Kellogg to Require Video Essay

KELLOGG IS ALSO MOVING TO A SINGLE SET OF APPLICATION DEADLINES

Kellogg’s decision to go with a video requirement got a welcome response from some admissions consultants. “Schools should be taking advantage of technology to get closer to students,” says Betsy Massar, founder of Master Admissions. “It’s just what’s going on these days, pretty much everywhere so it doesn’t surprise me. It’s just another way of communication. I hope that Kellogg makes clear and students remember that the best videos will be the most honest ones, not the fanciest or the trendiest.”

Kellogg’s video essay is one of several major changes to the school’s new MBA application.  The school also reverted to a one-part application with a single set of deadlines, instead of the two-part process from previous years.  In keeping with the larger trend across top B-schools, Kellogg also slashed the total word count for its essays by 175 words, from 1525 words to 1350 words this year. The school also dropped a fourth essay question, which asked students to share an “interesting or fun fact” with their (hopefully) future Kellogg classmates in 25 words or less.

As to how the changes will impact Kellogg’s applicant pool, Smith can only speculate. “I wish I could predict, I don’t have a crystal ball into that question. It’s hard to know what factors drive application volume.”

Kellogg’s round one application deadline is Oct. 16, while its round two deadline is Jan. 7, and its third round ends on April 2, 2014.

DON’T MISS: Double-Digit Increase In Kellogg Applications or Kellogg’s New MBA Gatekeeper