Prep Tips for MBA Video Essay Questions
Many elite business schools have incorporated video essay questions into their applications. A video essay allows the admissions committee to see how applicants present themselves and communicate their ideas rather than just reading about them on paper. It also allows applicants to showcase their personalities and passions more authentically.
MIT Sloan says their 60-second video essay “is a great way to bring your story to life and build a deeper connection with an admissions committee member.” Meanwhile, the Kellogg School of Management calls this component “a great opportunity to tell us more about you and explain why Kellogg is the right place for you.”
Bruce DelMonico, senior associate director of admissions at Yale School of Management, says the video essay questions provide “a more three-dimensional sense” of candidates beyond what’s in their applications. He adds that applicants shouldn’t stress too much about the video questions. “We’re not trying to trick you or throw curve balls.”
Video essay questions can also be an effective way for business schools to differentiate between candidates with similar backgrounds and qualifications. They can provide revealing insights into how an applicant thinks on their feet and handles the pressure of being on camera.
How to Prep for Video Essay Questions
Practice is essential to success if you have an upcoming video interview, essay question, or statement for schools, including INSEAD, Kellogg, Yale SOM, or MIT Sloan. Here are some tips on effectively presenting yourself when answering those video essay questions.
Follow the prompt: Be sure to read and understand the prompt for the video essay carefully. Make sure to answer the question or address the topic thoroughly and completely.
Plan your content: Before you start filming, take time to think about what you want to include in your video. Consider your strengths, accomplishments, and what makes you unique. Write down a list of key points you want to cover and practice delivering them clearly and concisely.
Choose an appropriate setting: Your video should be professional and well-lit. Avoid distractions in the background, such as loud noises or cluttered spaces. Consider filming in a quiet conference room or a well-lit office.
Dress for success: It’s important to dress professionally for your video, just as you would for an in-person interview. Wear a suit or dress pants and a collared shirt. Avoid wearing too much jewelry or loud patterns.
Check out B-Schooled podcast episode #188: How to Ace Your Video Essays
Practice your delivery: Take some time to practice delivering your content before you start filming. This will help you feel more comfortable and confident on camera. Pay attention to your body language and facial expressions, and maintain eye contact with the camera.
Use a good-quality camera and microphone: A high-quality video is crucial for making a good impression. Use a camera with good resolution and a microphone that picks up your voice clearly. Avoid using your smartphone’s built-in microphone, as the audio quality may not be sufficient.
It’s natural for business school applicants to feel nervous about video essay questions. Still, with proper preparation and practice, overcoming these nerves and delivering a strong and confident performance is possible. Use these tips to create a strong MBA video essay that showcases your strengths and sets you apart from other applicants.
SBC can help you make a great impression with your video statement!
Did you know that Stacy Blackman Consulting offers an online video platform granting unlimited practice for video interviews? You can answer from a broad menu of questions, record yourself, watch and assess, tweak and try again.
Invest just 30 minutes a night. You’ll reap the benefits of increased comfort and more articulate answers during your live interview. You can even choose an interview to submit to the SBC team for review and professional written feedback.
With this small investment, you can set yourself up for success and rock your video interviews. Purchase your package here today, and good luck with your MBA application!
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs, from our All-In Partnership to hourly help reviewing your MBA resume. Contact us today for a free 15-minute advising session to talk strategy with a Principal SBC consultant.
Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team.
Ashley
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
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 ...
×Pauline
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
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
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
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
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 K.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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 B.
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
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. ×
