UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Essay Tips and Deadlines [2025-2026], Class Profile
Are you a team leader? Are you committed to sustainable enterprise? Are you interested in running a family business? Are you seeking the resources and intellectual capital needed to shape both business and government? Are you a motivated, goal-oriented, innovative individual? If you answered yes to any of these questions, the adcom of the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina (UNC) is interested in learning more about your multidimensional personality and capabilities.
Ready to get to work on your Kenan-Flagler application? Read on.
Kenan-Flagler application essay tips
The application includes two required essays and one optional essay this year.
Essay #1
Essay 1 is required (250 words maximum).
We value the different paths and aspirations that each student brings to the UNC Kenan-Flagler community. Please share your goals for pursuing an MBA, or the path you’re considering, and how they reflect your unique background or perspective.
What do you see yourself doing immediately upon graduation, and why? What is your motivation to go down this path? And finally, why do you need an MBA from Kenan-Flagler specifically to realize your dream? In this essay, be as specific as possible with your desired career path. Simply stating, “I want to be a management consultant because I am good at problem-solving” is vague and conveys nothing about your current skill set, what skills you are lacking, and what you are looking to gain from an MBA program – specifically that of UNC Kenan-Flagler. Seriously think about what a consultant does. Why are you a good candidate for this profession, and what can you bring to a consulting firm that might be unique? To determine these things, you need to look at job descriptions for consultants at firms you are interested in and learn what skills are required for the role. That will give you a basic understanding of which ones you already possess and what gaps you might need to fill in.
Check out our free guide The Winning Ingredients of a Dynamic MBA Goals Essay for more tips on writing about your post-MBA professional aspirations.
Essay #2
Essay 2 is required and includes responses to two prompts (500 words maximum). Responses to each prompt within this essay should be no longer than 250 words each.
Prompt #1: UNC Kenan-Flagler is guided by four core values that shape who we are: impact, innovation, inclusion, and integrity. Which one of these Core Values resonates most deeply with your professional journey? Please share an example that demonstrates how this value has influenced your actions or decisions.
Prompt #2: The strength of our community is enriched by the range of personal and professional experiences our students contribute to the Full-Time MBA Program. What aspects of your background would you draw upon to enhance classroom conversations and co-curricular life at UNC Kenan-Flagler?
Kenan-Flagler’s adcom is interested in learning about a meaningful experience you’ve had that illustrates one of the program’s core values. You don’t need to discuss all four, and the word limit will not allow you to do that, anyway. Reflect on something you did that created an impact, provided an innovative solution, or brought about an inclusive outcome, or consider a time when you dealt with an ethical problem. The outcome could have affected your company as a whole, your specific group, or even just one individual. How did your actions highlight how your values echo those of UNC Kenan-Flagler and how these values have guided your actions in the past? The outcome of the situation you share must have been positive for the people involved. The prompt does not require you to have played a particular role in the situation. Still, whether you were part of a group or held a leadership position, you need to reflect on your actions, considerations, decisions, and contributions, as well as the outcomes that benefitted others. To begin your essay, share context and details that paint a picture of the situation. As you lead the reader through the story, it’s crucial to go beyond merely stating what you did; you must explain why and/or how you did what you did to illustrate your commitment to promoting a particular value. Finish your essay by reflecting on what you learned and your inspiration for continuing to be a leader who can inspire others with your strong commitment to specific values.
Prompt 2 seeks to understand who you are and in what way you will be involved in the Kenan-Flagler community. For this essay, feel free to look outside of your work and think about how you have driven change or motivated others in a community activity. For example, have you coached Little League baseball? Have you worked for a nonprofit and coordinated volunteers (one of the most difficult jobs there is)? Have you helped in Kiwanis Club activities? All off these activities will have taught you lessons in leadership and dealing with challenges. By using examples from these activities, you can show how you will be involved in various clubs or student government and how what you’ve learned can be applied to business cases as well. Don’t think you have to have found a cure for cancer or developed a trading strategy that will make millions; that is not what the adcom is looking for. Focus on highlighting simple actions that have in some way benefited others and have taught you something new – that is the key to this essay.
Essay #3 (Optional)
Essay 3 is optional (200 words maximum).
We encourage you to tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person and potential member of the Carolina community. Use this essay to convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application.
Optional topics:
- Personal or professional accomplishments
- Interests and passions
- Gaps in work experience or inconsistent academic performance
- Context for recommender selection
- A fun fact about yourself
Let’s take a closer look at the key elements of the prompt for this optional essay. First is “tell us more about who you are so we can get to know you as a person.” This essay should not be about the widgets or apps you’ve created or the three-letter acronyms that define your work. It needs to be about who you are as a human being and a potential member of the MBA program’s community. Why should your fellow students want to hang out with you?
The second key element is “convey information that you may not have otherwise been able to in the application.” Don’t repeat material that can be found elsewhere in your application. And do not treat this essay as some kind of grand finale.
Although you could use this essay to provide context for a weakness in your application, you can also use it to discuss your “interests and passions” or to present a “fun fact about yourself.” Let the adcom see another side of you that might not come through in the required portions of the application. This is one optional essay you should not skip!
Again, the school is genuinely trying to learn about you and assess whether you will add value to the Kenan-Flagler community. This is a tight-knit community in which students support one another and cheer each other on. If you’ve attended any live or virtual admission sessions (and if you haven’t, why not?), you’ll have noted that the adcom staff are personable, genuine, and caring. They are looking for reasons to admit you if you have the right “fit,” so in your essays, don’t be vague or copy and paste the same essays you’ve written for other schools. Look over the school’s website, talk to students and alumni, and understand what the program and its community are like. If you have the qualities the adcom seeks and are sure the school is the right place for you, your enthusiasm will shine through in your essays.
Kenan-Flagler application deadlines
| Submission deadline | Decision release | |
| Round 1 | October 7, 2025 | December 17, 2025 |
| Round 2 | January 6, 2026 | March 11, 2026 |
| Round 3* | March 3, 2026 | April 22, 2026 |
| Round 4 | April 21, 2026 | May 20, 2026 |
Source: Kenan-Flagler website.
Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on the application date.
*Round 3 is the final deadline for international applicants.
***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with UNC Kenan-Flagler directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***
Kenan-Flagler class profile
Here is a look at the Kenan-Flagler MBA Class of 2026 (data taken from the Kenan-Flagler):
Class size: 249
Average GMAT: 707
Average GRE: 319
Average GPA: 3.4
Average age: 28
Average years of work experience: 5
Undergraduate majors
- Business and economics: 38%
- STEM: 37%
- Arts and humanities: 25%
Career industry prior to admission
- Financial services: 16%
- Other: 14%
- Technology: 14%
- Healthcare: 11%
- Military: 10%
- Consulting: 9%
- Real estate: 6%
- Energy: 5%
- Government: 4%
- Manufacturing: 4%
- Consumer packaged goods: 3%
- Non-profit: 3%
- Media and entertainment: 1%
International students: 43%
Domestic students: 57%
Countries represented: 41
Dual-degree students: 7%
Military: 12%
Female: 31%
You’ve worked so hard to get to where you are in life. Now that you’re ready for your next achievement, make sure you know how to present yourself to maximum advantage in your Kenan-Flagler application. In a hotly competitive season, you’ll want a member of Team Accepted in your corner, guiding you with expertise tailored specifically for you. Schedule a free consultation today.
Dr. Christie St-John has more than 25 years of higher ed and admissions experience, including ten years in admissions at Dartmouth Tuck. She was formerly the director of MBA recruiting and admissions, director of international relations, and an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt University. Having also served on the board of directors of the MBA Career Services & Employer Alliance and the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management, Christie has a deep knowledge of MBA and other graduate admissions. Want Christie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!
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