A Guide for Bold MBA Applications
When it comes to writing MBA application essays, we often give clients this unexpected advice: write the essay that scares you. That concept has become a hallmark of our approach, encouraging applicants to dig deep and be authentic to create bold MBA applications. B-Schooled co-host Chandler Arnold devoted a podcast to this topic because he feels so strongly that tapping into one’s vulnerabilities can be an MBA application game-changer.
So, are you ready to face those vulnerable moments and create a standout essay? Let’s unpack why this advice matters and how you can apply it to your own story.
“Scary” Essays Make for Bold MBA Applications
Let’s start with the “why” behind this idea. When something scares you, often it’s because it makes you feel vulnerable. But that is a superpower in your B-school application. The essays are your chance to step out from behind your GPA, test scores, and work experience to show who you indeed are.
An actual human—with their own hopes and dreams—will read your application. If you can connect with that person on a deeper level by sharing something real that makes you you, your application will stand out.
Note that vulnerability doesn’t mean oversharing. It’s about divulging enough to give the admissions team a reason to remember and root for you without delving into personal details that might be uncomfortable for the reader or irrelevant to your application.
What are your chances of getting into a top business school? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Choosing Your Topic: The Categories That Matter
If you’re thinking, “Okay, I’m on board, but how do I actually do this?” let’s talk through three categories of essay topics that might scare you (in a good way):
- Your Background and Upbringing
- Your Work History
- Your Personal Life and Choices
“I’ve worked with so many applicants who worry they don’t fit the typical MBA mold,” Chandler says. “First off, spoiler alert—there is no ‘typical’ MBA student anymore. The MBA world is more diverse than ever, so lean into what makes you unique.”
Maybe you grew up in a situation that doesn’t scream “future business leader.“ Perhaps you faced challenges you’ve kept hidden away because you’re afraid they’ll make you look weak. Guess what? Those things might be your greatest strengths.
B-Schooled Podcast Episode #161: Write the MBA Essay That Scares You
Take one applicant we worked with who grew up in poverty and lost their mother to an overdose. They shared how that shaped them and fueled their desire to help others in similar situations. Or the applicant who volunteered at a mosque washing bodies for burial—talk about a profound experience. The stories in those bold MBA applications were powerful because they were unique and gave us a window into who these people really were.
So ask yourself: what’s your story? What are you hiding because it makes you nervous? There’s a good chance that’s the essay you need to write.
Your Work History
Not everyone has an ultra-dramatic backstory. So, let’s talk about your work. What scares you here? A good way to figure that out is to think about what you don’t want an interviewer to ask.
Maybe you got fired or screwed up a super important deal. You may have worked at a firm that was in the news for all the wrong reasons. Whatever it is, it’s better to get ahead of it in your essays than hope no one notices. Take responsibility, explain what you learned, and—this part is crucial—talk about how you applied those lessons in the future. That kind of honesty can turn a perceived weakness into a strength.
“One applicant I worked with cheated during their first year of college. They were terrified to talk about it, but their essay ended up being one of the best I’ve seen,” Chandler recalls.
“They owned their mistake and showed how they spent the next few years helping other students cope with stress and pressure. In the end, they got into one of their top-choice schools.”
This episode of Stanford GSB’s Think Fast Talk Smart podcast is well worth listening to. It discusses leading with vulnerability and the value in saying, “Here’s what I learned from the mistake that I made [and] steps that I’m going to put into place to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”
Your Personal Life and Choices
Now, let’s get personal. Regular podcast listeners may remember Chandler sharing his coming-out story in one of his MBA essays. It was something that scared him to talk about at the time, but it helped him connect with the admissions committee on a deeper level.
Maybe your “scary” story isn’t about coming out. Perhaps it’s about a mistake you made in your personal life—a DUI, getting arrested, or anything else. We’ve all made mistakes, including everyone on an MBA admissions committee. What matters is owning it, explaining what you’ve learned, and showing how you’ve grown.
A Quick Disclaimer
Just because something scares you doesn’t automatically make it a great essay topic. Some subjects might scare you for good reasons. For example, don’t write an essay about why you disagree with the Dean’s philosophy on education (that’s probably a bad idea). If you’re unsure, talk to an admissions consultant or a trusted advisor to ensure you’re on the right track for drafting bold MBA applications.
We’ll leave you with a fitting quote from author Joseph Campbell, who writes: “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” So, as you work on your MBA essays, remember that the scariest essay might be the one that shows the most about who you are—and that could make all the difference.
Good luck, and remember—you can do hard things!
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Stacy Blackman Consulting offers multiple services to meet your MBA application needs. From our All-In Partnership to interview prep, essay editing, resume review, and much more, we’ve got you covered. 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. ×
