Resources

Do you have questions about the MBA admissions process? Are you looking for help on how to write your business school application essays or structure your resume? Below are some valuable resources created by the team at Gatehouse Admissions to support you on your business school journey. If you would like one-on-one advice from one of our Consultants, click here to request a free consultation.

CBS Essays

Columbia Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024

Columbia Business School (CBS) asks three essay questions as part of its application process. Through your essay responses, the school hopes to better understand your experiences and career goals, as well as your rationale for wanting to pursue your MBA at CBS specifically. We at Gatehouse appreciate the program’s range of essay topics because it allows applicants …

Read More

Stanford GSB Essays

Stanford Graduate School of Business Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024

The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) holds the title of being the world’s most discriminating MBA program. With an acceptance rate that hovers around 7%, the business school has the enviable position of curating a class of amazing stars. Yet, there is an unenviable side to this as well:  so many of the GSB’s …

Read More

HBS Essays

Harvard Business School Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024

Harvard Business School (HBS) announced its essay question for the 2023–2024 application season today. The good news is that this essay prompt is not new; in fact, HBS has used this exact question every year except one since the 2012–2013 application season, with the only notable change being the addition of an official word limit …

Read More

Michigan Ross

Ross School of Business Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2022–2023

The Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan prides itself on its strong, vibrant, and welcoming MBA community. From the officers on the business school admissions team to the MBA students to the professors, everyone knows the tune of “Go Big Blue!” and feels part of the broader university. This sense of “welcoming …

Read More

Duke Fuqua

Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2022–2023

While doing your research into Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, you have undoubtedly come across “Team Fuqua.” The phrase helps outsiders understand the spirit of the school’s culture, in which everyone works together and is an integral part of a larger whole. But to those on campus, it means even more: Team Fuqua represents …

Read More

MIT Sloan Essays

MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2022–2023

MIT Sloan seeks individuals with confidence but not arrogance. The atmosphere on campus is considered “scrappy” and humble, never stuffy or competitive. The school wants people who are eager to learn and willing to help others do so as well. Sloan also prioritizes innovation, showing a preference for applicants who go against the grain, develop …

Read More

Northwestern Kellogg Essays

Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2022-2023

Kellogg requires two written essays. As with all business school applications, you want to keep the admissions reader learning new things about you throughout. You are multifaceted, and remember that the stories you share need not be limited to professional ones. Use your two essays to convey different aspects of your character, skillset, experiences, and …

Read More

Stanford GSB Sample Essay

Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Example

How many times have you thought about what truly matters most to you? Or what fuels your drive, or what guides your decisions above all else? There is a good chance that you have never thought deeply about your response to any of these questions. That makes the Stanford GSB’s main essay prompt—What matters most …

Read More

Wharton Essays

Wharton Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2022-2023

When you hear “Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania,” the first thought that pops into your head might be “Finance!”—and understandably so, given the Wharton MBA program has been a leading institution in the subject of finance since the school was founded in 1881. But what you may not realize is how much of …

Read More

HBS Essay Example

Harvard Business School Application Essay Example

Writing the Harvard Business School (HBS) essay is a daunting task, and candidates often find themselves staring at a blank screen wondering what on earth they should tell the HBS admissions committee and whether they have anything worthy of sharing. Try to ignore those seeds of doubt and take comfort in knowing that others have …

Read More

The MBA Application Process Part 1

The MBA Application Process, Part 1: “What I Wish I’d Known When I Started My Apps”

Business school applicants who are just starting their MBA journey often ask what they should keep in mind as they begin working on their applications. Rather than simply tell you what we think, we polled our past clients so you could get timely advice from individuals who just went through the process themselves. We asked, “What do …

Read More

How to Build a School Short List

The MBA Application Process, Part 2: How to Build a School Short List

While you have likely heard of several of the leading MBA programs—including the ever-popular Harvard Business School, the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the United States and Europe have roughly two dozen “top” business schools. How do you decide which MBA programs to target for applications …

Read More