Personal MBA Coach’s Tips For “Choice” Essays

Analyzing essay questions, including speaking with admissions directors to get an inside perspective on what they are looking for from their essays, is a crucial process for Personal MBA Coach and informs the detailed essay guides we develop for our clients. 

Over the past few years, this process has become increasingly challenging as top business schools have started to implement the element of choice into their essays, adding another layer of complexity for applicants. 

Columbia Business School was one of the first top schools to give applicants a choice of essays a few years ago (they later removed the choice and this year have added back a smaller choice element into their essays). Michigan Ross has also had a choice element within their application for a number of years. Yale SOM joined the list of schools offering applicants a choice last year and currently a number of top programs require applicants to choose among multiple essay questions. 

MBA applicants often struggle with how to select the “right” question with choice essays. While each situation is different, Personal MBA Coach has outlined a few key tips to help you manage the choice essay.

Tip 1: Do not try to “game” the system: There is usually no “wrong” answer. 

Yes, you heard it right. Though there are some instances where we do advise clients to answer a particular essay, in most cases, there is no such thing as a right answer. So avoid wasting time trying to game the system or select the essay you think the school wants you to answer or the one that fewer people will select. 

Schools are not trying to trick you by offering you a choice. Instead, schools that offer a choice do so because they realize that applicants all have unique selling points, and they want to give you more chances to tell your story. 

Tip 2: Pick the easiest essay to write.

It IS ok (and logical) to pick the easiest essay to write. Perhaps one essay lends itself well to a story you can easily tell, or even a topic you wrote about for another school. 

Keep in mind, if you are borrowing a topic we recommend against using a direct copy and paste strategy. Often there are nuances to the school’s essay question that require modifications. 

Plus, you would be surprised at how often admissions directors share that they have read essays with a different school’s name in it! Be extra attentive when proofreading your essay if you used materials from a different school’s application.

Tip 3: Select the topic that lets you share your best characteristics ​

As stated above, business school admissions committees see choice essays as enabling applicants to highlight their own strengths. This means choice essays can be a great way for you to look at your overall story and determine your most unique characteristics. Then, pick the essays that lets you tell this story. 

If you are targeting round 2 deadlines, now is actually the perfect time to start preparing your applications. Since you already know all of the essay questions, there is no excuse to wait! The more work you do now, the less you will have to write over the holidays. Personal MBA Coach is already accepting Round 2 clients and helping them navigate their MBA applications through our Comprehensive Packages. Reach out today and find out how Poets&Quants’ #1 consultant Scott Edinburgh can help you maximize your MBA application success! 

About Personal MBA Coach:

Founded by Scott Edinburgh, a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors, Personal MBA Coach has been guiding clients for 17 years. Scott Edinburgh was ranked #1 globally in 2024, and Personal MBA Coach was ranked the top boutique consulting firm for the last two years. Last year our clients earned over $11M in scholarships.

All Personal MBA Coach clients work directly with Personal MBA Coach’s founder or a former M7 Admissions Director. We have no junior consultants, and our small team regularly connects with admissions directors, after which we meet weekly to discuss all clients and share our insider knowledge. We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, comprehensive MBA application support, school selection, essay editing, and mock interviews with former M7 and T10 admissions interviewers.

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