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Tips for writing a good MBA Goals Essay

The goals essay is an integral part of business school applications. Most schools in some form have a goals essay as part of their application. While majority of schools might have a direct question on your short or longer term schools, others might seek an answer through questions like Why MBA or Why you are applying to the particular school. The focus of the goal essays might range from your post MBA plans to a 5 year short term goal to a 10 year long term intention. The goals essay predominantly requires details of your professional choices and objectives. Like every other essay, here too, the most important aspect is to answer the question credibly, convincingly and completely.

Every goals essay has two main parts - 1) the aim itself 2) the way to achieve it. Hence supporting the realization of the goal with relevant details is as important as the specifics of the goal itself. Aiming to establish a township in Mars is fine as long as you have the roadmap to accomplish it. The school is an important part of the goals essay. While some schools might explicitly ask for the role of the school in achieving your goal or your interest in the school, others might have questions as simple and short as "what are your career goals". Asked directly or not, when the main reason for applying to the school is to take you closer to your goal, how can the school not be mentioned in a goals essay.

Write your goals clearly... Include as much detail as possible about your goal. Though it is comprehendible that the program and other factors during the course of the coming years could influence your career decisions, it is required to provide specific details as regards to function, industry, geography and the kind of role you would want to take up. The goal can be a continuation of your career and might advance in the same field. May be you intend to pursue your career in a new sphere; state your reasons for the choice and how you intend to achieve it. Be it career enhancement or career transition, state it clearly and credibly. 

Try to cover the motivation part: How did you arrive at this goal? What is the motivation behind it? What in the past led you to this decision? What incident or personalities influenced you to make this choice? What are your reasons for following this choice? Include as much details and specifics as possible. Answer them credibly and convincingly.

State reasons for your choice of university/school credibly... Program: Why MBA and not something else? How will this MBA help you achieve your goals. How is this MBA an extension of your past and a connection to the future? What is the significance of this program in your career/life?

University/College: Why are you applying to this college? What features of this program have attracted your application? The institution knows enough and more about itself than you can tell them, so why this question. This is is to enable them to understand your genuine interest in them. Extensive research of the institution through internet and interactions with alumni/current students/faculty would give you all the required information; though difficult, it is not impossible. Try to find about the program structure, specific subjects that could benefit you, details of distinguished faculty and others who are currently or previously been engaged in research or publications on field of your interest, the college's contribution in your chosen area, student activities and clubs with which you share interest and advantages of the geography of the college.

The above goals essay tips would be useful in tackling the following goals questions from these business schools.

AGSM MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. What are your professional goals? How will an MBA/GDM/GCCM from AGSM MBA Programs help you? (approx. 250 words)

Babson MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Please describe in detail your short-term (immediately after graduation from Babson) and long-term career plans, detailing in which industry you would like to work, which function or role would you ideally hold, and how do you intend to secure that position? If your plans entail a career transition, what challenges do you anticipate facing in securing your ideal position, and how will you address those challenges? Your answer should show how your past professional experiences, background, and interests combined with a Babson graduate degree will position you for success in attaining these goals.

Berkeley Haas MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 6. a) What are your post-MBA short-term and long-term career goals? How have your professional experiences prepared you to achieve these goals? b) How will an MBA from Haas help you achieve these goals? (1000 word maximum for 6a and 6b)

Boston Carroll MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Please discuss how you plan to achieve your short and long term career goals. What challenges might you face in achieving these goals and how will you address those challenges? Your answer should cite the pertinent aspects of your professional and academic experience, personal interests, and how the Carroll School MBA will assist you in reaching your professional goals. (1-2 pages)

Cambridge Judge MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 3. What are your short and long term career objectives? What skills/characteristics do you already have that will help you to achieve them? What do you hope to gain from the degree and how do you feel it will help you achieve the career objectives you have? (500 words)

CEIBS MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Why are you seeking to pursue your MBA programme now in relation to your short and long-term career goals? Explain how an MBA from CEIBS will contribute to these goals. (500 words)

Chicago Booth MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1: What are your short- and long-term goals, and how will a Chicago Booth MBA help you reach them? (600 words)

CMU Tepper MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay A. What are your short-term and long-term goals? How will a Tepper MBA help you to achieve these goals. (Please include any information regarding what steps you have taken to learn more about Tepper.)

Columbia MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays.

Short Answer Question: What is your post-MBA professional goal? (200 characters maximum)
Essay 1. Considering your post-MBA and long term professional goals, why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your career? Additionally, why is Columbia Business School a good fit for you? (750 words maximum)

Cornell Johnson MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. What career do you plan to pursue upon completion of an MBA degree and why?
We are obviously looking at your career pathing and focus. The adcom wants to see that you have done your due diligence on your career trajectory and what is it about b-school (hint: why Johnson) is the right fit and time in your life.

Cranfield MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Please outline your career objectives and how the MBA will help you to achieve them. The recommended length for each answer is 200 - 400 words.

Duke Fuqua MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays
Essay 1. Describe your vision for your career and your inspiration for pursuing this career path.
Essay 3. Why Duke? (If you are interested in a specific concentration, joint degree, clubs or activities, please discuss how you would contribute to these in this essay.)

Emory Goizueta MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Complete each of the following questions. Please limit your response to 150 words each.
Why have you decided to pursue an MBA at this time? What are your short term post MBA goals? What are your long term professional aspirations?

Erasmus RSM MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. How do you see your career developing and how will earning the RSM Erasmus University MBA help you achieve your goals? (Please respond fully but concisely to this question, ensuring it does NOT exceed 500 words.)

ESADE Spain MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 3. What are your motivations in pursuing a full-time MBA at this point in your life? Describe your mid-term and long-term visions for your post-MBA career path. What is it about ESADE you think will help you reach your goals?

Georgetown McDonough MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays

Essay 1. State your short-term career goal immediately following graduation from the Georgetown MBA program. What skills have you developed on which you will
build? What skills will you need to develop?
Essay 2. State your long-term career goal. How does the position you describe in Essay One serve as a building block for your long-term career goal?

Harvard MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 3. Why do you want an MBA? (400 words)

HEC Paris MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Why are you applying to the HEC MBA Program now? What is the professional objective that will guide your career choice after your MBA, and how will the HEC MBA contribute to the achievement of this objective? (500 words)

HKUST MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays
Essay 1. Please tell us the motivations to pursue an MBA program, and why is now the best timing to do one. (~200 words)
Essay 2. Please elaborate on your career goals. How will your academic training, professional experience coupled with an MBA education at HKUST help you
achieve your goals? (~200 words)

IESE Navarra Spain MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays.
Essay 1. Please describe your short term professional goals (post MBA). (200 words)
Essay 2. Please describe your long term professional goals (post MBA). (200 words)

Imperial MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays.

1. Please outline your current thoughts on your future career goals. How have you arrived at these goals? How does your previous education and experience equip you to achieve them? (700 words)

2. How will the Imperial MBA contribute to the achievement of these goals? (200 words)

3. In what way, other than the content of the Programme itself, will the Imperial MBA be of value? (200 words)

Indiana Kelley MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Please discuss your post-MBA short- and long-term professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals?

INSEAD MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 4: a) Discuss your short and long term career goals. (300 words maximum) and b) How will studying at INSEAD help you achieve your vision? (250 words maximum)

ISB PGP 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2: Where do you see yourself three years after you graduate from the ISB? (300 words max)

LBS MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays
Essay 1: (500 words) Please discuss your career progress to date and explain why now is the right time to undertake an MBA at London Business School?
Essay 2: (300 words) Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision?

Manchester MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 4. What will your post MBA career look like, in 5 years, in 10 years? Which aspects of your previous roles will form the building blocks of your new career and how you will develop the additional skills to shape your ideal role? (250-400 words)

Melbourne MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. What are your long term career goals?
Please give careful thought to your personal statements. As a guide, your response to each question should be between 100 and 300 words long

Michigan Ross MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2. Describe your career goals. How will an MBA from Ross help you to achieve those goals? What is your vision for how you can make a unique contribution to the Ross community? (500 word maximum)

Minnesota Carlson MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay. Personal Statement. Briefly describe your short-term and long-term career goals. Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA at this time in your career, and what are you hoping to accomplish by doing so? Why are you interested in pursuing an MBA at the Carlson School of Management?

Northwestern Kellogg MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1: Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing an MBA. (600 word limit)

Notre-Dame Mendoza MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay I. What are your career plans immediately after graduation? Explain how your past experiences have prepared you for your desired position. What are your long-term career aspirations?

NYU Stern MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1: Professional Aspirations: (750 word maximum, double-spaced, 12-point font). Think about the decisions you have made in your life. Answer the following:
a. What choices have you made that led you to your current position?
b. Why pursue an MBA at this point in your life?
c. What is your career goal upon graduation from the NYU Stern? What is your long-term career goal?

Ohio Fisher MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Shaping Your Vision. Every year Fisher College’s MBA program admits a select group of talented professionals with demonstrated potential to become successful business leaders in an increasingly competitive, global environment. Why do you want to earn an MBA degree in general and a Fisher College MBA in particular? How will Fisher specifically assist you in achieving your individual potential? As a part of your response, include a brief summary of your professional accomplishments to date. If you have not held a full-time job or are still in college, let us know about your leadership accomplishments in a school, internship, or extracurricular context. Maximum words: 750

Ontario Ivey MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay. Required Essay (1 of 3). Career Goals: How will the Ivey MBA Program help you to achieve your short-term career goals? (250 words)

Oxford Said MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Explain why you chose your current job. How do you hope to see your career developing over the next five years? How will an MBA assist you in the development of these ambitions? (mum 750 words)

Queens MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays
Essay 1: Please explain why you chose to include the Queen's MBA program as one of your choices for Business School. Please include what you expect to gain from your Queen's experience. (Not to exceed 500 words)
Essay 3: We would like to understand your short and long-term career goals. Please describe where you see yourself in 5 years and 10 years time and identify how you see the Queen's MBA program assisting in these goals. (Not to exceed 500 words)

Rice Jones MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay. Describe your short-term and long-term career goals, and how the MBA will help you achieve those goals. Include in your discussion: Why is now the appropriate time to pursue an MBA, and why are you interested in obtaining a Rice MBA? (Maximum 750 words)

Rochester Simon MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay (Required). Describe your post-MBA or post-MS career plans. How does your past education and experience support your career objectives? What aspects of the Simon School program make it a good choice for your graduate study? (500 word maximum)

Stanford GSB MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2: What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?
Guidelines: Use this essay to explain your view of your future, not to repeat accomplishments from your past. You should address three distinct topics: your career aspirations, the role of an MBA education in achieving those aspirations and your rationale for earning that MBA at Stanford, in particular. The best examples of Essay 2 express your passions or focused interests; explain why you have decided to pursue graduate education in management; and demonstrate your desire to take advantage of the opportunities that are distinctive to the Stanford MBA Program.

Toronto Rotman MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Discuss your personal and professional development over the past five years and describe how these changes have led you to choose to do your MBA at this time. What are your career goals and how will a Rotman MBA help you to achieve them? (Please limit your answer to 500 words)

Tuck Dartmouth MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Why is an MBA a critical next step toward your short- and long-term career goals? Why is Tuck the best MBA program for you? (If you are applying for a joint or dual degree, please explain how the additional degree will contribute to those goals.)

UCLA Anderson MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2. Describe your short-term and long-term career goals. What is your motivation for pursuing an MBA now and how will UCLA Anderson help you to achieve your goals? (750 words)

UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2: Please describe your short and long term goals post-MBA. Explain how: your professional experience has shaped these goals; why this career option appeals to you; and how you arrived at the decision that now is the time and the MBA is the appropriate degree. (500 words maximum)

USC Marshall MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. What are your short-term and long-term post-MBA goals? How will USC Marshall help you achieve these goals? (750 words) If interested in a dual-degree program, please address in this essay.

UT McCombs MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Describe how your professional and personal experiences have led you to pursue an MBA at this time. Please share with us your short and long term goals and why the Texas MBA at McCombs is the program best positioned to help you achieve them. Limit: 900 words

Villanova MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2. Please discuss how this degree will impact your short and long-term career plans.

Warwick MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 2. Please explain your principal reasons for wishing to join the Warwick MBA. Describe your career aspirations, the contribution you will make to the programme and, if you will be sponsored, the value you will add to your sponsoring organisation. (Please limit your answer to 500 words.)

Washington Olin MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay. Statement of Purpose (required): (500 – 1,000 words)
Essay Please provide a statement of purpose that describes your decision to pursue the Olin MBA or specialized master's degree for which you are applying for.
Your response should include a thoughtful presentation of the personal and professional experiences that have led to your decision to pursue graduate management education. It should also provide an identification of your specific short- and long-term career objectives, an explanation of your decision to pursue this degree at this point in your life, a description of your specific interest in the Olin Business School, and any other information that would help inform the Admissions Committee of your qualifications for our program.

Wharton MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay. Required Question: What are your professional objectives? (300 words)

Yale SOM MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essays
1. What are your professional goals immediately after you receive your MBA?
2. What are your long-term career aspirations?
3. Why are you choosing to pursue an MBA? (If you plan to use your Yale MBA to make a significant change in the nature of your career, please tell us what you have done to prepare for this transition.)

York Schulich MBA 2011-2012 Goals Essay 1. Why is the master’s program a critical next step toward your short-and long-term career goals? (500 words)

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