provided by MIT Sloan’s admissions committee after the initial release of this essay question in 2017 indicated that applicants should focus on sharing their personal experiences, accomplishments, values, viewpoints, and/or skills to demonstrate (1) what they can contribute to the school’s greater community as a result and (2) why Sloan’s MBA program in particular is the best one for them. The school does not ask you to outline your post-MBA goals, but if doing so allows you to better substantiate your need or desire for a Sloan MBA specifically, a (very) brief explanation of your aspirations could be appropriate and useful.

After discussing your accomplishments—being careful not to brag!—along with any other elements of your profile that you feel make you a strong candidate for the MIT Sloan MBA program, strive to relate these achievements and qualities to the school’s offerings and community. Citing specific courses, experiential opportunities, or other relevant resources can help you make a compelling case for your spot in the next incoming class. For a thorough exploration of the MIT Sloan academic program, unique offerings, social life, and other key characteristics, be sure to download a free copy of the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the MIT Sloan School of Management .

VIDEO: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you! Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

– no more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length, – single take (no editing), – speaking directly to the camera, – do not include background music or subtitles.

Before you do anything else, stop and take a deep, cleansing breath. We know video essays can be scary, but MIT Sloan is not trying to stress you out. The admissions committee just wants a more dynamic representation of your personality than a written essay can provide, so your primary goal is simply to be as authentic and natural as possible. This is not a job interview, and you are instructed to consider your fellow students your intended audience, which certainly implies that a less rigid and traditionally “professional” demeanor is okay, though you should obviously never be inappropriate or offensive. Do not concern yourself with trying to say the “right” things in your video. The topic here is one you know very well—you! A good brainstorming tactic is to imagine meeting someone for the first time at a party or other event and to think about the kinds of questions you might ask one another in the process of getting acquainted. What kind of information would you want to know about this person, and what facts about yourself would you be most eager to share, as a way of conveying who you are and making a connection? (You can even Google “icebreaker questions” to find examples of these sorts of questions.) Take some time to delve into your personality in this way.

The admissions committee’s enthusiasm comes through very clearly in this prompt, and we encourage you to make sure your own enthusiasm comes through just as clearly in your video. In a video on Sloan’s YouTube channel, Sloan’s associate director of admissions noted that this submission is “one of [their] favorite components in the application,” and we are pretty confident that is not because these videos tend to be stiff, boring recitations of applicants’ resumes and cloying compliments of the school. Spend some time really delving into what makes you you , what you are proud of, what you get excited about, what you like about yourself and feel you can offer to those around you—all the elements that make you the individual you are today. This is the content that will breathe life into your application. For further inspiration, consider asking your family members and friends how they would describe you to someone who had never met you and what they believe are your standout qualities, abilities, and/or accomplishments. Such outside perspectives can be inspiring and can alert you to compelling points you might have otherwise disregarded or forgotten.

Even though in the scenario the school presents, you are supposed to be addressing your fellow students, your actual audience will be the admissions committee, so keep in mind what they will already have learned about you from your cover letter essay and other portions of your application. If you have a particularly significant story or relevant aspect of your candidacy that you have not been able to convey elsewhere in your materials, this could be a great opportunity to share it (though this would not be the time or place to explain any problematic issues). Also, avoid pandering to the school or expressing your generic admiration for the program. You have only one minute in which to make an impression, and even without knowing you personally, we are confident that you have more to your character than can be conveyed in a mere 60 seconds—so do not waste any of them!

Given that this is a video, you will want to pay some extra attention to the clothing you will wear, your tone of voice, your language style, and other such details. In the end, your message is what is most important, so no fancy bells or whistles are needed, but if you are a more creative type, you might consider ways of nonverbally communicating some of your strongest attributes and key aspects of your life to help permeate your submission with as much information as possible. For example, if you are an avid cook, consider filming your video while standing in a kitchen, perhaps wearing an apron (if you typically do so) and surrounded by the ingredients and tools you need to create one of your favorite recipes. If you are a dedicated guitar player, perhaps hold your guitar as you speak. If you are especially confident, you could even sing about yourself! In short, think about what makes you who you are today, decide what you most want to share with your future classmates, and then let your creativity flow.

On a practical note, be sure to speak clearly. You naturally do not want any part of your message to be lost or misunderstood, and the admissions committee could view your communication skills and style as indicators of how you might interact with your classmates and/or speak in the classroom. Although we recommend spending some time practicing in front of a mirror or a friend, do not over-rehearse, and avoid simply reading from a prepared script. You want to come across as genuine as possible so the admissions committee can “meet” the real you.

Optional Short Answer Question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background. (250 words)

This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. this is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the admissions committee, should you choose to do so..

Although the Sloan admissions committee is very explicit in spelling out that this indeed is an optional portion of the application and that candidates will not gain (or lose) in any way if they choose to respond to this prompt (or not), we have little doubt that quite a few applicants will panic at the thought of not submitting something. Believe us when we say that you can trust the admissions committee and be confident that the school is not trying to trick or test you in any way. (If this were a test of any kind—and again, it is not —it would be of your ability to assess and respond to such opportunities appropriately, meaning knowing when to provide more information and when to leave well enough alone.) The obvious truth is that everyone is shaped by their background, but not everyone will have a worthwhile story to share for this mini essay. If you do, the admissions committee simply wants to leave the door open for you to do so. But do not force the issue.

If an aspect of your background has pushed you to develop a certain appreciation, value, or skill that is not otherwise conveyed in your application but is central to who you are and how you conduct yourself in the world, that might be worth discussing here. If you have something in your character that is perhaps more lighthearted but stems from an aspect of your upbringing or environment and would help demonstrate that you are a multifaceted individual who can add an interesting new element to the next incoming class, that, too, could be a fitting topic for this mini essay. The bottom line is to ensure that if you choose to respond to this prompt, you offer the admissions committee something that is truly additive to your profile and will help them better understand who you are and what you have to offer for the Sloan community and perhaps even the broader world post-MBA.

Reapplicants: We strongly encourage you to submit new application materials and emphasize what has changed since you last applied. Re-applicants may submit their applications in any round, and will have an opportunity to highlight changes since their previous application in a short-answer question.

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 this time around is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. MIT Sloan wants to know that you have been continuing to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the time since you last applied to do so, because earning an MIT Sloan MBA is important to you. Make sure the admissions committee is fully aware of any significant work you have done and progress you have made since your previous application.

The Next Step: Mastering Your MIT Sloan Interview

Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. We therefore offer our free Interview Guides to spur you along! Download your free copy of the MIT Sloan School of Management Interview Guide today.

Candidates who are fortunate enough to be invited to interview at MIT Sloan (congratulations!) must respond to two additional essay questions.

Required Question #1 The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

The key with this submission is showing initiative and input on behalf of others and making sure your actions and motivations are readily understood. In business school—as in life in general—you will encounter people who think differently from you, operate according to different values, and react differently to the same stimuli. And success in an endeavor often involves evaluating and even incorporating the views of others. With this pre-interview essay, MIT Sloan is hoping to learn how you view and respond to such differences, using the principle that past behavior is a fairly reliable predictor of future behavior. In the MIT Sloan MBA program, you will be surrounded every day by people who are unlike you in a multitude of ways, and you will need to work in tandem with and alongside these individuals when analyzing case studies, completing group projects, and taking part in other activities both inside and outside the classroom. Note, however, that the essay prompt is not about simply participating in a diverse and inclusive culture but actually helping to cultivate one. The admissions committee wants to know that you are comfortable within such a dynamic, of course, but seems especially interested in hearing about a time when you stepped up to actively bring various people together in a harmonious and productive way.

MIT Sloan does not specify that you must have led the effort you are describing, though an example in which you have played a leadership role would be ideal if you have one. What you do have to do, in any case, is be sure that both the extent and the nature of your particular contribution to the project or event is front and center. The school expressly stipulates that the incident you share involve “a work environment or organization,” so your selected story should not be about a time you did something of this nature completely independently. Perhaps, for example, you organized (or helped organize) a welcome-our-new-hires potluck for your department after a number of new employees joined the team. Or maybe you instituted (or participated significantly in) a mentorship program at your company, in which employees with different tasks and personal backgrounds were matched to learn from and support one another. Whatever your story, we recommend using a narrative approach to present it, while also conveying the thought process and motivation(s) behind your actions. This way, the admissions committee will take away both a clear picture of what you accomplished and the aspects of your character that inspired you and enabled your success.

Required Question #2 We are interested in learning more about how you make data-driven decisions and communicate results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research (e.g. climate change, COVID maps, etc.).
In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

The important thing to understand here is that with these prompts, MIT Sloan is testing not your ability to present data but rather your ability to use data to make decisions and to explain the data in a way that is understandable to the non-quantitatively minded. To craft an effective response, you need to create a data visualization that is clean, clear, and easy to digest. The admissions committee wants evidence that you can communicate complex ideas in simple ways—or even simple ideas in compelling ways.

We suggest you start by identifying a difficult problem you recently solved or considered at length. What were the factors involved in helping you reach your final solution or conclusion? Some were undoubtedly qualitative (what your instincts told you with respect to the situation), but many, if not most, were based on the facts, numbers, and other data involved. How was your decision-making process driven by these numbers or data? And which numbers and data? Once you have determined the answers to these questions, you will have the foundation for your submission. Your next challenge is determining the best way of presenting the data so that anyone can understand it, and this part is key. If you opt for an overly complicated or sophisticated visualization, perhaps thinking you might impress the admissions committee with your advanced analytic capabilities, you will end up with a slide that is opaque and confusing—and that will not likely bring you the response you want. Instead, imagine that you were drawing a diagram for a ten-year-old (or at least someone with absolutely no knowledge of your area of expertise) to understand; what would it look like? A regression scatter plot? Probably not. Two bar charts? That sounds about right.

Similarly, crafting and presenting your chosen situation using a narrative format will make your essay both more compelling and more accessible. Consider starting with the 250-word essay, and strive to clearly describe the problem you addressed, the factors you considered in reaching your ultimate solution/resolution, and why these factors were central to your decision(s). Then, create a diagram that uses data points to illustrate how you came to that conclusion. Remember, the enemy here is being overly sophisticated in your diagram. Presenting a straightforward argument supported by a clean, accessible diagram is your goal.

To learn more about the essays for other top business schools, visit our MBA Essay Tips and Examples Resources Page .

2023-2024 Business School Essays Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan) MBA Essay Tips

Tags: cover letter MBA application essays MIT Sloan pre-interview essay reapplicants video essay

Upcoming Events

Mar 26, 2024 Your 2024 MBA Application Action Plan (Online)
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Upcoming Deadlines

Mar 25, 2024 Dartmouth Tuck (Round 3)
Mar 25, 2024 London Business School (Round 3)
Mar 26, 2024 Texas McCombs (Round 3)
Mar 26, 2024 Vanderbilt Owen (Round 4)
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Apr 4, 2024 Chicago Booth (Round 3)
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Apr 8, 2024 MIT Sloan (Round 3)
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Apr 10, 2024 Cornell Johnson (Round 3)
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Apr 29, 2024 Toronto Rotman (Round 4)
Apr 29, 2024 UNC Kenan-Flagler (Round 4)
Apr 30, 2024 Georgetown McDonough (Round 4)

Click here to see the complete deadlines

2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips

Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
Esade Essay Tips and Examples
Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
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INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips

MBA Program Updates

Berkeley-Haas
Boston University (Questrom)
Cambridge Judge Business School
Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
Cornell University (Johnson)
Dartmouth College (Tuck)
Duke University (Fuqua)
Emory University (Goizueta)
George Washington University (GWSB)
Georgetown University (McDonough)
Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
IE Business School
IESE Business School
Indian School of Business
Indiana University (Kelley)
Ivey Business School
London Business School
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
New York University (Stern)
Northwestern University (Kellogg)
Notre Dame (Mendoza)
Ohio State University (Fisher College)
Oxford University (Saïd Business School)
Penn State Smeal College of Business
Rotman School of Management
Saïd Business School
Southern Methodist University (Cox School of Business)
Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
University of California Los Angeles (Anderson)
University of Cambridge (Judge)
University of Chicago (Booth)
University of London (London Business School)
University of Michigan (Ross)
University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
University of Southern California (Marshall)
University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
University of Virginia (Darden)
Vanderbilt University (Owen)
Villanova School of Business
Yale University (School of Management)

MBA Resources

MIT Sloan: MBA Application Essays

Greetings, Everyone!

We are back with our List of Top-B-school essay questions & prompts! Today, we will discuss the MIT Sloan Application Essays for the admission cycle 2022-23. MIT is a well-renowned B-school aiming to create a vibrant learning environment rich in diverse ideas and life experiences for aspiring MBA candidates. That’s why MIT encourages applicants from all areas of study, including non–conventional backgrounds like humanities, and the social/physical sciences, to traditional experiences like – business and engineering. In addition, the B-school is searching for curious, passionate candidates with good analytical skills who will enhance the collaborative community at MIT.

So, What’s your story? What experiences and decisions have shaped who you are today? To know all this, MIT has its unique way of the application process to evaluate all the relevant aspects of a candidate’s profile through their B-school Essays. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get moving!

Above all, let us first take a glance at all the relevant dates regarding different rolling application rounds!

MIT SLOAN: APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR AUGUST 2023 ENTRY

**3:00 p.m. EST must receive all applications on the deadline.**

Great! Now that we are well-versed with all the important dates, let’s get started on the application essays!

MIT SLOAN: COVER LETTER

Rather than a traditional essay, MIT seeks a cover letter from their students whose individual characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of all the incredible opportunities available at MIT, both academic and non-academic. The School looks out for aspiring candidates whose presence will enhance the experience of other students hailing from diverse backgrounds.

Moreover, the School seeks thoughtful leaders with stellar leadership examples , exceptional intellectual abilities, drive & determination to put their mark on this dynamic business world.

MIT SLOAN: APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

A complete application for 2023 entry consists of the following:

Cover Letter
One-page Resume
1-minute Video Statement
One Letter of Recommendation
Additional References – *contact information for two additional professional references.*
Organizational Chart
Transcripts
Test Scores- *You can request a test waiver once the application is open. For more information about GMAT Waivers, you could refer to our article on- GMAT Waivers 2023
Relevant Coursework & Professional Certifications
Optional Short Answer Question.

That’s all about the MIT essay & application requirements! We hope this has helped you. However, if you are looking for a bit of more personal and precise advice, feel free to hop on a 1:1 profile evaluation call with our experts, where we’ll dive deep into your profile and help you understand your chances to top B-schools with absolutely honest feedback.

To understand how our process helps aspiring MBA candidates see a glimpse of how our Profile evaluations and consulting assistance works!

For more on B-School essays, you can check the links for our articles below!

How To Write the MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essays

Oct 25, 2022

After spending months fine-tuning your MBA application essays, you’ve finally received that long-awaited MIT interview invitation — only to discover that now you need to write more essays!

With more and more competitive candidates applying every year, elite MBA programs like MIT Sloan are always looking for new ways to distinguish the “admits” from the “dings.”

Though they may seem small and relatively unimportant at first, MIT Sloan’s interview essays are an important element of your overall application and should be carefully crafted. That’s why we’re sharing our top tips on how to approach and write your own interview essays . By following these tips, you can ensure you stand out and land a spot at MIT Sloan.

The MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Questions

MIT Sloan has also long required candidates who are called to interview to submit an additional essay. This year, MIT Sloan’s interview question is as follows:

Required Question #1 (Diversity)

The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice.

. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

How to approach your answer

At MIT, diversity is a core value . This means that at Sloan, you’ll constantly interact with people who think and act differently than you do.

Succeeding in such an environment requires a great deal of adaptability and flexibility, as well as a willingness to learn from those who are different. This type of environment, however, is not for everyone, which is why MIT seeks to gauge how you respond to diversity in this essay.

We suggest you start by considering the brand you are presenting to MIT and examine which examples about diversity you can share that will add value to the stories you told in your cover letter and video. Then, make sure you narrow this list down to your single best story . In a 250-word essay , you won’t have time to fully explore multiple examples, so limit yourself to one killer story.

Required Question #2 (Data)

We are interested in learning more about how you make data-driven decisions and communicate results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to.

Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research (e.g. climate change, COVID maps, etc).
In 250 words to less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

Considering how short the MIT application is, you should also use this as another opportunity to add something new to your application.

With this question, MIT seeks to understand how you are able to use data to make important decisions. MIT states that this example should come from data used in a professional context, so keep this in mind. When designing your slide, remember that you’re being judged on how you present the information visually, not on the data itself.

In your essay, make sure to explain how you analyzed the data and used it to make a decision . If you are not able to show how you applied the insights gained from the data you presented in a clear, concrete way, you may want to consider a different approach.

If you don’t have a job that requires you to use data on a regular basis, question 1 would be a better fit for you. If you do use data frequently at work, question 1 may still be a good option, but showing a real and measurable way in which you used data to make a decision is an excellent way to show the adcom you possess a great fit with their program.

TOP TIP: Make sure not to share confidential information. If you need to “sanitize” the data, this is acceptable.

MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Examples

In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

As a volunteer at ORG, I helped educate 400 students from all over my city, some in very marginalized situations. Although we were providing a low-cost pre-college course, I began to notice how everyday norms we took for granted were inadvertently exacerbating difficulties faced by the underprivileged.

For instance, I noticed that I never saw certain students at lunchtime. Lunch was in an open space where most students ate together and forged friendships. However, students with nothing to eat routinely stayed in other parts of the building and were not just isolated but, more importantly, hungry. To address this situation, I prospected potential donors, developed a proposal, and presented it in an internal all-hands meeting, gaining approval. After coordinating with the university community, I helped build a fundraising department. Our first donor, NGO, provided a sandwich and juice to every student, so those in need would not feel ashamed to be singled out. The fundraising department has since continued to build partnerships to benefit students.

This experience taught me that there are norms in place that prevent us from seeing persistent inequalities. It would have been easy to dismiss the absence of certain students as a result of shyness or simply not notice at all. Commitment to creating inclusive environments means noticing systemic problems in everyday contexts and working collaboratively toward solutions.

Looking for MIT Sloan pre-interview essay examples? Our MBA Resource Center includes multiple examples of both the diversity and data prompts, as well as countless other resources, including interview mock sequences, sample interview responses, and so much more. Sign up here !

We are interested in learning more about how you make data-driven decisions and communicate results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research (e.g. climate change, COVID maps, etc).
In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

A few years ago, I helped lead the sale of a payment company to a strategic investor. Negotiations included a price adjustment based on the company’s future performance. When the adjustment time came, the company was performing well below the business plan, despite not having reported abrupt operational changes. After thoroughly analyzing its financial data, I realized that its credit fund, responsible for providing credit to thousands of merchants, was underperforming. While it could be easily explained by external market issues, I decided to investigate other possible explanations, such as higher default levels. I asked the fund administrator to provide me with the credit database and developed an algorithm to parse data from hundreds of thousands of transactions, which allowed me to identify a spike in default levels. After filtering the data for individual client performance, an unusually high number of reliable clients seemed to have stopped paying.

To further investigate, I talked with several departments, discovering the fund administrator had changed right at the spike period and uncovering the underlying issue: an integration problem with the new administrator corrupted the database. I asked the fund administrator to refile the financials using a corrected database. Since this would incur a fine, however, they denied my request. So, I negotiated with senior leaders and convinced them to use a “simulation” with the corrected database to support negotiations with the investor. By doing so, we almost doubled the amount my client received.

Make Sure You Succeed in any MBA Interview

Though you might not be practicing for your interviews, your competitors are. When you’re competing at such an elite level (and top MBA programs are about as elite as it gets), practice is the only way to get the edge you need.

Working with highly-trained professionals, like our team of interview experts, can also be an excellent step to include in your interview process.

Maybe you don’t know where to start preparing.
Maybe you ramble on and lose your focus while answering.
Maybe you’re concerned about making errors, discussing your strengths, or addressing weaknesses.
Maybe you’ve downloaded interview guides or have spent hours reading interview report forums—but still have questions and doubts.

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.

As our client João, who was admitted to MIT Sloan, said:

“I would like to thank Ellin and her team for the extremely careful service they provided. After talking to and working with a few consulting firms, her work was the most structured I found.

Ellin helped me with my interview preparation and provided specific feedback about my pre-interview essays, especially for the MIT Sloan application. During all sessions, Ellin and her team demonstrated a deep knowledge of every school and offered excellent suggestions on how to improve both the content and the structure of my answers. Their service was definitely critical for my acceptance.”

Don’t undersell your success. Set up your 1:1 interview prep and show that you belong at a top MBA program!

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MIT Sloan MBA 2022-2023 Essay and Video Tips

July 5, 2022

Following the release of MIT’s MBA Deadlines , we’re presenting our definitive guide to Sloan’s written and video application essays. As a quick note, there have been no major changes to the app this year.

Importantly, once you pop open the application, you’ll notice that there is no traditional optional essay (i.e., one referencing problems in your candidacy) included. Instead of an optional section, applicants are provided with two spaces within the Academic Information and Employment Information portions to address any problems in their profile, such as poor school performance or significant job gaps. Should there be any red flags in your history, it goes without saying that it is in your best interest to use that space.

Because MIT’s MBA admissions process is hyper-competitive, the first step to standing out should be to learn about and connect with the program: dive deep into MIT’s courses, structure, culture, and the other things that make MIT unique. Interacting with the program’s staff, as well as former and current students, either virtually or in-person, should also play a key role in your admissions process for MIT Sloan.

Cover Letter – MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

One of the most common questions about this essay is whether or not MIT actually wants a cover letter. The answer is, sort of . While this essay’s format should follow that of a generic cover letter, its content should be oriented to match MIT’s particular tone and preferences.

In terms of substance, the two main areas of focus should be on your experiences and MIT’s MBA. The larger part of your essay should share examples from your life that reflect the values of MIT, such as recent professional experiences and successes. You can extend your focus, however, as long as you make sure to highlight those qualities that MIT is looking for, such as leadership, teamwork, creativity, and communication.

For the cover letter’s second portion, try connecting the experiences you just mentioned to concrete aspects of MIT’s program and/or culture. It’s best to only include relevant points gathered from your prior research and outreach; writing that’s too general risks being read as coming from a lack of effort, care or both. It’s important to remember that the purpose of this second part is to show how you fit the profile that MIT desires, which is difficult to accomplish without expressing a deeper understanding of the MBA.

Finally, while cover letters can at times come across as dry, it’s best to show a bit of style and creativity while writing this particular one. Try to avoid generic language when possible, and try to pique your reader’s interest by employing an engrossing and generally positive tone.

Optional Short Answer Question – Applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250 word short answer question:

How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity, please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.

This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

Let’s start with what worries applicants most: is this a truly optional essay? Yes, it absolutely is. Not only will you not be penalized for leaving this out of your application, it may in fact be to your benefit to not attempt this question. If you have nothing that you can add that would reveal an engaging or unique perspective that helps you stand out more from the applicant pool, there’s not much that needs to be added here. Having said that, the question does allow for a candidate at the margins to really bolster her candidacy with a show of her vibrancy or an expression of the difficulties that she has overcome.

Before you decide to tackle the question, think back to your history. What were the factors and experiences that drove you to become the individual you are? What shaped your world view or the way you interact with people? What helped create the drivers of your life? Once you have these in mind, weigh them against the rest of your application and what you believe others may include as responses. Will it improve the admissions committee understanding of your profile and might it help set you apart? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can decide on whether to include a response.

Potential Additional Essay (Interview Dependent) – The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe how you, as a member of the MIT Sloan community, would work to create a campus that is welcoming, inclusive and increasingly diverse.

Details for submitting your response will be included in the interview invitation.

MIT wants to grow its strong, supportive student and alumni network. In order to accomplish that goal, they try to ensure that admitted candidates will actively participate in Sloan’s MBA community. In order to best answer this potential essay, try to identify how your previous interests and activities align with those available at MIT, especially those outside of the classroom. Feel free to be creative. It may help to ask yourself how you can improve a particular MIT community or association, and how that improvement is linked with your unique strengths, interests, and former experiences. However, do remember to stay humble when mentioning your potential contribution, as MIT doesn’t want to run across any sort of hubris in this essay (even if it’s merited).

VIDEO ESSAY

Applicants are required to upload a 1 minute (60 second) video as part of their application. In your video, you should introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and touch on why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree.

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

No more than 1 minute (60 second) in length

Single take (no editing)

You should be speaking directly to the camera

Do not include background music or subtitles

We recommend using applications such as QuickTime or iMovie to record yourself. Upload the video file according to the detailed instructions within the application.

Video recordings understandably make many people nervous. However, this isn’t like INSEAD’s video essay where you’re asked a series of random questions and need to think on your feet (for more about that sort of requirement, read our post here ). Instead, for MIT you can plan the video out as much as you’d like. The question then becomes, what should you do with so much control?

Before we get to the shoulds , let’s quickly review the shouldn’ts . This is not a place where you should be mentioning any subjects that have been discussed in other parts of the application. Neither is this a question about your future goals, nor is it about MIT. This video is all about you .

Most applicants benefit from taking a personal approach here. First, take some time to outline the passions that define your life. What are the hobbies that take up most of your time? What are the events that have recently caused you to change your mind? What are the principles that guide your daily life? There are many questions you can ask yourself to help identify them.

Once you have a rough outline of what you’d like to present about yourself, consider how to best present those aspects. First of all, this isn’t a movie shoot: a camera crew is not a must (unless you happen to actually work in the film industry). However, there are many ways to bring your passions to life without having your video come across as overworked. If some of your main interests revolve around flight, for example, why not shoot your video amidst aeronautical materials or even in an airplane hangar – either could be a simple method to visually connect the viewer with your message. Beyond the mise-en-scène, we recommend that you practice your pitch so as to make sure that your speech comes across in a natural, friendly, and attractive manner, all while remaining professional.

If you’re planning on building a successful application for MIT Sloan, be sure to connect with our leading Sloan Experts .

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October 14, 2022

MIT Sloan Executive MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2022 – 2023]

These essay questions show that the MIT EMBA adcom seeks applicants who have the judgment and practical skills to take on the challenges that will fly at them as they redefine and reshape industries and functions to meet the needs of the future. Applicants who push the boundary of what’s possible and provide principled leadership amidst a torrent of change. The essays (including Statement of Purpose) are your main means to show that you possess the qualities that indicate fit for the MIT EMBA. While the statement of purpose challenges you to succinctly create your applicant portrait, the three essay questions probe how your perspective, ideas, and thinking lead to specific impacts and outcomes. As always, MIT Sloan is interested in what you’ve done – actions you’ve taken and impacts you’ve created.

In an overall plan for the essays, the statement of purpose works as a positioner, an opening pitch, a frame. In each of the three essays, strategically select experiences that show different facets of your experience to give a comprehensive view. Also, if possible, discuss recent experiences in at least 2 of the essays, to allow the adcom to see you working at a high level and to show what you’ll bring to the table. A pitfall of the essays is potential overlap in topics and examples. Before drafting essays, I suggest mapping out your topics and examples to ensure you present different types of impacts and experiences and “allocate” your relevant examples/experiences optimally. Finally, MIT EMBA’s mission is stated at the start of the essay questions; keep it on the radar for context as you draft the essays.

MIT Executive MBA application writing prompts

Mit executive mba statement of purpose.

Please provide a statement on your personal and professional qualifications. What is motivating you to apply to the MIT Executive MBA at this point in your career? (500 words or less)

This is your portrait – your candidacy at a glance. It should convey a vivid, immediate sense of you as a person and as a candidate for this program. It should go beyond just facts to present a point of view and a message (theme). Determine your message before drafting the essay, and be guided by it in selecting and elaborating the content details.

Beware of a potential pitfall: in discussing the qualifications (ideally reflecting accomplishments), do not repeat your resume in prose format. Select your examples thoughtfully, focusing on those that (a) are truly distinctive and relevant to the EMBA and/or (b) support your goals directly or indirectly, and (c) reflect your message. Make a short, meaningful point about each, such as the insight it lends or its influence on you. Don’t forget to include at least one personal (non-work) accomplishment!

For why you are pursuing the MIT EMBA, of course you’ll discuss your professional goals and objectives. Focus not only on what you want to do, but also why — your vision, what motivates this plan. Addressing “why now” should be part of this goals discussion. Finally, address how this program will help you realize your plans – note 2-3 specific attributes and components of the program and thoughtfully link them concretely to your needs.

MIT EMBA application essays

Three essays are required. The two short-form essays, and one long-form essay will provide you with the opportunity to highlight recent experiences from your professional life.

MIT Executive MBA essay #1

Lasting impact can happen on large and small scales. Tell us about how you inspired your team, and what you learned about yourself as a leader, through a recent difficult time. (300 words or less )

The bulk of the essay will focus on action – your chosen story of leading/inspiring your team through difficulty to achieve a lasting impact. While the story should reflect MIT’s educational mission, don’t strain to find something that literally mirrors all the specific points (innovative, principled, generate ideas, advance management practice). Rather, your story can reflect the spirit of this mission. The key to making this a gripping, memorable essay is including a bit about your thought process as you narrate your actions – at a key point, why you made an important decision, etc. And note the word “recent” in the question – hence the experience should have occurred within the last couple of years.

MIT Executive MBA essay #2

MIT Sloan finds strength through diversity. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. We seek to create a community that encompasses all dimensions of diversity and fosters excellence within MIT Sloan. This includes diversity of identity, thought, role, and perspective. Please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse. (250 words or less)

Again, MIT seeks evidence that you take actions and have an impact that are consistent with its values. They are interested in learning how you implement change in what essentially is culture: diversity, inclusivity, welcoming – a potential pitfall here is to use “warm and fuzzy” verbiage; MIT is interested in concrete changes that make a real difference. You should cite actual outcomes as a result of your contributions. With only 250 words, keep it simple: focus on telling the story . Be sure to clarify your own actions and note your thinking at 1-2 key points. In selecting your example, keep in mind your topics for essays 1 and 3, to ensure that all together you are representing strategically meaningful aspects of your experience.

MIT Executive MBA essay #3

Please tell us about a time when you introduced an idea that changed the way in which your organization approached a business challenge or opportunity. What factors did you consider, what barriers or obstacles did you face, and how did you measure success? (500 words or less)

This question requires you to address both thought (idea) and action (introduced…). MIT Sloan seeks people who have strength in both areas – who have vision and can execute that vision.

A suggested approach is to draft it straightforwardly, as a story: start with your idea and what prompted it, and then narrate your action – how you introduced the idea, and how you implemented it. Conclude with the results, clarifying the change in approach to the opportunity or challenge, and how you measured the success.

There are 2 ways to address the last part of the question. Option A: As you narrate the story, include and “zoom in” on factors you considered and the barriers/obstacles you encountered in the process; make them part of the story. Option B: narrate the story, and then in a concluding paragraph discuss the factors you considered and the barriers/obstacles faced.

For expert guidance with your MIT Sloan EMBA 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 MIT Sloan’s EMBA program and look forward to helping you too!

MIT Executive MBA 2023 application deadlines

Source: MIT Sloan EMBA website

Get all your MIT Sloan questions answered directly from the MIT Sloan admissions team in this AMA. Register now!

Related Resources:

Executive MBA Essays: How to Make an Impact [Sample Essay]
MIT Sloan EMBA and Sloan Fellows Programs: Move from Success to Significance , a podcast episode
EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants

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2023-2024 MBA Admissions: MIT Sloan Essays

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, and behavioral essays etc. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for MIT Sloan.

Organizational Chart

Our goal is to learn about you and your professional background. Your employer’s organizational chart will help us better understand the role you play within your organization, who you report to, and the impact you might have on your department or company.

Some important details:

-Give us as much detail as possible (names, titles, etc.) but it’s ok to redact names if you need to.

-Please circle your role in red so that your position is easily identifiable.

-Make sure we can easily identify where you are, to whom you report, and if applicable, who reports to you.

-If your recommender or references are on your organizational chart (they may not be, and that’s ok!), please highlight them for us.

-If you are a consultant, entrepreneur, or affiliated with the military review our FAQs for suggestions on how to approach the organizational chart.

-Please upload an organizational chart that outlines the internal structure of your place of employment. Limit to two pages.

Click here to view a sample organizational chart.

Behavioral Essay (Cover Letter)

MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and can be addressed to:

Admissions Committee 50 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02142

Your cover letter should be 300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation. If you have any additional questions, please visit our FAQ page.

Upload a Word or PDF document.

Personal (Video) Essay

Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

-No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length

-Single take (no editing)

-Speaking directly to the camera

-Do not include background music or subtitles

Note: While we ask you to introduce yourself to your future classmates in this video, the video will not be shared beyond the admissions committee and is for use in the application process only.

Optional Essay

We’d like to give you the opportunity to expand on your background. This question is completely optional.

How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.

Please do not include any links in your response. (250 words or fewer)

Reapplicant Essay

Please let us know what’s changed since you last applied. (200 words)

Looking for Last-Minute Essay Help?

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Did you know that Menlo Coaching can help you with your MBA essays on an hourly basis?

Our five-hour package starts at $2,500, and you can work with our MBA admissions consultants on anything you like, including:

✓ Essay and Resume Edits

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MIT Sloan Organizational Chart

Another of Sloan’s unusual admissions requirements is its organizational chart. From this chart, the AdCom wants to understand visually what your current role is in your organization or company, as well as where you sit in the hierarchy and chain of command. The admissions committee also wants to understand the role and position of your recommenders, so it’s important to be detailed, thorough, and accurate in your organizational chart.

Early Birds Toolkit

Learn 3 Steps You Should Take NOW to Improve Your Profile for R1 2024

In MBA admissions, starting early can significantly boost your chances.

But there are no shortcuts, and while R1 2024 deadlines might seem far off, building your profile takes time.

Our Early Birds Toolkit has everything you need to get started right now —leave your name and email, and we’ll send you three actionable steps to elevate your profile, plus time-saving tools for faster progress.

The Behavioral Essay

To make it simple: the behavioral essay is meant to show MIT Sloan 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; MIT Sloan 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. The Admissions Team is looking for MBA essays that show you are a considerate leader who will make the best of their time in the program. The school “demand[s] integrity and respect[s] passion.” 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.

The Personal Essay

Like we touched on earlier, schools are looking for the right fit for their campus community, just as you are searching for the school that aligns best with your goals. In the personal essay, this is your chance to show MIT Sloan the values that drive you both as a person and as a student. These values tell the admissions council what you prioritize, the moral code you live by, and, most importantly, who you are as a person.

In these essays, you can talk about almost anything; typically, applicants will write about relationships in their lives, or times when there was a hardship they had to overcome. Be warned, though: there are some topics to avoid, and we have outlined a few things to watch out for in this article .

When it comes to video essays specifically, we have some advice:

Practice—but don’t memorize: it’s always clear if someone has memorized what they intend to say in a video essay verbatim, and this can make your content seem staged and inauthentic. If you find that you’re repeating the same speech over and over again, change the first sentence. You’ll be surprised at how this will throw you off!
Make sure that your setting is appropriate: you want to make sure that your lighting is good and that there are no empty tequila bottles in the background.
Speak slowly and clearly: clear diction can make a big difference when it comes to reviewing your video essay.

Once you’ve completed your application, Sloan’s optional 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.

For reapplicants, Sloan requires a specific essay in which you can address how your application has improved since your last application.

In this essay, you can address any improvements to your test scores, promotions at work, additional volunteer or community work, or any significant professional development that you have undertaken since you last applied to the program.

Timing is key for reapplicants, and when you’re applying for an MBA program a second time around, you want to be sure that you are a more qualified and desirable client than you were in the past—even if your application was stellar the first time.

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.

Elevate your Sloan MBA application with strategic MBA coaching and insider insights from experienced consultants.

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2023-2024 MIT Sloan MBA essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

July 9, 2023

MIT Sloan has a wide range of exciting master’s programs for a variety of students and career goals. So, it might be smart to do your research and apply to the program that would help you the most:

Sloan Fellows MBA (1-year)
Leaders in Global Operations (LGO)
Master of Finance
Master of Business Analytics

If your target MIT Sloan MBA program is a 2-year program then this article is for you.

MIT Sloan School of Management’s MBA application is very different from those of other business schools.

There is no MBA essay as such in the application, but it asks for a cover letter, a video essay, a resume, and an organizational chart that essentially serves the purpose of an essay.

In some ways, this structure shows how MIT Sloan wants to admit people with practical (but still innovative) ideas and experience.

Also, the cover letter is a way to talk about your most important accomplishments and show that you meet the admissions requirements. These criteria are: being independent, being real, and being creative without fear—true doers.

MIT Sloan MBA Essays and Application Requirements

Mit sloan mba cover letter tips, video essay, important q&a related to the organizational chart, optional short answer question, let us help you get into mit sloan.

While getting an admit to MIT Sloan can be difficult, applying to the program doesn’t come easy either. The MIT Sloan MBA has an extensive application with the following requirements:

Cover Letter (300 words or fewer)
Resume (one page)
Video Statement (1 minute)
Letter of Recommendation (one)
Additional References (two)

Organizational Chart

In this article, we’ll discuss how to create the MIT Sloan cover letter, resume, video essay, organizational chart, and the optional short answer question.

Cover Letter

This is what MIT Sloan says regarding the cover letter:

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic.

We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world.

We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.”

MIT tells you what it wants to see in a cover letter, which is helpful. This cover letter is a marketing document, just like any other cover letter. When you apply for a job, you look into the company to find out what it wants and what it values. Based on what you find out, you send your resume along with a cover letter that is meant to make you look as good as possible to the company and shows that you have what the company wants.

Given how well the process of crafting a cover letter coincides with Sloan’s objective of admitting practical individuals with a track record of achievement, this is not surprising. Thus, the cover letter enables you to demonstrate to Sloan’s admissions committee that you “fit” their program in a succinct and pragmatic manner by highlighting your main accomplishments and career goals.

As you work on this assignment, keep in mind the usual parts of a cover letter: your skills and qualities, why you want to do an MBA from MIT Sloan, and what you think you can bring to the table.

Use your accomplishments, especially the ones that show the above qualities, to show why you should be accepted. How do the skills shown in your examples fit with the MIT Sloan program, its close-knit community, and its culture of innovators who get things done?

When you make your case and list your accomplishments, be sure to emphasize your role and the impact it had.

Please note that this is not an essay. Make sure your letter is formatted as a professional letter with a date, address, header, salutation, and close.

To learn more about what MIT Sloan is looking for and how to make your application stand out, get in touch with us at [email protected]

The resume you send to a business school is very important because it gives the admissions committee a detailed picture of your work history and is one important document the interviewer will look at (once you receive an interview invite).

Some business schools don’t tell you how to format your resume, but MIT Sloan does. In addition to telling you how to put the different parts of your resume in order, you are directed to remove your personal information.

Please submit a one-page resume. This will help MIT Sloan adcom easily track your academic and career path. Try to focus on your work results, not just your title or job description.

Here are some pointers on formatting:

One page limit
Times New Roman font
Size 10 font
Word or PDF formats only

Provide the following information in reverse chronological order:

Education: Please include relevant awards, scholarships, and professional societies
Work Experience: Please include company name, title, results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your achievements, and dates
Additional information: Please include extracurricular activities/community service, technical skills/certifications, special skills/interests, and languages spoken (if applicable)

Do you want to impress the MIT Sloan Adcom?

At Admit Expert, we have helped hundreds of students get into top MBA programs around the world. We would be happy to help you too. Schedule a free call with us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your goals.

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Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length
Single take (no editing)
Speaking directly to the camera
Do not include background music or subtitles”

MIT gives you plenty of time to plan and record your video.

Given the limited time you have to make an impression at MIT, your goal with this essay is to introduce yourself to your classmates, and the best introductions typically include a selection of interesting stories.

To begin brainstorming potential stories, imagine you are on your first day of work and need to introduce yourself to your team. What would you like your new colleagues to know about you? Or, better yet, what would you want to know about a new colleague who came in and introduced himself?

Because your entire cover letter will be devoted to discussing your professional accomplishments, we recommend that you concentrate on your personal interests here rather than examples of big wins at work.

MIT Sloan does not want you to hire a video expert because an unedited video levels the playing field for all applicants.

While the video allows the admissions committee to see and hear you, your passion and story will invite them to feel your presence and personality. Prepare an authentic, exciting, and enchanting story. Above all, sound natural and unrehearsed!

Avoid being too casual with your classmates, as they will become your future career and social network, but do remember to smile.

Put on your best professional or business-casual gear for the actual video statement. Dress more formally if you’re not sure of what you’re wearing is appropriate. Make sure the area where you’re talking from is noise-free and that your roommates, pets, and/or kids aren’t going to hear or bother you. Make sure your background is modest and neutral. An empty wall makes for a beautiful backdrop.

This is another thing that only the MIT Sloan application asks for. This isn’t a new part of the application, so it shows that MIT thinks it’s important to know where the applicant stands in the organization’s hierarchy.

The key is to make it informative, with good details about your own position and those who may be in levels higher or lower than you. Organizational charts should not be more than two pages.

You might not need to spend a lot of time making the organizational chart look fancy, but a simple chart showing the different levels should work pretty well. Check out the sample organizational chart that the school has given.

Source – https://mitsloan.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Sample%20Org%20Chart.pdf

Here are a few important FAQs related to the organizational chart.

What’s the goal of submitting the organizational chart?

The goal is to find out more about you and your work history. The organizational chart for your company will help MIT Sloan adcom figure out what your job is, who you report to, who reports to you, and how you might affect your department or company.

What if no one reports to you. Will this part of the application put you at a disadvantage?

No. At this point in your career, you are not expected to be able to manage other people. The organizational chart isn’t meant to count how many people report to you directly. Instead, it’s meant to help the adcom understand your role in your organization and who you work with.

What if I’m a solo entrepreneur or external contractor? What is the best way to display my chart when I am an organization of one?

If you are a solo entrepreneur or contractor, try this: place yourself at the center of the chart, then make branches representing the various constituents and stakeholders you interact with (for example, clients, suppliers, investors, and board of directors). 

My organization’s structure is confidential. Do I still have to submit an organizational chart?

We recognize that some organizations’ internal structures are classified or confidential. In this scenario, do your best to help us visualize your place within the organization without giving away classified details. You can redact names or titles or display only a certain level of your organization. Whatever you can share will be helpful.

Applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250-word short answer question:

Overall, MIT Sloan is trying to learn more about where you have come from and how that has shaped who you are now.

You could talk about how the lessons you’ve learned from hard times and strange situations have changed the way you approach your career, but that shouldn’t be the main point of this essay.

The adcom wants to know what motivates you, what your values are, or just other parts of who you are. Also, remember that this Sloan MBA essay is optional.

Alexis Marcus from MIT Sloan’s admissions team conducted a live Q&A and you can get a few tips from this session. The video is embedded here.

We will help you write essays that portray your unique strengths and experiences in the most favorable light so that your application shines above the rest. We have helped hundreds of students get into top US business schools. Let us help you too.

Do you want to get into your dream business school?

Take the first step towards your MBA dream and schedule a free 1 on 1 application strategy call with us.

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MIT Sloan 2023–2024 Essay Tips

VIDEO: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you! Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

Optional Short Answer Question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background. (250 words)

Reapplicants: We strongly encourage you to submit new application materials and emphasize what has changed since you last applied. Re-applicants may submit their applications in any round, and will have an opportunity to highlight changes since their previous application in a short-answer question.

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