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Kellogg 2007 Application Deadlines and Essay Tips

July 25, 2006 By

As I have done on other essay tips, my comments are in red. Kellogg’s copy is in black.

Kellogg 2007 MBA Application Submission Deadlines

Round 1: October 20, 2006

Round 2: January 5, 2007

Round 3: March 9, 2007 

2007 Kellogg Application Essay Questions

1. All applicants must complete A, B, or C as appropriate.

A. Master of Business Administration applicants only. Briefly assess your career progress to date. Elaborate on your future career plans and your motivation for pursuing a graduate degree at the Kellogg School. (one to two pages double-spaced)

This question is the same as Kellogg’s #1 for the last several years.  Kellogg wants to know your goals and how Kellogg will help you achieve them. As I have said repeatedly, goals are front and center in the MBA application. You need to connect the dots between your past, your desired future and Kellogg to answer this question well. Thought and research are prerequisites for this essay.

Just today we received an email from a client who started working with us last year. In the mail, he thanks his advisor for pushing him to clarify  his goals — which he didn’t want to do. He now recognizes how important they are. 

(There are variations of this question for MMM and joint degree applicants. Click on the link above for exact wording.)

2. Each of our applicants is unique. Describe how your background, values, academics, activities and/or leadership skills will enhance the experience of other Kellogg students. (one to two pages double-spaced)

Again, the same as last year (and if my memory serves me, the last several years). What are you going to bring to the Kellogg party that every other IT professional, investment banker, marketer, and consultant cannot bring? Is it a commitment to community services? a sports craze? musical talent? dance ability, auto racing, a unique personal story? This essay begs for an anecdotal approach and individuality.  However, don’t forget Kellogg’s commitment to community and teamwork. If you can show those qualities too, this essay will be a home run.

3. You have been selected as a member of the Kellogg Admissions Committee. Please provide a brief evaluative assessment of your file. (one to two pages double-spaced)

Evaluations, hmm. Does that mean the kind of objectivity your grandmother provides? Definitely not. Clearly you are trying to market yourself so you should emphasize the positive and provide a cogent argument for acceptance using Kellogg’s criteria, but most of you will have weaknesses in your profile. What compensates for them? Why should Kellogg admit you despite your weakness? This is a great place to show why a substandard GMAT or GPA should be overlooked.

In general you want each essay to reveal something new about your experience. How can you do so with this question, which by its very nature requires you to use the information found in other parts of your application? Include at least one or two elements that you either discussed in your interview or intend to discuss in your interview. Or go into more depth about something mentioned in an application box or your resume, but clearly this essay is not going to provide a lot of new information.

Someone recently asked me about the first sentence in the question. That sentence implies you should pretend you are an adcom member and evaluate your file. Don’t ignore that intro.

4. Complete three of the following six questions or statements. (two to three double- spaced paragraphs each)

A. What have been your most significant leadership experiences to date?

Last year’s questions included this question and added, "What was the most valuable lesson learned?" I suspect they dropped the second question because the analysis was coming back sounding all the same. "I learned blah blah blah…" However, don’t be fooled. While the adcom does not necessarily want to know what you learned, it will want more than just a description of this experience. Include analysis and reflection. What did you learn? Why is it so significant? Why were you successful? or not? What was the impact of your leadership?

Don’t be taken in by Kellogg’s teamwork mantra and laid-back reputation. Employers wants to see leadership in Kellogg’s grads, and you need to show leadership in your application — especially in answering this question.

B. Describe an ethical dilemma that you faced and how it was resolved?

Please see :

C. Outside of work I…

enjoy doing what? Again, if you have multiple pleasures, choose one that shows teamwork or other qualities Kellogg values.

D. Describe a professional situation where you were able to successfully persuade others to see things your way.

New this year. The instructions are quite clear. Choose a professional situation not discussed in other essays where you used persuasion, not rank or title, to get others to follow your lead.  

E. I wish the Admissions Committee had asked me…

Have fun with this one. Again let this essay show a different facet than is revealed by the other essays.

F. Since your previous application, what are the steps you have taken to strengthen your candidacy? **

** Question 4F must be answered by all re-applicants as one of the required three questions.

No trick questions here. How are you a better candidate today than when Kellogg rejected you last time? Have you addressed weaknesses in your previous application?. If you aren’t sure where you fell short, see if you can still obtain feedback from Kellogg or obtain an MBA Application Review.

le="color: rgb(204,0,51)">Responding to the Kellogg application essays will tell the committee a lot about you, your character, and your interests — if you do a good job.  It is a solid and comprehensive set of questions. And Kellogg provides them to you early enough to get a head start.

If you want to start now on your Kellogg application, please keep in mind that Accepted.com is running an Early Bird Special through the end of this month: 10% off all essay packages. In addition we just introduced our Kellogg consulting and Editing Comprehensive Packages. They too are 10% off this month. Start your applications early, submit first round, and save money.

Filed Under: MBA Admissions, Northwestern Kellogg Tagged With: , ,
About Linda Abraham
  • Billy

    Linda – Regarding the length limit to answers for questions under #4, does it not matter how many words or pages there are as long as the structure of the response doesn’t exceed 3 paragraphs?

  • Linda Abraham

    Absurdly long paragraphs will not serve you well. Well-constructed paragraphs of normal length will.

  • Billy

    Thank you.

    I do have a couple of essays that are 2 pages long (double-spaced), but each paragraph just covers one specific part of the "story." I just hope I don’t get penalized for an extra half page or something.

  • Howard Langsner

    About question #4D: It seems like the question has changed on the actual application-it asks for a "personal", rather than a "professional" situation. Do you think they’re looking for something specifically outside of work?

  • Linda Abraham

    I looked at the page linked to above and at the question in the online application on Embark and they both had the version with "professional." Where did you see the version asking for "personal situation"?

  • Howard Langsner

    Actually, I ended up calling the admissions office. Seems it was an oversight on their part, that they corrected. It’s "professional" after all. Thanks though!

  • Linda Abraham

    You’re welcome. Thanks for double checking.

  • Ryan

    Hi,

    Does anyone know the font and/or page margin limits? "one to two pages double spaced" leaves a lot of flexibility in these two areas. All I was able to find in the application was that the TOP margin had to be at least 1".

  • Linda Abraham

    I couldn’t find anything from Kellogg, but I recommend no less than 1" all around and 11-point font.

  • Jordi

    Hi,

    I submitted my application for Kellogg last 20th October. Anybody who also did has received confirmation about being considered in round 1?

  • Parker

    Jordi – I received an email last Friday saying that due to the large number of applications (and, thus, requests for alumni interviews) from my region – I’m in East Asia – they are waiving my interview requirement.

    They say this will not negatively affect my application.

    Linda – do you know if having my interview requirement waived is a positive/negative sign? Or did they just randomly pick applicants to interview up to the number they can handle?

  • Jordi

    Thank you Parker. I have just received the same message (I am from Spain). I am wondering the same, whether is positive or negative. We’ll see what happens…

  • Billy

    Jordi – mind sharing your background?

  • Linda Abraham

    The Kellogg FAQ says
    "I received an email informing me that my interview was waived. What does this mean, and am I at a disadvantage?

    "There are times when interviews are waived due to unusually heavy demand or remote location. Interview waivers have no bearing on admission decisions. They are based purely on geographic availability of alumni interviewers. If we feel an interview would be helpful in further assessing a candidate or would significantly aid in rendering a decision, we will contact the applicant to schedule a telephone interview. Applicants may not request a telephone interview; we will invite waived candidates for telephone interviewers throughout each application round. Many of our admitted students initially received an interview waiver and were subsequently contacted for a telephone interview."

    I noticed that last year they interviewed 100% of accepted applicants. To me this means that they will consider your file first and if they are interested will approach you for a telephone interview.

  • Parker

    Thanks, Linda.

  • Parker

    Jordi –

    Sounds like Kellogg might just not have enough alumni in our area and, therefore, will interview us only if necessary. So if we do get a request to interview that will be very good news. Obviously, if we don’t then…what’s your second choice school?:)

  • Jordi

    Thanks Parker, Thanks Linda.

    Now that makes sense… I know a couple of guys from my area who are in Kellogg now and they were interviewed over the phone. Indeed if we receive the request will be good news.

    Billy, I studied computer engineering and my work experience is basically in research (first as a researcher myself and then in management of research projects).

  • Billy

    Thanks for sharing.

    I am production manager of an educational TV program and magazine in Taiwan. Also co-host the TV show. Before that I founded/directed a community center in Taipei for two years.

  • KB

    Kellogg puts a supplemental 60 line text field on page 8 of the "Essays & Resume" section of their online application. I called their admissions department to ask what this is for, and they explained that it’s a space to use for any "clarification you might want to give." I asked if a subpar undergraduate record is something that could be clarified there, and the admissions officer said, "Yes, you can use it for that."

    I asked what people TYPICALLY use it for, but of course she couldn’t answer that, which is fair.

    My question is whether applicants should use this space for such a thing. Is it better to try to squeeze such an explanation into an essay earlier on? Or more to the point, I know, Linda, that you advise against ending your applications on a negative, but outside of that, is there a reason not to use this space for such an explanation?

    Thanks!

  • Linda Abraham

    Not ending on a negative would be my reason for advising against using that space for that purpose, but there can be counter-veiling reasons for using that space in exactly that manner.

    I usually advise Kellogg applicants to address a low GPA in the context of question #3, the evaluative assessment, but I certainly recognize that there are times when what I usually do should change for a given individual.

    Good luck!

  • KB

    Thanks Linda.

    Sorry to press on this, but I feel like essay #3 would be a space to state why it should be overlooked. But in terms of explaining a subpar undergrad record, I don’t see how essay #3 can be used. Do you recommend explaining why it should be overlooked in essay #3 without ever giving an explanation for poor grades in another space? It seems to me an adcom would want an explanation before stating that it should be overlooked. Am I wrong? Anyway, sorry to ask again. I appreciate your help, and I’ll leave you alone after this!

  • Linda Abraham

    That depends on what contributed to the low GPA. If it’s a complicated multi-sentence reason, then you’re right. If it is a simple reason like, "s/he was young and stupid in college and wised up at the end so her 3.8 in the senior year, 3.5 in quant courses throughout college, 3.7 in grad school and 730 GMAT are better evidence of academic ability than the disappointing 2.9 overall," you could do it in #3.

    Does this help?

  • KB

    Thank you. Yes, that helps.

  • Rahul

    Does Kellogg entertain a TOEFL waiver ?And if the application has been sent without the TOEFL score, do they ask for it if not found during the review.

    I have recieved an interview waiver as discussed in this forum, but i think its an auto generated mail. Hope this is sent after review of the application,

    Any rejects as yet ?? or any telephonic interview call?

  • Andrew

    Hi Linda,
    I’m struggling with essay question 4a because it asks for leadership experiences (Plural). In your tip you mention writing about one experience. Is that what you generally recommend?
    Thanks

  • Linda Abraham

    The question is 2-3 paragraphs. Although the question does ask for "experiences," you can’t do too many experiences justice in that short a span. If you have one good one, my suggestion would be to go with that good one. If you have 2-3 good ones and can fit them into this short essay, OK, but it’s going to be difficult.

  • san

    hi,
    I received a telephonic interview request from Kellogg although I was given an interview waiver last month,and they are saying that after reviewing your file the adcom wants to interview you.
    can you tell as to what sort of questions will be asked ie genaral why mba,why kellogg types or specifics from my file

  • Linda Abraham

    You can certainly count on those. For more information and sample feedback, please see the MBA Interview Feedback Database at http://www.accepted.com/mba/InterviewFeedback.aspx .

  • http://mstripat Mayank

    Linda,

    Following up on Comment#1: about word limit for Q4.

    The sub questions, specify a 2-3 para limit. My HBS essays are 400 words and there are some others from Q2 of HBS which are 200 words each.

    I plan to use the same content/matl in answering the Kellogg Q4. Could you please suggest whether I should stick to 200 words to take the 400 word essay from HBS.

    Thanks!

  • Linda Abraham

    I’m not sure I understand. 2-3 paragraphs is usually more than 200 words and can easily be 400 words. I don’t understand the question.

  • julie

    i’m struggling with the third essay.. any other tips on what to focus on? what do you think are the values that kellogg really puts emphasis on?
    thanks!

    julie

  • Linda Abraham

    Julie,

    Kellogg emphasizes teamwork, leadership, interpersonal skills, and a general management perspective. It provides its criteria at http://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/admissions/apply/criteria.htm .

    Here is a possible way to approach the question: analyze it in terms of academic qualifications — Can you handle the academic demands of the program. Then point to your professional and non-professional experience to demonstarte the personal characteristics that Kellogg values. Basically, use what you can to show that your strengths and unique background will add to the class, reveal your managerial ability, and outweigh any weakness.

    Good luck!

  • newyorker2010

    Hi, I’m currently interested in applying to Kellogg. What are my chances of getting into the school considering I have a low gpa of 3.1 from Stern undergrad. Does the admissions committee take into consideration Stern’s grade curve policy and that I graduated in 3.5 yrs? I also have taken the Gmat and have scored a 750 and I work in marketing job that’s highly quantitative (and have been promoted after 2yrs). Regarding extracurriculars, I’m a co-chair of a non-profit org and I teach high school students in the morning at least once a week before I go to work. Basically I’m looking to go to b-school to develop more of the managerial/strategic skills so that I can start my own women’s apparel company. (I’m planning to take side classes at FIT and was on the executive board of a fashion business assoc at school.) Any thoughts appreciated!!

  • Linda Abraham

    The adcom will consider STern’s curve, the 3.5 years (although that’s not a great "reason"), and most importantly your 750 and progress at work. Kellogg will also look at your extra-curriculars. If there are unusual circumstances that contributed to the 3.1, which I would call mediocre and not low, you should inform them and the adcom will consider those circumstances too. Please see "Low Stats" at http://www.accepted.com/mba/lowstats.aspx .

  • AJ

    Hi Linda

    I recently got dinged by Kellogg. I applied towards the end of R2.
    Would I be bothering the adcom if I asked them for reject feedback in the middle of their admissions process ? On the other hand if I wait too long to seek feedback I may not leave myself much time to work on my re-application strategy for next year. Is there a protocol to follow when seeking feedback ?

  • Linda Abraham

    There is nothing wrong in emailing the admissions office or going to the Kellogg rep on the BW forum and asking if Kellogg gives feedback to rejected applicants and if yes, when. You can then decide if that gives you enough time.

    If it doesn’t, or if you want more indpeth feedback, then consider Accepted’s MBA Application Evaluation, described at http://www.accepted.com/services/servicesdetails.aspx?serviceid=121 .

    We can review your application and give you feedback with in a day or two.

    Good luck!