MIT's prompt is one of the trickier ones in the MBA world, but not because the essay itself is hard to write. The challenge comes almost entirely from the fact that MIT chooses to call its essay a "cover letter," linking it to the professional cover letters applicants have experience writing. Just because the format is similar, doesn't mean the content should be! Here's the prompt and our take:
Lets start by interpreting/translating that opening blurb:
MIT Sloan seek students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic.
Basically, theyre saying: Since rsums flatten a person from 3D to 2D, were hoping the essay portion will reverse that somewhat and give us a hint of what your unique personal characteristics are. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students, because the net effect of a single person bettering others will be nonstop betterment in every imaginable direction, the net effect of which is maximal success for the class and, most practically, of the individuals who comprise that class.
So, MIT is going to look for evidence of two things:
Now, onto the next part of that blurb:
We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world.
MIT chose the phrase exceptional intellectual abilities on purpose because it goes beyond the classic indicators of intelligence on a rsum or GMAT/GRE score report. Exceptional intellectual abilities includes dimensions like thinking of stuff most other people wouldnt have or questioning long-held truths because something about those truths bothers you or succeeding at an attempted solution where countless others have failed. If you have evidence of THAT kind of intellectual capability, spend some time on it. Theyre saying that the Sloan School of Management welcomes people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative true doers. In other words, they want to get the sense that where theres a status quo, youre the person who has an itch to disrupt it, and has a track record of doing so.
They want to get the sense that in a situation where others might have played it safe and tried to hit an iron shot into the center of the fairway, you put yourself on the line, took a risk, and reached for your driver, knowing that you might fail, but having the belief in yourself and the courage to follow through. They want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas, because when someone is uncomfortable with the way things are, good things tend to happen from a business perspective. Basically theyre saying Show us that discomfort with the status quo. We demand integrity and respect passion, but then again, who doesnt.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER PART 1
There are two themes that jump out in that intro:
The smart person alone who lacks restlessness isnt all that interesting. Similarly, a restless person who isnt a next-level problem solver is still attractive (and maybe worth taking a risk on), but MIT is prestigious enough to be able to only pick the guys and gals who have BOTH.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER PART 2
Great, so, now we have a couple themes to make sure were going to PROVE in our cover letters: (1) Im as intellectually next-level as it gets, but also (2) my arch nemesis is the Status Quo. Cool so how does one execute that in a cover letter?
Awesome question. Lets step back for a second. Whats an actual cover letter like in real life? In first-date terms, its the VERY first impression. The first time you LAY EYES on your date. Its the way that person LOOKS to you. Its the body language that sends either attractive or unattractive signals. In other words, its mostly animal instinct. In fact, lets run with that. In animal interaction terms, its is this other animal a harmless friend? Or a predator? What cues do I have from the LOOK of this animal, and the WAY IT MOVES to provide an answer to that?
Its important to consider this deeply. Because the impression were talking about happens very quickly and does not tap into the more evolved (and relaxed) part of our brains that care about nuance. Why is this significant? Because its different from an essay where the reader is generally poised to spot you that first impression, and hear what you have to say.
The cover letter is the moment before all that where you have to EARN that next part. This has implications for STYLE and HOW you write your cover letter. Its one of the few instances on an MBA application where HOW you attack this is almost as important as WHAT youre attacking with. You cant just write your way into seeming like a forward-leaning, restless person. You have to COME ACROSS that way in your actual writing. You cant take your time proving that youre intellectually next-level over the course of four or five sentences. It has to be evident right at the beginning in the way you look and in your body language.
Writing cover letters is a true art form, and in our experience the meek and conventional are almost NEVER rewarded. Boldness, assertiveness, risk-taking, authority, confidence, borderline brazen-ness these are all desirable qualities in a kickass cover letter. Just shy of being smug (no one likes smugness). This is the part where you smirk to yourself, and find your swagger before you put pen to paper.
Now for the actual 300 words themselves, you need to convey a bunch of things:
That may sound like a lot for 300 words, and in some ways it is. But, if you stay intensely focused on those three bullets, no matter how long your first draft ends up being, youre going to have EXCELLENT clay to mold. If you have a natural tendency to write in a tone that isnt too stiff and has some personality, then great. Your work will be easier. If you DONT have that natural flair for letting personality invigorate your prose, fret not. Stay focused on those three bullets. Try not to deviate. And youll end up with something thats (at its worst) extremely targeted. Targeted = confident. Theres always room to infuse drafts with some personality, but the hard part is getting the core content NAILED.
Questions? Thoughts? Reach out in the comments!![]()
- MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.
Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).
Lets start by interpreting/translating that opening blurb:
MIT Sloan seek students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic.
Basically, theyre saying: Since rsums flatten a person from 3D to 2D, were hoping the essay portion will reverse that somewhat and give us a hint of what your unique personal characteristics are. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students, because the net effect of a single person bettering others will be nonstop betterment in every imaginable direction, the net effect of which is maximal success for the class and, most practically, of the individuals who comprise that class.
So, MIT is going to look for evidence of two things:
- 1. That you have something in your experiences, achievements, personality, leadership style, what have you, that would be beneficial to others.
2. That you seem like the kind of person who will lean forward to have that impact on others, and that youre not just a taker.
Now, onto the next part of that blurb:
We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world.
MIT chose the phrase exceptional intellectual abilities on purpose because it goes beyond the classic indicators of intelligence on a rsum or GMAT/GRE score report. Exceptional intellectual abilities includes dimensions like thinking of stuff most other people wouldnt have or questioning long-held truths because something about those truths bothers you or succeeding at an attempted solution where countless others have failed. If you have evidence of THAT kind of intellectual capability, spend some time on it. Theyre saying that the Sloan School of Management welcomes people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative true doers. In other words, they want to get the sense that where theres a status quo, youre the person who has an itch to disrupt it, and has a track record of doing so.
They want to get the sense that in a situation where others might have played it safe and tried to hit an iron shot into the center of the fairway, you put yourself on the line, took a risk, and reached for your driver, knowing that you might fail, but having the belief in yourself and the courage to follow through. They want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas, because when someone is uncomfortable with the way things are, good things tend to happen from a business perspective. Basically theyre saying Show us that discomfort with the status quo. We demand integrity and respect passion, but then again, who doesnt.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER PART 1
There are two themes that jump out in that intro:
- Intellectual Might No real surprise here, but its a specific brand of intellect. The one thats coupled with that second component:
Restlessness Sitting around, doing what youre told to do, choosing NOT to re-open the case because someone else said that it was unsolvable, having a great idea, but not having the time to pursue it these are all the OPPOSITE of the person whos restless. The restless person is always lusting for some opportunity to improve something, change the game, break the mold.
The smart person alone who lacks restlessness isnt all that interesting. Similarly, a restless person who isnt a next-level problem solver is still attractive (and maybe worth taking a risk on), but MIT is prestigious enough to be able to only pick the guys and gals who have BOTH.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER PART 2
Great, so, now we have a couple themes to make sure were going to PROVE in our cover letters: (1) Im as intellectually next-level as it gets, but also (2) my arch nemesis is the Status Quo. Cool so how does one execute that in a cover letter?
Awesome question. Lets step back for a second. Whats an actual cover letter like in real life? In first-date terms, its the VERY first impression. The first time you LAY EYES on your date. Its the way that person LOOKS to you. Its the body language that sends either attractive or unattractive signals. In other words, its mostly animal instinct. In fact, lets run with that. In animal interaction terms, its is this other animal a harmless friend? Or a predator? What cues do I have from the LOOK of this animal, and the WAY IT MOVES to provide an answer to that?
Its important to consider this deeply. Because the impression were talking about happens very quickly and does not tap into the more evolved (and relaxed) part of our brains that care about nuance. Why is this significant? Because its different from an essay where the reader is generally poised to spot you that first impression, and hear what you have to say.
The cover letter is the moment before all that where you have to EARN that next part. This has implications for STYLE and HOW you write your cover letter. Its one of the few instances on an MBA application where HOW you attack this is almost as important as WHAT youre attacking with. You cant just write your way into seeming like a forward-leaning, restless person. You have to COME ACROSS that way in your actual writing. You cant take your time proving that youre intellectually next-level over the course of four or five sentences. It has to be evident right at the beginning in the way you look and in your body language.
Writing cover letters is a true art form, and in our experience the meek and conventional are almost NEVER rewarded. Boldness, assertiveness, risk-taking, authority, confidence, borderline brazen-ness these are all desirable qualities in a kickass cover letter. Just shy of being smug (no one likes smugness). This is the part where you smirk to yourself, and find your swagger before you put pen to paper.
Now for the actual 300 words themselves, you need to convey a bunch of things:
- 1. I understand what your program is, and what youre looking for.
2. I LIKE your program and I want to be in it BECAUSE (this is the part that most people miss) your program helps me get to where *I* need to go better than any other place.
3. Now Im going to give you just a taste that will make YOU ultimately want to chase ME, and not the other way around. Let me walk you through an example or two of what it is that Im all about. Youll see within these glimpses (1) that Im a restless m*********er, (2) My intellect has a headache because it keeps hitting the ceiling, and (3) that I understand what an MBA can do for me, and that my energy right now to TAKE FROM and CONTRIBUTE TO an MBA program is a net win for everyone: me, my classmates, MIT, and eventually the world, once Im out of here.
That may sound like a lot for 300 words, and in some ways it is. But, if you stay intensely focused on those three bullets, no matter how long your first draft ends up being, youre going to have EXCELLENT clay to mold. If you have a natural tendency to write in a tone that isnt too stiff and has some personality, then great. Your work will be easier. If you DONT have that natural flair for letting personality invigorate your prose, fret not. Stay focused on those three bullets. Try not to deviate. And youll end up with something thats (at its worst) extremely targeted. Targeted = confident. Theres always room to infuse drafts with some personality, but the hard part is getting the core content NAILED.
Questions? Thoughts? Reach out in the comments!