London Business School Students

Tips for the London Business School Essay

London Business School (LBS) ranks number four in Poets&Quants’ “Top Business Schools” ranking. Established in 1964, LBS is known for its diverse global community and expansive offerings.

The business school’s core essay question has remained the same since 2015. Denise Potter, an admissions consultant at mbaMission, recently broke down the LBS essay prompt and offered advice on crafting the ideal approach.

CORE ESSAY

The core required LBS prompt asks applicants the following:

What are your post-MBA goals and how will your prior experience and the London Business School programme contribute towards these? (500 words)

The goal of this essay, Potter says, is to convey your long-term vision for your career with a clear plan on how LBS will help you get there. Ideally, you’ll want to research what specific offerings at LBS can help you achieve your goals.

“Demonstrating your authentic interest in the program by giving concrete examples and drawing clear connections between what the school offers, what you need, and who you are is key to crafting a compelling essay response here,” Potter says.

OPTIONAL ESSAY

LBS also offers an optional essay prompt that asks applicants the following:

Is there any other information you believe the Admissions Committee should know about you and your application to London Business School? (500 words)

The optional essay is typically for explaining gaps or problematic points in your application—from a poor GPA to a gap in work experience. This essay, Potter says, is truly optional.

“If you feel you need to clarify an aspect of your profile, first check the other parts of the school’s application, which already includes several opportunities to address certain issues (such as academic performance and disciplinary instances),” Potter says. “If you can discuss your concern elsewhere instead, do so, and avoid using this essay to simply repeat any information provided via that avenue.”

The best way to approach this essay is to tell a story that is essential to understanding your character. It can help to take a step back and consider what the admissions committee already knows about you from your application and what they might not know.

“If you do not feel that your candidacy includes any elements that need further clarification, however, you might use this essay to instead offer a more rounded, positive representation of yourself—but be thoughtful about this opportunity,”

Sources: mbaMission, P&Q

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