Tuesday Tips: Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips 2024-2025
The University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business is a top-ranked MBA program that provides real-world opportunities for students. Ross MBA essays are about demonstrating you fit in the culture. Visiting Ross or learning about the program through current students, alumni, or faculty would be helpful. Review our Ross MBA essay tips and show the admissions committee you are intellectually curious and able to accomplish your goals.
Listen to B-Schooled Podcast Episode #156: Spotlight on Michigan Ross
Part 1: Ross Experiences in Action-Based Learning (REAL)
At Michigan Ross, we believe the best way to learn is by doing. In our Full-Time MBA Program, you will put your skills and knowledge to the test in real-world situations with real stakes.
How will this learning environment benefit you, and how do you plan to contribute to the action-based learning experience? (300 words)
This question is your opportunity to show that you have done research on Michigan Ross and the specific benefits of the MBA program. How will the Ross MBA teach you what you need to accomplish your career goals (outlined in Part 3)?
The Ross Action-Based Learning experience is more than an internship or co-op that other MBA programs offer. Ross gives you an opportunity to start a real business, work in an established company, invest millions in assets, or do real-world consulting. If you are changing careers, this is an opportunity for experience and learning.
Finally, after you consider the specific ways you will benefit from REAL, add your contributions. Then, look at your work experience prior to your MBA and what skills you can share. For example, if you have a unique industry background and network you may be able to find new companies consulting engagements.
Part 2: How will you make an impact at Michigan Ross?
Michigan Ross is proud to support a community of leaders and impact makers. As a future member of this community, we want to know more about who you are and what drives you. Please choose 1 of the following prompts to tell us more about what makes you stand out beyond your academic and work experience. List the prompt you are answering at the top of your response. (200 words)
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What makes you unique?
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Can you provide a specific example of how you’ve overcome a personal challenge?
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What makes you excited to get up each morning?
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Describe a time when you made a difference in your community or with an individual.
Take note that these short answers are about getting to know you personally—not your collection of accomplishments. Ross values community engagement, passion, and persistence. The admissions committee says clearly: “The most interesting and insightful responses to these prompts remain when applicants share personal examples.”
For example, you may want to write about an important extracurricular activity that is unique. Or maybe a challenge you overcame or a life event that highlights something different about your background. The questions are short and purposeful. The experiences you describe should be clear and stand alone.
Looking at each Ross MBA essay question, the first asks how you are unique. Consider what sets you apart from others and what unique qualities you will bring to Ross. It can be a personality trait, interest, or activity. Perhaps it is your background or your personal history.
Then, the second option is about a challenge. Again, the question is specifically personal. Perhaps you had a family member who went through an illness or a struggle. Or, you personally experienced hardship. Describe how you turned the situation around and overcame it. The third option might be an opportunity to talk about your values and background. It reads as a place to highlight what drives and motivates you on a deeper level than your career.
Finally, the last option gives you the opportunity to share your community involvement. For this question, you could describe when you made a difference to an organization or person or advanced an important cause.
Are you curious about your chances of getting into Michigan’s Ross School of Business? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session with an SBC Principal Consultant.
Part 3: Career Aspirations
What is your short-term career goal, and how will Ross help you achieve it? (200 words)
The Ross admissions committee has often said the best essays are focused. Remember, the “why” is the most impactful and differentiating aspect of each essay. Therefore, Ross is asking for a succinct career goal and then an explanation. Make sure you draw the how into this essay as well, considering what you wrote in Part 1 about the Ross experience.
Many MBA candidates struggle to refine a career goal to just one. Of course, it’s possible to change your goals once you start attending school. However, clear goals tend to lead to success. If you have several career interests, take the time to choose one. Consider how your career goal makes you feel. Can you envision the company you will work for? What about your day-to-day tasks?
Precisely imagining your goal also helps with how Ross will help you achieve the goal and why you are passionate about this path. Also, why are you a good fit for the role? Specific examples are always welcome in an essay on your career path.
Optional Essay
Is there something in your resume or application that needs a brief explanation? Appropriate uses of this essay would be the explanation of an employment gap, academic outliers, choice of recommender, completion of supplemental coursework, etc. You may use bullet points where appropriate. (250 words)
Take it directly from former Ross admissions director Soojin Kwon: “The optional essay should only be used if there’s something in your background that requires a brief explanation. It’s not the place to submit an essay you wrote for another school or to tell us how much you love Ross.”
Think about anything that may raise questions while reviewing a resume, transcript, or recommendations. Typically the kinds of gaps that raise questions are significant gaps in employment (more than a few months), anything below a C on your college transcript (particularly in quantitative coursework), and low test scores.
For more information on applying to the University of Michigan Ross School of Business, please visit the admissions website.
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Stacy Blackman Consulting has successfully coached applicants for the Ross MBA program each admissions year. Now that you’ve seen these tips for the Ross MBA essay prompts, please contact us to learn more about how we can help you set a winning application strategy.
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. ×
Image credit: Michigan Ross (CC BY-NC 2.0)
