michigan ross mba essay examples

Michigan Ross MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples

Uncover the essential insights and expert tips for crafting compelling Michigan Ross MBA essays with this comprehensive guide.

Posted March 1, 2024

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The University of Michigan Ross School of Business is renowned for its top-ranked MBA program, and one crucial component of the application process is the essays. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide an overview of the Michigan Ross MBA essays, offer tips on how to craft compelling responses , and provide examples of successful essays from admitted students.

University of Michigan Ross Application and the Role of Essays

The University of Michigan Ross MBA application is a highly competitive process that requires applicants to submit four essays as part of their application package. These essays serve as a critical component in the admissions process, providing applicants with a platform to showcase their experiences, goals, and fit with the Ross community .

When crafting their essays, applicants are encouraged to reflect on their personal and professional experiences, highlighting key moments that have shaped their journey and influenced their decision to pursue an MBA at Ross. The admissions committee carefully reviews these essays to gain valuable insights into each applicant's personality, motivations, and potential contributions to the Ross community.

One of the essays prompts applicants to describe their short-term and long-term career goals. This essay allows applicants to articulate their aspirations and demonstrate how an MBA from Ross will help them achieve these goals. It also provides an opportunity for applicants to showcase their understanding of the industry they wish to enter and how their unique skills and experiences align with their chosen career path.

Another essay prompt focuses on the applicant's leadership experience. Ross places a strong emphasis on developing leaders who make a positive impact in their organizations and communities. This essay allows applicants to highlight their leadership abilities, showcasing instances where they have taken initiative, inspired others, and made a difference. It also provides an opportunity for applicants to discuss any challenges they have faced as a leader and how they have grown from those experiences.

In addition to these two essays, applicants are also required to write about their personal and professional accomplishments, as well as their reasons for choosing Ross specifically. These essays provide applicants with a chance to reflect on their achievements, highlighting moments of growth, resilience, and success. They also allow applicants to demonstrate their knowledge of Ross and explain why they believe it is the perfect fit for their MBA journey.

Throughout the essay writing process, applicants are encouraged to be authentic and genuine, allowing their true selves to shine through their words. The admissions committee values diversity and seeks applicants who will contribute to the vibrant and collaborative Ross community. Therefore, it is important for applicants to use their essays as an opportunity to showcase their unique perspectives , experiences, and passions.

Once the essays are submitted, the admissions committee carefully reviews each application, taking into consideration the applicant's academic record, test scores, letters of recommendation, and other supporting materials. The essays, however, play a crucial role in the decision-making process, allowing the admissions committee to gain a deeper understanding of each applicant beyond their academic achievements.

In conclusion, the University of Michigan Ross MBA application essays serve as a powerful tool for applicants to convey their personal and professional stories, showcasing their fit with the Ross community and their potential to make a lasting impact . Through these essays, applicants have the opportunity to demonstrate their unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations, ultimately setting themselves apart in the competitive admissions process.

UMich Ross Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

This year, the University of Michigan Ross MBA program has introduced a set of new essay prompts for the 2023-2024 application cycle. The essay prompts are crafted to assess applicants' knowledge of their own personal and professional journeys and their alignment with Ross values. Let's dive into each essay prompt and explore strategies for crafting strong responses:

Essay Prompt 1: Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA at Ross specifically? (300 words)

When responding to this essay prompt, it is crucial to clearly articulate your career goals and explain how a Ross MBA will help you achieve them. Demonstrate a deep understanding of the unique resources, programs, and opportunities offered by Ross that align with your aspirations. Consider discussing specific courses, clubs, or partnerships that align with your career goals.

Essay Prompt 2: At Ross, we believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion are essential to creating a positive change in the business world. How have you contributed to creating an inclusive environment? (300 words)

In this essay, highlight your experiences and initiatives that have contributed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion. Showcase your ability to foster an inclusive environment through your actions, whether it be through collaboration, mentorship, or community engagement. Be specific and provide examples to illustrate the impact of your contributions.

Essay Prompt 3: Describe a time when you faced a challenging situation in a professional or team setting. What did you learn from this experience? (300 words)

This essay prompt requires you to reflect on a challenging situation and share your learnings. Focus on your growth and resilience in the face of adversity. Discuss the actions you took to address the challenge and the lessons you gained as a result. Convey your ability to learn from setbacks and apply those lessons to future situations.

Essay Prompt 4: Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career aspirations can thrive. How will you contribute to the Ross community? (300 words)

In this essay, emphasize how you will bring a unique perspective to the Ross community and enhance the learning experience of your peers. Highlight your past experiences of collaboration, leadership, or mentorship and explain how you will leverage those skills at Ross. Showcase your understanding of the Ross culture and your potential contributions to the community.

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List of Expert Tips for Each Ross Essay Prompt

To maximize your chances of crafting compelling essays, here are some expert tips for each essay prompt:

• Clearly define your career goals and demonstrate a strong fit with Ross resources and programs.
• Showcase specific experiences and initiatives that exemplify your commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Choose a challenging situation that highlights your resilience, problem-solving ability, and growth mindset.
• Highlight your unique attributes, skills, and experiences that will contribute to the Ross community.

MBA Essay Tips: How to Write Compelling Essays

Writing compelling essays requires careful thought and strategy. Here are some general tips to help you craft impactful responses:

• Start early and allocate sufficient time for brainstorming, drafting, and revising your essays.
• Be authentic and genuine in your writing. Your essays should reflect your unique experiences, perspectives, and aspirations.
• Provide specific examples and anecdotes to support your statements and showcase your achievements.
• Use a concise and clear writing style, focusing on conveying your message effectively.
• Proofread your essays to eliminate errors and ensure clarity.

UMich Ross Essay Examples From Success Admits — With Analysis

Examining successful essay examples can provide valuable insights into what makes a strong response. Here are some essay examples from admitted Ross students:

• Essay Example 1: Aligning Career Goals with Ross Values

[Essay content and analysis]

• Essay Example 2: Promoting Inclusion and Diversity
• Essay Example 3: Overcoming Challenges and Personal Growth
• Essay Example 4: Contributing to the Ross Community

UMich Ross Essay FAQs

As you embark on your essay-writing journey, you may have some common questions in mind. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about the Michigan Ross MBA essays:

• Q: How long should my essay responses be?

A: Each essay should be limited to 300 words.

• Q: Are there specific formatting guidelines to follow?

A: Stick to clear and concise writing. Use paragraphs, proper punctuation, and avoid excessive formatting.

• Q: Can I exceed the word limit if necessary?

A: It is strongly recommended to adhere to the word limit to ensure your responses are impactful and concise.

• Q: Should I use jargon or technical terms in my essays?

A: Aim for clarity and avoid excessive jargon. Your essays should be accessible and understandable to the admissions committee.

With this comprehensive guide, you now have the tools and knowledge to tackle the Michigan Ross MBA essays with confidence. Remember to showcase your unique story, demonstrate a strong fit with Ross, and craft compelling essays that leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee. Best of luck!

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Advice, tips and insights from the admissions dream team., table of contents, michigan ross mba essays: tips & strategy.

• By Sharon Joyce

The Michigan Ross MBA essay questions are among the shortest — both by word count and number of questions posed — among top business schools.

In previous application cycles, applicants were indeed asked standard questions such as, “Why Ross?”  The admissions team found that responses tended to mirror some version of its very own website; this was not very insightful or useful in Ross’s competitive selection process. In responses, Ross decided to try a unique approach, Ross Senior Associate Director of MBA Admissions Taya Sapp told Fortuna. The school streamlined questions to require succinct replies (a mere 100 words!). The tight word count is intentionally designed to force applicants to be laser-focused in their answers.

How to Tackle the Michigan Ross MBA Essay Questions

Applicants are asked to select one prompt from each group of the two groups below.

Group 1 I want people to know that I: I made a difference when I: I was aware that I was different when:

Group 2 i am out of my comfort zone when: i was humbled when: i was challenged when:.

Rest assured that there isn’t an underlying “trick” or favored choice in terms of which prompt to answer. It’s not which prompt you choose that’s being evaluated, but what you share in the content of your response.

Sapp emphasized that the questions were crafted to get at traits that are valued at the school. Specifically, Michigan is a place for those who like to push themselves outside of their comfort zone, those who enjoy learning by doing, and those who don’t mind “getting their hands dirty.” The current questions are essentially behavioral-based questions to evaluate how actions and activities from an applicant’s past mesh with a “fit” for Ross.

As Michigan Ross is well known for offerings like the Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAP) course and Student-Run Investment Funds, the program’s emphasis on fit is more than marketing fodder; Ross MBA admissions really is evaluating candidates to see if traits are aligned.

Conveying the ‘why’ behind your short-term career goal

Alongside these essay questions, the Ross application also asks, “What is your short-term career goal and why i s this the right short-term career goal for you?” (150-words)

While the short-term career goal question is typical among business schools, the follow-up “why?” is not.  In getting at the “why,” the Admissions Committee wants to see that applicants are thoughtful about their career aspirations. This is a great way to share how previous experiences inform your short-term goal statement and  that you also have a realistic understanding of your future intended industry and/or functional role. It’s suggested to name a company, or two, as part of the short-term goal – bonus points for citing companies that recruit at Ross and knowing what kind of positions/pathways newly minted Ross MBAs secured.

Optimizing the Optional Question

Ross also offers a final optional question:

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation?

You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc.  Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.”

While there isn’t a specific word count, my Fortuna Admissions colleagues and I suggest no more than 250 words. This is a standard question for applicants to address any factor(s) in their application that might need more explanation. My advice here is to keep it simple (and remember Ross’s bias toward concision and clarity.) For example, in addressing a low GPA, it is useful to describe factors that contributed to it, but don’t go too into the weeds. Rather, share briefly what happened (think: explanation, not excuses). What’s more important to convey is what was learned, how study skills have improved, and cite factors that would bolster an Admissions Committee’s confidence that an applicant can handle the rigorous coursework at Ross (e.g. a strong GMAT, passing CFA exams, additional post-bacc coursework).

Let’s Get You In.

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA Admissions Directors and Officers from 18 of the top 20 business schools. With our unparalleled collective expertise, we are able to coach you to develop a clear vision of your goals for business school and beyond. We work closely with you throughout the application process and provide expert guidance at every stage to maximize your chances of admission to a top school.

Our free consultations are consistently rated as the best in the industry. To learn more about Fortuna and assess your chances of admission to a top business school, request a free consultation .

  Fortuna’s Sharon Joyce is an MBA Admissions Coach and former Berkeley Haas Associate Director   of Admissions. For a candid assessment of your chances of admission success at a top MBA   program, sign up for a free consultation .

• Posted on October 3, 2023

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2023-2024 Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips and Example Essays

Jul 1, 2023

• Who is Ross looking for?
• How should I answer Ross essay questions?
• Make sure you get into Michigan Ross
• Michigan Ross Deadlines

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on August 9, 2018. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

With its famous MAP project, Michigan Ross is a haven for collaboratively-minded leaders who love to learn by getting their hands dirty.

However, Ross has rapidly increased in the rankings in the past few years, making it more difficult than ever to secure admission to this elite MBA program. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Ross admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to Michigan Ross MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Ross application your best shot.

1. Who is Ross looking for?

(Michigan Ross students participating in Ross’ 7-week MAP program , Photo courtesy of Michigan Ross)

“Ross students and alumni are a highly engaged, impressive network of people.” Ross Admissions  

Every year, Michigan Ross searches the globe for outstanding professionals for its annual class of 380 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity and leadership, there is no “typical” Ross student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2024 had a 720 GMAT score or 160V/160Q GRE score and an average of 5.6 years of work experience . 

NOTE: Michigan Ross is continuing to offer GMAT/GRE waivers. If you would like to be considered, an additional essay is required. Find out more information here .

Beyond the impressive statistics, though, Ross offers its students the chance to prepare themselves to lead by giving them multiple opportunities for hands-on learning. 

Check out this video on the Ross student experience: 

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Ross’ admissions essay questions.  

2. How should I answer Ross essay questions?

2.1. short answers tips.

Part 1: Short Answers (choose one from each group; 100 words each)

• I want people to know that I:
• I made a difference when I:
• I was aware that I was different when:

I was out of my comfort zone when:

• I was humbled when:
• I was challenged when:

The most important task is first considering which prompts you will choose from each category , especially considering there is space for repeating themes. This is even more challenging this year, since you will only be able to write two essays, as opposed to the three you were allowed last year. 

When looking at each category, choose the question that is both easiest to answer and that allows you to shine light on a new element of your profile. If you’ve already mentioned community service in one question, for example, perhaps avoid repeating community service as the theme in other answers. 

Most importantly, consider what you want Ross to learn about you . Ross’ application is short and sweet ( we love this! ), but it does mean that you won’t show off everything you have to offer unless you’re very careful and strategic in how you use each and every word the application gives you. 

TOP TIP : Start these essays by simply writing out the story without worrying about word count. You want to make sure you fully answer the question and can always trim your word count later. 

Group 1’s questions seem to clearly ask about a time when you generated impact or how you handle diversity . To answer, mine your top stories for examples where you used your free time (or your professional work!) to leave a meaningful mark on others. 

This group of questions is broad enough for you to talk about a particular way in which you are diverse (perhaps you are LGBT, grew up as an immigrant, etc.) or how you adapt when faced with challenging situations. 

The most important part of this essay will be to quickly establish what made you different or what was challenging, then show how you navigated the situation and grew or learned an important lesson from your experience. 

We suggest starting your essay by answering the question, for example: “I made a difference when I volunteered in Chilean Patagonia in 2011.” 

Then, talk about exactly how you generated impact (a condensed version of the STAR methodology will work very well here) and end with the result you obtained or lesson you learned. 

• I am out of my comfort zone when:

Group 2 is geared towards allowing the admissions committee to understand how you will fit into the action learning environment at Ross by seeing how you respond when things aren’t perfectly going your way. 

If you choose to go with the humility theme, you may want to explore an achievement of yours that humbled you, a time someone else did something meaningful for you, or seeing a team project succeed. 

False humility will be easy to spot here, so make sure you’re able to authentically demonstrate your experience and why it was humbling. 

If you choose to explore the theme of being outside your comfort zone, you have slightly more range in terms of types of examples you could use, in our opinion. For example, you could speak about a promotion, a new project at work, an international experience, a volunteer experience … the list goes on and on. 

The key to this essay is to clearly establish the situation and how it pushed you outside your comfort zone (adding the right amount of drama in your setup here will help sell this point). Then, show how you overcame the challenge and were able to obtain a winning result. Finally, make sure you show the lesson you learned as a result of this experience. 

Of course, before you start writing, you might want to check out this video in which the Ross admissions team shares their tips for this year’s essays. 

Need more guidance? Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of Michigan Ross essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning Michigan Ross essay. Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join ! 

2.2. Essay 1 Tips

What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right short-term career goal for you? (150 words)

As one of the most transparent admissions committees in the MBA world, Ross has taken clear steps each year to make their application increasingly streamlined. 

This is important to keep in mind, because Ross has deliberately been very clear about what they want here: short-term goals only. 

TOP TIP : If you’re not sure what your goals are, check out this post designed to help you think through this critical component of your application!

To answer the first part of the question, you want to clearly and concisely state your short-term goal. When discussing your goals , clarity is king, so make sure you include a job title and industry in your description of your post-MBA aspiration. Additionally, we suggest you briefly elaborate on your vision for impact – or, what you hope to accomplish in your stated position in the future (if necessary, you can move this part to part two of this response!).

However, goals without context can be a little confusing to decipher or understand (or they can just seem a bit lackluster) – hence the second part of Ross’ question. For part two, it is essential that you include that context.

We suggest including that context in the form of a brief story or past experience that shows the reader why your goals are meaningful to you or how you have worked towards them so far. For example, if your goal is to focus on sustainable transportation methods, you may want to include a story about how you have helped catalyze sustainable solutions in the past. 

After clearly stating your motivations for your goal, we suggest you briefly touch on how Ross can help you achieve these goals, if you have space. This should not be a “laundry list” of 10 classes you found on the Ross site, nor a section in which you repeat clichés about the school. 

Instead, you should thoughtfully consider how you must grow personally and professionally to reach your stated short-term goal and what elements of Ross (classes, faculty, clubs, etc.) will help you reach them. You only have space for 1-2 sentences, however, so choose wisely. 

If you do not have space to include a mini Why Ross section, that’s ok . You want to make sure your answer fully addresses the prompt!

Ending your essay with a killer conclusion sentence to leave your reader with a strong image of your profile is the perfect wrap-up. 

2.3. Optional Essay Tips

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example, completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate. 

Though with such a short application you may be tempted to use this response to add additional stories and information you couldn’t quite squeeze in elsewhere, restraint is necessary here. Make sure you focus on explaining gaps in your application only , though you can use these explanations to highlight related achievements. 

For example, our client Fernando needed to explain his 6-month gap in work experience. As luck would have it, he spent these 6 months volunteering in Asia, so we not only addressed a “weakness” but were also able to include a new achievement in his application. (Read more about Fernando’s time in Asia by downloading our Ross sample essays below).

We have written extensively on the issue of optional essays, giving tips and tricks for how to address issues like low GMAT scores or poor academic performance here . 

Looking for Michigan Ross MBA essay examples? Check out our real sample essays that got our clients admitted here .

3. Make sure you get into Michigan Ross

You only get one chance to make an impression on the Ross adcom, so make it count!

Good storytelling in your essays is often the difference between telling a story that moves elite business schools to move you forward in the application process and a “no.”

Yet translating your professional “highlights reel” into compelling stories is no easy task. 

That’s why our team at Ellin Lolis Consulting is obsessed with telling your story . 

This is the approach we took with our client Eduardo, who was admitted to Michigan Ross last year: “I only wish I’d found Ellin sooner! There are MBA consultants, and then there is Ellin. Her extremely human and hands-on approach made me feel comfortable and confident with the process. Throughout the time we worked together, I always knew I was being personally taken care of by her and her team. To anyone that is looking for someone to help them with their MBA application journey: look no further. You have found the unrivaled best consultant in the business.I only wish I’d found Ellin sooner! There are MBA consultants, and then there is Ellin. Her extremely human and hands-on approach made me feel comfortable and confident with the process. Throughout the time we worked together, I always knew I was being personally taken care of by her and her team. To anyone that is looking for someone to help them with their MBA application journey: look no further. You have found the unrivaled best consultant in the business.”

Let our award-winning editors use their expert writing abilities, deep understanding of what Ross is looking for, and marketing know-how to transform your application from average to attention-grabbing and get you a spot at Ross! 

Ready to put the Ellin Lolis Advantage to work for your MBA application essays? Get in touch with us ! 

4. Michigan Ross Deadlines

The deadlines for the 2023-2024 season are below. You can access the Ross application here .

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

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2023-2024 Michigan Ross MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

• July 22, 2023

Michigan Ross stands as a premier institution for MBA education due to its exceptional commitment to excellence, innovation, and impact-driven learning. Renowned for its dynamic and relevant curriculum, Ross equips students with practical skills to navigate complex business challenges successfully. The school’s emphasis on action-based learning fosters real-world problem-solving, ensuring graduates are well-prepared for the ever-evolving business landscape.

Additionally, Ross boasts a vibrant and collaborative community, promoting diverse perspectives and networking opportunities through its extensive alumni network. Additionally, with top-notch faculty and a strong focus on leadership development, it is not difficult to see why the University has thousands of applicants for their MBA program. An important part of that application process, however, is the essay, which is what we will dive into below!

Michigan Ross MBA Essay Prompts

Short term career goals essay, final thoughts.

Compared to other universities, Michigan Ross has a unique essay process. While many other universities have maybe 2 or 3 mandatory essays to answer, Ross has 2 separate groups of 3 essays each that an applicant can pick from. Both Group A and Group B have three personalized questions that need to be answered within 100 words. Additionally, there is a career-based question that needs to be answered in under 150 words and an optional essay relating to any gaps in the candidate’s profile.

Here are the Michigan Ross MBA Essay Prompts

Part 1: Short-answer questions

Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total).

• I want people to know that I:
• I made a difference when I:
• I was aware that I was different when:
• I was out of my comfort zone when:
• I was humbled when:
• I was challenged when: 

Part 2: Career Goal

What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you? (150 words)

Optional statement: Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc.  Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

Now that we’ve covered what their questions are, let’s dive into detail on how you can ideally answer them.

Michigan Ross MBA Essay Analysis

Group a framework.

The framework for how you can go about writing your essay for Ross’ MBA is as follows: This framework has been further explained below to give you more insight while crafting your essays.

I want people to know that I…

• Reflect on your strengths.
• Be specific and provide examples.
• Connect your experiences to your MBA goals.
• Demonstrate self-awareness
• Express your passion and motivation.
• Showcase your potential contributions.
• Maintain a confident and positive tone.

I made a difference when I…

• Identify a significant achievement.
• Describe the context.
• Outline your actions.
• Quantify the results if possible.
• Emphasize teamwork and collaboration.
• Reflect on the significance
• Connect to your MBA goals.
• Showcase personal qualities.
• Use storytelling techniques.

I was aware that I was different when…

• Choose a defining moment.
• Describe the situation.
• Reflect on your differences.
• Discuss your response.
• Highlight your strengths.
• Show cultural competency.

Michigan Ross MBA Group A Essay Analysis

I want people to know that i… (100 words).

When answering the question, “I want people to know that I…” in an MBA essay, it’s important to focus on highlighting your unique qualities, experiences, and achievements that demonstrate your potential as a successful MBA candidate.

It is also important to remember to tailor your response to the specific requirements and values of the MBA program you are applying to. By effectively conveying your unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations, you can create a compelling essay that captures the attention of the admissions committee and showcases your potential as an MBA candidate.

Below are some points to help you craft an effective response:

• Reflect on your strengths: Consider your personal and professional qualities that set you apart. What are your unique skills, attributes, or experiences that make you stand out? Think about your leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, industry expertise, or any other strengths that showcase your potential as a business leader.
• Be specific and provide examples: Instead of making broad statements, support your claims with concrete examples. Describe specific instances where you demonstrated your strengths or achieved significant results. These examples could come from your work experience, academic projects, extracurricular activities, or community involvement.
• Connect your experiences to your MBA goals: Show how your experiences and strengths align with your future goals as an MBA candidate. Explain how your past accomplishments have prepared you for the challenges and opportunities that an MBA program can offer. Discuss how you plan to leverage your MBA education to further develop your skills and achieve your long-term career objectives.
• Demonstrate self-awareness: Show that you have a clear understanding of your strengths and areas for growth. Discuss any challenges or obstacles you have faced and how you have overcome them. Emphasize your ability to learn from your experiences and continuously improve yourself as a professional.
• Express your passion and motivation: Convey your enthusiasm for pursuing an MBA and your genuine interest in the business field. Share what drives you and why you are passionate about making an impact in the business world. Discuss any specific areas of business or industries that you are particularly interested in and explain why they resonate with you.
• Showcase your potential contributions: Highlight how your unique qualities and experiences can contribute to the MBA program and the broader business community. Discuss how you can bring a fresh perspective, diverse experiences, or specific skills to the classroom and collaborative projects. Articulate how you can add value to your future classmates’ learning experiences.
• Maintain a confident and positive tone: Present your accomplishments and aspirations with confidence, but avoid sounding arrogant. Showcase your self-assurance and belief in your abilities while maintaining humility and respect for others.

I made a difference when I… (100 words)

When answering the question, “I made a difference when I…” in an MBA essay, it’s important to highlight specific instances where you have had a positive impact or created meaningful change. Remember to be authentic and genuine in your response, focusing on the impact you made and the lessons you learned.

By effectively communicating how you made a difference, you can showcase your ability to create positive change and demonstrate your potential as an MBA candidate. Also, you must keep in mind that while bringing out the below aspects you need to be brief and precise. Here are some tips to help you craft the essay more effectively:

• Identify a significant achievement: Think about a specific situation or project where you made a tangible difference. It could be a professional experience, a personal initiative, a leadership role, or community involvement. Choose an accomplishment that showcases your ability to drive positive change and make an impact. Below are a few points to help you write the draft more effectively:
• Describe the context: Provide background information about the situation or problem you encountered. Explain the challenges, goals, or issues that prompted your involvement. Clearly articulate why this particular situation was important and the impact it had on others or the organization.
• Outline your actions: Describe the actions you took to address the situation and make a difference. Explain your role and responsibilities, the strategies or approaches you employed, and the specific steps you took to overcome challenges or obstacles. Highlight any innovative or creative solutions you developed.
• Quantify results if possible: Whenever possible, quantify the results or outcomes of your actions. Did you increase revenue, improve efficiency, enhance customer satisfaction, or achieve any other measurable improvements? Use metrics or specific data points to demonstrate the magnitude of your impact.
• Emphasize teamwork and collaboration: If your achievement involved working with others, highlight the collaborative aspects of your efforts. Discuss how you effectively led a team, built partnerships, or fostered cooperation among stakeholders. Show how your ability to work with others contributed to the success of the project and the achievement of your goals.
• Reflect on the significance: Discuss the broader implications or significance of your accomplishment. How did your actions create value, solve a problem, or contribute to the overall success of the organization or community? Reflect on the long-term impact and sustainability of your efforts.
• Connect to your MBA goals: Articulate how this experience aligns with your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how it has shaped your perspective, developed your skills, or reinforced your passion for making a difference in the business world. Discuss how an MBA education can further enhance your ability to drive positive change and make a lasting impact.
• Showcase personal qualities: Highlight the personal qualities or strengths that enabled you to make a difference. Whether it was your leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, resilience, or determination, demonstrate how these qualities played a crucial role in achieving your goals.
• Use storytelling techniques: Craft a compelling narrative that engages the reader. Use vivid language, anecdotes, and examples to bring your achievement to life and make it memorable. Show your passion, enthusiasm, and dedication through your storytelling.

I was aware that I was different when… (100 Words)

When answering the question, “I was aware that I was different when…” in an MBA essay, it’s important to reflect on a specific moment or experience that made you realize your unique qualities, perspectives, or experiences. Brevity and conciseness are also key, considering the short word count of the essay. By effectively conveying the moment you became aware of your differences and the subsequent impact on your personal and professional growth, you can create a compelling essay that showcases your self-awareness, resilience, and ability to contribute to diverse business environments. Below are some tips to help you write the essay better:

• Choose a defining moment: Identify a specific incident, situation, or experience that stands out in your life where you realized your differences. This could be a personal or professional event that made you aware of your unique qualities, background, or perspectives.
• Describe the situation: Set the context by providing details about the situation or environment in which you felt different. Explain the factors that contributed to your realization. Was it a cultural setting, a work-related project, an academic experience, or a personal encounter?
• Reflect on your differences: Share what made you different in that situation. It could be your cultural background, a particular skill set, a different approach to problem-solving, a unique perspective, or any other aspect that sets you apart. Explain why this difference is significant and how it influenced your perspective or actions.
• Discuss your response: Describe how you reacted to the realization of your differences. Did you embrace your uniqueness, seek to understand others, or leverage your differences to contribute in a meaningful way? Discuss any challenges you faced or personal growth you experienced as a result.
• Highlight your strengths: Emphasize the positive aspects of your differences. Discuss how your unique qualities, experiences, or perspectives have contributed to your personal and professional development. Explain how they have influenced your decision-making, problem-solving, leadership style, or ability to collaborate effectively.
• Connect to your MBA goals: Relate your awareness of being different to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how this realization has shaped your motivation to pursue an MBA and your desire to contribute to a diverse and inclusive business environment. Discuss how your differences can add value to the MBA program and the broader business community.
• Demonstrate self-awareness: Show that you have reflected on your differences and have a clear understanding of their impact. Discuss how you have leveraged your differences to create positive outcomes or overcome challenges. Articulate how your awareness of being different has influenced your personal and professional growth.
• Show cultural competency: If your differences are related to your cultural background, demonstrate your cultural competency and ability to navigate diverse environments. Discuss your understanding of different perspectives, your ability to adapt to new cultures, or your experience working in multicultural teams.

Group B Essay Framework

I am out of my comfort zone when…

• Choose a relevant experience.
• Articulate your discomfort.
• Highlight the learnings.
• Showcase your adaptability and resilience.
• Reflect on personal growth.

I was humbled when…

• Choose a significant experience.
• Explain the humbling moment.
• Reflect on the lessons learned.
• Discuss your response and growth.
• Showcase your adaptability.
• Express gratitude and appreciation.

I was challenged when…

• Choose a meaningful challenge.
• Clearly define the challenge.
• Outline your response.
• Highlight your skills and qualities.
• Reflect on the learnings.
• Showcase resilience

Group B Essay Analysis:

I am out of my comfort zone when… (100 words).

When answering the question, “I am out of my comfort zone when…” in an MBA essay, it’s important to reflect on situations or experiences that have challenged you, pushed you beyond your limits, or required you to step outside of familiar territory.

By showcasing in these 100 words, briefly, your experiences of being out of your comfort zone and the resulting personal growth, you can create a compelling essay that showcases your adaptability, resilience, and willingness to take on challenges. This can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you are prepared to embrace the opportunities and complexities of an MBA program and succeed in the business world.

Let’s have a look at some tips to help you craft the essay better:

• Choose a relevant experience: Identify a specific situation or experience where you felt out of your comfort zone. This could be a professional challenge, a personal endeavor, a leadership role, or a new environment that stretched your abilities or tested your limits.
• Describe the context: Set the stage by providing background information about the situation. Explain the factors that made you feel uncomfortable or unfamiliar. Was it a new role, a complex project, a cultural setting, a public speaking engagement, or any other circumstance that took you outside of your comfort zone?
• Articulate your discomfort: Clearly express why this situation made you uncomfortable or challenged you. Identify the specific aspects that were outside of your comfort zone. Was it the level of responsibility, the need to learn new skills, the pressure to perform, the need to adapt to a different culture, or something entirely else?
• Discuss your response: Describe how you responded to being out of your comfort zone. Did you embrace the challenge, seek support or guidance, take calculated risks, or adopt new strategies to navigate the situation? Discuss any personal growth, resilience, or adaptability you experienced as a result.
• Highlight the learnings: Share the lessons or insights you gained from this experience. Discuss how being out of your comfort zone enhanced your skills, expanded your perspective, or pushed you to develop new capabilities. Highlight any positive outcomes, achievements, or personal development that resulted from embracing the discomfort.
• Connect to your MBA goals: Relate your experiences of being out of your comfort zone to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how these experiences have prepared you for the challenges of an MBA program and a future career in business. Discuss how your ability to thrive in uncomfortable situations can contribute to the learning environment, foster innovation, or enable you to navigate complex business challenges.
• Showcase your adaptability: Highlight your ability to adapt to new situations, embrace change, and thrive outside of your comfort zone. Discuss any specific instances where you successfully overcame challenges or achieved positive results by stepping outside of familiar territory.
• Reflect on personal growth: Show that you have reflected on your experiences and understand the personal growth that comes from being out of your comfort zone. Discuss how these experiences have shaped your character, expanded your capabilities, or deepened your self-awareness.

I was humbled when… (100 words)

When answering the question, “I was humbled when…” in an MBA essay, it’s important to reflect on a specific experience or moment that brought about a sense of humility and taught you valuable lessons. By concisely and precisely conveying a humbling experience and the resulting personal growth and reflection, you can create a compelling essay that showcases your humility, resilience, and capacity for self-improvement.

This can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you possess the qualities necessary to be an effective and empathetic leader in the business world. Here are some tips to help you craft an effective response:

• Choose a significant experience: Select an experience or event that had a profound impact on you and led to a sense of humility. It could be a personal or professional situation, a mistake or failure, a realization of your limitations, or an encounter with someone or something that challenged your perspective.
• Describe the situation: Set the context by providing background information about the situation or event. Explain what happened and why it was humbling for you. Describe the circumstances, challenges, or interactions that led to your realization.
• Explain the humbling moment: Clearly articulate how the experience humbled you. Discuss the emotions, thoughts, or reflections you had during that time. Explain how it affected your perception of yourself, others, or the world around you. Highlight the aspects that challenged your ego, assumptions, or preconceived notions.
• Reflect on the lessons learned: Share the lessons or insights you gained from the humbling experience. Discuss how it influenced your personal and professional growth. Reflect on how it changed your perspective, values, or behavior. Highlight any positive changes you have made as a result.
• Discuss your response and growth: Describe how you responded to the humbling experience. Did it inspire you to take action, seek self-improvement, or change your approach? Discuss how you used the experience as an opportunity for personal growth, learning, or self-reflection. Show how you embraced humility as a catalyst for positive change.
• Connect to your MBA goals: Relate the humbling experience to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how it has shaped your values, leadership style, or approach to problem-solving. Discuss how your newfound humility can contribute to your success as a business leader, foster collaboration, or drive ethical decision-making.
• Showcase your resilience: Highlight your ability to adapt, learn, and grow from challenges or setbacks. Discuss any specific instances where you demonstrated resilience and rebounded from humbling experiences. Show how you have used these experiences to develop resilience and a growth mindset.
• Express gratitude and appreciation: Demonstrate gratitude and appreciation for the experience that humbled you. Discuss how it has provided you with valuable insights, self-awareness, or a deeper appreciation for others. Express humility by acknowledging the role of others, mentors, or circumstances in your journey.

I was challenged when… (100 words)

When answering the question, “I was challenged when…” in Ross’ MBA essay, it’s important to reflect on a specific situation or experience that presented significant obstacles or difficulties both briefly and precisely. By portraying your challenging experience and the resulting personal growth, resilience, and problem-solving abilities, you can create a compelling essay that showcases your ability to handle complex situations and excel in the MBA program and beyond.

This can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you possess the qualities necessary to thrive in the business world and contribute meaningfully to organizations.

Here are some tips to help you craft an effective response:

• Choose a meaningful challenge: Select a specific situation or experience that genuinely tested your abilities, skills, or resilience. It could be a professional challenge, an academic endeavor, a personal project, or a team-based task that requires you to overcome obstacles or push your limits.
• Describe the context: Set the stage by providing background information about the challenge. Explain the circumstances, goals, or expectations that made it particularly demanding. Discuss the complexity, time pressure, resource constraints, or other factors that intensified the challenge.
• Clearly define the challenge: Clearly articulate the specific nature of the challenge you faced. Identify the key obstacles, problems, or difficulties that need to be overcome. Explain why this challenge was significant and how it impacted you or the situation at hand.
• Outline your response: Describe the actions you took to address the challenge. Discuss the strategies, approaches, or innovative solutions you employed to navigate the difficulties. Explain how you identified and analyzed the root causes of the challenge, developed a plan of action, and executed it effectively.
• Highlight your skills and qualities: Emphasize the skills, qualities, or strengths you utilized during the challenge. Discuss your problem-solving abilities, critical thinking skills, leadership qualities, resilience, and ability to collaborate effectively. Demonstrate how these attributes helped you overcome the challenge and achieve positive outcomes.
• Reflect on the learnings: Share the lessons or insights you gained from facing the challenge. Discuss how the experience impacted your personal and professional growth. Reflect on how it enhanced your skills, expanded your knowledge, or influenced your approach to future challenges. Highlight any personal development, self-discovery, or increased confidence that resulted from the experience.
• Connect to your MBA goals: Relate the challenge to your aspirations as an MBA candidate. Explain how this experience has prepared you for the rigors of an MBA program and a future career in business. Discuss how your ability to navigate challenges and overcome obstacles can contribute to the learning environment, inspire others, or drive innovative solutions in the business world.
• Showcase resilience: Highlight your ability to adapt, persevere, and learn from challenging situations. Discuss any specific instances where you demonstrated resilience and successfully faced adversity. Show how you have used these experiences to develop adaptability, a growth mindset, and the ability to thrive in dynamic environments.

Short-Term Career Goals Framework

• Be specific and concise.
• Connect to your past experiences.
• Align with your interests and strengths.
• Show understanding of the industry.
• Connect to your long-term aspirations
• Relate to the MBA program
• Showcase your impact and contribution.
• Discuss your motivation.
• Show commitment and feasibility.
• Edit and refine

Short-Term Career Goal Essay Analysis

When answering the question about your short-term career goal and why it is the right goal for you in an MBA essay, it’s important to provide a clear and well-reasoned response that aligns with your background, interests, and aspirations.

It is important to both effectively and briefly communicate your specific short-term career goal and explain why it is the right fit for you so that you can create a compelling essay that showcases your alignment with your chosen field, your aspirations, and your motivation to succeed. This can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you have a clear sense of direction and purpose and that an MBA education will be instrumental in achieving your career goals.

Let’s discuss some pointers that will help you write more effectively:

• Be specific and concise: Clearly state your short-term career goal in a concise and specific manner. Avoid vague or general statements. For example, instead of saying “I want to work in finance,” specify the exact role or industry you are targeting, such as “I aim to secure a position as a financial analyst in a leading investment bank.”
• Connect to your past experiences: Explain how your past experiences, skills, or education have prepared you for your short-term career goal. Highlight the relevant knowledge, expertise, or achievements that make you a strong fit for the chosen field or role. Show how your previous experiences have shaped your interest and passion for this particular career path.
• Align with your interests and strengths: Discuss how your short-term career goal aligns with your interests, passions, and strengths. Explain why this goal excites you and why you believe it is the right path for you. Demonstrate self-awareness by highlighting the specific skills, qualities, or values that make you well-suited for the chosen career.
• Show understanding of the industry: Display your knowledge and understanding of the industry or field you are targeting. Discuss any relevant industry trends, challenges, or opportunities. Demonstrate that you have conducted research and are aware of the current landscape and demands of the industry. Highlight how your short-term career goal aligns with these trends or addresses industry needs.
• Connect to your long-term aspirations: Explain how your short-term career goal serves as a stepping stone towards your long-term career aspirations. It is also important to demonstrate the logical progression from your short-term goal to your ultimate career vision. Show how achieving your short-term goal will provide you with the necessary skills, experiences, or network to move closer to your long-term goals, thereby justifying the fact that it is the right goal for you in the short term.
• Relate to the MBA program: Connect your short-term career goal to the specific MBA program you are applying to. Explain how the program’s curriculum, resources, or network can support your goal and help you acquire the knowledge and skills necessary for success. Discuss any unique opportunities or attributes of the program that make it a good fit for your career goals.
• Showcase impact and contribution: Articulate how achieving your short-term career goal will enable you to make a positive impact or contribute to the industry, organization, or society. Explain the value you aim to create or the problem you aspire to solve through your chosen career path. Demonstrate your ambition to make a meaningful difference.
• Discuss your motivation: Share your personal motivation and passion for pursuing this short-term career goal. Explain why this goal is important to you on a personal and professional level. Discuss any experiences, values, or personal connections that have influenced your decision.
• Show commitment and feasibility: Convey your commitment to your short-term career goal by discussing any steps you have already taken towards achieving it. Highlight relevant experiences, certifications, or ongoing professional development that demonstrate your dedication and preparedness. Ensure that your goal is realistic and achievable within the given timeframe.
• Edit and refine: After writing your response, review and revise it to ensure clarity, coherence, and impact. Eliminate any unnecessary information or repetition. Ensure that your essay flows smoothly and convincingly presents your short-term career goal and why it is the right choice for you.

Drafting the essays is one of the most important parts of the application process. And the above should perhaps help you craft it more effectively and efficiently. However, if you think you could use additional help with the process, our team of experts at Admit Expert have ample experience and will undoubtedly be able to guide you better through our in-depth analysis catered specifically for you. So, what are you waiting for? Contact us now .

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2024-2025 Michigan Ross MBA Application Essays:

Michigan ross essays: part 1: short-answer questions, select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total)., i want people to know that i:, i made a difference when i:, i was aware that i was different when:, i am out of my comfort zone when:, i was humbled when:, i was challenged when:.

Below is Personal MBA Coach’s advice on how to approach the Michigan Ross MBA application essays.

While not explicitly stated, with a more traditional career-focused essay to follow, consider your personal background as you answer these short questions. Pick the prompt that resonates best with you as there is no preferred option.

For Group 1, think about your most unique attribute or accomplishment. What sets you apart from other applicants? A personal accomplishment or a fond personal success story would work well here. Volunteer or extracurricular stories could also be good to cover.

If you have a unique skill or talent, Group 1 would be a good place to share it. If you did something amazing that is not on your resume or that you want to call more attention to, that also would work well for this prompt. Other options for this prompt include examples of passions or values. Remember, MBA admissions directors aspire to bring a well-rounded group of students to campus each year. This is your chance to share something about your upbringing or personality that will position you to add another perspective to class discussions. Try not to overthink it — as we previously shared in our  post-AIGAC conference blog , admissions directors are growing tired of reading trauma essays and just want to get to know their candidates.

For Group 2, show the reader a bit about your character. What would working and studying with you be like? This is not the time to sing your own praises but instead the time to show you are human. Show what you have gained from this experience and let the reader see that you are someone students would want to be around.

Alternatively, these prompts give candidates the opportunity to show an area of relative weakness. Authenticity and growth are key hot points for many admissions committee members. Candidates are applying to business school to grow and are not expected to be perfect when they arrive. Discussing a challenge that you have overcome and/or will continue to overcome could be a nice choice here.

Michigan Ross Essays: Part 2: Career Goal

What is your short-term goal and why is this the right short-term career goal for you   (150 words).

Next, Michigan Ross asks applicants to discuss their goals and why these goals are a good fit for them. For more on how to write a goal statement, check out this blog.

With only 150-words, Personal MBA Coach advises that applicants are very straightforward when citing their short-term goal.

Once you have clearly stated your short-term career goal, you will want to explain the why behind this goal. You will want to explain both why this goal is right for you AND why you are positioned to succeed. There are many questions you should consider as you answer this prompt.

These include: What experience do you bring to the table? What attracts you to your chosen field? Why are you passionate about it? How will this short-term goal help prepare you for your long-term goal?

Optional Statement: Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

The optional Michigan Ross essay should only be answered by those with extenuating circumstances. Read more on our  approach to optional essays .

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Michigan Ross MBA Essays: Tips for 2023-2024

The 2023-2024 Ross MBA essays have been released, which means it’s time to start preparing! Most MBA programs will highly value the personal statement in your application. So don’t slack on it! Writing a unique essay that captures your individuality while responding to the prompt is a challenging task, but here at Menlo Coaching, we have the comprehensive guide to help you perfect it.

Ross is looking for students with a well-rounded background and lots of experience that can be translated into a succinct and compelling statement. One of the essential tips for an impactful essay is asking yourself why you chose to highlight a particular experience. Did it show significant professional development? Did it show how you overcame a personal struggle? Connecting your essay to the prompt, especially how it shows why you are pursuing an MBA, will make your essay stand out. No matter what the essay prompt is, these tips are broadly applicable.

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, behavioral essays, etc.. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for the University of Michigan Ross School of Business.

The Behavioral Essay

• Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less. (200 words total)
• I want people to know that I:
• I made a difference when I:
• I was aware that I was different when:
• I was out of my comfort zone when:
• I was humbled when:
• I was challenged when:

One Thing From Your Resume

• Pick one thing from your resume and tell us more. (100 words)

Career Goals Essay

• What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you? (upload file, 150 words)

Optional Essay

• Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate. (No word limit)

To make it simple: the behavioral essay is meant to show the team at Michigan Ross that you have developed some sort of leadership skills, what your values are as a leader, and how you are going to most benefit from their development programs. 

The admissions committee is looking for applicants that are self-reflective. Whether it’s through a setback you’ve experienced, or how you dealt with situations that have gone awry, the school is looking for students who are resilient and able to learn from their mistakes.

Do not overexaggerate (or underexaggerate!) the situations you decide to write about. Be honest about what happened; Ross is looking for genuine people to join their campus community, and they are less likely to admit an applicant who has overinflated their prior experiences. 

Last but not least, make sure to describe what you learned and how you implemented this in a subsequent situation. This is an  expected  element of the behavioral essay, even if it’s not directly written in the prompt. The school is looking for applicants who will act with humility, and have confidence without attitude. Prompts that deal with these topics can be daunting, especially when they require you to write about a weakness you have or a failure you’ve experienced.

One Thing from Your Resume

Another of Ross’ MBA essay prompts concerns your resume, which—surprisingly—is quite unusual in the MBA application landscape.

In this essay, Ross gives you the opportunity to highlight an aspect of your resume that you’re particularly proud of, so you can afford to keep your resume nice and tight.

One thing to beware of, however, is that this essay has an upper limit of only 100 words, meaning that you will still need to be concise in your approach.

The Career Goals Essay

The career goals essay is the space to emphasize your post-MBA plans. MBA programs want to accept students who have concrete, achievable career plans and a roadmap to success. MBA programs want a glowing post-grad report that proves they produce successful graduates with many job prospects (and who will donate money in the future)! Ross also wants students to promote their program to friends, co-workers, and prospective applicants. The career goals Ross essay combines your hard statistics (ex: GMAT score) with your interpersonal skills (ex: recommendations) to formulate the case for getting an MBA.

Make sure to state your achievable short-term and long-term goals explicitly. Explain why an MBA would help you achieve these goals and how Ross is essential to your plan. Connecting the positive attributes from your personal essay to your career goals essay is critical to forming a well-rounded application. Ross students enter the consulting, technology, and financial service industries, so emphasize your findings in the essay to show you’re genuinely interested.

Once you’ve completed your application, the optional Ross essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

Overall, honesty and growth are the most important parts of a successful MBA application essay. In addition, applying the lessons you learned shows improvement in your interpersonal and professional skills, making you a more attractive candidate for MBA programs.

At Menlo Coaching, we are prepared to help you take the next step and perfect your essays. Seamlessly navigate the Ross MBA essay prompts with our expert MBA consulting guidance and personalized feedback.

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Homepage > MBA Admissions > Michigan Ross MBA Essays: Analysis and tips for 2022 intake

Michigan Ross MBA Essays: Analysis and tips for 2022 intake

Posted by Suheb Hussain | Aug 17, 2021 | Business Schools , MBA Admissions , MBA Application Process

Michigan Ross has announced the deadlines and essay questions for the 2021-22 MBA application season. This year, Ross has returned to three rounds of application unlike four rounds last year. Ross has pushed back the Round 3 deadline rather than having an additional round.

There is no change in the essay questions. Like last year, this year’s applicants will answer two short answer questions and a goals essay. Soojin Kwon, managing director Full-time MBA program writes in her  blog ,  “ We felt really good about the quality of this year’s candidates and the prospective students’ feedback about our application, so I encouraged the team not to tinker too much with what is working… We enjoy providing students a choice in their essay answers. This past year, we received very insightful answers to the prompts that allowed us to learn more about your values and what you would add to the Michigan Ross community .”

Once again, the applicants have only 400 words to present their candidacy to the admission committee.  From 5 essay questions totaling 1700 words in 2012-13 to 2 essays of only 400 words, Ross has come a long way in its ‘less is more’ requirement.

In this article, Poonam Tandon from myEssayReview, who has been helping students with their MBA applications since 2011, shares her tips on the Michigan Ross MBA essay for 2022 intake.

Let’s first look at the MBA application deadlines for Michigan Ross.

Application Deadline for the Michigan Ross MBA Application 2021-22

The below table provides information regarding the Michigan Ross MBA Application deadline

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Michigan Ross MBA essay analysis 2021-2022

Part 1- short-answer questions, select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total). every word counts here — the tight word count is intentional to force you to focus..

• I want people to know that I:
• I made a difference when I:
• I was aware that I was different when:
• I am out of my comfort zone when:
• I was humbled when:
• I was challenged when:

The purpose of these short questions is to give the admissions team valuable insight into who you are as a person and how you view yourself.

Therefore, answer it in such a way that allows you to tell them what  you  want them to know about you. These questions require you to introspect and dig deeper for specific stories/ life experiences when you ‘made a difference’ or ‘when you were humbled’ or ‘when you were challenged’.

Begin your response to each prompt by completing the question. Your responses to these questions will showcase your unique personal traits- your interest as well as the impact you made, and your self-awareness (Group 1) and your humility, your experience of being out of your comfort zone (Group 2).

Both the groups ask for a behavioral response, where you discuss one experience or situation and reflect on it. The key to all these responses is to demonstrate how you responded in the face of different situations and emerged a better and stronger person.

What makes these essays more challenging is the multiple-choice component?

I can imagine applicants having a hard time deciding which option will paint them in a better light or which stories will reflect the traits that Ross is looking for.

My advice is that you brainstorm ideas on all the 6 prompts and then evaluate which are your best 2 stories that you would want the Ad Com to know about you as a person.

After you have finalized your best 2 stories, begin formulating your response, focusing on the challenges you faced, the action you took, and the impact you made. Don’t forget to include your thought process behind your decisions as your thoughts and actions will provide the reader with a glimpse into your values and beliefs.

It’s a challenge to discuss two different experiences in only 200 words.  To meet the tight word limit, make every word count, and be as precise as you can.

Short answer questions Tips from Ross MBA Admissions Blog

“ The team has found that essays that reveal something personal- about what you value, how you think- give us much more insight into how you’ll fit into the Ross culture than an accomplishment story. And, as you’ve probably learned, fit is an important part of our decision. (It should be an important part of yours, too). There are many other opportunities in the application to share your work accomplishments, use the essays to get personal .”

Part 2- Career Goals Essay

Michigan ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. please share your short-term career goal. why is this career goal the right choice for you (200 words).

This essay focuses on short-term goals and your reasons for those goals. When explaining your post-MBA goals, make sure to be as specific as you can.

Specify which industry, which company, and what position you would like to see yourself after graduating from Ross. Even if you are not 100% sure, you should be clear and decisive about your short-term goals. Though the question asks only about the short-term goal, you may still touch upon your long-term goal, but you should not elaborate on it.

Next, provide a brief account of your career history, summarizing your skills/strengths. Then go on to explain how your work experience has inspired your career plans and discuss the gap in your skillset that an MBA would fill. You don’t want to discuss the ‘Why Ross’ part because the school doesn’t want a ‘laundry list’ of the courses offered by Ross.

With a total of 400 only words to tell your story to the Ross admission committee, you should make every word count. There is no room for elaborate details or beating around the bush. To present a well-rounded picture of your candidacy, use 200 words (short questions) to demonstrate who you are as a person and 200 words (goals essay) to showcase who you are as a professional.

Optional Statement

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

As directed in the essay prompt, you may use this essay question to address a weakness in your profile, such as employment gap, low GPA/low GMAT, completion of supplemental work, or unusual choice of the recommender. Your weakness may also bring out a positive aspect of your personality. You may either use bullet points or essay format for the optional statement.

Video interview of a Ross student :  In this video interview with Poonam, Pablo  shares his amazing experiences during his first year at Ross .

For more information about the reapplication process click  here.

For Short answer questions Tips from Ross MBA Admissions Blog, Click  here.

For more advice and tips on application essays, resume, and LORs,  do not forget to check out the video from a few members of the admission team of Ross:

Free Resources:

• 10 Key Essay Tips with Examples
• Essay Analysis of Other Top Programs-2021-22
•   MER Students Share their success Stories
•  E-book of 30 Essays that Worked
• Case Studies

Since 2011, MER ( myEssayReview ) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including Ross. (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  [email protected]  or sign up  here  for a free consultation.

About the author

Poonam, one of the  top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club , is a master storyteller with more than three decades of experience in successfully helping students craft compelling stories for undergraduate and graduate school programs.

A Ph.D. in English, with three decades of teaching experience in India and the US, Poonam launched myEssayReview (MER) in 2011 to provide highly personalized and dedicated consulting services to Business School applicants. Since then, she has helped hundreds of students around the world get into top MBA, EMBA, part-time MBA, and specialized graduate programs. A full-time consultant, Poonam is passionate about her work and is highly committed to each of her students’ success.

Here are a few other topics related to MBA Essays: 

• Michigan Ross School of Business: Class Profile, Employment Reports, and Salaries
• What is a good GMAT score for Michigan Ross?
• How Aayush scored a 750 on the GMAT and received admits from Columbia and Michigan Ross
• Importance of MBA Essays in Business School applications
• How to make an impressive MBA Application Video Essay
• MBA essay: 5 types of essays explained with examples

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Tips for Your Michigan Ross Application Essays 

June 28, 2023

Sophie Hilaire

Michigan Ross Application Essay Tips, 2023-2024

Michigan Ross takes a short-and-sweet approach to its application essays. The maximum number of words you can use for all the school’s essays combined is just 350! For Part 1, you must choose two sentence prompts to complete that will give the admissions committee more insight into your personality and character, and for Part 2, you are asked to share your post-graduation career goal.  

Free: Download Stratus Admissions’ Guide to Getting into Michigan Ross School of Business

Part 1: short answers , select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total). , i want people to know that i:, i made a difference when i:, i was aware that i was different when: , i was out of my comfort zone when:, i was humbled when:, i was challenged when: .

The purpose of these short-answer questions is to give the admissions committee a better idea of who you are as a person and how you view yourself—kind of a peek “behind” your resume. Every word counts here; the tight word count is intentional to force you to focus. Ross is guiding its applicants to share more about themselves in a very direct and focused way. When the school first switched to this question format in 2020, Ross’s MBA Admissions Blog noted, “The most interesting and insightful responses to these prompts remain when applicants share personal examples that allow us to learn more about who you are as a person, and what unique experiences and insights you would bring to the MBA class.” 

Most of the prompt choices focus on your personality traits and actions you have taken in the past. Use your answers to demonstrate to the admissions reader how you are like no one else. Try to find examples that give insights into who you are and that complement the information in your resume, rather than repeating it, and don’t be afraid to share non-work-related examples. Incorporate details that will make your responses clearly and undeniably your own, and be sure to focus on what you have learned from the experiences and how those takeaways have contributed to the person you are today. 

Most applicants will probably assume that they should discuss only positive experiences or accomplishments in their answers to these prompts, but keep in mind that sharing an example of how you failed or made a mistake and learned from it can be an effective way to show growth. Relating a challenging experience can demonstrate that you are self-aware and can learn from obstacles, so the resulting essays can often be great as long as you focus on how you grew from the experience. Strive to choose the two prompts that will set you up to share your most revealing stories, whatever they might be. 

Part 2: Career Goal 

What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you (150 words).

This is a straightforward and traditional essay prompt; Ross wants to know what you envision for yourself professionally in the years right after you graduate, as well as what your motivation is for pursuing this path. Be explicit in describing your short-term career goal, and make sure to build a compelling story as to “why” this is a fitting choice for you, including how your background or interests have prepared you for your stated goal. Maybe a work project got you excited about pursuing a leadership position, or maybe a personal passion is driving a career change. The “why” shows that you have been thoughtful in selecting this career aspiration and creates a compelling story. Given the minimal word count, prioritize telling your story as clearly and directly as possible. 

Although “Why Ross?” is not explicitly asked here, if you are efficient enough in your response that you have a little wiggle room to work with, consider addressing specific ways you believe that Ross in particular will help you achieve your goal, such as via certain courses, programs, events, clubs, and so on. Make sure to do your research—Ross has a lot to offer in addition to its big-ticket programs, so showing you’ve familiarized yourself in depth with the school will impress the committee! 

Optional Statement 

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation you might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.  .

By stating outright that it’s okay to use bullet points in your response to this prompt, Ross is clearly indicating that it just wants the most relevant information here. This is not your chance to share another story you think is interesting but that will not actually add to the admissions committee’s knowledge or understanding of you in any meaningful way. So, provide this optional information only if one of the suggested situations applies to you (“completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues”) or some other element of your candidacy would benefit from further clarification. One example would be if your recommender is not your direct supervisor. Or maybe you have a disciplinary issue in your past that could be mitigated by some explanation. At any rate, there’s no need to make your response any longer than it needs to be (or even to respond at all!)—just communicate any critical information. 

In Stratus Admissions’ Guide to Getting into Michigan Ross School of Business , you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as the Multidisciplinary Action Project, the Erb Institute, MTreks, and the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund. Download our guide to learn more about Michigan Ross!

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Tuesday Tips: Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips 2023-2024

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: Short Answer Questions

Select one prompt from each group. respond to your selected prompts using 100 words or fewer (<100 words each; 200 words total)..

• I want people to know that I: • I made a difference when I: • I was aware that I was different when:

• I was out of my comfort zone when: • I was humbled when: • I was challenged when:

Take note that these short answers are about getting to know you personally—not your collection of accomplishments. Ross values community engagement, interpersonal communication, and teamwork skills. 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 moment. Or maybe a challenge you overcame or a life event that highlights something unique 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 group in turn, Group 1 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.

The first open-ended prompt allows you to talk about something you feel proud of—a personal quality or experience. For the next prompt, you could describe when you made a difference to an organization or person or advanced an important cause.

Finally, the last prompt is about how you are unique. Consider what sets you apart from others and what unique qualities you will bring to Ross.

Group 2 is more about your reaction to events in your life and your character. In addition, it could be an essay to describe your accomplishments. How do you interpret what happens to you and how do you handle adversity and discomfort? Perhaps you have had unique experiences in life thus far.

For example, living outside your home country, working with diverse groups, or overcoming a challenge at work or in your personal life. In essence, this is an opportunity to shine with your best stories of work, school, and relationships.

Are you curious about your chances of getting into Michigan Ross School of Business? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session  with an SBC Principal Consultant. 

Part 2: Career Goal

What is your short-term career goal and why is this the right goal for you (150 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.

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 the “why.” Consider what is most appealing about your goal. Why are you interested in it? Also, why are you a good fit for the role? Specific examples that showcase your personality will help!

Optional Statement

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation you might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. feel free to use bullet points where appropriate..

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 .

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. Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of  the AdCom expertise  on the SBC team:

With deadlines around the corner, you may be interested in the world-famous SBC Flight Test . Once a full set of application materials for your initial school have been drafted, but not finalized, the application will be sent to a former admissions committee member for a one-time review, adcomm style. You’ll have the benefit of a true admissions committee review while still having the ability to tinker and change.  You will receive written feedback within two business days after submitting.

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Michigan Ross MBA Application Essay Tips: 2024-2025

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Blog: Archive for the “University of Michigan (Ross)” Category

Hands-on finance opportunities at michigan ross and ucla anderson.

November 30, 2023

You may not realize that students at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan do not have to travel all that far to get hands-on Wall Street experience. Through the John R. and Georgene M. Tozzi Electronic Business and Finance Center (known as simply the Tozzi Center), students can find themselves on … Read More  

University of California Los Angeles (Anderson) University of Michigan (Ross)

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See the World During Your Studies at Michigan Ross and NYU Stern

June 26, 2023

For incoming first-year students at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business who want to get a head start on building friendships within their class or make use of some time off before the academic year begins, the MTrek program may be just the answer. MTreks are small-group, multiday, outdoor adventure trips that take place … Read More  

New York University (Stern) University of Michigan (Ross)

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Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples

June 23, 2023

In our view, the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan takes a very no-nonsense, just-the-facts approach to its application essays (even the scope of its optional essay is relatively narrow). For the school’s “short answer” questions, candidates choose one prompt from each of two lists of three and are asked to submit … Read More  

2023-2024 Business School Essays MBA Essay Tips University of Michigan (Ross)

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Watch Our Exclusive Webinar with Admissions Directors from CBS, Yale SOM, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, and Chicago Booth!

June 22, 2022

Recently, mbaMission Founder/President Jeremy Shinewald hosted a webinar with admissions directors from Columbia Business School (CBS), Chicago Booth, Michigan Ross, UVA Darden, and the Yale School of Management (SOM) to discuss the rapidly changing dynamics of the MBA application landscape as we are (hopefully) nearing the tail end of the coronavirus pandemic. Our thanks go … Read More  

Application Tips Business School Columbia University (Columbia Business School) Events University of Chicago (Booth) University of Michigan (Ross) University of Virginia (Darden) Yale University (School of Management)

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Professor Profiles: Gautam Kaul, University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business

May 23, 2022

Many MBA applicants feel that they are purchasing a brand when they choose a business school. However, the educational experience you will have is what is crucial to your future, and no one will affect your education more than your professors. Today, we profile Gautam Kaul from the University of Michigan Stephen M. Ross School of Business. … Read More  

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An Example of UMich’s Ross School of Business Prompt 1

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Robert Crystal in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

What’s Covered

Setting the scene, proposing a solution, taking initiative, being specific.

In this post, we go over an example answer to the first essay prompt for the University of Michigan ’s Ross School of Business. For more information about this college’s admissions, check out this article on how to get into the University of Michigan .

The first essay prompt reads:

“Choose a current event or issue in your community and discuss the business implications. Propose a solution that incorporates business principles or practices. The review panel will look for creativity, drawing connections, and originality.”

This example essay is about how one student worked to close the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) by making their robotics club more inclusive. It begins:

“Over the whir and clank of the seniors’ latest 3D printing project, I struggled to hear the freshmen introduce themselves during our school’s first robotics info session. My heart sank as I looked around the lab and realized that orientation was in just a couple of weeks, and it looked like I’d be the only girl on the team — again.”

This response starts off with an anecdote, using onomatopoeia and sensory language to draw in the reader right away. You can imagine what’s going on here as you’re being immersed in this world. This writer also sets up the main issue that she’s trying to solve, all within the first few sentences. Even if she doesn’t say explicitly that there aren’t enough girls on the robotics team, the reader can gather that immediately. It’s a good idea to keep the background and context short like this, so the reader knows the central issue of your essay right away.

Next, the student shifts to discussing her proposed solution:

“Day to day, practices can be tough in this boys’ club. It’s not that I don’t get along with my teammates, but sometimes, they exhibit a sort of bromance I just don’t feel like I’m a part of. This year, I was tired of setting an example from afar — I was determined to make sure everyone who was interested felt empowered to join our team.”

This is what the writer plans to do about her problem, spoken in plain terms. We get a sense of the dynamic of this club and what the student’s goals are in terms of changing the culture.

She goes on:

“After the info session, I laid a whiteboard on one of our workbenches and got to work brainstorming potential solutions to this gender gap. I analyzed our current recruiting methods by crafting a flowchart and pinpointing specific spots in which the gender balance started thinning out. I isolated our social media approach as a faulty positive feedback loop — as we grew our mainly het-cis male following, more of them were likely to follow us, and their mutuals, typically also male, would show up as our suggested outreach audience.”

This is where the student shows that she has thought critically about why this gender gap issue exists. She’s done her research by analyzing the current recruiting methods, crafting a flowchart, and identifying a potential issue. Business elements are making an appearance in the essay at this point. 

The essay goes on:

“With this information in mind, I drafted up a social media campaign that I felt would attract and retain more nonmale participants. I focused on the target audience and drafted tenets for our robotics team to embody this year that would hold us accountable to gender parity. By catering this campaign to women and nonbinary folks at my high school, I hoped that the right groups of people would feel empowered to at least check our robotics club out.”

This section shows initiative on the part of the student. It’s clear she was actively working toward increasing the number of nonmale participants in the club. This section would be a bit stronger, however, if the student gave more specific details about what she did and how she put these ideas into practice while using more business terminology specifically and correctly. 

“Pitching my campaign idea to my team reinvigorated my love for engineering. Together, we talked through logistical barriers, potential obstacles, and other conflicts that could arise as we tried to reach our goal of making the team more inclusive.”

This section demonstrates the student’s leadership skills in including the rest of the team in her initiatives. She could have added more detail about whether there were any difficulties in getting the male participants on the team to be receptive to her ideas. This section could also benefit from including more business case terms and more specifics about the process. 

“Not only did I pitch my campaign idea to my team, but I also did cross-club outreach by presenting to the Women in STEM Club and Gay/Straight Alliance to reach my target audiences. I created fliers to hand out at these events with our social media handles to maximize our reach.” 

Here, the writer is providing specific details on how she worked to achieve this goal. For this essay prompt, it’s important to give as much detail as possible on your initiative: what you did, who you engaged with, and how your experience aligned with your own principles and business goals. 

The essay concludes:

“Two weeks later, I stood by the 3D printer and passed out orientation badges. As I glanced over the pronouns written under the name stickers, my heart soared as I took in the diversity around me in this once homogenous robotics lab. Seeing the hopeful faces of our newest members, I vowed to continue championing diversity within STEM to create safe spaces within technology for all.” 

This is a great ending. It ties everything together and reiterates the student’s goals and principles. It could be improved by the inclusion of more specifics, such as numbers to show the exact increase in nonmale participants following her campaign. The student does hint that there are more nonmale participants, but the ending would be stronger if she quantified them with data.

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Ross MBA Admissions: All You Need to Know for Acceptance [Episode 576]

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Show Summary

In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk , Linda Abraham interviews Andrea McHale, the Director of Admissions for the Michigan Ross MBA program. They discuss the unique elements of the Ross MBA program, such as its action-based learning principles and emphasis on impact. Andrea also provides advice for MBA applicants, including the importance of showcasing impact in the application, preparing for interviews, and addressing weaknesses or gaps in the application. 

Welcome to the 576th episode of Admissions Straight Talk . Thanks for listening. You’ve seen the stats that most people have a great return on their MBA investment, but what about you? Are you going to see that return? How much will it be? We’ve created a tool that will help you assess whether the MBA is likely to be a good investment for you individually. Just go to accepted.com/mbaroicalc , complete the brief questionnaire and you’ll not only get an assessment, but the opportunity to calculate different scenarios and it’s all free. 

It gives me great pleasure to have on Admissions Straight Talk for the first time, Andrea McHale, Director of the Michigan Ross Full-time MBA and Global MBA Admissions. Andrea has 10 years of industry experience in marketing, sales and supply chain management within the healthcare and automotive industries. In 2013, she transitioned to education administration. Before joining the Ross MBA team, she worked as the Director of Admissions for Michigan State University’s Broad MBA program. She has a BA and MBA from Michigan State, an MS from the University of Michigan and is currently pursuing her doctorate of business administration from the University of Florida. Pretty impressive.

Andrea, welcome to Admissions Straight Talk . [2:14]

Thank you for the super generous welcome. Yes, I’m also a student, so anyone who chats with me, we can talk about the pros and cons of going back to school as someone that’s been in the workforce for a while, but I definitely have a bias towards a full-time MBA and higher education in general.

Let’s start with a few general questions about Ross and then we’ll get more specific and focused on admissions. Can you give us an overview of Ross’ full-time MBA program for listeners who may not be that familiar with it, focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:51]

Yes. Absolutely. The Ross School of Business is located within the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. We are 2024 national champions. However, back to the Ross MBA program, our key differentiators are our action-based learning principles. So really, many people have heard about MAP. MAP stands for multidisciplinary action projects. This is a quintessential end-of-your-first-year MBA experience where you are consultants with real-world impact. Fortune 500, NGOs, you name it, and you’re doing a seven-week project on site and back at Ross with them with real deliverables. It’s that pre-internship before the internship.

Sometimes you’ll also hear of “Midwest nice,” but that really does define our culture. We’re a highly collaborative, very inclusive culture, and we want everyone to be highly successful while they’re here at Ross, and we do that through very intentional pedagogy within the curriculum as well as within your experiential learning through student clubs, different organizations. We have a number of centers and institutes to support your learning even outside of your classroom experience. And I think the last thing about Ross and our curriculum particularly is the flexibility of it. We have over 110 top-ranked graduate programs at the University of Michigan. And you have the opportunity not only to dual degree and choose your path in those dual degrees, but also take up to 10 of your elective credits outside of Ross. So really thinking about what is most important and unique to you and what your goals are and your experience for your education, you have the ability to do that here at Ross.

What’s new at Ross? [4:56]

Oh goodness. Now I’m really going to get into the curriculum.

A couple of the things that our leadership team and that our students have really led is the need to be on trend within business. And with that comes AI and machine learning. And so we’ve introduced a few new curriculum electives this year as well as many of our professors are refining their current curriculum to be dynamic within that workspace and really bringing in case studies and opportunities to utilize AI and machine learning because it will become a big part of business as we continue to grow within that space. We had previously had a concentration in sustainability, but there was a student need and obviously an industry desire to be very focused within ESG. So we introduced a new concentration this year of environmental, social and governance. It’s really offered here as a concentration path to support students navigating really that rapidly changing business world, but creating foundations within sustainability, social impact, and administration.

Is that instead of the sustainability concentration? [6:16]

Yes. We have taken parts of the sustainability concentration path that already existed and added in other classes and electives that would really have a more well-rounded focus within ESG to support what our students’ needs are and then what we are hearing from our employers and within the industry.

I visited Ross a few years ago, and I was very impressed at the time. The dean talked about how all Ross students will be involved in starting, investing in, advising, and then managing or running a business. I think that’s what you call REAL. Can you dive a little deeper into that? Is it still true that all students will do that or is it they focus on certain elements of that foursome? [6:40]

I think in many ways all students will encompass this REAL framework. However, again, talking about choosing your own path and the flexibility of your experience, you can really hone in on specific areas of that. Linda had shared the REAL is start, advise, invest and lead. So that management component. And I’ll talk to a couple areas of just some examples of how that works within Ross.

The foundation of that really is in that action-based learning principles. So if you look at the REAL start, that component is about entrepreneurship. Our differentiator here within the MBA program where all students partake is within MAP. But we also have centers and institutes dedicated to entrepreneurship where you can take that even further through an incubator experience or an investment experience or case competitions and pitch competitions with VCs. So you have that ability to really either experience it as a student or really enhance that through other opportunities. We also then have the advise that’s consultive. Again, MAP encompasses that consulting aspect of really having that framework and being a problem solver and a leader of change within any organization. And that’s something that all students do. But then you could also be involved in the student clubs within consulting opportunities within our CDO program in terms of developing those skill sets to be successful within your career.

The next is invest. REAL invest. All of our students will have financial foundational skills within their Ross curriculum, but we have a number of student-led investment funds. A few of them would be the Wolverine Venture Fund or the Social Venture Fund. This is where Ross students, Ross MBA students, where Rossers have the ability to actually make investment decisions with real money, with real teams and you’re guiding growth based on those decisions. And then the last is REAL lead. This is, I feel like, one of our foundation … Part of our culture is that leadership culture. But an example of this even outside of the curriculum is the Sanger Institute for Leadership where you have the opportunity to participate in a crisis challenge within the story lab. They have curriculum both for MBA students across the board within the university, so you could even interact with more than just your MBA students on some of these initiatives. So you can really make the most of all of these different opportunities based on what your interests are.

Obviously, the opportunities for deep dives into any of these areas exist both in terms of extracurricular activities or in terms of choosing a MAP project, but do all students engage in all four of the activities or do you pick and choose what you’re most interested in? [10:01]

So within your curriculum, you’re definitely going to be interacting within all. Advise, invest, lead. But again, there’s those opportunities even outside of your curriculum where you can maximize a specific foundational area of this action-based learning either through our centers and institutes, our student clubs, some of the investment funds that you can lead. So there’s a lot of different opportunities to elect into them. But across the board, every Ross MBA student will have some component of that within their experience within the 20 months that they’re here in Ann Arbor.

I assume that MAP is the place where a student could do a deep dive into their particular area of interest? [11:00]

Oh yes. Absolutely. Or something completely different. I’ve seen MBA students approach it in very different ways. Whether they really want to say, “Okay. I’m switching into marketing and I want to take a marketing-based project, so it’s going to help me enhance my skill sets going into my internship.”, or we have someone that would go into investment baking and say, “I will never have the opportunity again to spend seven weeks supporting an NGO in Malawi, Africa.” And so they take it as this opportunity to grow as an individual, see a different side of the business landscape where that’s going to help them in their current career path, but in a different way where it maybe provides them a different lens or a different scope to be more successful later on. So I see students approach that slightly differently, and each approach is uniquely their own and it’s the right approach to take.

And our students have the ability to select from over 100 projects. They typically get their top three choices. So you really do have a voice and choice in looking through these projects and what’s going to maximize the value and the gain that you can contribute, and then also learn from those experiences. It’s a seven-week intensive where rather than taking classes, you’re working with the employers or the organization that you’re supporting. You’re going on site for part of that to really learn from the employees and the teams that you’re helping support. And at the end of the day, you have a real deliverable. So this is action-based learning at its best.

And it’s full-time? When you’re doing MAP, it’s all you’re doing? [12:51]

Oh, full-time. Yes. Seven-week full-time. In the last half of your semester in that fourth module as a first-year MBA student, you are completing your MAP project.

What don’t people know about Ross that you would like them to know, or what’s a common misconception that you’d like to dispel? [13:05]

I think the biggest misconception is yes, we are located in the Midwest of the US and that when you think of Michigan, you probably think of automotive or manufacturing, which is true. We still have lots of manufacturing and automotive. There’s been a huge tech increase in the Detroit area specifically. But just because you’re coming to do your education within the University of Michigan at the Ross School of Business doesn’t mean that you stay within Michigan. 75% of our students go coastal or within Chicago, so East Coast, Chicago and West Coast. So we coined the phrase, go blue, go anywhere. And it’s really true. We have a huge alumni network. There’s over 67,000 Ross alumni globally and over 600,000 University of Michigan alumni globally. So when you think about the brand and the network that you gain from coming to Ross, that’s huge. I feel like that’s the first misconception that I want to dispel. And I’d like to say yes, it’s not as cold as everybody talks about in Michigan, but for a few months out of the year it really is. But right now it’s beautiful. So it’s short-lived, but yes, if you’re coming from a warm climate area, we do have a pretty significant winter.

As an Angelino, I can appreciate the people who are afraid of cold, but I was there in June and it’s gorgeous. 

Let’s turn to the application. ross is asking applicants to submit either a gre, a gmat, a pcat, dat, mcat or lsat score. you almost have the whole alphabet covered there. or if they don’t do the score, they need to do a statement of academic readiness. what’s a statement of academic readiness and who should apply with the test score and who should submit the statement [14:31].

I’ll just take a quick second to talk about the standardized test scores and then I’ll move into the statement of academic readiness. Your application is complete whether you choose to submit with a standardized test or a statement of academic readiness. We do not differentiate between the two options. But I will share there’s been lots of changes in even the standardized testing. So this year, GMAT launched the GMAT Focus, and so for the next four years, we will be accepting valid traditional GMAT scores as well as the new GMAT Focus, which has a different scoring range. And what we’re looking there is at the percentiles to really be able to compare with an unbiased and as fair as we can within our application review process. So we do accept both.

GRE this year launched an expedited or a condensed version of their scoring. We do not differentiate between the two tests. They’ve put out a lot of studies in terms of the validity of those assessment scores. So we’re using those comparably across the traditional one or the longer version versus the shorter one. And then the alphabet soup is we do have a number of dual degrees and we do accept various different alternative tests if you’re a dual degree student, and it’s really to reduce any barriers from you pursuing that education that you desire. And that comes to the academic readiness statement. This came about during the pandemic because that became a barrier for students to apply because it was very hard to get to a testing center. We now have enough data to show that students who applied without a standardized test are capable and excelling within the MBA program and obviously within the outcomes. However, this is Ross, and we do need to at least try to triangulate your academic readiness within the application criteria that you provide, and we’re looking for, do you have the quantitative readiness?

The verbal side of things comes with a lot of different things we’re looking at within the application. We’re really trying to understand the quantitative academic readiness that you can bring to your Ross experience. So if you have any type of certifications or you’ve had quant heavy work within your career, if you’ve taken extra classes outside of what’s showing on your transcripts, these are all great ways to reflect your academic readiness and that’s something that we assess. So don’t take that statement lightly. We really want specifics. Not vague response of you’re really smart in mathematics and can do statistics. Provide a specific example, the years that you’ve been showcasing that in your career. That’s really important for us to be able to assess and equalize our applicants within that selection process.

Would you say that if somebody didn’t do so well as an undergrad or didn’t do well in quant courses as an undergrad, they would be wise to take the GMAT or GRE? That’s question number one. And number two, is the PCAT, DAT, MCAT and LSAT, are those really for dual degree applicants? [18:17]

Yes. For the first question, if you had a less-than-desirable outcome from your undergraduate degree in terms of GPA, because that is another criteria that we look at. Not just the GPA, but what was your undergrad focus in, what type of classes that you were taking. We look at all of that in that review process. So if that is less desirable or the outcome that you don’t want to showcase as a strength, taking a standardized test can really help to offset that. You’ve grown, you’ve matured, you’ve taken the time to prepare and study for that test. What if you’re listening to this call and you’re just like, “Hey, I’m not a test taker. This is not a strength of mine.” Possibly the statement of academic readiness may be the best path for you, but at the same time, we’re still looking for academic readiness.

So you’re going to have to take the time to demonstrate … Whether that be through a new class that you take or a new certification, taking the time to still demonstrate that would be important. Now, for the alphabet soup, in terms of the MCAT, the PCAT, the LSAT primarily, yes for dual degree students, but we have individuals that maybe have taken their LSAT. It’s still valid. They’ve worked for a few years as a lawyer and they realized that might not be the right career path for them and they’ve learned that hey, having an MBA and using those transferable skill sets into business may be applicable. Yes, we would accept that. Something to just consider. Again, LSAT. We know that your verbal ability is probably extremely high. Your comprehension and your problem-solving skills probably extremely high, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect your quantitative skill sets. So you just really need to put forth a very holistic application and trying to balance all of those strengths. Highlight the strengths. Be open and honest and authentic about any areas on that criteria of the application that may be a weak point. But altogether we’re looking at you as an individual holistically. Everything can come within balance.

So basically, if there’s a weakness in the application, address it, whether it’s through the test score or classes or certifications or work experience. If you feel that you’re ready, make a case for it. [20:51]

Yeah. Case in point for me. I did not do well my first semester in college. It was a huge transition for me, and I overcame that over time, but my GPA never fully recovered as an undergrad because of a really tough first year. Addressing that and then showing the maturity that I took to not just give up, but to reflect on, hey, I need to figure out what will work for me to be successful. That’s an opportunity to do that. Another area that we’ve been seeing lately is gaps in employment. That’s absolutely okay, but to not address it … If you don’t share it, we fill in the blanks. I don’t want to make any assumptions. So if you just share, “Hey, here’s the rationale why there may be a gap in my employment,” that paints the picture in our mind, and so we understand you as an applicant. Just any weak point, I would just highly encourage you to address in your optional essay.

And I would just add, don’t fudge the dates if there’s a gap in employment. [22:04]

Oh, no. Thank you, Linda.

Ross’ class profile for the class of 2025 has some pretty impressive stats. 719 average GMAT, 3.43 average GPA. The stats also reflect a lot of diversity in the class. What do you look for besides stats? [22:18]

We’re always looking for fit. We want each and every person that we’re admitting into the Ross program to be successful with the tools that we provide within the curriculum, within the student experience. So ultimately that comes through fit and sometimes the best way to that is through essays and your interview. And then also too, it’s not a criteria, but it’s definitely something we look at is how active have you been with the admissions team, with our current students, attending some of our events, whether they’re virtual or in person. Being able to showcase your motivation and ambition is also a huge thing that we look at in terms of the leadership potential, the drive, the desire to be highly motivated. That’s a reflection of those competencies.

I think I know what you’re talking about when you’re talking about fit. I’m sure you know what you’re talking about when you’re talking about fit, but could you tell our listeners what is fit? [23:29]

Yeah. Thank you. It’s a three-letter word. When we look for fit … Again, we talked about our differentiators. We’re action-based learning, we’re collaborative, we’re team-based. But we’re also leaders. So when we think about competencies that would match all of that, are you highly adaptable to different situations? Are you a problem solver? Can you work within teams? Are you motivated? And I reflected on some of the things that we can indicate as motivators. Those are really important competencies that are great for our fit, but weirdly enough, they also transfer into the business world as skill sets our employers desire as well. So we really do want that experience to be mutually beneficial and for you to gain the experience that you love Ross. But at the end of the day too, we want you to be highly successful in your post-MBA career and so we do look for that fit and that cultural competencies carry over into what our employers are looking for as well.

What are the essay requirements at Ross for this cycle? Are they going to change? What do you anticipate? [24:40]

Thank you for asking this. I’m not able to share quite specifics yet. At the end of this, we’re going to share our information on how to connect with us on our webpage, but I can give you the themes. We’ve had the same essays for I think the last three application cycles. And so this fall ’25 intake, it was time for a refresh. So in terms of the essays, we’re going to have three required. They’re going to continue to be a very condensed essay word count. We’re known for that and we did not want to go away from it. And then we will also have an optional essay. So the theme is how do you embrace action-based learning principles. We’ve talked a lot about this, Linda, so far in terms of really that’s a key to our culture. The next one is how will you make impact? That’s probably not something I’ve shared enough in this session, but we’re really looking for people and individuals who fit  in our culture to drive impact. Whether it be within industry, whether it be within community. So that’s going to be a next essay theme.

And the next is career aspirations. So getting back to what are those short-term career goals, long-term career goals and why, and ultimately how does Ross fit within that. And then the last is the optional essay and that will not change. If there’s anything that you have not shared in your application that you feel is important for an admissions officer to know, we will have that optional essay for you to share and reflect where maybe we missed within our application criteria.

One of the hallmarks of the last three years has been that people have had the choice of which prompt to respond to. So you’re moving away from that? [26:28]

Not necessarily moving away from. The impact one, there will be prompts that you can select from, but there were two previously. We’re going just to one, and it’ll have about four prompts for you to answer a question, and that one will be on impact.

In discussing the essays, I think the focus has been much more on people’s motivations and what they’ve done in the past. Where do you think that an applicant can really show impact the most? [26:54]

A lot of them will be not necessarily behavioral in nature, but they’re going to be based on your own experiences. So think through when have you made impact. It could be you’ve driven impact for an individual or a group or an entire community or an entire business process. But being really intentional. Again, talking about specifics in a short word count is going to be important. So think through, maybe jot down like, “Hey, these are experiences that I’ve had that have made a difference in someone or in many people’s lives.” And then from there, narrowing down, which one do you want to showcase, which one represents you the most is going to be key. It’ll be similar to the prompts that we previously had, where you really need to be intentional with what you’re showcasing and what you’re sharing with us. So we didn’t want to get away from that too much, but we definitely wanted to refresh those prompts for our applicants because we’ve had the same ones for a few years.

That’s all fine. Obviously the questions have been very much focused on the essay. In the context of the essays, I think this is an excellent response. But I was thinking that the best place to show impact, not that the essays you can’t, is the resume and the experience sections of the application. I didn’t ask about the resume, so I realize that you were thinking about the essay, but that’s something I think should be highlighted. It is an excellent place. Use those boxes and use the resume to quantify your impact. [28:24]

Yeah. Linda, I agree 100%. I actually think that’s an area where sometimes our applicants don’t spend enough time. This is business school. You really need to spend a significant amount of time preparing your resume and updating your resume. Every bullet you have on your resume should reflect impact. So I think the Google XYZ format or … There’s one other one where it’s like basically everything has, what did you do, how did you do it and what was the result. So everything should have impact within a one pager. But it’s also an opportunity. You’re more than just the work that you do. And there are transferable skill sets in any type of volunteering opportunity or leadership position that you’ve held even outside of your corporate career or the role that you’re playing right now. So adding that to the resume. But if it’s on your resume, it definitely has to reflect impact. Why is it on your resume? I always want to see the why and what amazing things did you do. So I feel like that’s a great opportunity for all applicants. I think it’s a great start when you start preparing for your application is to start with your career and your experiences and your resume because it really provides that foundation for the rest of the criteria that you submit with your application.

We also at Accepted have a check sheet. It’s called 38 Ways to Use the Power of Numbers in Your Admissions Resume . And I’m going to link to it from the show notes. That’s one of the best ways:  to quantify the impact you’ve had. And again, use those boxes, use that resume, don’t leave them for the last minute. If anything, think about it ahead of time. And then you can still discuss motivations and impact in the essays as Andrea was suggesting. But don’t overlook that part of it. I think raising the point of the importance of impact is really, really an excellent point. 

What can applicants expect if they’re lucky enough to be invited to interview [30:28].

Oh, wonderful. Our interview process is by invitation only, so we will go through after a round and we will do a first evaluation on every applicant and then from there invite to interview. Our interviews … And they will continue to be into this next cycle too, are conducted virtually by our Ross alumni. So you get to connect with an alum that’s out there working in careers and in locations that you’re either already in or desire to be in. A lot of these alums become mentors through the remainder of this process. So I think it’s a great opportunity to just really even initially start to connect with our alumni.

Now, it is still an interview. Our questions are going to be on some of the competencies that I have shared in terms of what we look for and fit. So resiliency, adaptability, problem solving skills, leadership, cultural IQ. Do you embrace the DEI and diversity of thought and what ways do you reflect that? Our questions are mainly behavioral. It should not be a high stress environment, but at the same time, come prepared. Think through what type of questions may you hear in terms of the behavioral response and then when you think about the ways to respond to behavioral questions, either star or car. We want specific examples. So situation, task, action, and result. If you’re using the STAR framework or context, action result, if you’re using the CAR format. So think through and be really intentional. So within two minutes you need to describe the situation, the task you specifically did, the action that you took and the results. Never forget the results. I think that’s probably the one area that many people in an interview forget. So if you come prepared, you should have a really wonderful time connecting with an alumni, building that relationship. And ultimately that gets added into your application and then you have a completed profile of an applicant and you’ll go through another review.

And there’s no more group interview, right? No more team-based interview? [33:28]

No. Not at this time. Yeah. Ross was one of the first MBA programs to have a team-based interview approach. We keep looking at possibly bringing that back. It was something that was super valuable, but we haven’t figured out a way yet in our timelines to bring that back.

It’s also logistically difficult. That’s just the reality of it. We discussed that before you apply you should learn about the program, we’ve discussed the essays, we discussed the resume, and the interview. What’s the most common mistake you see applicants making in the application process? [33:53]

Yeah. Linda and I chatted just now about the importance of your resume, and I just want to highlight that one more time. Really take time to focus on your resume. Anything going into your resume should reflect impact. You’re taking the time to show us what you’ve done. And it’s not just your work responsibilities. It’s what are the outcomes that you’ve had within these experiences? I see that as a mistake. Some people will just put a job description for their work.

Responsibilities but not results. [34:45]

Yes. And we really need to see that. And then we just talked about the interview aspect. So not spending time preparing for your interview. Because they’re alumni driven too, I can’t stress enough, take some time to prepare. Think through even the responses that you’re having back and forth with this alumni. They’re volunteering their time. So even when you go to say, “Hey, John, we were connected as a interview. Here are some times that I’m available.” So really take a moment to think through what is your availability, provide some options. And that way it’s a lot easier for the alum interviewer to connect a little bit more immediately with you so that they’re not having to plan that out. I feel like that’s an area. And then the last thing is not showcasing in the optional essay either a weakness within your application criteria, a gap in your resume. I cannot stress, once again, you share your story. Don’t leave any holes for us to try and fill in. That is the most important thing in creating a complete application.

Do you have any advice for two categories of applicants, both coming to terms with results or lack of results. One is wait-listed applicants, the other is re-applicants. Let’s talk about wait-listed applicants first. What advice do you have for those people in purgatory? [36:00]

It’s true. That’s what happens. One, pat yourself on the back, if either at Ross or any other program that you are placed on a waitlist. You are an admissible applicant. When we review our applications and make decisions, it’s part your criteria that you’re submitting, but it’s also part each year is going to be slightly different in the amount of applications we’re receiving, the overall quality of those applications. So you just have to understand that it’s a process and we don’t take it lightly. We do thorough reviews. So you’ve got to the wait list status. That’s awesome. We have a wonderful process and that’s managed by our admissions officers. So we provide you the opportunity at any point to give us updates, to make updates to your application until a final decision is made. So don’t take that lightly either.

If you have any type of substantial update, whether it be a job change, a promotion, if you retake a standardized test, all of that is valid up until the time a decision is made. So use that as an opportunity to continue to refine your application criteria. Strengthen your profile as much as you possibly can. That will ultimately one, reflect motivation and ambition. And so that just looks good that you’re taking the time to interact with us, that you’re using this as an opportunity to advance yourself and your outcomes. So I would really encourage that.

And then the second part in terms of … Sorry, did you say wait list and then re-applicant? We have a number of re-applicants, and that’s an opportunity for you to do the same thing within a year cycle and say, “Okay. My application may not have been as competitive as I would have liked.” And you received a deny at the year that you initially applied.

Be reflective about that. Look at the Ross class profile or any other program that you’re looking at. Okay, what are areas that maybe I have a weak point that I should look at trying to improve upon for this next cycle? Whether it be your work experience or your standardized test. Your undergraduate GPA is what it is, but are you taking classes or opportunities to enhance those areas and is this something that you can reflect within your application? Those are all important things. And then the last thing is stay engaged. Attend events, try and come on campus if you can. Build those relationships too, because then now we’re talking about those core competencies of success within the classroom experience and outside into your career. So being diligent does pay off. So I would just really encourage re-applicants to think through how they can improve their application profile and stay engaged.

Great advice. Thank you. Can I add one point to your reapplicant advice? I would say take a critical look at how you answered the questions. Did you really answer the questions? Is your application full of mistakes and typos? There’s being qualified, which I think you have addressed superbly, and there’s presenting your qualifications effectively. So you have to look at both when you’re applying. [39:32]

Yes. Absolutely.

What advice would you give to someone thinking ahead to Fall 2025 or later application? They’re probably working now, they’ve finished college. What should they be thinking about and doing? [40:01]

Oh my goodness. It’s a process. So if you’re at the very early stages of, hey, I’m thinking about a full-time MBA, give yourself some grace, but also create a plan. I would initially say, look around on the programs that you’re interested in or the Ross website, and then also get on email distribution lists. I know not everybody checks their emails, nor do I, but it is a great way just to have a continuous update from Ross or any other school that you’re interested in in terms of what’s going on. And then the events will come that way too. So once you’ve done your initial research of understanding what programs may be a good fit for you, that next step is to attend some of the virtual or within your location if they’re coming to you, if you’re in a large metro area, attending some events where you can start to meet with admissions officers, alumni, and current students.

Once you narrow down to your top schools, even probably before you submit an application, or if you maybe start at the beginning of the process, you should come on campus. You really want to make sure that you feel at home, that you’re going to be able to thrive in this environment, that it’s a good fit for you, and that it may inspire you as you go through the rest of that application process.

And then lastly too, take time in the application process. So Linda just said, answer the questions, don’t have any typos. Each school there’s going to be similar themes, and you’ll notice those themes pop up. But the way that each program and specifically the way that Ross asks our questions, we want that question answered. So take time within the essays to frame that. And then the last thing, we didn’t talk about this at all, but it usually takes the longest, is letters of recommendation.

If you’re asking a manager to write a letter of recommendation on your behalf, it takes time for them to do that really effectively and to articulate the experiences that they’ve had for you and the competencies that each program’s looking at. We use the GMAC standard form. So many schools are getting towards that, which is helpful to your recommender, but not every program does. So you’ll need to bake in a few months for them to submit that letter of recommendation in a timely manner. So you’re going to have to create a timeline when is the round deadline that you’re planning on applying in and back that up a few months for a letter of recommendation, even a few more months for you to complete your profile and your criteria in a timely manner. So it is very doable while you’re working, but it does take some intentional planning and effort on your part to be successful.

That’s great advice. Thank you so much. I’m glad you brought up the recommenders. You don’t want to ask your recommender a month or even two weeks before the due date because they could be going on vacation. [43:07]

Yes. It’s true. Or you work for a team … I always give the … I’ll never forget my husband had a very large team and he worked for a tech company and it was booming and everybody wanted to go get their MBA. And so he’s like, I will do one a month for every employee that he knows that is doing their MBA, and he could only commit to one a month, because if you had five employees looking to get their MBA in the same year, it is timely on their part. So I think setting that expectation with your manager or whoever’s doing the recommendation for you so you understand what their timeline might look like is important.

What would you have liked me to ask you? [44:01]

Oh, goodness, this is really comprehensive, Linda, and I had a lot of fun. It’s really reflective as we’re going into this next recruitment cycle, so I really appreciate your time.

The thing I would think about is how do you get involved? So if you’re interested in Ross, the first few things I would tell you to do is go onto our website. There’s a request for information form that we have. It’s very brief. I think it’s like five fields that we have you fill out. But from there on, you’re going to get our bi-monthly updates., And that will have news, events, curriculum changes that we have going on, and then our admission event programming. So as you get to know the program even more, as you get ready to start registering for events, this is a great time.

We are going to be kicking off our recruitment season in the end of June, the beginning of July, and we’ll be going to many major metro areas across the world. So we hope to see you there. And then the next step is to go to our virtual programming and then ultimately to some of our on-campus events. We take those very seriously. We try to do very intentional programming, so you get to live and breathe what it’s like to be a Ross MBA student. So I highly encourage if you have the opportunity to attend those to do that, because I feel like you get the most out of what this experience could be like, and then it’s a great opportunity to interact with the admissions team.

Great. Andrea, I want to thank you so much for joining me today. This has been a highly informative, enjoyable interview. Where can listeners and potential applicants learn more about Michigan Ross full-time MBA program? [45:35]

michiganross.umich.edu

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Poets&Quants’ 40-Under-40 Best MBA Professors Of 2024

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Jun Li and Andrew Wu are linked by many “boths.”

Both are accomplished professors at University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. They are researchers at the top of their fields, winning multiple honors for their work. Both were finalists for Financial Times Research Impact awards.

Both earned their PhDs at The Wharton School. It’s where they met, actually. Li noticed Wu staring at her from across a Philadelphia bar and asked if he knew her. They didn’t realize they were in the same program until they got to talking.

Both are parents to four and six year olds about to turn into five and seven year olds.

And today, both are featured on Poets&Quants’ annual list of the 40 best MBA professors under the age of 40. It’s the first time (we think) we have featured a married couple in the same year, both selected on their individual accomplishments and merits.

“It is beyond our expectations, really exciting,” Li tells P&Q. “Thinking about all these years working together – both as family and partners – it is really rewarding. I tell people all the time that Andrew is the best co-author I’ve ever had.”

More on that a little later.

34 SCHOOLS FROM 9 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED

We at Poets&Quants are proud to announce our collection of the 40-Under-40 Best MBA Professors for 2024. This is the 12th edition of our annual recognition, and our goal remains unchanged: To identify and celebrate the most talented young professors currently teaching in MBA programs around the world.

Federica De Stefano, HEC Paris

Professors on this year’s list come from 34 different business schools. That includes 15 schools outside of the United States, more than in any other year. The United Kingdom has the most professors outside the USA at five, while France has three and Spain has two. The list also includes professors from China, India, Italy, Mexico, and the Netherlands.

Five schools have two professors each:

• Kelley School of Business, Indiana University
• Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
• MIT Sloan School of Management
• NYU Stern School of Business
• The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

We also honor 21 exceptional women, the most we’ve ever recognized in a single year. Included is Federica De Stefano , 36, Assistant Professor of Management and Human Resources at HEC Paris.

She was diagnosed with cancer for the first time in her early 20s, one week after graduating with her Master of Science. As a research assistant at Bocconi University, she started reading research on work, careers, and human resources. That’s when she knew she wanted to be a business professor.

“That research had a tremendous impact on my ability to navigate that phase of my life in an informed way. It answered some of my questions and left me with some more. I therefore decided that I wanted to find those answers to support people like me in navigating their work life, and that a business school was the right place to develop and share knowledge on this topic,” she says.

“As a survivor, I’m grateful for the so many amazing humans who have made this possible, giving me time and space to recover. I’m grateful for the other survivors I’ve met and who don’t cease to inspire me. I’m grateful for my mentors and co-authors who have been kind, patient, and not giving up on me. I’m grateful for the institutional and human support of my colleagues at HEC Paris during my disease and recovery. I’m eternally grateful for the unwavering support of my family and my beloved partner, who never gets tired of reminding me that ‘we’re going to be fine.’”

FIRSTS, YOUNGESTS & RISING STARS

At Poets&Quants, we love a good trailblazer. Along with our first married pair of professors, 2024 has several examples of the youngests, the firsts, and the rising stars.

Jennifer N. Wynn , 39, is the first Black woman to be a full-time faculty member at NYU Stern School of Business. She is the creator of the popular Stern courses Difficult Conversations and Inclusive Conversations.

Oliver Hauser, Exeter University

At 35, Oliver Hauser is the youngest full professor at Exeter University in England. He is a Professor of Economics and interim co-director of the Institute for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. He’s also faculty affiliate at Harvard University’s Sustainability, Transparency and Accountability Research Initiative. Outside of the business school, he’s served as advisors to the UK Cabinet Office; the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology; and BBC Children in Need.

“Oliver is the rare academic professor with such deep and meaningful insight into the world of practice that the students in his classroom actually feel like they are in the middle of real-world situations,” says Siri Chilazi, a researcher at Harvard University.

And Corinne Low , 39, is the first out, queer woman of color to receive tenure at The Wharton School. She created the popular “Economics of Diversity and Discrimination” course, a core part of the new DEI major.

“Professor Low’s class is one of the most impactful that I’ve taken at Wharton. It has prompted the most (and some of the most thought-provoking) conversations with classmates/friends/family outside of the classroom,” writes student Genny Silva.

Agni Orfanoudaki , Associate Professor of Operations Management at University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, is the youngest entrant on this year’s list at 29. The average age of all professors is 36.6.

PROFESSORS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF RESEARCH

Many of the professors on the list research the topics at the cutting-edge of business, technology and the future of work: AI, machine learning, sustainability, etc. Others engage directly with the biggest problems of the day.

Darden’s Gaurav Chiplunkar is analyzing a dataset with billions of individuals across 90 countries and spanning five decades. He’s looking to understand how economic development affects people’s movement through the work force.

Rahul Bhui, MIT Sloan School of Management

“Our findings reveal a striking narrative: while traditional economic progress has seen men migrating from agriculture to manufacturing and services, women, in contrast, are more likely to exit the labor force altogether before re-entering at higher levels of economic development, and often within the service sector,” Chiplunkar says. “Despite significant advancements over these decades, women continue to be disproportionately relegated to clerical and secretarial roles, with managerial positions remaining elusive, even in the most developed nations.”

In his research, Jermain Kaminski of Maastricht University School of Business and Economics combines methods from machine learning and natural language processing with a specific focus on large text, audio and video data in entrepreneurship. He is a co-founder and co-chair of the Causal Data Science Meeting.

And Rahul Bhui combines cognitive science, computational neuroscience, and behavioral economics in his research to reveal the deep unifying principles that capture both rationality and irrationality. He is an Assistant Professor of Marketing as well as the Class of 1958 Career Development Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School of Management.

“My goal is to unravel a paradox of human nature: how can we be so smart and so stupid at the same time? Yes, this is a serious question,” Bhui says.

HOW WE PICKED THEM

Overall, we received more than 1,000 nominations from students, colleagues, business schools, and professors themselves. P&Q’s editorial staff evaluated each nominee on teaching (given a 70% weight) and research (given the remaining 30% weight).

For teaching, we considered the nominations received — both quality and quantity. For example, if we received a hundred or more nominations for a professor but there was little substance to the nominations, they weren’t as likely to score as highly as the professor that received a dozen in-depth and thoughtful nominations. We also considered any teaching-related awards the professors have won.

For research, we looked at the volume and impact of the professor’s scholarly work. To do this we examined Google Citation numbers as well as major media attention received by the professor and his or her research work. Lastly, akin to teaching, we considered research awards and grants the professors have received.

Jun Li and Andrew Wu, both professors at Ross School of Business were married in 2014. They met in their PhD programs at The Wharton School. Courtesy photo

ABOUT THAT ‘BEST CO-AUTHOR EVER’

Together, Li and Wu have published four papers. Now that their kids are starting school, they expect that number to pick up.

Their first paper on companies adopting ESG and its impact on society took just one month – from ideation, to finishing the paper, to sending it off to the journal. They talked about it on the way to work, at work, and they talked about it on the way home. They didn’t have to wait for email replies or meeting schedules because the other was typically right there or in the next room.

“I have no other project ever beat that,” Li says.

Both Li and Wu say they have found a home at Ross. A place where they are supported, have inspirational mentors, and teach highly impressive students. Both just recently received tenure.

“Ross is a school of explorers, innovators, and risk takers – both faculty and students,” Wu says.

Students are out there building companies and raising tens of millions of dollars. Engineers and other disciplines are teaming up with Ross students to build out their inventions. When Wu wanted to start a new FinTech program upon joining Ross back in 2016 – before Bitcoin was a thing – the school said go for it. Ross was one of the first B-schools to offer FinTech on a large scale.

“And now we’re doing the same thing for generative AI,” Wu says. “I said, we’ve got to integrate this thing into our business education; it’s going to be tremendously transformative.

“I think both of us are now engaged with building out the next chapter of integrating generative AI into the classroom and also in research.”

NEXT PAGE: The entire roster of P&Q’s 2024 40-Under-40 Best MBA Professors

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.

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