In this blog post we will examine the Yale School of Management MBA admissions essays for the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. When announcing the essay questions for this season, Yale SOM stated:
“The question evolved from a conversation with Professor of Organizational Behavior Amy Wrzesniewski, who noted, “Reading about future plans is helpful, but actions speak louder than words.” In your response, we are looking to learn about how you have approached a particular commitment, whether personal or professional, and the behaviors that support it. You should be less concerned about what we want to hear and instead focus on being honest with yourself in selecting and describing the commitment that has been most significant to you.”
Yale MBA Essay 1
Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words maximum)
Due to the open-ended nature of this question, it is crucial to adhere to a structure when writing this essay. What you can dedicate yourself to can be divided into three categories: ideas, organizations, and people. Let's look more closely at how we would advise handling this:
An idea
The advantage of having a strong commitment to an idea is that it probably enables you to reply to the prompt in the most comprehensive way possible because the idea may find support in both your professional and personal life. For instance, you might have been most dedicated to promoting social justice and have worked to do so in your workplace and community. Or you might have made adjustments in your personal life, initiatives at work, and volunteer work because you're committed to reducing the negative effects that humans have on the environment. In essence, it's simple to understand how dedication to a concept offers a variety of opportunities to highlight different facets of your candidacy.
One thing to keep in mind while committing to an idea is that some people may have a bias toward politics or religion. Although these are undoubtedly perfectly acceptable in the context of the question, it's crucial to keep in mind that these are sometimes delicate subjects. You simply need to concentrate on your actions and successful outcomes rather than your beliefs if politics or religion have always been your top priorities.
An Organization
An organization could be in your community or in the workplace. You should also keep in mind that an organizational behavior professor posed this question. So it makes sense to think about what you've done in a group or with a group. This will demonstrate your leadership and teamwork abilities, two qualities MBA programs look for.
You shouldn't feel constrained to the world of business. "Educating leaders for business and society" is the goal of Yale SOM. Maybe you started a community event or arranged a fundraiser. The idea is to demonstrate how you worked with a group to achieve a goal.
A person
It makes sense that your first thought in response to this query would be a spouse or child. However, continuing down this path can eventually bring some difficulties. First off, there are undoubtedly a lot of applications choosing their spouse or child, which may make it more difficult for you to stand out. Second, it can be more challenging to relate your dedication to your spouse or child to your potential abilities as a future business leader and your capacity to contribute to Yale SOM.
Go ahead, though, if you genuinely believe that your love for someone is the biggest commitment you've ever made and you think you can write about it well, do it.
However, a person need not be a close friend or family member. For instance, perhaps you have continued a fruitful mentoring connection in your community or at work. Perhaps you could discuss the interpersonal difficulties in your partnership and how you ultimately succeeded in accomplishing your shared goals. Here, being honest always works best. The best explanations of commitment will come from someone or something that you are deeply passionate about.
Factors to Avoid
We've mentioned a few possible subjects for your Yale MBA essay, but there are several you should steer clear of. While it would be tempting, this essay should only express one commitment. Your argument may be supported by a number of examples, but there should only be one central theme. Avoid using phrases like "pursuing an MBA" or "applying to business school." The admissions committee is interested in learning more about you as a person, not just your enthusiasm for an MBA. It's important to keep in mind that everyone who applies to Yale SOM is, in theory, committing to getting an MBA, which makes it more difficult for you to stand out.
Things to Consider
Think carefully about what it means to be devoted. This can mean persevering and conquering obstacles time and time again. A commitment requires effort, time, and sacrifice or compromise. Think about what made accomplishing your goal challenging. What eventually kept you from abandoning your commitment or making the decision to stop trying. A sign of growth? The impact of the end goal? As this should be your "largest" commitment, consider the project's scope and magnitude. Your dedication needs to live up to the description "largest."
Structure of the Essay
You only have 500 words, which isn't much room to convey something that is deeply meaningful to you. As a result, begin one or two words by outlining your commitment in a clear-cut and succinct manner. Then move on to the bulk of your essay. This should include examples that show how committed you are to the chosen idea, organization, or person. If you have any remaining space, it would be good to discuss how you intend to pursue this commitment at Yale SOM and beyond. In your conclusion, simply reaffirm your most important commitment and the satisfaction it brings you.