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The Michigan Ross MBA program is thriving. Its graduates are getting jobs throughout the United States and the world.
Here are a few of the stats:
- 97.2% of 2019 grads had at least one job offer within three months of graduation.
- Per Poets & Quants, Amazon was the top employer of Ross grads, and the school’s 2018 Employment Report shows that consulting and tech snagged over 50% of all Ross MBAs.
- The average GMAT score for the entering class of 2019 was 719, down one point from the previous year’s 720.
- The average GPA moved up a notch from 3.48 to 3.5.
- Ross accepted almost one third (30.9%) of applicants to the class of 2021.
- According to Accepted’s Selectivity Index, Ross placed sixteenth.
There’s opportunity in these numbers. The Michigan Ross MBA program is a fantastic option that is easier to get into than other top programs.
Michigan Ross 2020-21 MBA application tips
Ross kept the basic structure that it has had for the last couple of years, but also made changes. It still has a career goals essay and short answer questions with a little bit of choice to them. These short answer questions give you the means to paint a unique, multi-dimensional picture of yourself. Keep that goal in mind as you respond. You don’t have to be something you’re not, but you can certainly use these questions to provide context for events described elsewhere and perspective on who you really are. Remember, the application is a way for the admissions committee to meet you.
Changes from last year’s application
So what were the changes to the app? Last year Ross asked you to respond to three short answer questions and gave you two options for each. This year you have two short answer questions with three options each. Like last year, your answer to each of these two questions is limited to 100 words for a total of 200 words.
The career goals essay has some minor and insignificant changes to the wording. However, Ross is cutting the word limit from last year’s 300 words to this year’s 200-word maximum.
Michigan Ross MBA application short answer questions
Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. (Choose one from each group; 100 words each)
While I wish Ross would have given you more room to answer these questions, make the most of what you’ve got. For the short answers, you’re going to have to ask yourself which prompts most speak to you.
Answer the question in each group that is easiest for you to answer and that allows you to present events and experiences that complement each other and the information provided in other parts of the application. You want to minimize repetition and overlap.
Ross hasn’t labeled the groups thematically. It seems to me that Group 1 is an opportunity for you to talk about something you’re proud of — a contribution you made or an achievement or perhaps a time of challenge when you took the proverbial “road less traveled.” Group 2 relates to handling a difficult experience or situation.
Again, choose the individual questions that allow you to present yourself best. Both groups ask for a behavioral response, where you discuss one experience or situation and reflect on it. You don’t have room for more.
Think a lot about what you want Ross to know about you as you choose the questions to answer. The question tells you what they want to know. Now answer it in such a way that allows you to tell them 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:
Group 2
-
- I am out of my comfort zone when:
- I was humbled when:
-
- I was challenged when:
Given the 100-word limit on each response to these behavioral questions, describe the incident or situation and succinctly analyze it in terms of the prompt. For example, why do you “want them to know” about X (Group 1, #1) or why were you humbled or out of your comfort zone (Group 2, #1-2).
Michigan Ross MBA application essay questions
Ross MBA essay #1
Michigan Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. What is your short-term career goal and why? (200 words)
Ross is very clear in what it’s asking for with this MBA essay question: Your short-term career goals and the reasons (and experiences) that make this goal right for you. So where should you focus?
In her blog post announcing this cycle’s essay questions, Soojin Kwon, Managing Director Full-Time MBA Admissions and Program, wrote:
We found that the best responses to this essay were clear and succinct. The ones that were less successful tended to be less focused or focused too much on the “what” and not enough on the “why.” For the AdCom, the “why” is the most impactful and differentiating aspect of each essay to me.
There’s your answer: Focus on the “why” more than the what. While you do need to briefly state your short-term career goals, the majority of your essay real estate should go towards the “why.” Those reasons could include:
- What you hope to accomplish in that position or how it will prepare you for a longer-term goal.
- The aspects of that role that appeal to you and times when you have enjoyed similar work in the past.
- The values that you will be realizing in that role.
- An achievement or challenge that you faced and how it has influenced your goals. Tell the story of that experience and how it influenced your short-term MBA goals
Those are just a few ideas. You can come up with your own.
Ross MBA essay #2 (Optional statement)
Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.
Use this statement if necessary to provide context surrounding circumstances that affected your performance or that may lead admissions readers to the wrong conclusion about your abilities.
Ross doesn’t provide a word limit, but keep it 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 Michigan Ross’ MBA program and look forward to helping you too!
Michigan Ross 2020-21 application deadlines
| Application Deadline | Decisions Released | |
|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | September 14, 2020 | December 2, 2020 |
| Round 2 | January 4, 2021 | March 17, 2021 |
| Round 3 | March 29, 2021 | May 5, 2021 |
| Round 4 | June 1, 2021 | June 25, 2021 |
*All applications are due by 11:59pm 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.
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***
Source: Michigan Ross website
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By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted. Linda earned her bachelors and MBA at UCLA, and has been advising applicants since 1994 when she founded Accepted. Linda is the co-founder and first president of AIGAC. She has written or co-authored 13 e-books on the admissions process, and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News, Poets & Quants, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS News, and others. Linda is the host of Admissions Straight Talk, a podcast for graduate school applicants. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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