Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023

The Michigan Ross MBA program is thriving. Its graduates get jobs throughout the United States and around the world.

Here are a few key stats, drawn from the school’s 2023 Employment Report:

Of the school’s 2023 grads, 96% had at least one job offer within three months of graduation.
Forty-five percent of the Class of 2023 received offers from McKinsey & Company, Bain, and BCG. Deloitte and Amazon are also among the program’s top hiring companies.
On-campus recruiting facilitated 87% of offers.

As for the school’s incoming students in 2023, the latest Michigan Ross class profile offers the following data:

The average GMAT score was 719.
The average GPA was 3.43.
The average GRE
160 verbal
160 quantitative
4.5 writing
Acceptances rate was 28.1%

There’s opportunity in these numbers. The Michigan Ross MBA program is a fantastic option that is slightly easier to get into than other top programs, particularly if you want to join an MBB consulting firm!

Ready to get to work on your Michigan Ross application? Read on.

Michigan Ross application essay tips
Michigan Ross application deadlines
Michigan Ross class profile

Michigan Ross application essay tips

Ross likes its application essays short, sweet, and to the point. The bad news about this is that you don’t get much real estate in which to tell your story; the good news is that you can quickly crunch out two 100-word (or shorter) essays and one 150-word career goals essay in one night.

The school’s “short-answer questions” allow you to paint a unique, multidimensional picture of yourself and provide the Ross admissions committee with insight into “your values and what you would add to the Michigan Ross community.” Keep that goal in mind as you craft your submissions. Use your responses to provide context for events described elsewhere in your application, offer your perspective on your values, and convey your ability to contribute at Ross and beyond.

Remember, your application allows the admissions committee to meet and get to know you.

Michigan Ross Short-Answer Question 1

Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. Respond to each selected prompt in 100 words or less (<100 words each; 200 words total).

For the Ross short answers, you must start by asking yourself which prompt speaks to you most.

Select the question in each group that is easiest for you to answer and allows you to present events and experiences that complement not only each other but also the information provided in other parts of your application. You want to minimize repetition and overlap.

Ross doesn’t label the groups thematically. Group 1 appears to be an opportunity for you to talk about something you’re proud of – your identity or a contribution you’ve made. Group 2 relates to handling a challenging experience or situation, and to your resilience.

Again, choose the individual questions that allow you to present yourself best and “stand out,” as Ross instructs at the top of its application requirements page. Both groups of prompts demand a behavioral response, in which you discuss one experience or situation and reflect on it. You don’t have room to address any more.

As you choose which questions to answer, consider what you want Ross to know about you. The prompt indicates what they want to know. Now, respond by telling the admissions committee what you want them to know.

Group 1:

I want people to know that I:
I made a difference when I:
I was aware that I was different when I:

Group 2:

I was out of my comfort zone when:
I was humbled when:
I was challenged when:

Given the 100-word limit for each response to these behavioral questions, you need to describe the incident or situation and succinctly analyze it within the context of the prompt. For example, why do you “want them to know” about X (Group 1, bullet 1) or the reason you were humbled or out of your comfort zone (Group 2, bullets 1-2)?

Michigan Ross Short-Answer Question 2

Career goal: What is your short-term goal, and why is it the right goal for you? (150 words)

The reasons for your short-term goal could include the following:

How the distinctive elements of your background shaped your goal
What you hope to accomplish in that position or how it will prepare you for a longer-term goal
What aspects of the role appeal to you and times you have enjoyed similar work
The values you will realize in that role
An achievement or challenge you faced and how it influenced your goals (Share the story of that experience and how it affected your short-term MBA goals.)

Those are just a few ideas. Although this is Ross’s most extensive essay, it’s still only 150 words. Make every word count.

Michigan Ross Optional Statement

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? It would be best to discuss completing supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, why you used your former supervisor for your recommendation rather than a current supervisor, etc. This is not an opportunity to take an essay you wrote for another school and plop it here. It provides context for extenuating circumstances. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

Ross doesn’t provide a word limit for this essay, but you should keep your response short.

For expert guidance with your Michigan Ross MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you, too!

Michigan Ross application deadlines

	Application Deadline*	Decisions Released
Round 1	September 14, 2023	December 8, 2023
Round 2	January 11, 2024	March 15, 2024
Round 3	April 4, 2024	May 3, 2024

Source: Michigan Ross website

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

*All applications are due by 11:59 pm ET on the date listed. International students can apply in any round but are encouraged to apply in Round 1 or 2 to allow sufficient time for visa processing.

Michigan Ross class profile

Here is a look at the Michigan Ross MBA Class of 2025 (data taken from the Michigan Ross website).

Class size: 379

Female: 43%

LBGTQIA2S+: 10%

International: 43%

Countries represented: 39

Military: 8%

First-generation college: 17%

Pursuing a dual degree: 12%

Students of color (U.S. citizens and permanent residents): 43%

Underrepresented students of color (U.S. citizens and permanent residents): 19%

Race and ethnicity (U.S. citizens and permanent residents):

American Indian or Alaska Native
Federal guidelines: 0 (0%)
Multidimensional reporting: 1 (0%)
Asian American
Federal guidelines: 52 (24%)
Multidimensional reporting: 59 (27%)
Black or African American
Federal guidelines: 12 (6%)
Multidimensional reporting: 14 (6%)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
Federal guidelines: 0 (0%)
Multidimensional reporting: 0 (0%)
Hispanic or Latinx
Federal guidelines: 16 (7%)
Multidimensional reporting: 16 (7%)
White
Federal guidelines: 117 (54%)
Multidimensional reporting: 128 (59%)
Not Indicated
Federal guidelines: 6 (3%)
Multidimensional reporting: 6 (3%)
Two or More Races
Federal guidelines: 13 (6%)
Multidimensional reporting: n/a

Average GPA: 3.43

Average GMAT score: 719

Middle 80% GMAT score: 670-760

Average GRE Verbal score: 160

Average GRE Quant score: 162

Average years of work experience: 5.8

Industry backgrounds:

Consulting: 18%
Finance: 17%
Tech: 16%
Health: 12%
Engineering/Manufacturing: 10%
Other: 8%
Military: 6%
Education/Nonprofit/Government: 6%
Media/Hospitality/Sports 4%
Energy/Sustainability 3%

Is Ross at the top of your wish list?

Get the competitive edge with Ross-specific advice and inside information:

By Natalie Grinblatt, a former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed more than 70,000 applications, interviewed more than 2,500 candidates, and trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs, including those at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

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