LBS Essay 1
In what role do you see yourself working immediately after graduation? Why? How will your past and present experiences help you achieve this? How will the London Business School MBA Programme contribute to this goal? Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA? (600 words)
LBS Essay 1 Tips
This is a goals essay with a slight deviation from the norm. This LBS application question is one of the few Business School essays that sharply zoom into your immediate post MBA job. LBS clearly wants a logical career progression that connects your past, present and future with the LBS MBA. Please review the second LBS essay before writing this essay because some of the motivation and the goals story might be more appropriate there than in this first essay.
Focus on your short term professional plans with a vengeance because LBS wants to test the credibility, practicality and achievability of your dreams and its (and your) fit with LBS. Having a clear goal in terms of job profiles and also companies that would be to your advantage. In fact it is preferable that you be specific, so that you can construct a multi-point argument that leaves no loose ends. Some background on how you have selected this job/function/company/industry and why it is important to you will help.
In addition to telling LBS why you want the job, you also need to answer "why LBS" in the essay. List all the reasons why you want to learn at LBS and how it will further your chances for your post-LBS dream job. Ensure that the essay provides logical and well-supported reasons to this question. This is the time where your extensive research for your Business School short-listing process comes in really handy.
"Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA?" is an add-on this year - and seeks to know why NOW rather than later (or earlier) is the ideal time for your LBS education.
LBS Essay 2
Where do you see your career progressing five years after graduation and what is your longer term career vision? (200 words)
LBS Essay 2 Tips
This essay is a natural companion to Essay One, but is separated since LBS wants to highlight the individual importance of your long term goal and short term goal; perhaps LBS is a little tired of fuzzy answers for one or the other or both!
From your perspective it would be useful to think about these essays together and then separate the points for each essays, before you put pen to paper. There should be professional and personal reasons that link your long-term goals with your short-term goals, past experience and LBS.
LBS Essay 3
Please describe your experience of working in and leading teams, either in your professional or personal life. Include any specific challenges you have faced. Given this experience, what role do you think you will play in your first year study group? (500 words)
LBS Essay 3 Tips
I am certain that you have several leadership and team accomplishments in your roster - personal, professional and academic. The choice of experiences for writing this LBS essay should be based on the general importance of the experiences - to your team, in your development as a team player and a leader, and as a correlation between your skills and the LBS study group. Though accomplishments have not been directly asked for, it stands to reason that you will not be cataloging your failures in team situations! Good, succinct, unique, true stories will make their day - give it to them. "Include any specific challenges you have faced" is appended this year; so explicitly detail the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.
Before answering the second part, building some knowledge about LBS study groups would be in order. Do not try to wing it. Get information from the website and other sources (alumni). As usual keep in mind that this essay is part of a bigger package and write accordingly. For example, the very next essay again seeks your ideas about contributing to yet another facet of the LBS program - student club or campus community events. Like in the earlier couple of LBS essays keep the other essays in mind while writing each of them.
LBS Essay 4
Student involvement is an extremely important part of the London MBA experience and this is reflected in the character of students on campus. What type of student club or campus community events will you be involved with and why? How will you contribute? (400 words)
LBS Essay 4 Tips
I had really liked the old 2006-2007 LBS essay question which asked you to "initiate" an event or club; I liked the 2007-2008 too which asked "What type of student club or campus community event do you envisage yourself leading?".
This year the essay prompt is less challenging - and only demands that you describe club/events you will be "involved" with. However you do not have top set your sights too low. After researching student clubs, events, campus community activities and student life in general at LBS, and then choosing the appropriate activity that dovetails with your tastes and aptitude, perhaps you can still take that leap towards leadership and innovation. Instead of simply detailing activities you might be part of why not use the essay to additionally demonstrate your leadership skills and potential.
LBS Essay 5
Describe any significant experiences outside of your home country. What did you gain from these? (150 words)
LBS Essay 5 Tips
LBS is proud of the "highly international nature" of its programme and is supposed to be "suitable for people who want international mobility". So it stands to reason that as an LBS applicant you are expected to have a global outlook.
Your outlook and maturity in cross-cultural interactions and your experiences thereof would form the core of this LBS MBA application essay. It allows you to expound on all your international experiences - professional and personal.
The only problem is - what if you have never crossed the borders of your country? Will an unstamped passport mean that you cannot apply to LBS? But LBS shows no sign of scrapping the question - so we can only do the best with what we have.
LBS Optional Essay
Is there any other information that you believe would help the MBA Admissions Committee when considering your application? (300 words)
LBS Optional Essay Tips
As usual an optional essay requires effort even if you don’t write it. The main question in any optional essay is to decide whether you need to write it at all. Attempt the LBS optional essay only if you feel that it will improve the factual and material strength of your application.
Do not submit your LBS optional essay as an addendum to any of your essays. Do not submit your optional essay because you feel that the quality of your earlier essays is improvable – if that is the case, simply redouble your efforts in those LBS application essays and leave the optional essay alone.
Use the LBS optional essay to explain shortfalls in your application which you feel are truly detrimental to your candidature. Areas of underperformance (academic or professional or GMAT) or events which stick out (gaps in your resumes or second MBA) can be commented on if you have an explanation that is intelligent, interesting and credible.
One other situation when the LBS optional essay is acceptable is when you need to convey an extraordinarily positive information that CANNOT be accommodated in the other LBS essays ?a VERY strong reason that promotes your LBS admit that absolutely requires another essay.
In case you find any of the above applicable, note down the options and then consider again if the optional essay is a robust constructive addition to your candidacy. If yes, start working on the LBS optional essay.
LBS Reapplicant Essay
How has your candidacy for the London Business School MBA improved since your last application? (300 words)
LBS Reapplicant Essay Tips
Use these 300 words to convince the LBS Admissions Committee that there have been enough changes in your profile to justify a revaluation of your candidature.
Your aim will be to present the professional, academic, community and personal improvements that make you a stronger candidate for an LBS admission this year. State compelling reasons why you deserve a second chance. What steps have you taken to strengthen your LBS application? Stronger work experience, professional achievements, better GMAT, personal achievements, accomplishments on the social front, international exposure or academic accomplishments can all find place in the LBS reapplicant essay. Proactive LBS-specific steps taken by you, perhaps based on direct or indirect feedback from LBS, might prove a trump card.
| 
