MBA申请系列范文选(Essay,R/L...)

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ZT from tol24.com

Essay01
What arguments would you use to demonstrate your ability to perform well in the MBA program?

I am a fast learner. A student of the Mainland University, I was not trained in business. But when I wanted to do business, I quickly learned the art of identifying a niche market and developing a strategy to seize it. I did not have much knowledge of computer science when I went into the computer software business, but I made myself something of a computer expert so fast that I was soon able to come up with the principal ideas for the development of software systems. These systems catered to a very specific market.

I am an experienced businessman. I have set up and run my own company, which has been very successful. In this experience, I have many success stories that I can be proud of. There are also lessons that I have learned very well. I am prepared to share these experiences with my classmates. I am sure that the lectures and textbooks will make more sense to someone who can measure them against his personal business experience, particularly if that experience has been significant.

I am a good communicator. I talk smoothly in any situation, particularly in small group settings. These skills have enabled me to keep together a diverse group of people working for my company. I am sure that such skills will help me in my communications with both the faculty and fellow students.

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Essay02
Please share any information you think would be important in the evaluation of your application.

In applying for acceptance into the MBA program, I have been banking on my rich experience as a particular strength. To my mind, MBA courses teach advanced science of management that students without practical experience cannot possibly comprehend in full. I therefore think that each applicant should have not only a solid academic background, but also a rich and proud working experience, preferably in management positions with a famous company.

For undergraduate studies, I went to a university that belonged to the Chinese military. That gave me quite some difficulties after my graduation, when I tried to get a civilian job. But I toughed this ordeal out by undertaking arduous part-time studies for a second degree. For each job I obtained thereafter, I got it through excellent performance in the entrance exam or interview, and for each position I have taken, I outshone my colleagues in performance. I am absolutely confident of my basic abilities and my resoluteness in pursuing career successes.

Another thing I wish to emphasize is my language skills. I enjoy an excellent command of the English language that I have acquired through years of learning and using it. I am sure that my fluency in both conversational and written English will facilitate my studies in the MBA program as well as my future career when I try to establish myself in the management consulting business.

What's more, I have a large circle of friends working in a variety of fields in China. Some of them have been my friends since my childhood, while others got acquainted with me through business transactions. Quite a lot of these friends are working in management positions, some with famous multinational conglomerates. It is a great pleasure for us to sit together and exchange our ideas at our leisure time. From their interesting stories about the success and failure of the Chinese or foreign enterprises, I learnt invaluable experiences as well as painful and expensive lessons. This is probably the best preparatory lesson I can get before taking my MBA courses. And these friends will certainly be the biggest help to me in the business world of the coming century.

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Essay03
Please describe an ethical issue that you have faced, how you dealt with the situation and what the outcome was.

In October 1996, I faced a situation in which I was not sure whether I could be completely honest with my employer about my intention to pursue an MBA abroad. In the end, After careful consideration, I decided that I had to be completely truthful no matter what. It turned out, as it usually does, that honesty worked best in enhancing my best interests.

One day in that October, my department manager summoned me into her office. After lavishing praise on my performance, she told me that I would be promoted to the position of a group manager. Before I digested the news, she asked me to sign an agreement by which I would commit myself to three years of employment with the company in exchange for the opportunity to undertake an intensive management training program in Helsinki, where the company is headquartered.

The development took me by surprise, as I had planned to quit for MBA studies abroad, which would certainly catalyze my career even higher. For that purpose, I had taken the TOEFL and was scheduled to take the GMAT the next March. My plan then was to start my MBA studies in the Fall of 1998. If I took the company's offer of training and promotion, I would have to either put off my planned MBA studies or run the risk of breaching the employment contract with my company Kornia. At the time it was hard to gauge the risk since I had not applied for acceptance into any MBA program yet, and did not know whether I would get accepted into a quality MBA program. But I really wanted to commence the MBA studies as soon as possible.

Naturally, I would like to take advantage of the opportunities on both fronts, if at all possible. As the breach of an employment contract routinely goes with impunity in China, the temptation was there for me to sign the employment agreement with Kornia and wait and see my chance of MBA studies. In any case, the prospect of my MBA studies was still uncertain, and I was not sure whether I should jeopardize my immediate chance of promotion and training by informing my current employer of such an uncertain prospect.

Back to home that day, I carefully thought the matter over. Although I felt that I could take the chance of accepting Kornia's offer while waiting to see my prospect of MBA studies, I felt that I should not arrange things in a way that would suit only my purposes. I should put my employer on notice of my plan to pursue MBA studies so that my bosses could be prepared for my departure or absence. And I felt that it would be unconscionable for me to break a promise once I make it. In spite of the risk that my chance of immediate promotion and training would be spoiled, I should tell my employer of all the circumstances so that they could make an informed decision on my future in the company.

Having straightened up my thinking, I went to see my department manger two days later. After expressing my desire to assume more responsibility and participate in the proposed training, I told her my personal plan, and asked her to make her decision in view of the potential conflict between that plan and the company's offer. As much as I wanted to advance my career, I also wanted to be fair with the company. It was a lengthy conversation. For the most part, my manager just listened. Job-hopping was then so common for quality managerial people in China that many employers had got used to surprises. My department manager was also surprised, but in a way that was apparently very pleasant to her. She was struck by my honesty.

When I finished talking, she seemed very moved. "Thank you for your trusting me so much," she said. "I understand your intention to develop yourself, and I believe there may be a way to bridge your personal plan with that of the company." Since it was still two years before my MBA studies would start, she still hoped that I would participate in that training and take the offer of promotion. As the agreement was part of human resources policy, she had to discuss the matter with the HR manager. "I would work something out for you," she said.

I felt very relieved after the conversation. After all, I did the right thing, and it would not impact on my career negatively. One week later, my manager told me that the HR manager agreed to take my case as an exemption and put an appendix to the standard agreement. According to the added provision, I would be granted unpaid leave of absence for studies for my MBA studies once I obtained an offer of acceptance. If I came back to Kornia Group after gaining an MBA degree, my absent years would be counted as part of my seniority in the company. This result was totally unexpected, but it proved that, with honesty, one could find a simple solution to a very complex problem.

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Essay04
Describe an ethical dilemma that you have encountered in professional, academic or personal experience. How did you handle it and what is the outcome? (limit 500 words)

An ethical dilemma befell me in 1994, when I was working for the China Textiles Resources. At the time, I had a long-term contract with a famous domestic beverage producer to supply it with a kind of antiseptic agent called sodium benzoate (S.B.). The contract was signed after I had wooed the beverage producer for a year. The contract would bring my company quite significant profit each year.

By chance, I got to know a trader of potassium sorbate (P.S.), a new kind of antiseptics, and I quickly learned the advantages of the potassium sorbate over the sodium benzoate. When the S.B. decomposes, it produces a kind of Benzoate salt that is harmful to people, while the P.S. decomposes into water and carbon dioxide that are of no harm to human beings.

So I had to confront a dilemma. I would like to recommend the new antiseptics to my client, which would not only reduce their cost but also help the environment. But if I did, I would lose the deal with the client. As the above-mentioned trader was the sole agent of P.S., it would be impossible for me to provide the client with the new antiseptic in place of the old one. But I had to consider that the P.S. would help the producer make better products, products that would not contain the potentially cancer-causing agent that S.B. would discharge.

After several days of agonizing, I decided in the end to advise my client for a change of the antiseptic. I believed that people's health should come before profits. I also figured that, to do viable business, I should take care of my client's long-term interests. It would be better to build up my reputation rather than make quick money.

As expected, I did lose the S.B. deal with my client but they really appreciated my good will in trying to improve their products. I was proud of myself for doing the right thing. After they got to know the sacrifices I made, they appreciated me even more. In the next season, they made me another deal, which brought me better profits than the one before. The moral of this episode is that, in business as elsewhere, doing the right thing brings its reward, particularly when the right thing helps reinforce one's good reputation.

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Essay05
The Darden School seeks a diverse and unique entering class of future managers. How will your distinctiveness enrich our learning environment and enhance your prospects for success as a manager?

If accepted, I will be joining the Darden School as a developing nation's citizen who has played something of a leadership role with one of the world's premier corporations. As such, I will bring with me the experience of a business manager who has successfully marketed hi-tech products in a country that values its traditions and ancient culture.

Having spearheaded MIB's marketing drive in China, I am acquainted with the most advanced marketing techniques, which in turn deepened my understanding of the business environment and customer needs in this vast emerging market. As the country embraces the concept of market economics, its economy is increasingly integrated into the international economic system, generating an urgent need for business managers who know how to bridge the enormous gaps between the traditional culture, the developing nations' need for economic protection, and the international business competition. In the era of reforms and opening-up, crop upon crop of Chinese young people have "plunged into the sea" to do business. While making a career for themselves, they have learned to abide the rules of international business and how to survive and beat the ever intensifying international competition. As a member of the country's embryonic business elite, I have, in the capacity of MIB China's Channel manager, met head on with the challenges of operating an international business in China, which houses both the world's oldest surviving civilization and its fastest growing major economy. In the process, I have learned much about the importance of modern management and marketing as well as the strength of my culture and my people.

I will come over to Darden equipped not only with positive attitudes towards diversity and confidence in cross-cultural exchange but also detailed knowledge and profound insights on how to apply established international business practices to a fast changing market. I look forward to sharing my experience with the professors and students at Darden, just as I look forward to learning from their experiences and opinions. All this will be accomplished, I am sure, in the case studies and group projects on which Darden apparently places firm emphasis. Given my experience, I will probably be much more able to appreciate the different backgrounds and experiences that people bring together.

I have been tested by the most competitive PC market in the world, a market that I now know inside and out. I know the strategies of PC makers in this market. With a bachelor's degree in computer science and five years of experience of marketing PCs, I have been exposed to virtually every aspect of the PC industry, such the R&D, pricing, marketing and promotion, but particularly channel managing. I am especially well versed in coordinating and managing second-tier dealers. MIB's agents under my supervision include companies from all over the world, American, Indian, Japanese as well as local Chinese, with sizes ranging from fifty to thousands of employees. I have been able to understand the needs of each and every dealer, and to align the interests of diverse parties with that of MIB's. With that, I have contributed significantly to increasing MIB China's revenue by thirty times in four years. This has elevated MIB to the top PC maker's seat in China in terms of market share. I have thrived on the challenges of motivating and organizing diverse interests for a common goal. I am convinced that such experiences can enrich Darden's diversity and enhance its distinctiveness.

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Essay06
Describe a significant leadership experience, decision-making challenge, or managerial accomplishment. How did this experience affect your professional/personal development?


I led a sales campaign in the heart of China's computer industry that ultimately gave MIB the biggest share of the country's PC market.

Home to most prestigious universities and scientific research institutes in China, Beijing's Zhong Guan Cun (ZGC) area boasts the fame of China's Silicon Valley, serving as a trail-blazer both in product development and marketing. As the most important distribution center of I/T products in China, the ZGC market takes up almost a third of the country's PC business and therefore has a significant impact on the national market. Most PC vendors attach strategic importance to this place. It was here that I fought and won a most memorable battle, which I have come to regard as a milestone in my career.

MIB's PC share in China was second to that of Compaq in the first half of 1996. Not satisfied with that status, the company decided to launch a sales campaign in ZGC. I was chosen to head a task force, made up of managers responsible for distribution, retail and marketing, charged to win back the hearts of major second-tier dealers and increase the company's market share in ZGC by 25%.

We identified fifty dealers who distributed our competitors' PC products and persuaded them to participate in the MIB ZGC program. We also chose three prominent sites in ZGC and set up MIB PC billboards there. To switch a dealer's long-standing allegiance from someone else to oneself is much harder than recruiting one's own new dealers. After tough negotiations, we convinced 25 dealers to act as authorized dealerships for MIB distributors.

Next came the massive advertising I designed. This was to swamp our competitors with our ubiquitous and colorful presence. We had all of our new dealers' shops painted blue. Using mass media of every kind in Beijing, we bombarded the public with slogan: "ZGC: Blue Street".

All was not smooth, though, as the task force was made of people from different functions who could not be readily integrated into a coherent scheme. These people barely knew each other at first, and half of them were new recruits. I quickly laid down the rules: the whole task force should meet every morning and all members should report his or her accomplishment and immediate plans. I also encouraged my associates to offer their input even on matters that they were not directly responsible for. Meanwhile, I made sure that all associates took turns to work with me so that I was able to monitor the progress and solve problems on spot. The result was rewarding. We all felt that we had teamed up in an exciting encouraging effort.

Another challenge was that some major players in the second-tier dealership we thought we converted had backtracked. They were uncertain if selling MIB only would be as profitable as before. They doubted if they had bargained enough when we approached them individually. So they banded together and tried to re-negotiate the terms. I talked with them twice and no agreement could be reached. Then I decided to try a new strategy. I paid a visit to each of the three largest dealers and offered them concessions that I was not able to offer them all at once. The coalition of dissenters was thus crushed and the campaign went on.

The campaign paid off quickly. In three months, amidst the blue sea of signs and billboards and deafening slogans, both the dealers and MIB China both saw that their revenues in ZGC shot up an impressive 35 per cent.

In China's PC market, a winner in ZGC wins all. By the end of 1996, MIB grabbed the top seat in PC market share in China and the campaign I led has come down as the watershed of MIB's expansion in China.

My company's growth has led to my own elevation on the corporate ladder. I received an achievement award from General Manager of PCG in recognition of my leadership ability. Three months later, I was formally promoted to the position of a supervisor with responsibility to lead the entire channel management team at MIB China.

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Essay07
Describe a failure and how you dealt with it. (Discuss a non-academic personal failure. In what way were you disappointed in yourself? What did you learn from the experience? (Limit 500 words) Columbia)

PCG of MIB China lost US $400,000 on low-end PCs in a two-month period in early 1998, partly due to my erroneous forecasts. The mishap cost MIB a bundle, but I drew lessons from the failure and consequently saved the company from another potentially catastrophic price war.

1997 was a good year for MIB China as its share of China's PC market increased by 30%. It was also a good year for me personally. I won recognition, honor, new-found confidence as well as monetary reward. Unfortunately there was a downside to the success. I got carried away and became over-confident and insensitive. In my capacity as the chief of channel management, I was supposed to submit bi-monthly forecast to the product department, who would then order products from world-wide plants according to my estimates.

I failed to foresee the effect of dramatic changes in the PC market. Taking advantage of the fallen price of components and newly acquired technology and marketing know-how, local Chinese PC vendors began to compete with foreign vendors with unprecedented vigor, especially in low-end PC market. This caught us off guard. The government downsizing, which caused the demise of a third of the ministries, only made things worse, as many large accounts were eliminated.

My forecast of low-end PC sales for April was 25% higher than the actual demand.

It was this debacle that made me understand that a senior business manager should never be content with and confined with management skills and business savvy per se. He or she should have a broader vision over the macro business environment. In other words, he should be keenly aware of events beyond his control and be prepared for their effect on his line of business. Businessmen are like sailors who navigate ocean vessels. A little bit of caution always serves you well. Perils could be just lurking when you think you are on a Titanic in tranquil waters.

I now pay much more attention to statistical analyses of market changes. Meanwhile, I also watch closely for political and economic events that may pertain to our business. I collect the sales reports from several of my distributors every three days and analyze the demand curves, price trend and the competitor's moves. I have been spending significantly more time communicating with distributors and end users in my efforts to understand their needs and concerns. These efforts have paid off.

With accurate forecasts and forceful persuasion, I recently prevented PCG from engaging in a damaging price war with other major vendors. In May, some major players on China's PC market, including MIB, started a campaign to sell home computers with non-Intel CPUs. On the basis of market research, I sensed that the market was not ready yet for non-Intel CPUs, and such a campaign would be ill-fated. Accordingly, I lowered my forecast to the normal level for June. I was right. Soon, low demand triggered another price war, out of which MIB China emerged unscathed. Consequently, I received another achievement award in recognition of my sound judgment and contribution to the loss prevention. My colleagues jokingly termed this award the Fastest Recovery Award.

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Essay10
Great leaders are capable of learning from their mistakes. Please describe a professional or personal failure you have experienced.

Yes, I did make my blunders in South Africa.

The problem was that I did not think quality was crucial in a market like South Africa's. Acting upon my suggestion, my company once sent in quite some products that were substandard in quality but priced accordingly. I thought that was fair enough, since large numbers of South Africans could probably afford only such products.

But we soon found that we were woefully mistaken. Although poor black South Africans make up the majority of the country's population, 80 to 90 per cent of the country's purchasing power was concentrated into the hands of the privileged white community, in which the demand for quality is as rigid as any other western country. The poor-quality products we had had to be stockpiled for a long time, resulted in considerable losses to the company.

That loss drove home the importance of careful market research, which simply cannot be replaced all with business hunch, no matter how sophisticated one is. I took responsibility for the blunder. I have since attached the utmost importance to quality, and that has not only turned things around quickly but also ensured my company's continuous expansion.

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Essay08
Tell us about the most challenging team experience you've had to date. What role did you play? What factors made it a challenge for you? How did you and the group address these issues? What did you learn? (Limit - 2 pages).


The most challenging team experience I have had is the exploration of Lop Pol, a no-life desert in Northwestern China bordering the former Soviet Union.

This life-forbidden zone once served as China's nuclear test site. It acquired an enhanced aura of mystery in recent years because two well-known people, one a famous geographer and the other a legendary traveler, disappeared there without a trace. It has thus become an attractive site for adventurers. In March 1998, I decided to participate in an expedition organized by the Beijing China Travel Agency.

My family was shocked and grieved when I announced to them my travel plan and told them I was determined. Their response made me feel like a tragic hero who was destined to embark on a dangerous trip. My colleagues and friends were also surprised and came to me to show their concern. I derived great satisfaction from this attention and the feeling of martyrdom.

The expedition team included twenty-one men and seven women. We left Beijing on March 23, 1998 for the City of Urumchi, capital of the northwestern Uygur Autonomous Region. Then we headed for Kurle, a city 480 kilometers away from Urumchi. Driving over snow-covered mountains, we arrived in Kurle late at night. The Loulan Hotel we checked in was where Mr. Yu Cunshun, the dead traveler, enjoyed his farewell dinner before he set off on his trip of no return. The idea of following Mr. Yu's path next day through the Gobi desert made us nervous yet excited.

For the sake of safety, the travel agency took some precautions. Their policy was that each team would be made up of five people, with an elected leader and an assigned professional guide. As I had more travel experience than the others in my team, I was elected as the team leader.

We were then on our way to the no-man zone. The closer we were to the Gobi, the lonelier we felt. As it was getting darker, a profound fear griped us. We stopped and set up a tent and watched the desert sunset in awe. The nature was not only sublime but also relentless and unforgiving. As temperature dropped to below minus 20 degrees centigrade, water froze and the steamed bread we had prepared for ourselves became as hard as rock. It was too cold to fall asleep before we were absolutely exhausted. Finally, we huddled together and dozed off.

The next day, we drove all day to the edge of Lop Pol. Our Jeep then got stuck in the sand. We had been told many times that the loss of a vehicle or a camel in the desert was often the prelude to death. We had no choice but to haul it out. We spent hours digging for the jeep and pulling it out of the sand. By the time we got back our jeep, the sand was blowing so hard that it was almost impossible to breathe.

With the vehicle, we pressed on deep into the desert until there was no hard ground but sand left. We started to walk the following day. With an area of 3,000 square kilometers, Lop Pol was once the fourth largest lake in China. It completely dried up in 1972 and became a desert. We made sure that, in this sea of sand, the team would band together, since the whirling wind could blow up the sand and bury a person up in seconds. To get lost means to die.

That day has come down as the longest day in my life. We mustered all our strength to combat the freezing cold, blowing sand and physical fatigue. As we were held in awe by the brutal force of Lop Pol, a team member was suddenly struck by severe stomachache in the afternoon. All others went to his aid immediately. One person took his luggage. The rest of us took turns to help him walking. We encouraged each other and kept telling jokes in order to endure the fatigue more easily. When we finally arrived at the other side of the desert, we embraced each other, against the traditional Chinese customs, in celebration.

The hardship on the trip did not defeat us. Instead, it helped unite the team, in which everyone felt the warmth and strength of the group. With the feeling of enduring hardship together for a common goal, the satisfaction derived from meeting severe challenges and the exultation from experiencing nature, we have come to see this trip as a milestone in our life.

During and after the journey, I could not help thinking about Yu Cunshun, the traveler who died in Lop Pol. No one knows the exact reasons for his death. Maybe he lost direction and was unable to walk out of the desert, or maybe he was buried by a sand storm. But I believe if he had traveled in a team, he would have got help from his comrades and survived.

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Essay09
Recognizing that everyday is not the same, please describe your typical day in recent months.

As the general manager of my company's South Africa branch, I am responsible for both business development and internal administration.

I get up early everyday and arrive at the office before most other staff members. I first meet leading sales people to listen to their reports on progress. And I then devote myself to marketing the products like other members of the sales team. Most of my time is spent on the phone, on the road or on meetings with customers or potential customers.

I cull my information from the newspapers, trade newsletters as well as the Yellow Pages. When I see a potential customer, I make an immediate phone call to solicit a meeting with him or her. I usually meet customers by appointment. When I go to a meeting, which is usually held at the customer's business place, I always bring my sample products. Once a deal is struck, I take the order and send it to my supplier in China.

Often times, the customer requests either changes to the design or improvement to the quality. I almost always oblige them. This is sometimes difficult because my suppliers may be reluctant for cost and other reasons. I have to convince my suppliers that it is in their interest to cooperate with me. After the changed or improved design is realized, I present the new samples to the customers, who will then usually place orders.

I send people to clear the customs and help the customers take delivery of the shipments. In case delivery is made to my company, I then arrange for the goods to be sent to the customer.

Depending on the day, I may have to spend long hours meeting my staff to give them instructions. Sometimes, I have to meet lawyers, accounts and other professionals. I also have to deal with the authorities for tax and other purposes.