mit sloan essays

Essay • MBA • MIT

MIT Sloan MBA 2022-2023 Essay and Video Tips

July 5, 2022

Following the release of MIT’s MBA Deadlines , we’re presenting our definitive guide to Sloan’s written and video application essays. As a quick note, there have been no major changes to the app this year.

Importantly, once you pop open the application, you’ll notice that there is no traditional optional essay (i.e., one referencing problems in your candidacy) included. Instead of an optional section, applicants are provided with two spaces within the Academic Information and Employment Information portions to address any problems in their profile, such as poor school performance or significant job gaps. Should there be any red flags in your history, it goes without saying that it is in your best interest to use that space.

Because MIT’s MBA admissions process is hyper-competitive, the first step to standing out should be to learn about and connect with the program: dive deep into MIT’s courses, structure, culture, and the other things that make MIT unique. Interacting with the program’s staff, as well as former and current students, either virtually or in-person, should also play a key role in your admissions process for MIT Sloan.

Cover Letter – MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

One of the most common questions about this essay is whether or not MIT actually wants a cover letter. The answer is, sort of . While this essay’s format should follow that of a generic cover letter, its content should be oriented to match MIT’s particular tone and preferences.

In terms of substance, the two main areas of focus should be on your experiences and MIT’s MBA. The larger part of your essay should share examples from your life that reflect the values of MIT, such as recent professional experiences and successes. You can extend your focus, however, as long as you make sure to highlight those qualities that MIT is looking for, such as leadership, teamwork, creativity, and communication.

For the cover letter’s second portion, try connecting the experiences you just mentioned to concrete aspects of MIT’s program and/or culture. It’s best to only include relevant points gathered from your prior research and outreach; writing that’s too general risks being read as coming from a lack of effort, care or both. It’s important to remember that the purpose of this second part is to show how you fit the profile that MIT desires, which is difficult to accomplish without expressing a deeper understanding of the MBA.

Finally, while cover letters can at times come across as dry, it’s best to show a bit of style and creativity while writing this particular one. Try to avoid generic language when possible, and try to pique your reader’s interest by employing an engrossing and generally positive tone.

Optional Short Answer Question – Applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250 word short answer question:

How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity, please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.

This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

Let’s start with what worries applicants most: is this a truly optional essay? Yes, it absolutely is. Not only will you not be penalized for leaving this out of your application, it may in fact be to your benefit to not attempt this question. If you have nothing that you can add that would reveal an engaging or unique perspective that helps you stand out more from the applicant pool, there’s not much that needs to be added here. Having said that, the question does allow for a candidate at the margins to really bolster her candidacy with a show of her vibrancy or an expression of the difficulties that she has overcome.

Before you decide to tackle the question, think back to your history. What were the factors and experiences that drove you to become the individual you are? What shaped your world view or the way you interact with people? What helped create the drivers of your life? Once you have these in mind, weigh them against the rest of your application and what you believe others may include as responses. Will it improve the admissions committee understanding of your profile and might it help set you apart? Once you have the answers to these questions, you can decide on whether to include a response.

Potential Additional Essay (Interview Dependent) – The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe how you, as a member of the MIT Sloan community, would work to create a campus that is welcoming, inclusive and increasingly diverse.

Details for submitting your response will be included in the interview invitation.

MIT wants to grow its strong, supportive student and alumni network. In order to accomplish that goal, they try to ensure that admitted candidates will actively participate in Sloan’s MBA community. In order to best answer this potential essay, try to identify how your previous interests and activities align with those available at MIT, especially those outside of the classroom. Feel free to be creative. It may help to ask yourself how you can improve a particular MIT community or association, and how that improvement is linked with your unique strengths, interests, and former experiences. However, do remember to stay humble when mentioning your potential contribution, as MIT doesn’t want to run across any sort of hubris in this essay (even if it’s merited).

VIDEO ESSAY

Applicants are required to upload a 1 minute (60 second) video as part of their application. In your video, you should introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and touch on why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree. 

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

No more than 1 minute (60 second) in length

Single take (no editing) 

You should be speaking directly to the camera

Do not include background music or subtitles

We recommend using applications such as QuickTime or iMovie to record yourself.  Upload the video file according to the detailed instructions within the application.

Video recordings understandably make many people nervous. However, this isn’t like INSEAD’s video essay where you’re asked a series of random questions and need to think on your feet (for more about that sort of requirement, read our post here ). Instead, for MIT you can plan the video out as much as you’d like. The question then becomes, what should you do with so much control?

Before we get to the shoulds , let’s quickly review the shouldn’ts . This is not a place where you should be mentioning any subjects that have been discussed in other parts of the application. Neither is this a question about your future goals, nor is it about MIT. This video is all about you .

Most applicants benefit from taking a personal approach here. First, take some time to outline the passions that define your life. What are the hobbies that take up most of your time? What are the events that have recently caused you to change your mind? What are the principles that guide your daily life? There are many questions you can ask yourself to help identify them.

Once you have a rough outline of what you’d like to present about yourself, consider how to best present those aspects. First of all, this isn’t a movie shoot: a camera crew is not a must (unless you happen to actually work in the film industry). However, there are many ways to bring your passions to life without having your video come across as overworked. If some of your main interests revolve around flight, for example, why not shoot your video amidst aeronautical materials or even in an airplane hangar – either could be a simple method to visually connect the viewer with your message. Beyond the mise-en-scène, we recommend that you practice your pitch so as to make sure that your speech comes across in a natural, friendly, and attractive manner, all while remaining professional.

If you’re planning on building a successful application for MIT Sloan, be sure to connect with our leading Sloan Experts .

Related Posts

5 Things You Should Do Before Applications Open

Planning for Round 2

CEIBS MBA 2022-2023 Essay and Video Tips

Carnegie Mellon Tepper School MBA 2022-2023 Essay & Video Tips

© 2024 • Admission Circle • Designed by Theme_Master

Privacy Overview

How To Write the MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essays

Oct 25, 2022

After spending months fine-tuning your MBA application essays, you’ve finally received that long-awaited MIT interview invitation — only to discover that now you need to write more essays!

With more and more competitive candidates applying every year, elite MBA programs like MIT Sloan are always looking for new ways to distinguish the “admits” from the “dings.” 

Though they may seem small and relatively unimportant at first, MIT Sloan’s interview essays are an important element of your overall application and should be carefully crafted. That’s why we’re sharing our top tips on how to approach and write your own interview essays . By following these tips, you can ensure you stand out and land a spot at MIT Sloan. 

The MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Questions 

MIT Sloan has also long required candidates who are called to interview to submit an additional essay. This year, MIT Sloan’s interview question is as follows:

Required Question #1 (Diversity)

The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. 

. In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

How to approach your answer

At MIT, diversity is a core value . This means that at Sloan, you’ll constantly interact with people who think and act differently than you do. 

Succeeding in such an environment requires a great deal of adaptability and flexibility, as well as a willingness to learn from those who are different. This type of environment, however, is not for everyone, which is why MIT seeks to gauge how you respond to diversity in this essay. 

We suggest you start by considering the brand you are presenting to MIT and examine which examples about diversity you can share that will add value to the stories you told in your cover letter and video. Then, make sure you narrow this list down to your single best story . In a 250-word essay , you won’t have time to fully explore multiple examples, so limit yourself to one killer story. 

Required Question #2 (Data)

We are interested in learning more about how you make data-driven decisions and communicate results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to. 

• Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research (e.g. climate change, COVID maps, etc).
• In 250 words to less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

Considering how short the MIT application is, you should also use this as another opportunity to add something new to your application. 

With this question, MIT seeks to understand how you are able to use data to make important decisions. MIT states that this example should come from data used in a professional context, so keep this in mind. When designing your slide, remember that you’re being judged on how you present the information visually, not on the data itself.

In your essay, make sure to explain how you analyzed the data and used it to make a decision . If you are not able to show how you applied the insights gained from the data you presented in a clear, concrete way, you may want to consider a different approach. 

If you don’t have a job that requires you to use data on a regular basis, question 1 would be a better fit for you. If you do use data frequently at work, question 1 may still be a good option, but showing a real and measurable way in which you used data to make a decision is an excellent way to show the adcom you possess a great fit with their program. 

TOP TIP: Make sure not to share confidential information. If you need to “sanitize” the data, this is acceptable. 

MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Essay Examples

The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice.

In 250 words or less, please describe a time when you contributed toward making a work environment or organization more welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.

As a volunteer at ORG, I helped educate 400 students from all over my city, some in very marginalized situations. Although we were providing a low-cost pre-college course, I began to notice how everyday norms we took for granted were inadvertently exacerbating difficulties faced by the underprivileged. 

For instance, I noticed that I never saw certain students at lunchtime. Lunch was in an open space where most students ate together and forged friendships. However, students with nothing to eat routinely stayed in other parts of the building and were not just isolated but, more importantly, hungry. To address this situation, I prospected potential donors, developed a proposal, and presented it in an internal all-hands meeting, gaining approval. After coordinating with the university community, I helped build a fundraising department. Our first donor, NGO, provided a sandwich and juice to every student, so those in need would not feel ashamed to be singled out. The fundraising department has since continued to build partnerships to benefit students.

This experience taught me that there are norms in place that prevent us from seeing persistent inequalities. It would have been easy to dismiss the absence of certain students as a result of shyness or simply not notice at all. Commitment to creating inclusive environments means noticing systemic problems in everyday contexts and working collaboratively toward solutions. 

Looking for MIT Sloan pre-interview essay examples? Our MBA Resource Center includes multiple examples of both the diversity and data prompts, as well as countless other resources, including interview mock sequences, sample interview responses, and so much more. Sign up here !

We are interested in learning more about how you make data-driven decisions and communicate results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

• Please select an existing data visualization and in 250 words or less explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research (e.g. climate change, COVID maps, etc). 
• In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF. 

A few years ago, I helped lead the sale of a payment company to a strategic investor. Negotiations included a price adjustment based on the company’s future performance. When the adjustment time came, the company was performing well below the business plan, despite not having reported abrupt operational changes. After thoroughly analyzing its financial data, I realized that its credit fund, responsible for providing credit to thousands of merchants, was underperforming. While it could be easily explained by external market issues, I decided to investigate other possible explanations, such as higher default levels. I asked the fund administrator to provide me with the credit database and developed an algorithm to parse data from hundreds of thousands of transactions, which allowed me to identify a spike in default levels. After filtering the data for individual client performance, an unusually high number of reliable clients seemed to have stopped paying.

To further investigate, I talked with several departments, discovering the fund administrator had changed right at the spike period and uncovering the underlying issue: an integration problem with the new administrator corrupted the database. I asked the fund administrator to refile the financials using a corrected database. Since this would incur a fine, however, they denied my request. So, I negotiated with senior leaders and convinced them to use a “simulation” with the corrected database to support negotiations with the investor. By doing so, we almost doubled the amount my client received.

Make Sure You Succeed in any MBA Interview

Though you might not be practicing for your interviews, your competitors are. When you’re competing at such an elite level (and top MBA programs are about as elite as it gets), practice is the only way to get the edge you need. 

Working with highly-trained professionals, like our team of interview experts, can also be an excellent step to include in your interview process. 

• Maybe you don’t know where to start preparing.  
• Maybe you ramble on and lose your focus while answering. 
• Maybe you’re concerned about making errors, discussing your strengths, or addressing weaknesses.
• Maybe you’ve downloaded interview guides or have spent hours reading interview report forums—but still have questions and doubts. 

Our interview prep and practice service focuses on helping you determine what to highlight in your interview depending on the program while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic. We also help you choose (and perfect) culturally appropriate examples based on the schools you’re interviewing for. 

As our client João, who was admitted to MIT Sloan, said:

“I would like to thank Ellin and her team for the extremely careful service they provided. After talking to and working with a few consulting firms, her work was the most structured I found.

Ellin helped me with my interview preparation and provided specific feedback about my pre-interview essays, especially for the MIT Sloan application. During all sessions, Ellin and her team demonstrated a deep knowledge of every school and offered excellent suggestions on how to improve both the content and the structure of my answers. Their service was definitely critical for my acceptance.”

Don’t undersell your success. Set up your 1:1 interview prep and show that you belong at a top MBA program! 

Real MBA Essays That Got People In

School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted

Get Access Now

98.9% Success Rate

With our expertise and 98.9% success rate in placing our consulting clients in at least one of their target schools, we can add more value to your application than you ever thought possible.

Recent Articles

How to Successfully Complete the Kellogg Video Essay

Sep 12, 2024

Why does Kellogg require a video essay? How does the Kellogg video essay work? Which types of questions are asked? The difference between a good and great video essay Make sure you get into Kellogg...

How To Successfully Complete the Oxford Kira Video Interview

Sep 11, 2024

With its focus on ethical leadership and social...

The Rotman MBA Video Essay Questions – And How to Successfully Answer Them

Sep 9, 2024

Why does Rotman require a video essay? How does the Rotman video essay work? Which types of questions are asked? The difference between a good and great Rotman MBA video essay Get expert help...

Ready to start your MBA Success?

• Menlo Coaching
• Top MBA Programs
• Admissions Essays
• Apply to Work With Us

2024-2025 MBA Admissions: MIT Sloan Essays

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, and behavioral essays etc. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for MIT Sloan. 

Organizational Chart

Our goal is to learn about you and your professional background. Your employer’s organizational chart will help us better understand the role you play within your organization, who you report to, and the impact you might have on your department or company.

Some important details:

• Give us as much detail as possible (names, titles, etc.) but it’s ok to redact names if you need to.
• Please circle your role in red so that your position is easily identifiable.
• Make sure we can easily identify where you are, to whom you report, and if applicable, who reports to you.
• If your recommender or references are on your organizational chart (they may not be, and that’s ok!), please highlight them for us.
• If you are a consultant, entrepreneur, or affiliated with the military review our  FAQs  for suggestions on how to approach the organizational chart.
• Please upload an organizational chart that outlines the internal structure of your place of employment. Limit to two pages. Click here to view a sample organizational chart.

Behavioral Essay (Cover Letter)

MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

• Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and can be addressed to:
• Admissions Committee 50 Memorial Drive Cambridge, MA 02142
• Your cover letter should be 300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation. If you have any additional questions, please visit our FAQ page.
• Upload a Word or PDF document.

Personal (Video Question 1) Essay

Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!

• Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:
• No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length
• Single take (no editing)
• Speaking directly to the camera
• Do not include background music or subtitles Note: While we ask you to introduce yourself to your future classmates in this video, the video will not be shared beyond the admissions committee and is for use in the application process only.

Video Question 2 (appears when the application is 80% complete) All applicants must submit a brief video statement responding to a personalized question posed by the Admissions Committee. You will need to use an internet-connected computer, with a webcam and microphone. As part of the application review, the Admission Committee will evaluate your response to see how you express yourself and to assess fit with the MIT Sloan culture. The simple, open-ended question is designed to help us get to know you better and will not require prior preparation. Instructions:

• Please make sure you are using a working internet connection not wireless or shared wireless connection. If your internet is not a strong signal you will not be able to upload. Please also make sure you have the most up to date browser.
• You will need to use an internet-connected computer with a webcam and microphone.
• We suggest using Google Chrome or Firefox as your browser.
• If using Google Chrome – please click the camera icon in your browser to allow the site to access your microphone. If you are having issues with your microphone please re-start your computer for Google Chrome to access your microphone.
• Once the video statement question is viewed you will have 10 seconds to prepare, and then 60 seconds to record your answer

Short Answer Question

The Admissions Committee is excited to learn more about you and your background. Please respond to the following short answer question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your life experiences and perspective. Please use this opportunity to share more about your background. Please do not include any links in your response. (Text box, 250 words or less)

Reapplicant Essay

• Please let us know what’s changed since you last applied. (200 words)

Looking for Last-Minute Essay Help?

MBA Deadlines are fast approaching…

Did you know that Menlo Coaching can help you with your MBA essays on an hourly basis?

Our five-hour package starts at $2,500, and you can work with our MBA admissions consultants on anything you like, including:

✓ Essay and Resume Edits

✓ Recommender Support

✓ Application Form Reviews

✓ Interview Preparation

MIT Sloan Organizational Chart

Another of Sloan’s unusual admissions requirements is its organizational chart. From this chart, the AdCom wants to understand visually what your current role is in your organization or company, as well as where you sit in the hierarchy and chain of command. The admissions committee also wants to understand the role and position of your recommenders, so it’s important to be detailed, thorough, and accurate in your organizational chart.

Click here to view a sample organizational chart.

The Behavioral Essay

To make it simple: the behavioral essay is meant to show MIT Sloan that you have developed some sort of leadership skills, what your values are as a leader, and how you are going to most benefit from their development programs. 

The admissions committee is looking for applicants that are self-reflective. Whether it’s through a setback you’ve experienced, or how you dealt with situations that have gone awry, the school is looking for students who are resilient and able to learn from their mistakes. 

Do not overexaggerate (or underexaggerate!) the situations you decide to write about. Be honest about what happened; MIT Sloan is looking for genuine people to join their campus community, and they are less likely to admit an applicant who has overinflated their prior experiences.

Last but not least, make sure to describe what you learned and how you implemented this in a subsequent situation. This is an expected element of the behavioral essay, even if it’s not directly written in the prompt. The Admissions Team is looking for MBA essays that show you are a considerate leader who will make the best of their time in the program. The school “demand[s] integrity and respect[s] passion.” Prompts that deal with these topics can be daunting, especially when they require you to write about a weakness you have or a failure you’ve experienced. 

The Personal Essay

Like we touched on earlier, schools are looking for the right fit for their campus community, just as you are searching for the school that aligns best with your goals. In the personal essay, this is your chance to show MIT Sloan the values that drive you both as a person and as a student. These values tell the admissions council what you prioritize, the moral code you live by, and, most importantly, who you are as a person. 

In these essays, you can talk about almost anything; typically, applicants will write about relationships in their lives, or times when there was a hardship they had to overcome. Be warned, though: there are some topics to avoid, and we have outlined a few things to watch out for  in this article . 

When it comes to  video essays specifically, we have some advice:

• Practice—but don’t memorize:  it’s always clear if someone has memorized what they intend to say in a video essay verbatim, and this can make your content seem staged and inauthentic. If you find that you’re repeating the same speech over and over again, change the first sentence. You’ll be surprised at how this will throw you off!
• Make sure that your setting is appropriate:  you want to make sure that your lighting is good and that there are no empty tequila bottles in the background.
• Speak slowly and clearly:  clear diction can make a big difference when it comes to reviewing your video essay.

Once you’ve completed your application, Sloan’s short answer question essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

For reapplicants, Sloan requires a specific essay in which you can address how your application has improved since your last application.

In this essay, you can address any improvements to your test scores, promotions at work, additional volunteer or community work, or any significant professional development that you have undertaken since you last applied to the program.

Timing is key for reapplicants, and when you’re applying for an MBA program a second time around, you want to be sure that you are a more qualified and desirable client than you were in the past—even if your application was stellar the first time.

Writing strong, coherent, genuine stories is an essential part of your MBA application. These essays are meant to help you stand out among many other applicants, so it is worth your time to do the work and write about situations unique to your life and that you truly learned from.

Elevate your Sloan MBA application with strategic MBA coaching and insider insights from experienced consultants.

Related Articles

• MIT Sloan MBA Program Overview
• How to Get Into MIT Sloan School of Management
• The MIT Sloan Interview: Questions + Preparation Strategies
• MBA Essay Tips From 3 Top Admissions Consultants
• How to Get Into MBA Programs at Top Business Schools

• MBA Admissions
• ISB Admissions
• MBA Application Tips
• MBA Essay Tips
• Business Schools

2024-2025 MIT Sloan MBA essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

• July 23, 2024

MIT Sloan has a wide range of exciting master’s programs for a variety of students and career goals. So, it might be smart to do your research and apply to the program that would help you the most:

• Sloan Fellows MBA (1-year)
• Leaders in Global Operations (LGO)
• Master of Finance
• Master of Business Analytics

If your target MIT Sloan MBA program is a 2-year program then this article is for you.

MIT Sloan School of Management’s MBA application is very different from those of other business schools. 

There is no MBA essay as such in the application, but it asks for a cover letter, a video essay, a resume, and an organizational chart that essentially serves the purpose of an essay.

In some ways, this structure shows how MIT Sloan wants to admit people with practical (but still innovative) ideas and experience.

Also, the cover letter is a way to talk about your most important accomplishments and show that you meet the admissions requirements. These criteria are: being independent, being real, and being creative without fear—true doers.

MIT Sloan MBA Essays and Application Requirements

While getting an admit to MIT Sloan can be difficult, applying to the program doesn’t come easy either. The MIT Sloan MBA has an extensive application with the following requirements:

• Cover Letter (300 words or fewer)
• Resume (one page)
• Video Statement (1 minute)
• Letter of Recommendation (one)
• Additional References (two)

Organizational Chart

In this article, we’ll discuss how to create the MIT Sloan cover letter, resume, video essay, organizational chart, and the optional short answer question.

Cover Letter

This is what MIT Sloan says regarding the cover letter:

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. 

We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. 

We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.”

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

MIT Sloan MBA cover letter tips

MIT tells you what it wants to see in a cover letter, which is helpful. This cover letter is a marketing document, just like any other cover letter. When you apply for a job, you look into the company to find out what it wants and what it values. Based on what you find out, you send your resume along with a cover letter that is meant to make you look as good as possible to the company and shows that you have what the company wants.

Given how well the process of crafting a cover letter coincides with Sloan’s objective of admitting practical individuals with a track record of achievement, this is not surprising. Thus, the cover letter enables you to demonstrate to Sloan’s admissions committee that you “fit” their program in a succinct and pragmatic manner by highlighting your main accomplishments and career goals.

As you work on this assignment, keep in mind the usual parts of a cover letter: your skills and qualities, why you want to do an MBA from MIT Sloan, and what you think you can bring to the table.

Use your accomplishments, especially the ones that show the above qualities, to show why you should be accepted. How do the skills shown in your examples fit with the MIT Sloan program, its close-knit community, and its culture of innovators who get things done? 

When you make your case and list your accomplishments, be sure to emphasize your role and the impact it had.

Please note that this is not an essay. Make sure your letter is formatted as a professional letter with a date, address, header, salutation, and close.

To learn more about what MIT Sloan is looking for and how to make your application stand out, get in touch with us at [email protected]

The resume you send to a business school is very important because it gives the admissions committee a detailed picture of your work history and is one important document the interviewer will look at (once you receive an interview invite).

Some business schools don’t tell you how to format your resume, but MIT Sloan does. In addition to telling you how to put the different parts of your resume in order, you are directed to remove your personal information.

Please submit a one-page resume. This will help MIT Sloan adcom easily track your academic and career path. Try to focus on your work results, not just your title or job description.

Here are some pointers on formatting: 

• One page limit
• Times New Roman font
• Size 10 font
• Word or PDF formats only

Provide the following information in reverse chronological order:

• Education: Please include relevant awards, scholarships, and professional societies
• Work Experience: Please include company name, title, results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your achievements, and dates
• Additional information: Please include extracurricular activities/community service, technical skills/certifications, special skills/interests, and languages spoken (if applicable)

Video Essay

Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

• No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length
• Single take (no editing) 
• Speaking directly to the camera
• Do not include background music or subtitles”

MIT gives you plenty of time to plan and record your video.

Given the limited time you have to make an impression at MIT, your goal with this essay is to introduce yourself to your classmates, and the best introductions typically include a selection of interesting stories.

To begin brainstorming potential stories, imagine you are on your first day of work and need to introduce yourself to your team. What would you like your new colleagues to know about you? Or, better yet, what would you want to know about a new colleague who came in and introduced himself?

Because your entire cover letter will be devoted to discussing your professional accomplishments, we recommend that you concentrate on your personal interests here rather than examples of big wins at work.

MIT Sloan does not want you to hire a video expert because an unedited video levels the playing field for all applicants.

While the video allows the admissions committee to see and hear you, your passion and story will invite them to feel your presence and personality. Prepare an authentic, exciting, and enchanting story. Above all, sound natural and unrehearsed!

Avoid being too casual with your classmates, as they will become your future career and social network, but do remember to smile. 

Put on your best professional or business-casual gear for the actual video statement. Dress more formally if you’re not sure of what you’re wearing is appropriate. Make sure the area where you’re talking from is noise-free and that your roommates, pets, and/or kids aren’t going to hear or bother you. Make sure your background is modest and neutral. An empty wall makes for a beautiful backdrop.

This is another thing that only the MIT Sloan application asks for. This isn’t a new part of the application, so it shows that MIT thinks it’s important to know where the applicant stands in the organization’s hierarchy.

The key is to make it informative, with good details about your own position and those who may be in levels higher or lower than you. Organizational charts should not be more than two pages.

You might not need to spend a lot of time making the organizational chart look fancy, but a simple chart showing the different levels should work pretty well. Check out the sample organizational chart that the school has given.

Source – https://mitsloan.mit.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Sample%20Org%20Chart.pdf

Important Q&A related to the organizational chart

Here are a few important FAQs related to the organizational chart.

What’s the goal of submitting the organizational chart?

The goal is to find out more about you and your work history. The organizational chart for your company will help MIT Sloan adcom figure out what your job is, who you report to, who reports to you, and how you might affect your department or company.

What if no one reports to you. Will this part of the application put you at a disadvantage?

No. At this point in your career, you are not expected to be able to manage other people. The organizational chart isn’t meant to count how many people report to you directly. Instead, it’s meant to help the adcom understand your role in your organization and who you work with.

What if I’m a solo entrepreneur or external contractor? What is the best way to display my chart when I am an organization of one?

If you are a solo entrepreneur or contractor, try this: place yourself at the center of the chart, then make branches representing the various constituents and stakeholders you interact with (for example, clients, suppliers, investors, and board of directors). 

My organization’s structure is confidential. Do I still have to submit an organizational chart?

We recognize that some organizations’ internal structures are classified or confidential. In this scenario, do your best to help us visualize your place within the organization without giving away classified details. You can redact names or titles or display only a certain level of your organization. Whatever you can share will be helpful.

Optional short answer question

Applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250-word short answer question:

How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.

This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

Overall, MIT Sloan is trying to learn more about where you have come from and how that has shaped who you are now.

You could talk about how the lessons you’ve learned from hard times and strange situations have changed the way you approach your career, but that shouldn’t be the main point of this essay. 

The adcom wants to know what motivates you, what your values are, or just other parts of who you are. Also, remember that this Sloan MBA essay is optional. 

Alexis Marcus from MIT Sloan’s admissions team conducted a live Q&A and you can get a few tips from this session. The video is embedded here.

Let us help you get into MIT Sloan

We will help you write essays that portray your unique strengths and experiences in the most favorable light so that your application shines above the rest. We have helped hundreds of students get into top US business schools. Let us help you too.

Do you want to get into your dream business school?

Take the first step towards your MBA dream and schedule a free 1 on 1 application strategy call with us.

Related Posts

2024-2025 USC Marshall MBA Essay Tips and Analysis

The USC Marshall MBA program is known for its emphasis on innovation, collaboration, and global leadership. For the 2025 admissions cycle, applicants are tasked with presenting their career goals and personal qualities through a series of essay prompts. These prompts offer candidates the chance to demonstrate their unique perspectives, professional

2024-2025 UNC Kenan Flagler MBA Essay Tips and Analysis

The UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA program is known for developing future business leaders with a strong commitment to making a positive impact. For the 2025 admissions, the essay prompts are designed to help applicants showcase their career goals, leadership potential, and unique qualities. This article offers an in-depth analysis, actionable tips,

2024-2025 Kelley MBA Essay Tips and Analysis

The Indiana Kelley MBA program is renowned for its focus on experiential learning and leadership development, attracting candidates with diverse backgrounds and ambitions. For the 2025 admissions, the essay prompts give applicants a chance to showcase their professional goals, personal reflections, and unique qualities. Crafting standout essays is crucial for

2024-2025 Tepper MBA Essay Tips and Analysis

The CMU Tepper School of Business is renowned for its rigorous focus on analytical decision-making, innovation, and leadership. One of the most critical components of the Tepper MBA application is the required essay, which allows applicants to showcase their unique perspectives on leadership and community engagement. For the 2025 admissions

We are here to assist you!

Want to get in touch with us sooner?

Send us a mail [email protected]

MBA Resources

MIT Sloan: MBA Application Essays

We are back with our List of Top B-school essay questions and prompts! Today, we will specifically discuss the MIT Sloan Application Essays for the 2023-24 admission cycle. Additionally, MIT is a well-renowned B-school that aims to create a vibrant learning environment, rich in diverse ideas and life experiences, for aspiring MBA candidates. That’s why MIT again encourages applicants from all areas of study, including non-conventional backgrounds like humanities and the social/physical sciences, in addition to traditional experiences like business and engineering. In addition, the B-school is searching for curious, passionate candidates with good analytical skills who will enhance the collaborative community at MIT. 

So, What’s your story? What experiences and decisions have shaped who you are today? To understand this better, MIT once again has its unique application process to evaluate all the relevant aspects of a candidate’s profile through their B-school essays. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get moving!

Above all, let us first take a glance at all the relevant dates regarding different rolling application rounds!

MIT SLOAN: APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR AUGUST 2024 ENTRY

  **3:00 p.m. EST must receive all applications on the deadline.**

Great! Now that we are well-versed with all the important dates, let’s get started on the application essays!

MIT SLOAN: COVER LETTER 

Rather than a traditional essay, MIT seeks a cover letter from their students whose individual characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of all the incredible opportunities available at MIT, both academic and non-academic. The School looks out for aspiring candidates whose presence will enhance the experience of other students hailing from diverse backgrounds.

Moreover, the School seeks thoughtful leaders with stellar leadership examples , exceptional intellectual abilities, drive & determination to put their mark on this dynamic business world.

Suggested Reading

How to build your MBA Application 101?

How to Frame Practical MBA Goals Essays

How to bring collinearity to your post-MBA goals?

What MIT Sloan Seeks in MBA Candidates

MIT welcomes people who are ‘independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative’ — true doers. The renowned B-school, moreover, again seeks candidates who can redefine solutions to conventional world problems and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. The School also demands integrity, respect, and unmatched passion for working toward your post-MBA goals.

Considering the above, every aspiring candidate must submit a cover letter seeking a place in the esteemed MIT Sloan MBA program!

We follow a unique framework to help applicants dig deep into their work experience, leadership potential, strengths, weaknesses, etc., and structure the stories in a way that can bring the most impact.

Want to pursue an MBA but not sure if your profile fits?

Talk to our Profile Experts to know your chances for a top MBA Program.

Moreover, your letter should conform to standard business correspondence by including one or more professional examples that could illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

Besides the cover letter, there’s an optional 250-word short answer question for expanding on your background.

Optional Short Answer Question – How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? 

For example, your family, culture, and community all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.

Although MIT mentions the question as truly optional, applicants won’t be evaluated more positively or negatively based on whether they choose to respond to the prompt or not. However, we think this is a great opportunity for candidates. It allows them to share more about their driving force, inspiration, determination, and how their decisions throughout their journey shaped their career. Additionally, be honest! Don’t overstate or exaggerate. Your world need not be perfect; instead, focus on your journey and the different routes you took to make it all worthwhile in front of the Admissions Committee.

MIT SLOAN: APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

A complete application for 2024 entry consists of the following:

• Cover Letter
• One-page Resume
• 1-minute Video Statement
• One Letter of Recommendation
• Additional References – *contact information for two additional professional references.*
• Organizational Chart
• Transcripts
• Test Scores- *You can request a test waiver once the application is open. For more information about GMAT Waivers, you could refer to our article on- GMAT Waivers 202 4 
• Relevant Coursework & Professional Certifications
• Optional Short Answer Question.

That’s all about the MIT essay & application requirements! We hope this has helped you. However, if you are looking for a bit of more personal and precise advice, feel free to hop on a 1:1 profile evaluation call with our experts, where we’ll dive deep into your profile and help you understand your chances to top B-schools with absolutely honest feedback.

To understand how our process helps aspiring MBA candidates see a glimpse of how our Profile evaluations and consulting assistance works! 

For more on B-School essays, you can check the links for our articles below!

Suggested Reading 

• MIT Sloan Essays
• Wharton MBA Essays
• HBS MBA Essays

At MBA and Beyond, once again, we are determined to help you develop a unique structure for each essay question, providing step-by-step procedures to build a specific answer that would help you stand out among the crowd. Moreover, we are a team of expert consultants who follow a unique process to achieve maximum efficiency, quality, and interaction, ensuring a 100% unique and authentic application!

MBAandBeyond

HOP ON A 1: 1 CALL

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Articles You Might Like

Should an International Candidate go for an INSEAD R3 MBA?

Top MBA programs starting in January 2025

Upcoming Events

Ultimate Guide to Secure Scholarships from Top EU & US Business Schools

September 21, 2024 | 9:00 pm

UPCOMING EVENT: Ultimate Guide to Secure Scholarships from Top EU & US Business Schools. Register now

Tips for Your MIT Sloan Application Essays

July 8, 2024

Lisa Cummings

MIT Sloan Application Essay Tips, 2024–2025 

MIT Sloan wants you to make your pitch for admission in a somewhat unique application essay format: a business cover letter. Although the information the admissions committee wants is not that different from what most programs seek, the presentation might be a bit daunting for some candidates. Sloan also asks for a short video introduction, which is probably also intimidating, along with a second short video. Please note that in past years, the school’s application included an optional short answer question, but this year, that short answer question is required. So, how do you craft winning application essays for MIT Sloan? Here are our tips. 

Cover Letter: MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the mit sloan mba program. your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the admissions committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation)..

Sloan’s “cover letter” essay bedevils many an applicant because it is so unconventional, relative to other schools’ more traditional essays. Just keep it simple! Whether framed as a letter or an essay, the spirit is the same: you need to write 300 words that convey your identity as an applicant and can distinguish you from thousands of others. In this case, Sloan’s very lengthy prompt lists the types of people the program seeks: “thoughtful leaders,” “true doers,” “people who can redefine solutions,” and so on. Odds are, with so much breadth in these characteristics, you have an anecdote that demonstrates that you, too, exemplify some of them. So, while “conform[ing] to a standard business correspondence,” quickly introduce an example of how you have exhibited one or more of the qualities the prompt highlights. At the end of your example story, relate the experience and traits not to your goals (the school regards your goals as too hypothetical to matter) but to MIT Sloan itself. Using approximately 75−100 words, discuss your fit with MIT Sloan and your need to experience or learn from specific aspects of its program. Three hundred words is a tight fit; in some ways, it might be harder to write this essay than one with a much larger or even unlimited word count (such as Harvard Business School’s). Still, the brevity of this essay allows the thoughtful ones to really “pop.” 

Video Essay 1: Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:, – no more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length – single take (no editing) – speaking directly to the camera – do not include background music or subtitles, note: while we ask you to introduce yourself to your future classmates in this video, the video will not be shared and is for use in the application process only..

Sixty seconds! One take! This is another daunting prompt that requires a step back. But MIT Sloan will not be viewing your video for Academy Award consideration; the admissions committee just wants to get to know you better as a person and gain some insight into what makes you tick. The prompt specifically requests that you “let your personality shine through,” so before you start worrying about the medium, ask yourself what you would tell others about yourself if you were asked to introduce yourself. This is not a place to reiterate your resume or highlight your work accomplishments. Think about experiences and examples that represent who you are today. What are some bits of information that will help you express who you are and where your values lie? 

The admissions committee does not want any background music or subtitles, so be thoughtful about your backdrop and scenery; a setting that is too busy and crammed with props could distract from you and your story. However, a clear and subtle background could be additive. For example, if your future lies in sustainable agriculture, consider shooting your video from a quiet farm or the produce section of a local (not noisy!) market. Remember that you are applying to business school, not film school. Context might help convey your story, but the story itself is what counts! Be yourself.

Video Essay 2: All MBA applicants will be prompted to respond to a randomly generated, open-ended question. The question is designed to help us get to know you better; to see how you express yourself and to assess fit with the MIT Sloan culture. It does not require prior preparation. 

Video essay 2 is part of your required application materials and will appear as a page within the application, once the other parts of your application are completed. applicants are given 10 seconds to prepare for a 60-second response..

For the first time, Sloan is joining several other MBA programs in requiring applicants to answer a randomly generated question in video format. We have heard some concern over whether this video is meant to eliminate the need for an actual interview, but don’t worry; that is not the case. Sloan wants to evaluate your ability to think on your feet and respond to questions that you have not necessarily prepared for in advance. That doesn’t mean that you will have to wing it, though. There are some steps you can take to help ensure that you will be able to answer the prompt that is thrown your way. Review your resume and your volunteer and community work, and think of stories that highlight your leadership and teamwork abilities. Identify examples that demonstrate you using those qualities, including projects that went well and some that did not go quite as planned. Think of a question such as “Tell me about a time you were on a dysfunctional team.” Then, take ten seconds to compose your thoughts. We suggest using the CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) method, in which you briefly set up what the challenge was, state what action(s) you took, and then highlight what the result of your action(s) was.  Practice talking about each example you have identified within a 60-second time frame. It can be useful to generate a list of sample questions and enlist the help of a buddy who can read them to you and keep an eye on the time. Ask them to throw in a random question or two that you hadn’t thought of.  

Short Answer Question- NOTE this is required of all applicants in the 2024-2025 season: The Admissions Committee is excited to learn more about you and your background. In 250 words, please respond to the following short answer question:

How has the world you come from shaped who you are today for example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your life experiences and perspective. please use this opportunity to share more about your background..

Consider what aspect(s) of your family, culture, and/or community have had a meaningful impact on you. This is your opportunity to delve into it/them and give the committee more insight into who you are as a person. There is no right or wrong answer or focus for this essay. Just be honest. 

Reapplicants: For applicants who applied for entry in a previous year, we require that you complete and submit a new and complete application. We strongly encourage you to submit new application materials and emphasize what has changed since you last applied. Reapplicants may submit their applications in any round, and will have an opportunity to highlight changes since their previous application in a short-answer question. LGO reapplicants must submit their applications by the LGO deadline of November 6.

In your new essays, be sure to clarify and highlight how you have grown and strengthened your candidacy since you last applied. Ideally, you have improved on some aspect(s) of your profile — whether that is a higher test score, more work experience, a promotion, or something similar. Be sure to note what it is about the school that has motivated you to apply again, and present the specific and sincere reasons you value an MBA from MIT Sloan.

While not an essay, an organizational chart is also required and gives many applicants pause.

To help us better understand your current role and the impact that you have on your team and department, please submit an organizational chart. We should be able to clearly understand the internal structure of your organization, where you sit in your organization, and your line of reporting.

Organizational charts should not be more than two pages and keep the following in mind:, – give us as much detail as possible (names, titles, etc.) but it’s ok to redact names if you need to., – please circle your role in red so that your position is easily identifiable, – make sure we can easily identify where you are, to whom you report, and if applicable, who reports to you., – if your recommender or references are on your organizational chart (they may not be, and that’s ok), please highlight them for us., – if you are a consultant, entrepreneur, or affiliated with the military review our  for suggestions on how to approach the organizational chart..

Through your chart, MIT wants to see where you sit in your organization overall and in relation to your recommenders. Additionally, they want to see whether you have any direct or indirect reports. Don’t read too much into this.

In the Stratus Admissions guide How to Get into MIT Sloan School of Management , you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as the Sloan Innovation Period, Action Learning Labs, the MIT 100K Competition, and the Sloan Sustainability Initiative.

MBA School Specific

2024-2025 essay Cover Letter Guides MBA Application Essays MIT Sloan Reapplicant video statement

Start Today with a FREE Consultation

Learn how Stratus’ team approach gets you into one of your top choice schools. Start with a FREE consultation with an Admissions Specialist.

Free Consultation

Previous Entry How to Use the GMAC Common Letter of Recommendation to Enhance Your MBA Profile

Next Entry Tips for Your Wharton Application Essays

Search Our Blog Articles

• Our Clients
• Tips & Advice
• Client Login
• Request Consultation

MIT Sloan Essay Questions & Tips

If you’re applying to MIT Sloan’s MBA program , you’ve likely given thought to what you want to express in the required 300-word Cover Letter (or, ideally, have already started working on it). Perhaps the trickiest thing about the unique MIT Sloan essay is the word limit, which is incredibly short and forces you to have a laser focus on the elements of your personality / experience that demonstrate your fit with Sloan’s culture. Keep reading for tips to maximize those 300 words as well as advice on what to share in the required video statement.

MIT Sloan Essay Questions

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).”

In addition to the cover letter, Sloan asks you to submit a 60-second video statement, as described in the following prompt:

“Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!”

MIT Sloan Essay Tips

Let the prompt be your guide.

Pay close attention to the language of the MIT Sloan essay prompt because it helpfully describes the qualities Sloan seeks in a successful applicant. Many of these are similar to those sought by all of the top MBA programs – intellectual strength, track record of accomplishments, and ability to bring dimension to the cohort. However, the critical things to note here are those that make Sloan different – its orientation towards an independent mindset and creative problem-solving. They don’t just want someone who ‘got the job done’, they want the person who redefined the problem and came up with a solution no one had thought of before.

With only 300 words at your disposal, you simply don’t have space to separately demonstrate you possess each of the more basic traits. For these, utilize the other components of the application – your GMAT/GPA can help prove your intellect, your resume showcases your history of accomplishments, and your video essay should highlight what makes you unique. In the cover letter, make a solid case – supported by one or maybe two stories – that you are an innovative thinker who isn’t afraid of rocking the boat to enable progress.

Anchor on One Story that Highlights a Capstone Accomplishment and Demonstrates Fit with Sloan

The ideal story to use is career-focused (given the tone of the prompt), fairly recent, and has a connecting thread with how you will contribute at Sloan if admitted. Make a list of your ‘capstone’ accomplishments and select the one (or maybe two if they are short) that highlights how you led in a way that transformed others’ thinking, creatively solved a problem that had stumped others before, or identified an opportunity that no one had thought of (or had the courage to raise) before. These are the types of stories that will resonate with the Sloan adcom.

In addition to telling this story, your cover letter should read similarly to one you would use to apply to a job (that you REALLY want). The adcom has provided the ‘job description’ (i.e., what they look for in candidates), you need to convincingly pitch that YOU are the best candidate to fulfill these criteria. Tell your story but also tell the adcom why they should care. In other words, draw the connection as to why the story you’ve told about yourself (and the qualities it proves you possess) will make you a perfect fit for Sloan. Additionally, explain how you will put these qualities to use while at Sloan to benefit the experience of your peers in class, clubs, recruiting, etc.

Past Accomplishments, Not Future Goals, Should Be the Focus

We find that applicants always want to build in a discussion of their career goals and why MBA / why Sloan into their cover letter. We get why this is tempting! That said, 300 words is incredibly limiting, and the Sloan cover letter should be more about sharing what you will ‘give’ to Sloan than about what you will take away from it. You can certainly orient the ways you will contribute at Sloan towards things (i.e., clubs, classes) that are relevant to your future career goals. But, in our experience, it is hard to fully develop both what you will ‘give’ and what you will ‘take’ in 300 words.

MIT Sloan Video Statement Tips

Since your cover letter will likely be professionally focused, the video statement is a great place to share who you are outside of work and the unique attributes you would bring to the class. Specific content will vary from person to person of course, but remember that Sloan values independent thought, fearless creativity, and passion. What about you hits on these notes?

Perhaps the most important thing to do to ensure you submit a strong video statement is practice. You only have one take to get it right, so you need to make sure you know what you are going to say and that it fits concisely into one minute. This is hard to know unless you practice multiple times, OUT LOUD. Please trust us on this one – you will kick yourself if you work hard to perfect your cover letter only to walk away unsatisfied with what you submit for this portion of the application due to lack of practice.

If you’d like assistance with your Sloan essays or your broader MBA application strategy, click here to schedule an initial consultation!

Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.

MBA Admissions Advice About Social Media     

Quick check before you submit don’t make these three mba application mistakes, no comments, post a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Homepage > MBA Admissions > Business Schools > MIT Sloan MBA Essays 2022-2023: Analysis and Tips from an MIT Fellow

MIT Sloan MBA Essays 2022-2023: Analysis and Tips from an MIT Fellow

Posted by Suheb Hussain | Jan 24, 2023 | Business Schools , GMAT Focus Edition , MBA Admissions , MBA Application Process

The MBA application for MIT Sloan School of Management is quite different from other business schools. The application does not have an MBA essay per se, but has an extensive application with the following requirements:

• Cover Letter (300 words or fewer)
• Resume (one page)
• Video Statement (1 minute)
• Letter of Recommendation (one)
• Additional References (two)
• Organizational Chart
• Optional 250-word short answer question

In this article, Prashant Tibrewal from Admitsquare, who has mentored 1,000+ students get into their dream business schools and who is currently enrolled at MIT Sloan himself, shares his expert tips on the MIT Sloan MBA essay and other application components.

As you start working on your MIT Sloan MBA application, ask yourself if you are cut out for MIT . Securing an admit to one of the M7 business schools is not just about a high GMAT score or a unique profile or a strong application.

While all of these are just “prerequisites”, what remains the most important is a strong personality match – between the applicant and the school. You should, therefore, spend as much time understanding your dream schools, as you would, working on your application.

What makes MIT so unique and desirable to applicants?

Getting a seat at MIT Sloan does not just give you access to the business school, but also to the larger MIT university, which is among the most future-focused education ecosystems one can dream of as a student.

Not surprising, therefore, that an MIT team comprising of students from aeronautics, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and business management beat out teams from 115 other universities and 20 countries to earn the Best Overall Design Award at the SpaceX Hyperloop competition.

MIT Sloan offers an exciting range of master’s programs, designed for a wide range of students and career outcomes. It may be wise, therefore, to research well and apply to the program that you would benefit the most from:

• Sloan Fellows MBA (1-year)
• Leaders in Global Operations (LGO)
• Master of Finance
• Master of Business Analytics

Do you aspire to get into the MIT Sloan MBA Program? A 740+ GMAT score can significantly improve your chances of admission. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by  Signing up for our Free Trial ! For any queries, write to us at  [email protected] . We are the  most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub with more than 2500 reviews.

MIT Sloan MBA Application Deadlines

Take a look at this article to know the MBA application deadlines of other business schools.

MIT Sloan MBA Essays and Application Requirements

While getting an admit at MIT Sloan can be difficult, applying to the program doesn’t come easy either. The MIT Sloan MBA has an extensive application with the following requirements:

MIT Sloan Cover Letter Analysis and Sample Essay Structure

“MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.”

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia, and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

The MIT admissions team, including Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson, has been the most consistent admissions team among the top business schools, ensuring the highest quality of student recruitment over the years.

The team, having retained the Cover Letter requirement for the fifth year now, clearly loves the format and how it has helped assess applicants. An open-ended question such as this comes with a high risk of submitting an essay that may not be aligned with the expectations of the admissions team.

Why such a short (300 word) cover letter, in contrast to other schools that allow much more space and scope to present yourself?

Well, for an MIT applicant with rich professional experience, applying to a business school is pretty similar to applying for a job. This is your opportunity to convince the team why they should consider your application over thousands of other well-qualified applicants.

Candidates often end up presenting a verbose, high level, broad-based career summary, which is exactly what the adcom doesn’t want to read. With access to your resume, one can pretty much trace your career path and gain a broad level of understanding.

The MIT Cover Letter lays down focused guidelines and seeks to understand specific aspects of your personal and/or professional life. “We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.”

While the school encourages these qualities among its students, to be able to establish through your cover letter that you have already demonstrated these qualities, will be the key to a strong cover letter.

Further, understanding the MIT Style of Leadership or the Problem-led Leadership will be an interesting exercise to help you develop a stronger application. The question specifically asks to substantiate your claim with example(s).

As you recollect your best achievements and think of the examples to present in the cover letter, do not forget that it is a 300-word essay.

You do not want to touch upon too many things and spread yourself too thin. Ask yourself what key qualities you would want to establish through the cover letter and find the best example that demonstrates the quality.

If space permits, back it with another short example. While it goes without saying that you use the STAR format, but go deep with “how” you did what you did. Talk about the extrinsic as well as the intrinsic motivations behind your actions.

And while you do all this, do not lose track of the primary purpose behind writing this cover letter – “to seek a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program”.

A good part of your essay should touch upon why you are seeking a place in the program (your short term and long term career plans) and how the MIT MBA will equip you to achieve your plans. How well you know yourself and how well you know the school is both critical to presenting a strong match.

MIT Sloan Resume Format

The resume you submit to a business school holds extremely high significance, given that it helps the adcom get a detailed perspective about your professional experience and is often the only document that the interviewer has access to (once you receive an interview invite).

Not all business schools prescribe a resume format, but MIT Sloan does. In addition to suggesting the order of the different components of the resume, you are specifically asked to redact your personal information. Further, the following are the instructions to be followed.

Please submit a one-page resume that includes the following information and formatting:

• One page limit
• Times New Roman font
• Size 10 font
• Word or PDF formats only
• Redact (remove or blackout) your name, address, and contact information

 For formatting purposes, please list the information in the following order in reverse chronological order:

• Education – please feel free to include relevant awards, scholarships, and professional societies.
• Company name
• Results-oriented bullets that demonstrate your skillset, and
• Additional information – languages, extracurricular activities/community service, technical skills/certifications, and special skills/interests (if appropriate).

MIT Sloan MBA application video statement

Applicants are required to upload a 1-minute video as part of their application. In your video, you should introduce yourself to your future classmates, tell us about your past experiences, and touch on why MIT Sloan is the best place for you to pursue your degree.

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

• No more than 1 minute in length
• Single take (no editing)
• You should be speaking directly to the camera
• Do not include background music or subtitles

When most other schools are using the Kira video format where you must answer the video questions live, MIT allows you enough time to plan and record your video.

Is this supposed to be your Elevator Pitch? Probably yes, albeit a more personal one. Having presented most of your information through your resume and the cover letter, this should be your space to “connect” with your future classmates as well as the admissions committee.

You may talk about your personal background, unique life experiences, interests, and passions, and how specific opportunities at MIT connect with your plans and interest areas.

Sloan doesn’t want you to hire a video expert – an unedited video makes it a level playing field for all applicants.

While the video will allow the admissions committee to see you and hear you, it is your passion and your story that will invite them to feel your presence and personality. Prepare a story that is authentic, exciting, and enchanting. Above all, sound fluent, but not rehearsed!

The following article discusses the analysis and tips related to MIT Sloan video statement in detail. Have a look! 4 tips to ace MIT Sloan video statement . You can also refer to the following article for insights on how to make an impressive MBA application video essay: Make an impactful MBA Application Video Essay .

MIT Sloan Letter of Recommendation and Additional References

Several schools are now moving to a single recommendation, thus making the application less demanding for the candidate.

While the MIT LOR format isn’t very different, what’s unique is the requirement for two Additional References. These references do not need to submit any document upfront, but they may be called if required.

Choose your references like you would choose your recommenders – people you have worked closely with, who may be in a good position to talk about your strengths with specific instances.

Most of our candidates did not report their references being called, but you may want to pick the best possible options, nevertheless.

MIT Sloan MBA application – Organizational Chart

Please upload an organizational chart that outlines the internal structure of your department and company. Limit to two pages.

Note: You may choose to create your own document or redact individuals’ names. However, please provide as much information as possible.

We should be able to see your line of reporting to the top of your organization, and to easily find you, your peers, your supervisor, their peers, and your direct reports (should you have any), as well as any recommender or references from your current organization. For those in consulting, please submit an organizational chart of a current or previous project you were staffed on. 

This is again a unique requirement for the MIT Sloan application. This isn’t really a new addition to the application, which means that MIT has found it useful to evaluate the applicant’s relative position in the organizational hierarchy.

The key is to make it informational, with good details about your own position as well as those who may be in levels higher and lower than you.

You may not need to invest a lot of time making the organizational chart super fancy, but a simple chart presenting the different levels should work pretty well. Refer to the sample organizational chart suggested by the school.

MIT Sloan MBA application- Optional 250-word short answer question

For the 2022-23 applications, the applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following  optional  250-word short-answer question:

“How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, and community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background.”

According to the MIT website , This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

Suggested Reading: “Problem-led Leadership” – Are you cut out for the MIT Sloan MBA? Applying to Kellogg? Read our detailed Kellogg Essay Analysis

About the Author

Prashant Tibrewal is the founder of Admit Square Consulting and has mentored 1000+ MBA aspirants to get into top global universities such as Harvard, Stanford, INSEAD, Oxford, HEC, ISB, etc. Prashant has also served on the Board of the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants (AIGAC) and led the AIGAC Conference 2020, attended by admissions officers from 25+ top-ranked MBA programs.

Admit Square Consulting has mentored applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply to top MBA programs. With a proven track record of 10+ years, and admits to universities such as Stanford, MIT, Kellogg, Cambridge, INSEAD, etc., Admit Square was awarded the Most Successful International MBA Consulting Company in India at the India Education Awards, 2019. With a team of Consultants from top business schools such as MIT, Yale, LBS and Oxford, Admit Square offers 100% Money-back Assurance on its services. You may send your details to  [email protected]  for a free profile evaluation.

That was all about MIT Sloan MBA essays. Here are a few other that can help you with your MBA application essays:

• 5 Different Types of MBA Essays Explained
• MBA Application Process – Weightage of Different Components
• 2020-2021 MBA Application Deadlines

Do you aspire to get into the MIT Sloan MBA Program? A 740+ GMAT score can significantly improve your chances of admission. Kickstart your GMAT preparation by  Signing up for our Free Trial ! For any queries, write to us at  [email protected] . We are the  most reviewed GMAT prep company on gmatclub with more than 1940 reviews.

About The Author

Suheb Hussain

Don't miss these.

Helpful posts Curated just for you!

You might also like

Browse Related Topics

Take a free diagnostic SIGma-X mock test

Gauge your section-wise ability and get started with your gmat prep.

Adaptive mock test with ESR+ analysis

400+ practice questions with detailed solutions, 10+ hours of ai-driven video lessons.

Take the first step to score 740+

Which program are you applying to?

Accepted Admissions Blog

Everything you need to know to get Accepted

July 12, 2022

MIT Sloan Fellows Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022-2023]

In my two-decades plus of assisting MIT Sloan Fellows applicants ( successes every year! ), I have seen that the adcom values applicants who, among other things, demonstrate consistent, outstanding impact; are on track to become leaders in their company and even in their industry; and bring to the table a point of view and bold yet nuanced, perceptive verbal expression. While your application as a whole will convey these points about you, the cover letter and video statement present ideal opportunities to make the case affirmatively, directly, and vividly, with examples and details strategically chosen to amplify desired qualities, experiences, and messages.

Optimizing your MIT Sloan Fellows cover letter and video statement

Use the cover letter and video to convey fit with MIT Sloan’s enduring emphasis on admitting students who will be proactive, innovative leaders and agents of change . These items together should create a vibrant, multifaceted view of your candidacy:

• The cover letter serves as a lens, sets the context for understanding your candidacy, and, through the requested examples, delves (albeit briefly) into your experience.

• The video essay is your chance to show your fit with your prospective classmates, your understanding of what value you bring to them, and your social and emotional IQ. This last is important because the adcom wants people who, while being amazing in multiple ways, also can connect with people. Sloan Fellows students are expected to contribute substantially and distinctively among highly accomplished peers.

MIT Sloan Fellows cover letter

This global leadership development program is a 12-month, full-time executive MBA program designed to prepare an elite group of global mid-career managers with the management skills necessary to magnify their impact as leaders and innovators. Our guiding principles are to help you develop critical skills essential for future leaders; to instill a spirit of innovation through exceptional opportunities at Sloan and across MIT; to foster a deep spirit of community among fellows; to provide a breadth of electives and depth through one-on-one relationships with senior faculty; and to offer a flexible curriculum to allow you to tailor the program to meet your specific professional objectives. We accomplish this by maintaining a foundation in our three pillars of: leadership, innovation and global perspective. Taking the above into consideration please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the  MIT Sloan Fellows MBA Program . Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria and be addressed to the Admissions Committee  (300 words or less) .

Let’s break this question into two parts:

1. Your fit with the program.  This part may include a brief summary of your professional goals (note that the question does NOT specifically ask about goals so don’t overdo this component) in order to contextualize “fit.” This fit should encapsulate aspects of the program’s unique character; be specific about why they are important for you in the future. In addressing this future, frame it more in terms of what you want to achieve, what impact you desire to have, not so much on things like job title. 2. Examples that show you meet the desired criteria.   MIT is always interested in what you’ve done (action, not talk), so present 1 or 2 specific examples (at least one fairly recent) of your actions that reflect the stated criteria. Use these examples strategically: selecting ones that let you zoom in on notable, relevant aspects of your experience, expertise, and/or character.

MIT Sloan Fellows video statement

Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you! Videos should adhere to the following guidelines: • No more than 1 minute (60 seconds) in length • Single take (no editing) • Speaking directly to the camera • Do not include background music or subtitles

First, keep your dual audience in mind: the hypothetical future classmates AND the very real adcom. You need to personally engage the former while also enhancing your candidacy for the latter. Your future classmates will not know your resume, so feel free to sketch your professional portrait but in a way that adds value for the adcom, and keep it short. Do discuss a non-work point or two – something that helps “your personality shine through.” It could be a compelling formative experience, unique geographic or cultural background, important avocation or activity, etc. Think about (a) what will differentiate and distinguish you, and (b) what will represent a contribution in some way.

If you aren’t accustomed to doing video presentations,  practice  and put some effort into visual elements like background and lighting. Keep the background simple, clean, and uncluttered. Have the light somewhere behind the camera and shining on you.

MIT Sloan Fellows optional short answer question

Applicants are invited to expand on their background by responding to the following optional 250 word short answer question: How has the world you come from shaped who you are today? For example, your family, culture, community, all help to shape aspects of your identity. Please use this opportunity if you would like to share more about your background. This question is truly optional; applicants will not be evaluated more positively or negatively should they choose to respond. This is an opportunity for you to share more about yourself with the Admissions Committee, should you choose to do so.

This optional essay question differs from most such questions, which direct applicants to use the optional essay to explain things like gaps in resume, lack of supervisor recommendation, or a low grade. This question, in both words and tone, truly invites you to share a relevant dimension of your life that adds meaningful context to your application. I suggest writing it. This essay can complement the cover letter nicely, adding a lens into your motivations and perspective. If you go ahead with it, keep it focused on 1-2 topics only and make it concrete (don’t abstractly explain values and culture, but give actual examples/anecdotes that animate your values and/or represent a cultural influence). This short essay, if done right, will also further demonstrate what you’ll bring to the MIT EMBA table.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your MIT Sloan Fellows application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your dream school. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options— click here to get started today !

MIT Sloan Fellows 2022-2023 application timeline

All applications should be received by 3:00 p.m. EST on the deadline date.

Source: MIT Sloan Fellows website

Related Resources:

• EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
• MIT Sloan EMBA and Sloan Fellows Programs: Move from Success to Significance , a podcast episode
• Why Should I Spend Money on an Accepted MBA Admissions Consultant?

About Us Press Room Contact Us Podcast Accepted Blog Privacy Policy Website Terms of Use Disclaimer Client Terms of Service

Accepted 1171 S. Robertson Blvd. #140 Los Angeles CA 90035 +1 (310) 815-9553 © 2022 Accepted

Invent the future. Start with yours. Register your interest!

Smart. Open. Grounded. Inventive. Read our Ideas Made to Matter.

Which program is right for you?

Through intellectual rigor and experiential learning, this full-time, two-year MBA program develops leaders who make a difference in the world.

Earn your MBA and SM in engineering with this transformative two-year program.

A rigorous, hands-on program that prepares adaptive problem solvers for premier finance careers.

A 12-month program focused on applying the tools of modern data science, optimization and machine learning to solve real-world business problems.

Combine an international MBA with a deep dive into management science. A special opportunity for partner and affiliate schools only.

A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

Apply now and work for two to five years. We'll save you a seat in our MBA class when you're ready to come back to campus for your degree.

Executive Programs

The 20-month program teaches the science of management to mid-career leaders who want to move from success to significance.

A full-time MBA program for mid-career leaders eager to dedicate one year of discovery for a lifetime of impact.

A joint program for mid-career professionals that integrates engineering and systems thinking. Earn your master’s degree in engineering and management.

Non-degree programs for senior executives and high-potential managers.

A non-degree, customizable program for mid-career professionals.

Come build a smarter future

The MIT Sloan community brings together individuals from around the world, with a vast array of personal experiences and professional backgrounds. MIT Sloan students are informed and responsible global citizens with the vision, drive, and practical experience to make significant contributions to their organizations and the world. In carefully building this special community, we are looking for individuals who demonstrate:

• Leadership and an ability to inspire others 
• A collaborative spirit and focus on community
• Intellectual curiosity and analytical strength 
• Creativity to generate new solutions to existing challenges 
• Growth in both professional and personal endeavors 

Qualified applicants have exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome candidates who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.

Does it sound like you? Apply Now

MIT Sloan Affinity Clubs

Student diversity is a critical ingredient in our uniquely collaborative and creative environment.

Explore Our Community  

Application Deadlines for August 2025 Entry

The Admissions Committee reviews all applications and will notify applicants of their decision on or before these deadlines. Please note that in the interest of confidentiality, we will only deliver official decisions via your online application.

All applications should be received by 3:00 p.m. EST on the deadline date. The Admissions Committee will release decisions on the dates listed above, however, decisions will be released early for candidates who have been denied admission without an interview. Reapplicants may submit an application in any round.

LGO applicants must apply in an LGO Round .

How to apply to the MBA program

Find information about how to apply to the MIT Master of Business Administration (MBA) program including the application process and deadlines.

Learn more about the application process

MIT is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in education and employment.  Read our full nondiscrimination policy here .

[email protected]   |   +1.617.258.5434 📍  50 Memorial Drive, E52-359, Cambridge, MA 02142