MIT Sloan Executive MBA Essay Questions & Analysis 2024 - 2025
MIT Sloan’s Executive MBA (EMBA) program is ranked #4 in the world in the QS Global Executive MBA Rankings 2024. This 20-month program provides mid-career leaders with a world-class forum to advance their careers using MIT’s signature innovation-driven applied learning approach. Over the course of their Executive MBA, students will experience immersive three-week long executive modules, and have the option to choose between a final international project trip or exposure to creating an entrepreneurial venture.
Here are the MIT Sloan Executive MBA (EMBA) essay questions and analysis for 2024-2025.
Essay 1
General Managers are individuals responsible for strategy, budget, and work output from both individuals and teams for at least one function of an organization, with the ability to see the big picture across functions. They participate making in short-term and long-term strategy decisions and work cross-functionally to achieve specific goals or strategies.
Please describe your General Management experience. Cite a recent example that demonstrates your general managerial perspective. (100 words or less)
As an EMBA applicant with management experience, you likely have experience in making strategic decisions, managing people and budgets, and collaborating across functions. In this question, you are asked to cite an example demonstrating this experience.
Given the short word limit of 100 words, keep your answer short and concise. Explain your position and responsibility in managing strategy, budget, and work output. Did you oversee a department, product line, or cross-functional teams?
Then, provide a recent example of where you applied your general management perspective to achieve a specific goal.Your example should demonstrate an ability to think broadly across functions and collaborate with others.
Essay 2
The educational mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management, "to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice," has never been more important.
Describe a principle that motivates you in your life and career. How have you put this principle into practice? (100 words or less)
What is your leadership approach? Do you have a core principle that guides your life and career, and can you give an example of this in practice? At its core, these are the questions you will need to address in this short answer.
First, identify your core principle: Think about a value like integrity, empathy, or fairness that shapes your decisions and actions as a leader. Share a specific example of a time when you applied this principle, like navigating a difficult decision or leading your team through a crisis.
Next, connect this example to your leadership style and decision-making. For example, how does inclusivity guide your leadership in large teams?
Essay 3
What are your immediate and long-term professional objectives and what do you need to achieve them? (100 words or less)
This is a straightforward, albeit very short, career goals essay. Don’t waste time writing a personal story that explains why you picked these goals; simply state your short-term and long-term goals and the specific skills and knowledge you need to achieve them.
Your short-term goal should clearly and directly state the role, company/companies, and geography you want to work in after your MBA. Your long-term goal can be more ambitious and vague, but it should be a logical evolution of your short-term goal.
Next, explain the specific skill gaps (like data analysis, negotiations, financial modelling, communication, strategy) that you need to achieve these goals. You can also include how an EMBA from MIT Sloan will help you achieve them by providing 1-2 examples of specific resources, networks, or opportunities at MIT Sloan that directly relate to your skill gaps.
Essay 4
Why is this the right time to pursue the MIT Executive MBA? (100 words or less)
Consider your career trajectory. Here, you’re being asked to reflect on your professional growth and why you're ready for this next step at this point in your career. You’re already at a senior position; why do you need a business degree now?
Perhaps you are seeking new leadership skills to manage increased responsibility, need to refine your strategic thinking to lead a global team, or want to evolve your technical role to a more management/strategy oriented one. Highlight how your current position or challenges make the EMBA a timely choice by pointing to a recent development in your career or industry, such as an emerging trend, a new opportunity, or a leadership gap you’ve identified.
Essay 5
Tell us what you learned about your strengths and weaknesses as a leader during a recent challenging period for your team. (200 words or less)
This prompt calls for a Challenge story. This should be a specific instance where your team faced a major challenge—this could be a market downturn, a crisis, or a project that went off course.
Use the SCAR format to structure your story.
Situation: Set the scene for your story. Who was involved, and what was at stake?
Challenge: Describe the challenge your team faced and the key considerations you weighed.
Action: What decision did you make to lead your team through this crisis?
Result: What was the outcome? It doesn’t always have to be a successful one!
Analysis: Reflect on your role and leadership style during this time. How did you motivate or support your team? Did you learn anything about your ability to manage under pressure?
Conclude by addressing what you learned about your leadership strengths and areas for improvement. MIT Sloan values leaders who can learn from their experiences and continue evolving.
Essay 6
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 practices. Graduates are expected to lead in a global and diverse environment, with the ability to navigate and manage diversity across roles, industries, identities, and perspectives. Our selection process is designed to identify individuals equipped to lead in these complex and dynamic contexts.
Please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse. (200 words or less)
Similar to its pre-interview FT MBA essay, this question asks you to discuss a time when you contributed to making your work environment more inclusive and diverse.
Using the SCAR format, explain a situation where diversity and inclusion were key elements of the challenge or opportunity. Next, highlight how you made a difference—whether through creating an inclusive hiring process, fostering team collaboration, or ensuring diverse perspectives were heard in decision-making. Link to your leadership style; MIT Sloan values leaders who can navigate diverse environments, so show how your actions reflect a commitment to inclusion.
To learn more about how you can answer MIT Sloan’s DEI essay question, read our blog here.
Essay 7
Please tell us about a time when you introduced a new 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? (300 words or less)
Here, you are being asked to share an example of a time when you introduced a new idea that changed how your organization approached a challenge or opportunity.
First, describe the innovation. Be clear about what the idea was and how it altered the way your organization approached a problem or seized an opportunity. Address the factors you considered when introducing the idea (e.g., market trends, company needs, stakeholder buy-in). What obstacles did you face in getting the idea implemented?
Finally, reflect on how you evaluated the success of the innovation. Did it lead to measurable improvements in efficiency, revenue, employee satisfaction, etc.? Quantify the impact where possible.
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