| Getting your Trinity Audio player ready... |
Quick Answer:
The Michigan Ross MBA essays are built to test your goals, self-awareness, and fit with Michigan Ross’s action-based learning culture. First, you’ll write a career aspirations essay. In it, you’ll explain your short-term post-MBA goal and exactly how Ross’s hands-on programs — such as Multidisciplinary Action Projects (MAPs) and Ross Experiences in Action-Based Learning (REAL) — will help you.
Then, you’ll share a personal impact short answer that shows who you are beyond work by answering 1 of 4 prompts about uniqueness, challenge, passion, or community impact.
Finally, a concise optional essay lets you explain any academic or career red flags.
Strong Michigan Ross MBA application essays use specific stories, name concrete Ross resources, and connect your past, present, and future to the collaborative, “learn by doing” environment in Ann Arbor.
Here are the topics we’ll cover:
- Michigan Ross MBA Essay 1: Career Aspirations – Prompt, Strategy, and Clear Short-Term Goals
- Connecting Your Career Goals to Ross Action-Based Learning (MAP, REAL, and Key Resources)
- Michigan Ross MBA Essay 2: Personal Impact Short Answer – Prompts and How to Choose the Best One
- How to Structure a 200-Word Ross Impact Essay Without Sounding Generic
- Michigan Ross Optional Essay: When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Use It
- How to Explain Weaknesses in Your Ross Essays Without Sounding Defensive
- How to Show Real Fit With Michigan Ross
- Common Mistakes in Ross MBA Essays (and How to Avoid Them)
- Key Takeaways
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How much should I customize my Ross MBA essays if I’m reapplying?
- What’s Next?
Michigan Ross MBA Essay 1: Career Aspirations — Prompt, Strategy, and Clear Short-Term Goals
Breaking Down the Prompt
Essay 1: (Career Aspirations)
What is your short-term career goal, and how will Ross’ philosophy in Action-Based Learning help you achieve it? Please be specific. Please answer both parts of this question. (300 words)
The Michigan Ross MBA essay questions aren’t asking for a recap of your entire career to date. Instead, the admissions committee is looking for:
- a clear and credible short-term career goal
- a connection between that career goal and Ross’s Action-Based Learning approach
Developing Your Response
Here’s how to tackle this essay. First, articulate your career goal in a sentence. For example:
“Post-MBA, I plan to join a B2B software startup, such as TechCo A or TechCo B, focused on the enterprise market as a Product Marketing Manager.”
Make sure that your career goal includes:
- function (product marketing manager, consultant, investment banker, etc.)
- industry or context (tech, startup, healthcare, etc.)
- target companies
- geography, if relevant (U.S., Europe, Asia, India, etc.)
Then, show why your goal is logical and achievable:
- Highlight your related experience and transferable skills.
- Provide evidence that you understand this career path — and how to achieve it.
Finally, discuss how Action-Based Learning will help you. For instance:
- Share specific examples of Action-Based Learning that will facilitate your career goals.
- Highlight at least 1 other REAL experience from Ross’s programming that will develop your skills.
- Identify courses, centers, and/or clubs that will support your career goal.
Avoid This Common Mistake
Avoid the temptation to provide a laundry list from the Ross curriculum. Instead, connect the offering with what you want to learn and how it’ll help you progress toward your career goal.
For example:
“MAP will enable me to gain hands-on experience in the tech industry, while the Living Business Leadership Experience will teach me how to drive influence within an existing organization. Both of these skills are critical to my goal of collaborating cross-functionally as a Product Marketing Manager.”
Avoid transactional topics about your target salary and the ROI of an MBA.
TTP PRO TIP:
It’s best to steer clear of transactional considerations such as salary outcomes or MBA ROI.
Connecting Your Career Goals to Ross Action-Based Learning (MAP, REAL, and Key Resources)
Michigan Ross is known for pioneering Action-Based Learning. Specifically, this is known as learning by doing, rather than learning through theory.
Therefore, when you write the Michigan Ross MBA essays, you must link your career goals to:
- MAP: Shortlist the domain, geography, and problem you’d like to help solve.
- REAL experiences at Ross: Some examples are the Living Business Leadership Experience, student-run investment funds, and +Impact Studio.
- Centers and Initiatives: Examples include Business+Impact, Business+Tech, etc.
Additionally, discuss how you’ll develop as a leader through the following:
- professional clubs (marketing, consulting, tech, etc.)
- identify and affinity groups
- cross-disciplinary projects with other UM schools (if applicable)
To develop a specific and meaningful response that incorporates Action-Based Learning, talk with current students aligned with your desired career path.
TTP PRO TIP:
Speaking with current students who are on your target career path can help you craft a meaningful response that reflects Action-Based Learning.
Michigan Ross MBA Essay 2: Personal Impact Short Answer — Prompts and How to Choose the Best One
Essay 2: How will you make an impact at Michigan Ross?
Michigan Ross is proud to support a community of leaders and impact makers. As a future member of this community, we want to know more about who you are and what drives you. Please choose 1 of the following prompts to tell us more about what makes you stand out beyond your academic and work experience. List the prompt you are answering at the top of your response. (200 words)
- What makes you unique?
- Can you provide a specific example of how you’ve overcome a personal challenge?
- What makes you excited to get up each morning?
- Describe a time when you made a difference in your community or with an individual.
This is where Michigan Ross MBA essays focus on your character and non-professional experiences.
So, how do you choose the best prompt for you?
First, ask yourself:
- What are my “Ross-like” stories? Specifically, think about when you’ve demonstrated your abilities to collaborate, drive impact, be humble, and show ambition.
- Which of these prompts enables me to share something interesting that doesn’t appear in my resume or in Essay 1?
- Which of these stories best demonstrates my leadership, values, and how I help others?
Additionally, consider the following for each of the prompts:
- What makes you unique? — Choose this one if you have a distinctive background, pivot, or worldview.
- Personal challenge — Consider this one if you have examples related to growth, resilience, and/or self-reflection.
- What excites you each morning? — Choose this prompt if you have an ongoing dedication to something that either connects to your goals or passions.
- Made a difference in your community or with an individual — Select this one if you have a strong story related to community or personal impact.
How to Structure a 200-Word Ross Impact Essay Without Sounding Generic
There are many ways to approach these essays. However, if you’re looking for a simple structure, consider this:
- Set the stage with context. Introduce the problem, situation, challenge, conflict, etc.
- Describe the action. Talk about what you did. Then, focus on decisions, collaboration, and tradeoffs, as applicable.
- Communicate the outcome. Discuss how and where you made an impact. Also, use metrics, if they apply to your situation.
- Reflect on the situation. Describe what you learned, along with how it will impact your future and contributions to Ross, as appropriate.
Remember, “show” the action by sharing a story, rather than “telling” it. A mini-narrative is much more compelling than a formal essay structure.
TTP PRO TIP:
Let your actions come alive through a story rather than just describing what you did.
Michigan Ross Optional Essay: When You Should (and Shouldn’t) Use It
Optional Essay:
Is there something in your resume or application that needs a brief explanation? Appropriate uses of this essay would be the explanation of an employment gap, academic outliers, choice of recommender, completion of supplemental coursework, etc. You may use bullet points where appropriate. (250 words)
If you have encountered any situations that may benefit from context in the optional essay, take this opportunity. Specifically, you may discuss:
- gaps in your resume
- academic challenges: poor grades, semesters, etc.
- why you chose your recommender — especially if it’s not your current manager
- how supplemental coursework has prepared you for the MBA
However, make sure you review these tips for the Michigan Ross supplement. The Ross MBA optional essay is not an opportunity to:
- share another essay from another program’s application
- answer “Why Ross?”
- include another Michigan Ross business case discussion example — just because you want to
- add extra stories that weren’t used elsewhere in your application
Instead, keep your optional essay concise and to the point. Additionally, you may use bullet points.
TTP PRO TIP:
For the optional essay, be careful to include only information that answers the question.
How to Explain Weaknesses in Your Ross Essays Without Sounding Defensive
If you’re drafting an optional essay response, keep an even tone and stick to the facts. Specifically, aim for these “3 Cs”:
- Context — Explain what happened — briefly.
- Change — Talk about what you did to fix the problem and learn from it.
- Confidence — Describe how this won’t be an issue at Ross.
Consider this Ross supplemental sample essay:
“I’d like to address my academic performance during my sophomore year in college, which is not indicative of my academic potential. During this time, my GPA dropped below 3.0 as a result of a personal health crisis. Eventually, I had to withdraw from classes in the fall semester, and I dedicated my holiday vacation and part of the spring semester that year to my recovery.
After getting well, I dedicated myself fully to academics, earning near-perfect grades and Dean’s List honors in my junior and senior years. These semesters reflect the work ethic I embrace today, and the potential I’ll bring to Ross. I’m confident that I’ll handle the academic demands of the MBA program and succeed.”
TTP PRO TIP:
There’s no need to apologize in your optional essay response. Instead, own your mistakes, talk about your fixes, and move on!
How to Show Real Fit With Michigan Ross
To navigate the competitive application process and earn the attention of Ross’s MBA admissions committee, demonstrate your fit with the program. Specifically, Michigan Ross essays that work do the following:
- align with Ross’s values, which include collaboration, community, inclusion, and impact
- demonstrate how the candidate will contribute to and benefit from Action-Based Learning
- connect the program with career vision
- discuss details that connect specifically to career and learning development goals
Here’s a quick checklist:
- Did you mention a MAP project with a specific learning goal?
- Did you discuss how Ross is uniquely suited to help you achieve your career aspirations?
- Did your stories demonstrate your bias toward action?
These are just some of the questions to ask that will help stress-test your Ross essay responses.
TTP PRO TIP:
Ensure that you include specific examples that could only link Ross’s offerings to your goals. If your Ross essays could be written for any MBA program, they’re not specific enough!
Common Mistakes in Ross MBA Essays (and How to Avoid Them)
Here are some of the key mistakes we see across Ross application essay questions, and how to avoid them:
- Being too vague or noncommittal about your post-MBA goal. If you’re unfocused, you won’t be successful in the recruiting process. So, include a target role, function, industry, and a couple of target companies.
- Listing courses and programs without connecting them to your goals.Avoid providing a laundry list. Instead, for every mention of MAP, a course, or a club, mention a specific learning or development objective.
- Writing a generic leadership story. Don’t paste in your favorite story — just because you want to. Instead, choose a focused before-and-after situation that ties into 1 of Ross’s prompts.
- Using the optional essay for extra credit. Don’t paste in extraneous information if it doesn’t relate to the prompt. Instead, provide context that’s asked about in the prompt.
- Ignoring Ross’s AI policy. Review Ross’s AI policy and cite your use of AI tools following the guidelines.
Key Takeaways
Are you ready to stand out and shine with your Michigan Ross MBA essays? Review this guide for Michigan Ross MBA essay tips. Then, read your responses and revise. Finally, make sure your essays are tailored to Ross — and only Ross.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I reuse content from other schools in my Michigan Ross MBA essays?
It depends. For example, you can discuss the same career goals in the Michigan Ross essays as you would for other programs. However, you can’t reuse content for your “Why [this school]” essay response.
Specifically, the first essay is about Action-Based Learning, and your response should incorporate details from Ross’s programming and curriculum. However, you may have a story to reshape and re-share for the second essay.
How do international applicants stand out in their Ross MBA essays?
International candidates can stand out by:
- sharing realistic and achievable career goals — especially if you’re aiming to land a job in the U.S. post-graduation
- connecting your career goals with Ross’s specific offerings
- demonstrating your cross-cultural experiences, perspectives, and how they’ll contribute to Ross’s community
- highlighting your mastery of English communication skills (if it’s not your first language)
Additionally, don’t have to present yourself as an Americanized candidate. Instead, showcase what makes you unique and how that will shape your contributions.
Are online Michigan Ross MBA essay examples a good template to follow?
Reviewing Michigan Ross MBA essay examples can help you learn how to write the Michigan Ross MBA essays. Further, they might inspire ideas, help you understand tone, and provide the appropriate level of specificity. However, we don’t recommend copying them too closely. Instead, use Ross short essay samples for inspiration and create your own take and responses to the essay prompts.
How much should I customize my Ross MBA essays if I’m reapplying?
If you are reapplying to Ross, follow the instructions carefully. Then, prepare an updated resume and a letter that updates your achievements, and submit new test scores (if your previous scores have expired). Additionally, you may also submit new required essays. We highly recommend this if you’ve taken steps to reposition and improve your candidacy.
What’s Next?
We’re here to help with your Michigan Ross MBA essays! If you would like advice and support on your Ross application and with other top MBA programs, book a free consultation with an experienced admissions consultant today.
