While the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) has maintained a single 500-word written essay for this admissions cycle, you can choose between two different prompts and select the one that best aligns with your experience. Additionally, the program continues to require a video essay in which you discuss your career goals. 

It is worth noting that Tepper’s class composition is significantly different from that of many of its peer MBA programs and that Tepper has one of the smallest full-time student enrollments. Only 5% of Tepper’s incoming 2026 MBA class majored in arts/humanities as undergraduates. Does that mean that Tepper isn’t interested in candidates from humanities backgrounds? Not at all, but it does mean that any applicant from a humanities background needs to demonstrate their aptitude for complex, quantitative analyses to prove themselves capable of handling the challenging Tepper curriculum. If you aren’t able to do this otherwise through the application, you could consider using the optional essay to share additional relevant information with the adcom.

Ready to work on your Tepper application? Read on.

CMU Tepper application essay tips 

There is one required essay (maximum 500 words) for all Tepper MBA applicants (except college seniors). You are now able to choose which essay question resonates most with you and how you can present your best application. Please choose 1 of the following 2 questions. We do not have a preference on which question you answer. 

Being able to select the essay prompt that best fits your personal profile gives you the opportunity to draw the adcom’s attention to your strongest stories and traits. The first essay question concerns an experience you had navigating uncertainty, while the second asks you to look toward the future and envision your development while in the MBA program. The Tepper adcom doesn’t prefer one essay question over the other, so reflect on how you might answer each one, and then determine which prompt positions you most strongly.

Option #1

At Tepper, we value leaders who can make confident decisions when facing complexity and uncertainty. Tell us about a time when you had to take action without having all of the answers. How did you navigate the situation and what was the outcome?

This question asks for a specific example of a time when you needed to act in some way, even though you were working with incomplete information. Having the humility to discuss a situation in which you recognized your limitations and were nevertheless able to determine what you needed to do to move forward demonstrates your self-awareness and resourcefulness. Although sharing the outcome of the situation with the adcom is important, it isn’t necessary for things to have worked out perfectly in your story. You should consider such a situation from the standpoint of not only what you did but also what you learned as a result. 

When responding to this prompt, use the STAR method:

• S (situation) – Briefly describe the situation and explain the circumstances that you faced.
• T (task) – What was your role and what was expected of you?
• A (action) – Highlight the ambiguity. What didn’t you know? Then, what steps did you take to address the lack of information? Did you conduct research? Collaborate with another team or department? Seek mentorship?
• R (result) – What was the outcome? Share what went well as well as where you might have missed the mark. Next, and most importantly, demonstrate your growth mindset by sharing what you learned. Furthermore, how have you applied those lessons since that time?

Option #2

The Tepper School of Business is committed to helping students reach their full potential by supporting their professional and personal transformation. How do you hope to transform, both professionally and personally, during your time in the program? Please describe your development goals and steps you plan to achieve them.

By all accounts, the MBA experience is a transformative one, and this question gets at the heart of that idea. You will demonstrate your growth orientation by conveying your readiness for this life-changing opportunity. This question requires you to consider your motivation for pursuing an MBA at this stage of your career. What skills do you need to build or enhance as you navigate your next steps? What specific knowledge will you pursue that will prepare you for a new role, especially if you plan to make a career pivot? How will you build the skills and develop this knowledge? 

On the personal side, how do you want to grow as a person throughout this experience? Areas for growth might range from developing cultural fluency to enhancing empathy to becoming a stronger leader. How will the Tepper MBA environment facilitate this personal growth and development? 

Knowing the program’s offerings and experiential learning opportunities, and having insight into the Tepper student experience is necessary to respond to this prompt. You must not only demonstrate your clarity of purpose and desire for growth but also convey your fit with the program.

Optional Essay

There also is an optional essay for additional information about your candidacy that you may wish to share with the admissions committee. Use this essay to convey important information that you may not have otherwise been able to convey. This may include unexplained resume gaps, context for recommender selection, etc. However, do not feel obligated to complete the optional essay.

Are you a re-applicant? Use the optional essay to explain how your candidacy has strengthened since your last application.

In addition to filling in information gaps for the adcom, use this essay to mention connections you’ve made with members of the Tepper community that were enlightening or helpful in your understanding of how you will thrive at the school. Go beyond mere name-dropping, though, and be sure to share insights into the impact of your interaction.

Please note that candidates applying to the Deferred Admission for College Seniors program will respond to different essay questions.

CMU Tepper video essay: goals

We know this is an important component of your decision to attend business school. We take it seriously as well. Please describe your post-MBA career goals.

It would be helpful to consider the following information in your response:

• You have up to 2 minutes to respond to this question.
• Please be as specific as possible. If you have not yet identified specific companies, that is okay. Just tell us what interests you for your next role or company. What about the industry, company, or functional role is appealing to you?
• If you have any criteria you are using to evaluate career opportunities, please share those as well. We may have great opportunities to add to your list.
• How does this post-MBA career goal relate to your long-term career plan?

This essay is a typical goals essay, except that you will respond via video rather than writing it. You will have two opportunities to record your video essay, so preparation is vital. Before officially responding to this prompt, record yourself and review the recordings critically, focusing on your delivery and the content of your answer. Create a script or at least bullet points, and practice. Is English not your first language? Then practice enough to convey your answer without sounding too rehearsed. By all means, avoid reading your response.

As for the content of your essay, share what motivates and is important to you as you consider the next step in your career. Be as specific as you can regarding the industry and function for your post-MBA position. Consider the type of organization you are interested in joining, and feel free to list some companies (but indicate that the list is not necessarily comprehensive). You will be exposed to new organizations and opportunities early in the MBA program, and you want to convey your openness and flexibility to coaching when you begin working with your career counselor. Finally, paint a picture of your career for the longer term. How does your immediate post-MBA goal fit into the bigger picture for the next eight to ten years? Convey your objectives authentically, and demonstrate to the adcom that you have a plausible plan that builds on your existing skills and experience. Are you making a pivot to a new career? If so, think about transferable skills you can build on to make this move successfully.

CMU Tepper application deadlines

	Application deadline	Admissions decisions
Round 1	September 30, 2025	December 3, 2025
Round 2	January 8, 2026	March 3, 2026
Round 3	March 3, 2026	April 29, 2026
Round 4	May 5, 2026	June 3, 2026

Source: CMU Tepper website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with CMU Tepper directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

CMU Tepper class profile

Here is a look at the CMU Tepper Class of 2026 (data taken from the CMU Tepper website):

Students: 156

Women: 31%

LGBTQIA+: 11%

International citizens: 39%

Minorities (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 52%

Underrepresented minorities (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 26%

Military and veterans (U.S. citizens and permanent residents only): 22%

Average age: 29

Middle 80% age range: 25-35

Average GPA: 3.26

Median GPA: 3.25

Middle 80% GPA range: 2.92-3.76

Undergraduate majors:

• Engineering: 32%
• Business/Commerce: 22%
• Economics: 9%
• Math/Physical Science: 9%
• Other: 7%
• Arts/Humanities: 5%
• Social Sciences: 5%

Average GMAT: 697

Median GMAT: 700

Middle 80% GMAT range: 640-740

Average GRE: 323

Median GRE: 324

Middle 80% GRE range: 314-332

Average years of work experience: 6.3

Median years of work experience: 5.7

Middle 80% range of years of work experience: 3.0-10.5

Industry background:

• Other: 15%
• Financial services: 14%
• Technology/New media: 14%
• Government: 12%
• Consulting: 10%
• Manufacturing: 9%
• Healthcare: 5%
• Consumer goods and retail: 4%
• Consumer products: 3%
• Energy and clean tech: 3%

As the former executive director of admissions at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School and assistant dean of admissions at Georgetown’s McDonough School and the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz School, has 23 years’ experience overseeing admissions committees and has reviewed more than 38,000 applications for the MBA and master’s programs in management of information systems, computational finance, business analytics, and product management.  Want Kelly to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources

• Crafting Compelling MBA Goals Essays, a free guide 
• How to Get a CMU Tepper MBA, podcast Episode 425
• From Example to Exceptional: Crafting Standout Application Essays, a free guide