UPDATE- THE TIPS FOR USC MARSHALL'S 2009 MBA APPLICATION ARE NOW AVAILABLE ONLINE. PLEASE POST QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS TO THE NEW BLOG POST.

USC 2008 Marshall MBA Deadlines

Round         Deadline         Notification Begins
Early*         November 1         December 15
Round 1     December 1        February 2
Round 2     January 15           March 30
Round 3     February 15         April 27
Round 4     April 1                     May 25

USC 2008 Essay Questions and Tips

The questions this year are identical to last year's and my comments (in red) are virtually unchanged.

1) Describe in a brief essay (do not exceed 250 words per section - 750 words maximum):
a) your post-MBA short-term goals (immediately after graduation),
b) your post-MBA long-term goals (3-5 years after graduation), and
c) how your professional experience, when combined with an MBA degree, will
enable you to achieve these goals.

This is a straight-forward goals question with a little more guidance on length than most schools give.  As always with this type of question, connect the dots. Let's the reader see that your goals stem organically from your experience and are achievable given your experience and an MBA from Marshall

2) Complete one of the following three statements. Do not exceed 250 words.
a) "My most significant accomplishment to date is…"
b) "People may be surprised to learn that I…"
c) "I am considered a leader because…"

Take a step back and look at the application as a whole. How are you going to answer #3. You want #2 to complement #1 and #3, bringing out aspects of your experience, personality and background not found in other parts of yoru application. Before you choose a topic, look at the question strategically. Then pick the topic that adds most to your application and that excites you the most.

3) Answer two of the following questions. Do not exceed 500 words per question.
a) The Marshall MBA Prime Program prepares students for doing business in a global
economy. Describe a cross-cultural experience that challenged you. How did you
meet this challenge and what did you learn from this experience?
b) USC has garnered national acclaim for its emphasis on community outreach and
service. How have you impacted your community?
c) We all experience significant events or milestones that influence the course of our
lives. Briefly describe such an event and how it affected you.

This question gives you a little more direction than #2. But not a lot. In these last two questions, USC is giving you lots of room to present yourself in the best light. For #3,  if international experience is your strong suit, answer a; if community service is your middle name, respond to b. If you have another event or experience you wish to shine a spotlight on, go with c. Choose the two that present you at your best.

4) Optional Essay: Please add any additional information that you would like the
Admissions Committee to consider in evaluating your application. Do not exceed 250
words.

Please see "The Optional Essay: To Be or Not to Be"  

For one-on-one guidance through the Marshall application, process please check out Accepted.com's USC Marshall Application Package or our other MBA essay editing and consulting assistance.

Please join us for Monday morning's chat with Kellee Scott, Senior Associate Director MBA Admissions. The chat will take place this Monday November 5 at 10:00 AM PT/1:00 PM ET/5:00 PM GMT  in the Accepted chat room .