London Business School is an internationally focused program in one of the most exciting cultural centers in Europe. LBS has a diverse student body, with 92% of its students coming from 69 countries.
The essay questions of London Business School remain unchanged from last year. So MBA applicants for the 2022-23 application season will submit only one essay of 500 words. They also have an option to write an optional essay of 500 words.
Let's take a closer look at the essays:
Required Essay 1: What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School program contribute towards these? (500 words)
This is a straightforward Goals Essay question. You begin this essay with a statement about your post- MBA career objectives. Then, explain what you plan to do after your MBA. Make sure your career objectives are both ambitious and realistic. Be as specific as you can about your goals and specify the industry, your role, and the companies that interest you.
To demonstrate how your professional experiences are aligned with these goals, provide a brief career history focusing on your career progression and the skills and knowledge you acquired at each job position. Also, discuss your rationale behind each career move and how your professional experience has propelled you to your goals.
Then describe where you stand now, what skills you lack to fulfill your career aspirations, and how an MBA from LBS is aligned with your goals. That is, you must provide a logical connection between your previous experience, your current need for an MBA degree from the LBS, and your future career goals. For this, you will need to thoroughly research the program to draw out a link between specific resources/ offerings of the LBS and your career aspirations and interests. Provide specific information about classes, professors, clubs, or other clubs and student organizations that will contribute to your success. In addition, reach out to current students and alumni to get their insight into the program and attend admission events to learn more about the school.
You may organize the essay in the following manner:
- Short-term goals (approximately 100-150 words)
- Career history & accomplishments (approx. 100-150)
- How LBS can help you fulfill your post-MBA goals (approx. 200 words)
Even though the essay prompt does not require you to discuss your contribution to the school, it still makes sense (if space permits) to wrap up your essay by briefly stating what value you will bring to the school.
Click here for MER's tips on avoiding common mistakes in writing a goals essay.
Essay 2: Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (Optional) (500 words)
The optional essay is an excellent opportunity to touch upon other key aspects of your candidacy that you did not get a chance to discuss in other parts of the application, i.e., essay, résumé, and application form. The online application offers fields to address academic weaknesses, such as academic probation and class withdrawal. So, you can use this essay to address other flaws (if any) in your application, such as employment gap, choice of recommenders, or any other extenuating personal circumstances.
Even if you do not have any weaknesses, we recommend writing this essay to share details of your accomplishments or leadership experiences since the required single essay does not leave you much space to elaborate on your achievements. However, The data form provides you with enough space to discuss various topics (academic performance, English language ability, main interests and activities, and international experiences), so you may not discuss these in this essay.
Please note the word 'should' in the essay prompt, so you must think of the best way to use this essay to your benefit by telling the Ad Com about your life experience or achievements that you could not fit in any other part of the application. For example, perhaps you have a stellar leadership story, an entrepreneurial venture, or a life experience that makes you stand out from the crowd, so you can use this space to showcase that. You may also outline your potential contribution to the program. This open-ended question allows you to cover almost any topic you want to clarify or elaborate on. Its 500- limit enables you to throw a spotlight on any aspects of your background or experience (professional or personal) that make you a perfect 'fit' with the culture of LBS. For example, if you have issues like the choice of recommender or employment/ education gap, you can address them here because the data form doesn't include these subjects.
Click here to learn about 12 reasons to write an optional essay.
Free Resources
MER Students Share their Success Stories
Essay Analysis of Other Top Programs-2022-23
15th AIGAC Conference -2022- The Changing Trends in Management Education – Key Takeaways
Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including LBS. (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)
Do you have questions about your application? E-mail Poonam at poonam@myessayreview.com or sign up here for a free consultation.
