MIT Sloan Video Essay Questions 2024 - 2025

As part of your MIT Sloan MBA application, you will be required to answer 2 video questions in addition to the cover letter, organizational chart, and other short-form questions. MIT’s Associate Director of Admissions, Diane Jordan, says that “the video statement is one of her favorite components in the application”. For AdCom, the video essay can help “bring your story to life and build a deeper connection with an AdCom member”, and is a great way to showcase your personality. MIT Sloan also provides the following guidance for their video essays:

• Feel free to use professional and personal examples. If there’s something you’re working on that you’re not sure where to add in your application, this is a good place to mention it. 

• Pay extra attention to your background, clothing, set-up, sound, and minimize any distractions. Make sure your network connection is strong. 

More generally, it’s clear that MIT Sloan wants you to be authentic and add color to your application. Don’t just repeat talking points from your essays or list achievements they could easily see on your resume. Let’s analyze the MIT Sloan video statement questions for 2024 - 2025.

Video Question 1 

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

Video Essay 1 is a pre-recorded, 60 second video that you will need to film in a single take. What can you share with MIT AdCom that will make them want to meet you to learn more?

Don’t treat it like an elevator pitch: Like we mentioned earlier, avoid launching into a monologue of your achievements and awards. MIT Sloan already has this information from your resume, and you’re wasting precious real estate on repeating it. With the video statement, your goal is to build a connection with AdCom, so use this video to add more depth to your application.

Speak to your future classmates: Although MIT Sloan AdCom will be watching your essay, the prompt specifically asks you to introduce yourself to your MBA class. So don’t get too formal with it! You want to come across as a personable, authentic individual that they would be happy to share a class with for the next 2 years.

Use a story: Given that you only have 60 seconds, it might be best to choose one specific experience that builds on your overall narrative. It could highlight a leadership skill that you haven’t got the chance to expound on in other parts of your application, or be a personal story that reveals more about who you are and what has shaped you. Maybe you have a side hustle that shows your resilience and grit, an extracurricular (like a sport) that has shown you the real meaning of showing up for your team, or even a failure that taught you a difficult lesson. It doesn’t have to be about work; a personal story can add a fresh dimension to your application.Per our usual advice, frame your story in a SCAR (Situation-Challenge-Action-Result) format. It will give your story structure and help you stick to the time limit.

Connect your skills and values to MIT Sloan: Use your story to briefly highlight the values and skills that make you a great fit for the MIT Sloan program. MIT Sloan is looking for intelligent doers and leaders who can go above and beyond their role to positively impact the communities and spaces they are in, so make sure the story you choose connects to these values. But remember: 60 seconds go by way quicker than you would expect, so it’s best to not spend too much time talking about MIT Sloan, rather than yourself.

Practical considerations: Don’t focus too hard on the video’s production quality and editing. A well-shot video on a smartphone works just fine. Additionally, consider filming in a location that would add additional context to what you’re speaking about. Be reasonably creative with it!

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Video Question 2

All MBA applicants will be prompted to respond to a randomly generated, open-ended question. The question is designed to help us get to know you better; to see how you express yourself and to assess fit with the MIT Sloan culture. It does not require prior preparation. 

Video Essay 2 is part of your required application materials and will appear as a page within the application, once the other parts of your application are completed. Applicants are given 10 seconds to prepare for a 60-second response.

The following are examples of questions that may be asked in the Video Question 2:

• What achievement are you most proud of and why?

• Tell us about a time a classmate or colleague wasn’t contributing to a group project. What did you do?

While Video Essay 1 is pre-recorded (which means you could do as many takes as you like before submitting a final version), Video Essay 2 is a randomly generated question that you will need to answer “live”. Like the prompt says, you will have 10 seconds to prepare your response, and 60 seconds to answer it. You only get one chance to answer this question – no do-overs. The questions asked in this section are typically behavioral questions through which the AdCom is trying to understand your communication and critical thinking skills, much like the actual interview. You may feel like you’ve been put on the spot, but it’s also a great way to show MIT Sloan that you can think on your feet and communicate effectively to stay within the 60-second mark.

Example MIT Sloan Video Essay 2 Questions

So, what kind of questions can you expect in MIT Sloan’s video essay 2? The prompt includes two classic examples: one about an achievement, and the other about stepping up within a team. Here are some more questions that previous MIT Sloan applicants were asked:

1. What is an interesting project you worked on during an internship?

2. Tell us about a time you failed, what did you do and what did you learn from it?

3. How would you go about learning a skill?

4. Give us an example of when you had to use active listening skills to collaborate with a colleague / client / friend.

5. Tell us about a time when you had to lead communications in a crisis.

   
   

For our full list of MIT Sloan Video Essay 2 questions that real applicants were previously asked, head over to the MIT Sloan course on MBAconsultant.com.

How to answer the MIT Sloan Video Essay 2

While most questions you will be asked are straightforward (Tell us about a time when…), some others are less so (Give us an example of when you had to use active listening skills to collaborate with a colleague / client / friend.). It’s relatively simple to have a teamwork or leadership story prepared, but a hypothetical scenario of “what would you do if…” can be trickier.

If the question calls for a story, don’t try to memorize specific answers to a specific question. Instead, it’s best to have a broad theme (like a story about teamwork and collaboration, or a story about diversity) that you can apply to different questions.

Use the SCAR format (Situation, Challenge, Action, Result). It’s a good structure for a behavioral question because it frames every part of your story within clear boundaries, makes your role in the story clear, and prevents you from rambling (and exceeding that 60 second limit). This is the SCAR framework:  

• Situation: Describe what had happened, with specific important details to set the context. 

• Challenge: What was the challenge that you had to overcome? 

• Action: Specifically describe the steps you took to address the situation.

• Result: What was the outcome that you achieved? Also, quantify or qualify the results. 

If the question is hypothetical, focus on what qualities, achievements, and values you want to highlight about yourself. Your response to the situation posed in the question should align with your narrative or the personal brand that you have established in your application. Again, try to draw on examples where you can. MIT Sloan is known for considering past achievements as the best indicator of future potential, so make sure to use examples from your personal and professional life that demonstrate the values and attributes you are talking about. 

For more insights on how to answer behavioral questions in an interview, click here.

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