Before you even think about writing your essays, you should take time for serious self-reflection by focusing on your strengths, weaknesses, and aspirations.
Also, reflect on the career you'd like to create for yourself after the MBA and how you could realistically achieve such goals.

Sample MBA Application Essay

Essay 1:

Discuss the factors that influenced your career decisions to date. Also discuss your career plans and why you want to obtain an MBA.

Early in my childhood, the Internet became more than just a luxury--it became a necessity. My father moved from Singapore to Indonesia to start a textile company when I was four years old, leaving me alone with my mother. To alleviate the pressures of separation, I developed the computer skills needed for electronic communication and was able to remain in close contact with my father. This experience solidified my interest in information technology and exposed me to the enormous potential of this developing field.

In the summer of 1992, I exploited my knowledge of IT to help those in my community. I volunteered at a local library, helping people with computer and Internet-related questions. Also at that time, my father's business had launched many technological changes that led to the automation of its production line. These improvements had saved his company from bankruptcy. Visiting him and seeing how the new system had increased his profits heightened my interest in IT. I now live in Canada, where computers continue to play a large role in my daily affairs. I use electronic mail and Internet chats to communicate with both parents, and have chosen management information systems as my course of study. Information technology fascinates me not only because it makes companies more competitive, but also because it can bridge great distances to bring people together. I have much respect for and interest in the IT industry.

Personal satisfaction also plays a key role in my career decision. While monetary rewards are of practical importance, true job satisfaction springs from the opportunity to grow and learn within an industry. I enjoy acquiring new skills and information, which help me to adapt to the fast-changing world, as well as pique my interest in innovation. In addition, a career with open prospects would give me constant incentive to improve myself and to gain more knowledge. I currently volunteer for an on-campus organization, Job Web, in which I am responsible for posting employment opportunities on the World Wide Web, answering questions and preparing informative handouts. This position has broadened my computing abilities and has improved my interpersonal skills, which are crucial to any business endeavor. I enjoy the sense of productivity and usefulness I gain from the work, and feel it is a valuable experience for future employment.

Given the confluence of my personal and professional interests, my goal is to obtain a master's degree and then to work in an IT-related industry, either with a consulting firm or as a systems analyst with a financial institution. In addition to this, I plan to use my private time to attend computer programming courses in order to maintain a competitive knowledge of technology. When I have gathered enough experience and skills, I plan to launch a consulting company of my own.

Attending a Master's of Science program will smooth the path to these goals. Such a program will deepen my expertise and broaden my perspectives. Moreover, the MIS option will help me to hone my skills in IT areas that I have not yet encountered. As I have attended the University of Toronto for four years, I am familiar with and have confidence in the faculty professors whom I believe can help me become an IT professional.

Essay 2:

Describe two events in your life to date that demonstrate your ability to do well in business.

My classmates called me "the alien," and they avoided me like the plague. As a young boy, I suffered from severe dermatitis, which filled my limbs with ulcers and scars. The true pain of my condition, however, was social; I was alienated from my classmates and lived a life of loneliness and isolation. Doctors predicted that I would never fully recover, but my parents refused to accept this. They encouraged me to hope for the future, teaching me that any obstacle could be overcome. I therefore took an active role in my health, trying many medications and herbs.

Approaching my loneliness with bravery, I came to view it as a challenge to be overcome. The summer after I graduated from primary school, my disease improved dramatically. Although my body remained riddled with scars, the ulcers vanished. The self-confidence I regained was profound; I realized that my personal will had led to this improvement. I began to seek out friendships at school, and I took part in activities like volleyball, Girl Guide, and Art Club. Through it all, my attitude toward challenges remained the same. In every examination or competition, I told myself that I could easily excel since nothing could be more difficult than what I had already overcome. By the time I moved to Canada, I had fully recovered both socially and physically. Moreover, I had learned to be confident and never to fear failure. This credo echoes through my personal life and gives me the inner resolve to succeed at any endeavor, including my professional pursuits.

Like my personal battle with dermatitis, I learned a great deal about leadership by overcoming adversity. While enrolled in an ESL program in Canada, I joined the Culture Club as a Special Event Director. I managed a group of six individuals in organizing various functions. I was the most advanced ESL student among the group, and I therefore assumed myself to be the most capable. I quickly learned my mistake. While preparing our first function, I was strict with my team members and often rejected their ideas in favor of my own. I performed most of their tasks myself, allowing them to assist me only in minor details. As a result, the function was not very successful. Few people attended, and we had problems with decorations and presentation. The setback disheartened me, and I spoke of it to the club's supervisor. She responded that she trusted my ability to succeed in the future. This comment filled me with surprise, for I realized that I had never trusted my own team members. Although they were weak in English, they had many valuable talents. I immediately changed my policy, allowing team members to choose the tasks they desired and to complete them on their own.

Meetings evolved into group brainstorming sessions, which yielded many good ideas. Most importantly, the atmosphere among us improved dramatically. We were happier and more eager to devote time to the program. I learned what true leadership is, and the experience undoubtedly improved my ability to handle challenging business situations.

Essay 3 –

Describe a Challenging Situation in your life

The car engine started roaring breaking the tranquility of the quiet suburb. The beams of the headlight pierced through the evening darkness. The Honda Civic picked up speed from zero to 60 miles per hour within few seconds. As I drove in the expressway, I occasionally starred at the star filled night sky and thought “Is this my destiny?” I raced the car full speed on the interstate highway. But the events of the godforsaken day kept rolling in my mind.

Months back, I was asked to join our Regional Head Quarter at London. I was elated to receive such a big promotion. With superior monetary benefits and enhanced job responsibilities, I was enjoying my time in London with my colleagues and friends. Unaware of the gathering storm at our New York Global Headquarter, I even booked tickets for my first big music concert of Metallica on 15th September 2008 and could barely wait for the day to come.

On 15th Sep, 2008, I reached office with a cheerful mood. The hustle and bustle in the corridor was bigger than usual. I sensed uneasiness in the ambience. “What happened?” I asked someone at the entrance. He looked at me with a blank face and asked “You don’t know? Lehman has filed for bankruptcy”. The news came as a jolt. We all were mindful of the worsening financial crisis, but nobody really expected an investment bank as big as Lehman Brothers to fail. I entered the office building and saw complete mayhem. With now no job in picture for anybody, people were panicking about prior financial commitments and responsibilities. Some were packing their belongings while many were calling friends and head hunters for job openings. My entire planned career, which looked in the best shape less than a year ago, seemed to turn upside down. On the giant screen on the wall, I saw news reporter screaming with their breaking news on CNN about the largest bankruptcy filing the corporate history. At the desk, I sat alongside my boss watching him drafting his resume. Amidst the on-going chaos, I kept my nerve, but things were to become worse. In the evening, I came back home. I thought that there was no better way to cheer myself up on that godforsaken day than with the Metallica concert! But within minutes, I got a call from the society office. I was asked to vacate the company apartment as the agency wasn’t sure whom to bill afterwards. I got almost choked. Without altering a single word, I packed my stuffs and left. From losing a dream job to being homeless, all in a span of few hours, I experienced the roller coaster ride of my life.

I stopped the car in the parking and checked in Hotel Plaza Inn. I took a shower. I was feeling refreshed. At the end of the day, I thought the best thing to do was just to stand quietly in the hotel balcony and enjoy the breeze. I looked at the London skyline and reminded myself that every cloud has a silver lining. I decided to stay back in London for some more time to face my destiny.

Instead of flying back to India or brooding about the situation, I continued going to office every day to network with senior associates. I realized the importance of a backup plan even when everything sails smooth as life is full of chance events. During the extra hours every day, which suddenly fell in my lap with no job, I explored around the city of London and knocked at every door for a suitable opening. It was the journey from a reckless, imprudent undergraduate with a trading job to a cautiously optimistic professional in a short span. I have continued to adapt myself to the changing world around and make the best out of every situation.