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An MBA applicant writing a cover letter

How To Write An MBA Cover Letter

Introduction.

One of the most daunting parts of the MBA application is writing an effective cover letter. An MBA cover letter is an important supporting document in your MBA application. Along with being a required component of your application, the cover letter for MBA programs provides valuable insight to admissions committees.

It is your opportunity to make your case as to why they should admit you to the program. The cover letter and your resume are often the first parts of your application to be read by the admissions committee, and a strong cover letter is key to making a great first impression. This article will tell you everything you need to know about how to write a cover letter for MBA programs and outline the dos and don’ts for creating a top-notch MBA cover letter.

What is an MBA Cover Letter?

An MBA cover letter is a short letter — generally one page in length — that accompanies your MBA applications. This letter should provide a short summary of what you will bring to the MBA program in terms of your academic background, qualifications, and experiences.

The MBA cover letter should elaborate on some of the skills and experiences listed on your resume as opposed to simply repeating them. The MBA cover letter is also your chance to showcase your personality.

Resumes are very straightforward and fact-based, and don’t really show much personality. Your cover letter has much more space for writing and, therefore, can better display your writing style and thought processes, which can help admissions committee members gain some insights into your personality.

Purpose of the MBA Cover Letter

The purpose of the MBA cover letter is to give the admissions committee an idea of who you are. Similar to the cover letter you would write when applying for a job, the MBA cover letter is your opportunity to demonstrate why you would be a good fit based on your skills, goals, and personal traits. MIT Sloan recommends highlighting how you’ve made an impact in your recent professional roles when describing your professional experiences in your cover letter. However, you are limited in how much space you have to convey this information.

The exact word or page length of the cover letter will vary by school, so it’s crucial you check the cover letter requirements for each school before you start writing. Typically, you can expect your cover letter to be one page in length, and this limited space requires your writing to be concise.

The cover letter is also your chance to demonstrate your knowledge about the MBA program and the business school itself, which is also similar to what you would do if you were applying for a job. Showing what you have learned about the program and how it has informed your decision to apply will demonstrate to the admissions committee you have done your research and are serious about attending the school.

It can also be a helpful way to tie in how your skills, experiences, and characteristics suit the program’s mission and values, along with the types of candidates they are seeking.

Step-by-Step Guide on Writing a Cover Letter for MBA Programs

Step 1: format your letter..

Laying out the framework for your letter allows you to see how much space you’ll have to work with once you’ve included basic information. First, start by setting up your header. Your cover letter should have the same header and font as your resume.

You want them to look like a set and not like completely separate documents. If your resume header is aligned with the right-hand side of the page, your cover letter should mirror this. Your header should contain your full first and last name, your phone number, and your email address.

Business schools will have their own criteria for the font size and spacing for MBA cover letters. You can generally expect to write your letter using a 10 to 12 point font size and single spacing, but it is vital to check each business school you are applying to for their specific guidelines and make note of these requirements.

Step 2: Include the date your letter will be sent and the name of the recipient.

The first line following your header should be the date on which you will send your letter. This should be written out in full (April 14, 20XX) and not as a short form (04/14/XX nor Apr. 14, 20XX). Leave a space between this line and the next line, which will contain the name of the person to whom your letter is being sent.

Since your letter is going to an admissions committee and it would take up far too much space to include the name of every committee member, your letter should be addressed to the head of the admissions committee. Both the dateline and the address line should be aligned with the left-hand side of your page.

Classically, prefixes have been used when addressing your letter recipient, such as Mr., Ms., Mrs., or Dr. However, it is no longer easy to assume which of these prefixes — or one of many others — a person uses. It does not make for a good first impression to address the head of the admissions committee incorrectly, so it is best not to put a prefix in front of someone’s name unless you know with absolute certainty the specific prefix they use. Simply use their first and last name.

Step 3: Include a salutation.

The salutation is the greeting that signals the start of your letter. The most commonly used salutation by native English speakers is “dear”, but “greetings” is also a suitable choice. Following your salutation, you will put in the name of the person to whom your letter is addressed. This should be the same person indicated in the previous section. 

Step 4: Demonstrate the research you have done about the program.

The first paragraph of your cover letter should demonstrate the research you’ve done about the school’s MBA program. This will show the admissions committee you are a serious applicant because you have taken the time to learn about the program and its community.

You can refer to materials you’ve read, alumni you may have spoken to about the program, or a campus tour or class visit. While you demonstrate your research, you should also indicate how this research influenced your decision to apply to this particular program. This can include how your goals, current skills and areas for improvement, and career aspirations align with the program.

Step 5: Pitch yourself.

The second and third sections of your cover letter should discuss how your profile of skills, experiences, achievements, and leadership potential make you a good fit for the program. This can be done in either a narrative or bullet format. A narrative format is likely the way you have written cover letters in the past. In this format, you write in full sentences to tell the story of how you’ve gotten to where you are, where you want to go, and how the MBA program will help you get there.

With the bullet format, you'll still include an introduction and conclusion paragraph written in the narrative style. The middle section is where the bullet format differs from the narrative format. Instead of using full sentences to communicate information about your skills, you will use a list of bullet points. Each bullet point will speak to a specific skill you’ve used in the workplace.

Depending on your industry, this could range from developing financial strategies for your organization to crafting creative briefs for clients and anything in between. These bullet points will look similar to the structure of bullet points you may have used in your resume to provide details on your responsibilities and accomplishments at the jobs you listed.

You will have to balance the information needs of the admissions committee and the space constraints, regardless of the format you choose to use in the middle section of your cover letter. Using the STAR method will help you to write in a way that both conveys relevant information to the admissions committee while keeping it short and sweet.

  • Situation - This is the who, what, where, and when of it and sets the scene for your reader (a.k.a., the admissions committee). For instance, this might start a sentence and look something like “While working as a financial analyst at XYZ Company.”
  • Task - What were you responsible for doing? This should be a very specific aspect of your job responsibilities and should also be something you excelled at in your role. Following the situation outlined above, it may add on like this: “While working as a financial analyst at XYZ Company, I was responsible for compiling data for quarterly reports.”
  • Action - How did you complete the task? Adding this to the situation and task already mentioned, it may look like this: “While working as a financial analyst at XYZ Company, I was responsible for compiling data for quarterly reports. I created a new reporting system which increased the efficiency of data collection.”
  • Result - What was the outcome of the action(s) you took? This will show the importance of your actions and what you accomplished. Your final statement may look something like this: “While working as a financial analyst at XYZ Company, I was responsible for compiling data for quarterly reports. I created a new reporting system which increased the efficiency of data collection. This drastically increased the visibility of our clients’ revenue and expenses, and its adoption throughout the department resulted in a 14% increase in our own revenue one year after implementation.”

Since the cover letter is only one page long, it is a good idea to only discuss a small portion of your skills and experiences. You could describe two or three key elements from your resume if you follow the narrative format in your letter, but in the bullet format, you would be able to describe three or four elements.

The skills and experiences you choose should be the best examples of your knowledge and abilities, as these will be your best opportunity to set yourself apart from the competition. It’s not necessary to restate everything on your resume in your cover letter. The cover letter should provide some additional insight into a couple of items on your resume with the goal of standing out.

Step 6: Summarize your letter.

In your concluding paragraph, it is important that you summarize the contents of your letter. This is your last chance in your cover letter to establish yourself as a strong applicant, so restating how your educational background and professional experience make you the right fit for the program is crucial.

Thanking the person for reading and considering your application is a common courtesy in both professional and academic cover letters. This is critical for you to do at the end of your letter since its absence will be noticed by the admissions committee and will reflect poorly on you. Your final sentence should include a call-to-action for the next steps you want to take. This is usually a request for an interview or conversation about your fit for the program.

Step 7: Sign off.

The final part of writing your cover letter is to sign off. You should include a complimentary close, which is a polite way to close a letter. This is usually done by using “sincerely” or “yours truly,” and there is a line space separating it from your final paragraph.

Although phrases like “best wishes” or “kind regards” are other commonly used complimentary closes, they are better suited for situations where you are on a first-name basis with the recipient. You likely will not be on a first-name basis with the head of the admissions committee, so it is best that you use a more formal option such as “sincerely” or “yours truly” in your cover letter.

Following your complimentary close, you will include your first and last name. The way you write your name here should be the same as it appears on your resume and in the header of your cover letter. Your name will also be separated from your complimentary close by one line space.

You may also want to insert your signature above your name. This can be done by handwriting it, taking a picture of it, and scanning it onto your computer to insert into your letter, or by including an e-signature. Including your signature adds a professional touch to your letter and will be noticed by admissions committee members.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

As has been covered so far in this article, there are a lot of things you should do when writing your MBA cover letter. There are also a number of pitfalls you will want to avoid in your cover letter, as these can cause admissions committees to not move forward with your application. Some of the common mistakes to avoid include:

1. Writing one general cover letter and only changing the names.

Admissions committee members will be able to tell the letter wasn’t tailor-made for their program, and a generic letter will come across as lazy.

2. Stuffing your cover letter with everything on your resume and not giving yourself enough space to detail the experiences that matter the most.

Your resume already shows all your work experiences and skills. Do not waste valuable cover letter space by putting your whole resume into it.

3. Forgetting to change the name of the school or admissions committee member to whom the letter is addressed.

Reviewers will notice this immediately. They will see it as a lack of attention to detail and this mistake could result in your application being rejected.

4. Not following the basic format requirements set out by the business school.

The admissions committee won’t be keen to admit you if you demonstrate that you cannot follow instructions.

5. Neglecting the principle of “show us, don’t tell us.”

You want to show the admissions committees the impact you had as a result of your combined skills and experiences, not just that you possess certain skills or had particular experiences. 

6. Using the wrong prefix to address the recipients of your letters.

As stated earlier, it is best not to assume your recipient’s prefix and instead omit it altogether. Your recipients will not appreciate being addressed incorrectly, and it could negatively impact your chance of being admitted.

7. Sending in a cover letter with grammar, punctuation, or syntactical errors .

A letter containing errors shows you didn’t take the time to proofread and shows poor attention to detail. Make sure you take the time to make sure your letter is perfected before you send it, or have someone else review it to catch any errors you may have missed.

MBA Cover Letter Example

Here is an example of a cover letter written by a successful applicant to the MIT Sloan MBA program. As you will see, this applicant used the narrative format to describe how they started a blockchain currency transfer in response to seeing first-hand the amount lost due to transfer fees.

The narrative format allowed this applicant to tell a story about a relevant experience that demonstrated to the admissions committee their strengths and accomplishments, and to a lesser extent, what they would bring to the program.

The introduction sets the scene and explains why the applicant chose to apply to MIT Sloan by relating what they’ve learned about the school and the way their skills meet the program’s goals.

They do this in a way that’s not pushy or boastful but rather have found a way to weave these facts into their narrative. The conclusion summarizes what was discussed in the cover letter, including restating the applicant’s interest in Sloan. Finally, the applicant ends the letter with their name and signature.

cover letter example

1. What should I put in my cover letter? Do I write about everything that’s on my resume?

Your cover letter should focus on key items from your resume that are the best representation of what your skills and abilities have enabled you to accomplish at this point in your career. It’s important to keep in mind that your letters of recommendation will provide far greater insight into your performance in specific roles, so you don’t need to describe those same roles at length in your cover letter since your recommenders will already be providing those details.

2. How do I know whether I should use a narrative format or bullet point format?

This decision will ultimately come down to which one will best help you tell your story. If you have two main things you want to discuss in your cover letter, the narrative format will enable you to provide more details about these items. It will also be the best way to use the available space since you don’t want to leave a noticeable amount of blank space in your letter. 

If you have three or four items you want to discuss in your letter, using the bullet format may be the more suitable choice for you. This will allow you to make shorter notes without having to worry about transitioning between sentences, which can eat up valuable space. The choice between formats is based on your preference and which one you believe will help you produce a convincing cover letter.

3. How do I know if my cover letter is tailored to the program enough?

The easiest way to tell whether your cover letter is tailored to a specific program enough is to ask yourself: “Could I send this letter to another school and get into their MBA program?” If the answer is yes, you will need to make some revisions to make the letter relevant to only that program.

Although you may wish to discuss similar aspects of your profile in many of your letters, you will need to make adjustments depending on the school’s mission, values, and the focus of the program.

For instance, if a program values innovation, such as MIT Sloan, your cover letter should emphasize your ability to think critically and creatively solve problems. If a program values ongoing learning, such as Berkeley Haas, you should highlight your curiosity and times when you’ve challenged yourself to learn a new skill.

4. What skills and experiences should I write about in my cover letter?

The aspects of your profile you choose to emphasize in your MBA cover letter will vary depending on the school. Paying close attention to the mission and values of each school you’re interested in will give you insight into who the school is looking to admit, and how to show that your skills and experiences align with their mission and values, demonstrating that you’re a good fit for the program.

The curriculum and learning outcomes established by the business school will show you more specifically what’s important to the school. Knowing details about these aspects will further help you to customize your cover letter.

5. How do I format my MBA cover letter?

Formatting varies by program, but typically you can expect to use a 10 to 12 point font size in a common font (Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri). Page margins should be set to one inch on all sides. Your header should contain your contact information and be consistent with the style of your resume.

6. How can I be sure my MBA cover letter is error-free?

There are a lot of different programs out there that will check for spelling and grammar errors. Most word processors have spelling and grammar check functions built into them, and running these a few times will help to catch basic errors. Reading your cover letter out loud will also allow you to pick up on errors as well as identify any spots where the sentence flow isn’t natural or where the meaning of what you wrote isn’t clear.

It is best to consult an expert to get a more holistic review of your cover letter to ensure it is error-free and that you have pitched yourself in the best way possible.

Writing a cover letter can be an intimidating process, but it doesn’t have to be. Doing research about the programs that interest you will help you understand the types of students who are admitted and which of your personal qualities you should emphasize in your letter. Each school has a unique mission, so it’s essential that every cover letter you send is customized to each specific program.

When writing your letter, be mindful of your format and show the committee the outcome of your experiences and how they prepared you for your future as an MBA student and graduate. Now that you know how to write a cover letter for MBA programs, you’re ready to begin writing your winning cover letter.

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Your MBA Applications Roadmap

MBA Cover Letter

A cover letter is often the first thing that an MBA admissions committee reads when they receive your application, so it’s important to make a good impression with it. Your cover letter should tie together all of the pieces of your application so the committee can get a sense of your overall qualifications for the program.

If there are any parts of your application that require an explanation, such as a gap in education or employment, this is your chance to let them know. Your cover letter should be brief and to-the-point, and leave the reader wanting to find out more about you from the other parts of your application.

A good cover letter won’t make up for a mediocre application packet, but it can get the reader on your side, looking for the positives in your application.

How Important is an MBA Cover Letter?

Each MBA program has its own requirements, and may or may not call for a cover letter. Some programs may ask you to answer essay questions or write a Statement of Purpose instead of or in addition to a cover letter. Always check your school’s admissions criteria to make sure your cover letter is the right length and style for your program.

For example, the Sloan School of Management at MIT asks for a cover letter of no more than 300 words in the form of “standard business correspondence.” It should have “one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria” for the program. They also ask for a 1-minute Video Statement introducing yourself and explaining why you want to attend MIT. They don’t require a separate essay or Statement of Purpose.

The Hankamer School of Business at Baylor University doesn’t require a cover letter, but has guidelines if you choose to submit one. It should be no more than 1 page and should “include reasons why you are qualified for a place in the graduate degree program, how your participation will add value to the graduate degree program, or explain any other information useful to the admissions committee.”

Some schools in Europe have begun to require video essays instead of written cover letters, such as the SDA Bocconi School of Management. This allows the admissions team to recognize names and faces out of hundreds of applications.

So, how important your cover letter is depends on what other materials are requested. If your cover letter is the only space you have to introduce yourself, then use it wisely. This is especially important if you have an unusual resume or education that doesn’t fit neatly into the boxes of a typical MBA application.

But if your application includes one or more essays that already provide an overview of your resume and career goals, it may be less important. If your program doesn’t specify the criteria for a cover letter, then it’s best to keep it short and professional and let your resume and other materials provide the information the admissions team needs.

What They’ll Be Looking For

When the admissions committee reads your cover letter, they’ll be trying to get a sense of who you are as a candidate and if you’re likely to be a good fit for their program.

Think of it like the summary on the back of a book: you’ll need to read the whole book to get the whole story, but the summary lets you know what to expect and whether it’s likely to be a match for your interests and reading preferences.

Your cover letter serves a similar purpose. It gives the admissions team an idea of who you are, which is then expanded on by the other parts of your application. In a way, it’s about personalizing your application.

A good cover letter shows that you can follow directions and have done some research into the particular program you’re applying for. The admissions team wants to see that you understand what the program is about and what you can bring to it.

This is also your opportunity to manage expectations. If your GMAT score is lower than the school’s average, or you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, you can highlight other strengths that you bring to the table.

That way, when the team turns the page to your resume or test scores, they won’t be surprised by what they find, and are more likely to give you a fair assessment.

You can also use your cover letter to mention anyone who has agreed to write a Letter of Recommendation for you, so the admissions team knows what other documents to look forward to in your application packet.

Tips for Writing an MBA Cover Letter

The length and format of your letter will depend on what your program requires, but there are several tips that apply to all cover letters. If you’ve ever written a cover letter to apply for a job , then you should have a general idea of what a cover letter looks like.

A typical cover letter has 3-4 paragraphs and is written on standard letter-sized paper in 12-point font and with 1-inch margins. The letter should include the date and recipient’s address at the top left and your name and signature at the bottom.

Here are a few more tips that apply specifically to cover letters for MBA programs:

Write a unique cover letter for each program

Don’t use the same cover letter for every application. Show the admissions team why you want to attend this particular program . Some of the information you include will be the same for each school, but the letters shouldn’t be identical.

Highlight any experience on your resume that aligns with the school’s focus or values. If there’s a particular course or professor you’re interested in, mention it. Also make note of any other connections you have to the school, such as a visit to campus or conversation with a recent graduate that influenced your decision to apply.

Address the letter to the right person

Avoid starting off your letter with a generic “To Whom It May Concern.” If the application instructions don’t say who to address the letter to, then look up the name of the Dean of Admissions or another faculty member who is likely to read your application.

Your letter should be more formal than an email. Addressing the letter properly shows that you understand the conventions of professional business correspondence. It may seem simple, but it’s an easy way for the admissions team to tell a serious candidate from someone who just put a cover letter together at the last minute.

Don’t forget to introduce yourself

Your cover letter should get the admissions team interested in you as a candidate, but it shouldn’t leave them guessing. Remember, this is your introduction, so let them know a bit about who you are and your work and educational background.

Instead of vague statements like “as you’ll see from the work experience on my resume,” mention your “5 years of employment in the financial services industry.” Specific names and numbers are more likely to get the reader’s attention.

Biographical details, such as your country of origin or the time that you spent studying abroad, are also useful to present a well-rounded picture.

Advocate for yourself (and back it up)

The cover letter is an opportunity to sell yourself as a qualified applicant, and that means explaining any inconsistencies in your application. Did you change your course of study in the middle of your degree? Did you take a year off of work to volunteer overseas?

Gaps or inconsistencies in your resume may make perfect sense once you explain them. Ideally, you’ll have a strong Letter of Recommendation to back up your claims. A shift in your career path or education may make more sense if you have a supervisor who is able to vouch for your abilities and on-the-job work experience.

That said, don’t exaggerate or make things up. A clever cover letter won’t get you into an MBA program if you don’t meet the minimum admission requirements.

MBA Cover Letter Example

Let’s take a look at an example to see what a standard cover letter should look like. This letter was submitted as part of an application for an MBA at West Coast University. The letter is only around 150 words in all, making it a very clear and concise example.

The letter starts off with a standard greeting “To Members of the Admissions Committee”. You can address your letter to an individual if you know the name of the Dean, but this is an effective introduction and is more specific than “To Whom It May Concern”.

Next, the applicant clearly states the purpose of the letter and goes on to reference a personal connection to the school in the form of an alumni interview. The information includes a specific name and date if the admissions committee wants to verify it.

“This letter expresses my interest in applying for admission to the School of Management’s Fall 2003 MBA Program. On December 21, 2002, I had the pleasure of interviewing with your alumnus, Mr. Stephen Meeker, a meeting that solidified my decision.”

Then, the applicant mentions what it is about the program that they’re drawn to. They show the research that they’ve done and highlight some of the program’s features:

“After comprehensive research into your program, I was pleased with your educational policies and the culturally diverse environment in which I can learn much from both professors and students of many nations.”

This paragraph is short, and could include a little bit more information on the specific focus of study or likely career path, but it gets the job done.

Next, they bring up their resume as evidence of their qualifications. Without going into too much detail up front, they mention a few skills and experiences that the admissions team can look out for in other sections of the application:

The enclosed resume provides my inclusive and accomplished background, including:

Seven years of experience in international banking.

Strong quantitative and analytical skills.

Fluency and solid communication capabilities in English, French, and Italian.

Inspirational leadership in a cross-cultural environment in France and Italy.

While they don’t mention much about their educational background, their skill in three different languages is likely to make them stand out from other applicants.

Finally, they go on to mention future steps they will take to further their investment in the program, including an upcoming visit to campus. They provide contact info so that they can easily be reached for the next step in the application process:

“I will be visiting West Coast University during the second week of February to audit classes and interact with the students. Should you require additional information, I can be reached at the number above.”

This is a relatively short cover letter, but it includes all of the important information in a clear and straightforward way. The applicant could have offered more details on their education, for example, but chose to highlight their overseas experience instead.

In general, a cover letter is less detailed than a personal essay or Statement of Purpose, so it’s best to stick to a single page and 3-4 paragraphs. If your program asks for a longer letter or a personal essay, you can go into more detail about your current employment or career goals, but don’t repeat the same info too many times in your application.

If you’re asked to submit a video introduction instead, you can cover the same points in your video as you would in your cover letter. Your video should appear casual and less formal than a cover letter, but it’s a good idea to make some notes and rehearse it a few times to make sure you don’t forget to include anything.

A cover letter isn’t the most in-depth part of your application, but it lets the admissions team know what to expect from you. Just like the preface to a book, it can set the tone of your application and influence whether the admissions team looks at the rest of your documents with a hopeful or a skeptical eye.

A good cover letter will help the admissions team see a real person, not just a resume and a GMAT score, when they consider your application.

If you’re not sure what to say in your cover letter, don’t worry. Whether your MBA program requires a standard cover letter, a personal essay, or a video, we can help you figure it out. We’ll make sure that you’re clear on the application requirements and submit the right type of cover letter for your program to increase your chances of success.

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Home » 07 Professional MBA Cover Letter Samples [Free]

07 Professional MBA Cover Letter Samples [Free]

MBA Cover Letter

A well-crafted cover letter is a critical component of any job application. The cover letter allows you to introduce yourself to a potential employer, and provides an opportunity to highlight your most relevant qualifications and experience. When applying for an MBA program, it’s important to take the time to create a customized cover letter that specifically addresses the needs of the institution. In today’s blog post, we’ll provide some tips on how to write an effective MBA cover letter. Stay tuned!

Table of Contents

How To Write MBA Cover Letter?

When it comes to applying for an MBA program, your cover letter is just as important as your resume. In fact, many admissions committees place equal weight on both the cover letter and resume when making their decisions. Therefore, it’s essential that you take the time to craft a well-written and effective cover letter.

Here are some tips to help you write a strong MBA cover letter:

  • Start by introducing yourself

In your cover letter, you should start by introducing yourself and briefly explaining why you are interested in pursuing an MBA. Be sure to mention your specific program of interest and how it aligns with your career goals.

  • Highlight your key qualifications

In the body of your cover letter, you should highlight your key qualifications that make you a strong candidate for the MBA program. Be sure to touch on both your academic achievements as well as your professional experience.

  • Explain why you’re a good fit for the program

In addition to highlighting your qualifications, you should also take the time to explain why you’re a good fit for the specific MBA program to which you’re applying. What qualities do you have that would make you a valuable addition to the student body?

  • Conclude with a call to action

Finally, be sure to conclude your cover letter with a strong call to action. Invite the admissions committee to contact you to discuss your application further. Thank them for their time and consideration.

By following these tips, you can write a strong MBA cover letter that will help you stand out from the rest of the applicants.

Related: How To Write a Cover Letter (And Get Hired in 2022!)

MIT Cover Letter MBA Example

Cover Letter For MBA Freshers

Writing to apply for the position of MBA Fresher at your company. It is a recent graduate of the XYZ School of Business and I believe that I have the skills and qualifications that you are looking for.

It is a hard worker with a strong academic record. Have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. I am also proficient in Microsoft Office applications. I am confident that I can be a valuable asset to your company and I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to your success.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Related: 133+ Unique Career Objective for MBA Freshers ideas & Examples

MIT MBA Cover Letter

I am writing in regards to your recent posting for an MBA candidate. As a recent graduate of the MIT Sloan School of Management, I believe that I would be the perfect candidate for your opening.

My coursework at Sloan covered a wide range of business-related topics, giving me a well-rounded understanding of the field as a whole. In addition, I gained valuable experience in teamwork and leadership through my involvement in various extracurricular activities. I the confident that these skills would be beneficial in an MBA program, and would allow me to contribute to the team at your company.

Believe that my combination of academic excellence and real-world experience makes me the ideal candidate for your MBA program. I am eager to put my skills to work in a challenging and stimulating environment and believe that your company would provide me with the perfect opportunity to do so.

Thank you for your time and consideration, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Related: Sales Cover Letter: 07 Samples & Examples

MIT Cover Letter MBA Example

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing in regards to the opening for an MBA at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). I am immensely excited about the opportunity to attend such a prestigious institution and firmly believe that I have the skills and qualifications needed to be a successful student.

Through my work experience in investment banking, I have developed strong analytical and problem-solving skills that I believe will serve me well in an MBA program. My experience has also given me a keen understanding of the financial markets and how businesses operate. The confident that I can contribute to classroom discussions and offer valuable insights to my fellow students.

To eager to apply my skills and knowledge in an academic setting and believe that an MBA from MIT will prepare me for a successful career in business. I look forward to discussing my qualifications further with you and thank you for your consideration.

Related: Generic Cover Letter: 09 Samples & Examples

Cover Letter For MBA Application

Writing in regards to my application for an MBA program at your esteemed university. I have attached my resume and transcripts for your review and consideration.

Believe that I am an excellent candidate for the program due to my academic record as well as my professional experience. In terms of academics, I have consistently achieved excellent grades and have been involved in various extracurricular activities. I have also been actively involved in my community, volunteering for various organizations. As for my professional experience, I have worked in different industries and have gained a wealth of knowledge and skills.

I am confident that I can be an asset to your university and would be grateful for the opportunity to attend your MBA program. I look forward to hearing from you.

Related: 107+ Catchy Career Objective for MBA Marketing Fresher Ideas

5 Things To Include MBA Cover Letter

When you are applying for an MBA program, your cover letter is one of the most important pieces of your application. Here are 5 things to make sure you include in your MBA cover letter:

  • Explain why you are interested in the program. What are your long-term career goals and how will this program help you achieve them?
  • Highlight your relevant experience and skills. What experiences do you have that will make you a successful student and future business leader?
  • Demonstrate your commitment to the program. How have you prepared for the rigors of an MBA program and what makes you confident that you will succeed?
  • Be specific about your interest in the school. Why have you chosen this particular MBA program and what do you think sets it apart from other programs?
  • Convey your enthusiasm for the opportunity. Describe how excited you are about beginning your studies and how much you look forward to contributing to the program.

Related: What is Cover Letter? Complete Guide To Get any Job.

I hope you find our tips helpful as you craft your own MBA cover letter. Remember, it’s important to be specific about your skills and experience, and to tailor your letter to the position you are applying for. If you follow our advice and take the time to personalize your letter, we have no doubt that you will make a great impression on any admissions committee. Best of luck!

MIT Cover Letter MBA Example

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MBA Letter of Intent Example

With writing tips and a step-by-step guide.

Featured Expert: Hassan Awan, MBA

MBA Letter of Intent Example

Are you looking for an MBA letter of intent example? You're in the right place. Reviewing examples of MBA letters of intent is a good way to understand what precisely this admissions document is supposed to accomplish so that you can write one that will improve your odds of admission to an MBA program. Whether you've got your eyes set on one of the  Ivy League schools  like  Harvard Business School  or you're still not sure which MBA program you want to apply for, it is important that you be prepared in case your chosen school requires one of these challenging admission components. This blog gives you a step-by-step guide to help you write a compelling MBA letter of intent and share an example to help inspire you. 

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 8 min read

What is an mba letter of intent.

An MBA Letter of Intent (sometimes referred to as a  statement of Intent  or an LOI) is an admissions essay written in a letter format that is supposed to tell the admissions committee why a candidate has decided to pursue an MBA and why specifically in their institution. To do that, your MBA letter of intent should discuss your goals, motivations, and what you intend to do in order to achieve those goals. 

Not all MBA programs ask for a letter of intent, but it carries a lot of weight for those schools that do request this application component. For example, the  University of Alberta  business school requires all MBA applicants to submit a statement of intent. On their website, the school compares it to a cover letter and states that the letter of interest serves to make a first impression on the admissions committee. In other words, if you have been asked to submit an LOI, you need to make sure you are writing one that is compelling.

Students often confuse the letter of intent and the  MBA statement of purpose , but while these two documents have similarities, they are also quite different. It is important to understand the difference between them if you want to write either of them adequately. This is especially true for applications that require both a statement of purpose and a letter of intent. 

The first way in which they differ is also the most obvious: format. The statement of purpose is an essay, while the MBA letter of intent is a letter addressed to the admissions committee. These two application components also cover suitableness for an MBA program differently. Where a statement of purpose is a general essay focused on your suitability for your chosen MBA program, a letter of intent is more detailed. In your letter of intent, you need to talk about how you intend to make use of or learn from specific program features.

Check out our tips for a stellar MBA resume:

Furthermore, even though you discuss your past experiences in both application components, the way you do it is different here too. In your statement of purpose, you discuss your experiences and connect those past experiences to your long-term career goals. You need to take things a step further in your letter of intent. The program committee will want to hear about the specific skills that you learned from these experiences. 

Now that you know what an MBA letter of intent is, you need to know how to write one that will convince the admission board that you are the right candidate for their program. Written application components like the  MBA personal statement , MBA statement of purpose, and letter of intent require time and effort to prepare. That is why we recommend giving yourself at least six to eight weeks to compose a compelling essay. That is enough time for you to thoroughly research the program in question and gather all the information that could be helpful to you before you start to draft, redraft, and finalize your letter of intent.

For an MBA letter of intent to be effective, it needs to discuss specific details about the school and the MBA program you are applying to. You can't do that if you don't have information. That is why it's important to take the time to research and learn as much as possible about the school in question. Write down everything about the curriculum, the culture, and the overall program that interests you. For example, if you find out that one of the instructors at the university you're applying to has a research project that you would like to be a part of, or if you are researching  Wharton business school,  and you like that their program is supposed to be very collaborative, then you should write these things down. The aim of this exercise is to keep track of all the things that make this school a great fit for you. 

Keep in mind that you also need to show the admissions committee that you are a good match for their program. So, in addition to writing down the details about the school, you should also think about your grades, background, past experiences, and career goals and how they align with your chosen school's values and goals. 

To help with the brainstorming process, you can ask yourself the following questions: 

  • How will an MBA program help me achieve my goals?
  • What valuable experiences did I have during my undergraduate/ working years?
  • How did those experiences inspire my interest in an MBA program?
  • What are some problems in my field/ organization that I want to fix?
  • What do I find intriguing about this school and the experience it provides?
  • Is there anything particularly appealing to m about this school’s curriculum? The campus of this school? Any professors at this school?
  • What resources does this school offer that can help me? 
  • Why should they admit me?
  •  What values do I have that the school is seeking?

Step 2: Plan/structure your essay

When you have done enough research on the school and answered some of the questions above, you should have enough to talk about in your letter. Now, it's time to organize your thoughts and structure your letter. You can do this by creating an outline and writing down the key points you want to cover in each paragraph of your letter. This will allow you to check that your letter has a good flow and that it will be easy to follow. 

The word count for your MBA letter of intent will depend on the specific school you're applying to. Generally, the limit ranges between 250 to 1000 words. You will need to verify the information provided by the admissions team and tailor your statement as per their requirements. Keep in mind that some schools may also request a specific format or stylistic guideline, so make sure that the structure you are using follows those too.

Once you are satisfied with the outline of your letter, you can start to fill in the gaps and write your actual MBA letter of intent. The exact information you provide in these paragraphs will depend on your reasons for pursuing an MBA and your motivation to attend this school in particular. 

Talk about the experiences that have prepared you for this program and the most significant factors that influenced your decision. While you do not want to get too personal, these paragraphs should be genuine, and your personality should shine through. Use short anecdotes and specific examples to achieve this. It will also have the added benefit of showing instead of just telling the admissions committee about your strengths.

Have you started preparing for your MBA interviews? This video can help: 

Step 4: Proofread and edit

Your first draft will probably not be the one you submit with your MBA application. Like with your other application components, your  MBA resume  or MBA personal statement, for example, you need to make sure that the letter of intent is free from grammatical errors and typos. It should also be easy to read, concise and compelling. We recommend reaching out to an  MBA essay consultant  so that they can review your letter and make sure it is up to par. A consultant can help you identify the strengths in your letter and give you the tools to improve on the weaker points in your MBA letter of intent. 

Dear [University] admissions committee, 

I want to start by thanking you for taking the time to review my application and this additional letter. I'm applying to the [University] MBA/MA International Studies Program because I believe that the rigorous curriculum it offers covers everything that I need to learn about business management and international studies to achieve my career goals. 

I was fortunate enough to be born in a family that values and encourages education. My parents moved from Ghana to the United States when I was seven years old, and one of my earliest memories in my new country was a day trip to DC, where we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was during that trip that I first started asking questions about history, politics, and how different countries interact with each other. 

Over the years, my interest in political science and international studies has grown. So much so that I pursued a bachelor's degree in the subject. I have become particularly interested in money and technology's impact on politics and international relations. My goal is to learn as much as possible about the management of resources like money, technology, and labor, in today's interconnected world and use that knowledge to help companies and non-profits that are trying to help underdeveloped nations.

I have been working as a project manager for one of those nonprofit companies for just over five years, and I feel that one of my duties is to stay informed and keep up with the newest research and developments in business management, economics, and international relations. That is how I came across the research that Dr. Elaine Thomson from your MBA/MA International relations department is conducting. 

I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Thomson in the past as a teacher's assistant, and I know that she is very passionate about bridging the financial gap between "first world" and "third world" nations. Something that I also care about deeply. So, when I found out that she was exploring the impact of globalization on the international economic order, I was intrigued, and I wanted to learn from her once more. She is one of the many brilliant professors in the department that I hope to have the opportunity to learn from and, one day, maybe even work with again. 

 My experience as a manager for a non-profit company has allowed me to learn a great deal about business management, but I know that there is a lot more that I do not understand yet. I believe that my passion for both of these fields, dedication, and work ethic make me a great fit for your program. Furthermore, my work and research experience, along with my academic background, have prepared me for your curriculum. 

I am not only eager to learn, but ready to do so. I genuinely hope that you will give me the opportunity to do so come September. 

Sincerely, 

James Kweku

Writing an MBA letter of intent is no easy task. You need to give yourself enough time to research the school you are applying to (specifically their MBA program), brainstorm, structure your letter, and then you can start writing and editing until it is polished and ready to submit. If you follow the step-by-step process outlined above, you are well on your way to writing a solid MBA letter of intent. Furthermore, you can always reach out to an MBA admissions consultant for additional assistance.

MBA programs can be pretty challenging to get into. For example, some business schools, like Stanford business school , have acceptance rates as low as 6%. So, if you want to get an offer of admission, you need to create an application that stands out.

Your MBA letter of intent is supposed to tell the admissions committee what you intend to do in their program and afterward. Your statement should discuss your reasons for choosing their MBA program and your career goals.

No, it is not. The statement of purpose is a general admissions essay, and your letter of intent is a more detailed letter that focuses that requires specific details about your reasons for pursuing an MBA at your institution of choice.

Your letter of intent is technically an admissions essay, so you should only write and send one to schools that specifically ask for one.

You should address your letter of intent to the admissions committee of the MBA program to which you are applying.

The school will likely give you a word count, but if that is not the case, make sure that your letter of intent is not longer than one page.

You can take some time to research the school so that you can be specific about your reasons for choosing the school. You should also use specific examples as proof for any claims you make about yourself.

You can invest in  MBA admissions consulting , and an essay consultant can review and help you edit your letter of intent to make it more effective.

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sample cover letter for mba admission

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MBA Cover Letter Example

Get the job you've always wanted and find inspiration for your own cover letter with this highly instructive MBA cover letter example. Download this cover letter sample for free or rewrite it using our sleek cover letter maker.

Milan Šaržík — Certified Professional Résumé Writer

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MBA Cover Letter Example (Full Text Version)

Ravi Elvien

To whom it may concern,

My name is Ravi Elvien and I am pleased to be applying for the Digital Marketing Manager job within DF Corporation, Inc. in Toronto, ON as I believe that the combination of my previous experience, extensive field knowledge, and developed skills set makes me a perfect fit for the role. Moreover, I am confident that this job would be the opportunity of a lifetime for me to significantly grow both professionally and as a person.

First and foremost, I am the University of Toronto graduate with an MBA degree which serves as a great evidence of my industry expertise. At the university, I was not only among the students with the best GPA (3.98) but I also won the Dean's Award once for representing the institution at multiple international business and economics competitions. My studies have taught me how to function well in a team setting and allowed me to acquire excellent leadership and problem-solving skills.

Furthermore, I worked as a Social Media Account Manager at DIERNE, Inc. for 2 years. There, I spent most of my time producing original content for multiple social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. In addition, I completed professional market research, stayed up-to-date with current trends, and worked on the constant improvement of web traffic. For meeting all assigned goals and objectives and increasing the number of followers on Instagram from 2,000 to 150,000, I have been awarded the Employee of the Year. Last but not least, I am a native German speaker with a proficiency in English and a basic knowledge of Chinese. Possessing the experience with all software programs necessary for the role, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and HubSpot Marketing, I would appreciate the opportunity to meet come in for an interview.

Thank you for your time and consideration and I look forward to speaking with you in the near future.

Milan Šaržík — Certified Professional Résumé Writer

Milan Šaržík, CPRW

Milan’s work-life has been centered around job search for the past three years. He is a Certified Professional Résumé Writer (CPRW™) as well as an active member of the Professional Association of Résumé Writers & Careers Coaches (PARWCC™). Milan holds a record for creating the most career document samples for our help center – until today, he has written more than 500 resumes and cover letters for positions across various industries. On top of that, Milan has completed studies at multiple well-known institutions, including Harvard University, University of Glasgow, and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

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MIT Sloan Cover Letter Advice: Maximizing 300 Words

If you’re working towards submitting a Round 2 application 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 this unique application component 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. 

What MIT Sloan Asks for in Its Cover Letter

For reference, here is the prompt they provide:

“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 Assistant Deans of Admissions, Rod Garcia and Dawna Levenson (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).”

How to Write the Best MIT Sloan Cover Letter

Pay close attention to the language of this 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. 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.

That said, you do need to use this vehicle to provide a higher-level ‘pitch’ of yourself to the adcom. A structure I’ve seen be consistently successful is one that is three paragraphs, maybe four. In the first paragraph, without simply restating your resume, you can lay out the differentiating or notable experience you bring to the table. In the second paragraph (or perhaps two paragraphs if needed), dive into a story that supports this ‘brand’ and hits on the Sloan-specific qualities mentioned above. In the last paragraph, drive the argument home by asserting why these qualities will make you an asset to the Sloan community.  

A Successful Sample MIT Sloan Cover Letter

To demonstrate this structure in practice, here is an example from a past client (privatized, of course):

“Dear Mr. Garcia,

Through my role at [consulting firm], and my experience driving positive change in my community first as a student mentor and now as a founder of a [mentoring program], I know that I will be able to make a significant contribution to Sloan. This is rooted in my experiences learning to manage increasingly larger teams, leading projects in eight countries and enhancing both the product offerings of my company and traditional mentoring frameworks.

As a self-described quantitative person who went from a trading career out of college to working in consulting and rising to manage my firm’s [industry-focused] practice, I’ve had the opportunity to learn not only how to leverage data to drive business strategy but also how to manage and collaborate with people with different backgrounds. For example, after seeing a need to extend our product offering to include capabilities in emerging technologies, I proactively led a three-person team to create a research product that provided clients with capability maturity assessments in three areas: digital, data analytics, and cloud. To action this, I worked with [firm] experts and our existing clients to build a framework, scope and go-to-market strategy for the new products. To date, we have delivered research to over 30 clients, supported four […] cases with data and hosted two roundtables that brought together heads of technology from over 20 firms to discuss the findings.

I am confident that the breadth of my experience will allow me to succeed at Sloan while also bringing a unique perspective to the school. The opportunity to be involved in innovation periods and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Track will provide the skills needed to transition into a bank’s innovation team and ultimately create a FinTech firm.

Respectfully,

[name redacted]”

We hope that these tips help you get your Sloan application across the finish line! If not, we’d be happy to help. Reach out to schedule a free consultation . 

Katie McQuarrie

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.

Start the New Year Right! Do These Five Things to Get a Leg up on Your MBA Applications

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The Full-Time MBA Cover Letter and Optional Statement

Mba cover letter.

The application cover letter is a critical means of learning who you are as an applicant and assessing your communication and writing skills. Here is the prompt to help guide you in writing the application cover letter:

Please write an application cover letter summarizing your aspirations, qualifications, personal and professional experiences that make you a strong candidate for the Texas Full-Time MBA program. (max 500)

MBA Optional Statement  

Please provide any additional information you believe is important or address any areas of concern that you believe will be beneficial to the MBA Admissions Committee in considering your application. (e.g. gaps in work experience, choice of recommender, academic performance, or extenuating personal circumstances) (250 words)  

Honestly, the most important piece of advice we can provide you on the optional statement is to remember that it is just that– optional. Only applicants who feel some of their profile deserves more explanation should submit an optional statement. This section of the application is not to designed for you to tell us more about your extracurricular activities or expand upon the essay prompt . While we love to see how excited you are to share additional information with us, there are other ways to let the Admissions Committee know about additional projects or passions. Your resume and the video assessment are better forums for these additional details. Optional statements should focus on filling gaps or answering questions we are likely to have about you.  

Our Tips for Writing Your Cover Letter

  • Be patient with yourself. Take time to reflect, brainstorm, rewrite, and EDIT. It will likely take more than one draft to realize your final submission.
  • Don’t copy and paste. Do not use the same content for multiple business schools. We can always spot recycled content.
  • STAY ON PROMPT. We actually want your submission to be in cover letter form! Approach this as you would drafting a cover letter for a job – who are you, why do you want to come to McCombs, and how will you contribute to the program?
  • Be honest. The cover letter is a way to learn more about you. Our community values authenticity and we look for submissions that reflect your authentic self.
  • Have someone you trust read over your cover letter. Those closest to you can provide valuable insights, feedback, and perspectives as you highlight your personal gifts and qualities.

We hope these insights into the written portions of our application give you some ideas to think about and some points to revisit as you write (and rewrite) your cover letter. Good luck, and happy applying!

If you have any questions during the application process,  we’re here to help . Please visit  our website  for details on applying to each program and  follow us on Instagram  for an inside look into the Texas McCombs MBA.  

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MIT Sloan MBA Essay Examples

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MIT Sloan MBA Cover Letter Samples

MIT Sloan currently requires all applicants to submit a cover letter, org chart, and video essay with their application. The MIT Sloan cover letter format has been used for many years to select candidates. In some ways, this structure reflects MIT Sloan’s goal to admit candidates with practical (though innovative) ideas and experience. Also, the cover letter is a way to describe your key accomplishments and use them to prove that you embody the outlined criteria for admission. Those criteria are: independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers.

Successful Examples of MIT MBA Cover Letters

SBC has a former MIT Sloan Admissions Officer and several additional MIT Sloan experts on our team. We know the nuances of applying to MIT Sloan successfully.

Here’s a snapshot of the caliber of expertise on our SBC team .

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School Kellogg MBA

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School MBA, the Wharton School

HBS Admissions Board at Harvard Business School

Director HBS Admissions at Harvard Business School HBS MBA

Admissions Officer at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB)

Asst Director MBA Admissions at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Director MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business

MBA, Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB) Minority Admissions, the GSB Diversity Programs, the GSB

Associate Director MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute

Director, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania Professional Writer

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) NYU Admissions

Assistant Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS) M.S.Ed, Higher Education, U of Pennsylvania

Associate Director MBA Admissions at Columbia Business School (CBS)

Ashley is a former MBA Admissions Board Member for Harvard Business School (HBS), where she interviewed and evaluated thousands of business school applicants for over a six year tenure.  Ashley  holds an MBA from HBS. During her HBS years,  Ashley  was the Sports Editor for the Harbus and a member of the B-School Blades Ice Hockey Team. After HBS, she worked in Marketing at the Gillette Company on Male and Female shaving ...

Kerry is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS). During her 5+ year tenure at HBS, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a wide range of backgrounds across the globe. She also led marketing and outreach efforts focused on increasing diversity and inclusion, ran the Summer Venture in Management Program (SVMP), and launched the 2+2 Program during her time in Admissions. Kerry holds a B.A. from Bates College and  ...

A former associate director of admissions at Harvard Business School, Pauline served on the HBS MBA Admissions Board full-time for four years. She evaluated and interviewed HBS applicants, both on-campus and globally.  Pauline's career has included sales and marketing management roles with Coca-Cola, Gillette, Procter & Gamble, and IBM.  For over 10 years, Pauline has expertly guided MBA applicants, and her clients h ...

Geri is a former member of the Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS).  In her 7 year tenure in HBS Admissions, she read and evaluated hundreds of applications and interviewed MBA candidates from a diverse set of academic, geographic, and employment backgrounds.  Geri also traveled globally representing the school at outreach events in order to raise awareness for women and international students.  In additio ...

Laura comes from the MBA Admissions Board at Harvard Business School (HBS) and is an HBS MBA alumnus. In her HBS Admissions role, she evaluated and interviewed hundreds of business school candidates, including internationals, women, military and other applicant pools, for five years.  Prior to her time as a student at HBS, Laura began her career in advertising and marketing in Chicago at Leo Burnett where she worked on th ...

Andrea served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.  In this role, she provided strategic direction for student yield-management activities and also served as a full member of the admissions committee. In 2007, Andrea launched the new 2+2 Program at Harvard Business School – a program targeted at college junior applicants to Harvard Business School.  Andrea has also served as a Career Coach for Harvard Business School for both cu ...

Jennifer served as Admissions Officer at the Stanford (GSB) for five years. She holds an MBA from Stanford (GSB) and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Jennifer has over 15 years experience in guiding applicants through the increasingly competitive admissions process into top MBA programs. Having read thousands and thousands of essays and applications while at Stanford (GSB) Admiss ...

Erin served in key roles in MBA Admissions--as Director at Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley and Assistant Director at Stanford's Graduate School of Business (GSB). Erin served on the admissions committee at each school and has read thousands of applications in her career. At Haas, she served for seven years in roles that encompassed evaluation, outreach, and diversity and inclusion. During her tenure in Admissions at GSB, she was responsible for candidate evaluation, applicant outreach, ...

Susie comes from the Admissions Office of the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she reviewed and evaluated hundreds of prospective students’ applications.  She holds an MBA from Stanford’s GSB and a BA from Stanford in Economics. Prior to advising MBA applicants, Susie held a variety of roles over a 15-year period in capital markets, finance, and real estate, including as partner in one of the nation’s most innovative finance and real estate investment organizations. In that r ...

Dione holds an MBA degree from Stanford Business School (GSB) and a BA degree from Stanford University, where she double majored in Economics and Communication with concentrations in journalism and sociology. Dione has served as an Admissions reader and member of the Minority Admissions Advisory Committee at Stanford.   Dione is an accomplished and respected advocate and thought leader on education and diversity. She is ...

Anthony served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise. During his time as a Wharton Admissions Officer, he read and reviewed thousands of applications and helped bring in a class of 800+ students a year.   Anthony has traveled both domestically and internationally to recruit a ...

Meghan served as the Associate Director of Admissions and Marketing at the Wharton MBA’s Lauder Institute, a joint degree program combining the Wharton MBA with an MA in International Studies. In her role on the Wharton MBA admissions committee, Meghan advised domestic and international applicants; conducted interviews and information sessions domestically and overseas in Asia, Central and South America, and Europe; and evaluated applicants for admission to the program. Meghan also managed ...

Amy comes from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania where she was Associate Director. Amy devoted 12 years at the Wharton School, working closely with MBA students and supporting the admissions team.  During her tenure at Wharton, Amy served as a trusted adviser to prospective applicants as well as admitted and matriculated students.  She conducted admissions chats with applicants early in the admissions ...

Ally brings six years of admissions experience to the SBC team, most recently as an Assistant Director of Admission for the full-time MBA program at Columbia Business School (CBS).  During her time at Columbia, Ally was responsible for reviewing applications, planning recruitment events, and interviewing candidates for both the full-time MBA program and the Executive MBA program. She traveled both internationally and dome ...

Erin has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU's Stern School of Business. At Columbia Business School, Erin was an Assistant Director of Admissions where she evaluated applications for both the full time and executive MBA programs, sat on the admissions and merit scholarship committees and advised applicants on which program might be the best fit for them based on their work experience and pro ...

Emma comes from the MBA Admissions Office at Columbia Business School (CBS), where she was Associate Director.  Emma conducted dozens of interviews each cycle for the MBA and EMBA programs, as well as coordinating the alumni ambassador interview program. She read and evaluated hundreds of applications each cycle, delivered information sessions to audiences across the globe, and advised countless waitlisted applicants.

Mr. XXX & Ms. YYY

Assistant Deans of Admissions

MIT Sloan School of Management

50 Memorial Drive

Cambridge, MA 02142

Dear Mr. XXX and Ms. YYY:

It is with great enthusiasm that I submit my application for MIT Sloan’s MBA Class of XXXX. After working in education with XXX and spending three years in legal business development at an international law firm, I am excited to share my experiences and perspectives and contribute meaningfully to the Sloan community.

Studying biology taught me that the world is a laboratory and that I can apply the scientific method to unconventional challenges in business. My firm recently implemented new software to integrate several existing databases to improve our experience management and is currently beginning a multi-year integration. I made a case to my department’s director to be a pilot user and was invited to join a multi-department and cross-office team to develop an implementation plan. My analytical background helped me identify bugs and propose solutions, while my business development experience allowed me to connect technical features to practical implications. After negotiating with key stakeholders, I am now working to implement an automated pitch generation tool that has the potential to fundamentally change how our business development office functions and will help us adapt to the rapidly evolving legal market. This experience and other collaborative projects at my firm have helped develop my business and management skills, and I am eager to develop them further at Sloan and apply them to the education sector to help make quality education more accessible. At Sloan, I am interested in exploring the intersection of education, finance and policy through research in the Golub Center for Finance and Policy. Through classes such as the A-LAB or G-LAB action learning courses, I could apply that research to real-world problems while strengthening my analytical and entrepreneurial skillset.

I look forward to sharing my talents and experiences with the Sloan community, and thank you for your consideration.

[Address Line 1]

[Address Line 2]

Dr. XXX, Executive Director

MIT Leaders for Global Management

1 Amherst St., E40-315

Dear Dr. XXX,

At age eight, I tried building the fastest Pinewood Derby-Car by installing a model rocket engine on the car-body. After breaking our neighbor’s window during testing, I learned three lessons about problem solving and life—don’t think like others, it’s okay to fail and integrity matters (I owned up). In the two decades since, I’ve grown and leaned on these values to succeed in leadership roles across in the Army.

I recently applied this mentality leading an Army program innovating human performance training. With an ambiguous goal of improving performance under pressure, I focused my team of leaders on restructuring cognitive, physical and social development. First, I implemented new behavioral assessments to build leader self-awareness and a new goal setting model to focus soldiers. From there, I integrated a cognitive psychologist and bio-sensors into operations—physical training, weapons proficiency and maneuver under stress. Finally, I incorporated augmented reality and a sensor-enabled drone into operational planning. I initially struggled tracking and presenting data, but quickly adjusted to highlight the potential of bio-sensors and augmented-reality. After four months, our weapons sections—a critical Company asset—certified as #1 of 16 in combat certifications and the concept was selected by strategic leaders for assessment in the 2020 Army Warfare Experiment.

I’ve always been asked why I became an Infantry Officer after excelling in electrical engineering; the Cyber branch of the Army seems more natural. My desire to join the LGO community is rooted in this Infantry/EE dichotomy—I always appreciated both the people-centric challenge of leadership and the technical underpinnings that drive our digital world. At LGO, I will grow in both domains and focus on how bio-sensors and augmented reality shape the human-machine interaction. While I may never design another rocket car, I bring this curiosity to LGO and throughout life.

Dear Mr. XXX,

As the daughter of a boutique owner, I grew up in retail, which sparked my passion for the industry and inspired my career. While working at Boston-based [company] and in my current role as a management consultant, I have gained extensive knowledge of the retail industry while also bolstering my analytical, leadership and teamwork skills. At [firm], I led a team of executive clients and 5 peer level consultants to establish a cost management function within a fortune 500 retailer. We trained 30 clients in strategic negotiation and supplier management while implementing new processes. This effort resulted in a new department that drives 4-7% margin improvements quarterly. I have also sought opportunities beyond my everyday engagements. I am the most junior member of a team developing perspectives on “next generation retail”. We’ve published our initial findings and are working to commercialize creative approaches that enable customer experiences in stores. Additionally, I have led several community building initiatives including undergraduate recruiting, learning and development for summer interns, and our Women’s Network mentorship program.

Beyond my technical passion for leading teams and collaborating to find innovative solutions, I care deeply about connecting with people. I am the person who puts their phone down to chat with everyone from the Starbucks barista to my Uber driver because every interaction provides a learning that enhances my comprehension of people, the world and how I will change it for the better.

At Sloan, I want to continue my leadership development, invigorate my entrepreneurialism and connect with driven classmates. I am confident that the Sloan experience will allow me to achieve my long-term goal of launching a company at the intersection of retail and sustainability, and I would be honored to bring my passion and skills to the MIT community.

Thank you for your consideration.

I am extremely interested in applying for admission to MIT Sloan’s MBA Program, intending to start during Fall 2017. I believe that my solid professional experience, including a consistent track record of high performance, coupled with the desire to immerse myself in a community of learning, collaboration and professional development make me a great fit for the program.

As a Technology Consultant, I have been in a project in Central America for almost two years. The original proposal was to only be there for three months, in a mostly traditional Analyst role where I would be doing support work for the more experienced practitioners. However, I seized the unlikeliest of opportunities: I teamed up with two other Analysts who also had no experience with the Warehouse Management tool that was being implemented and together learned everything we could about it. After a few weeks, we developed a working model and presented it to both the local business and global headquarters. The prototype was so successful that we were tasked with configuring the full-scale solution that was eventually rolled out, to great success, in four Central American countries and will be used as a template for future global implementations.

I believe this experience highlights the key traits that MIT Sloan looks for in applicants, including innovativeness, drive, teamwork, and impact. I consider that not only will I greatly benefit from everything the program has to offer, but I can collaborate for the betterment of the Sloan community.

Sincerely, XXX

I’m an optimistic realist with a passion for fixing things. In my first year as an engineer in [XX] Leadership Development Rotational Program, I co-developed a method for eliminating material misprocessing within our factories. My colleague and I designed [XX]’s Linux-Operated Optical Character Recognition (OCR) Kit, which offers the accuracy of industry OCR systems at five percent of the cost.

I’m honored to be the first [XX] engineer to win two Engineering Innovation Convention awards within the same year. I’m currently in Germany, leading the development of a new barcode reader that will save TI $360,000. This fall, I’ll lead a company-wide initiative focused on improving efficiency across all of our manufacturing sites.

As an engineer, I’m naturally curious, and learning from others is one of my favorite parts of my job. For many of my coworkers, I’m the first out LGBTQ+ individual that they’ve known. Through openness and mutual respect, I’ve led teams – consisting of mostly middle-aged men from Texas – in several successful projects, resulting in an early promotion. When I return to Dallas, I’ll assume a supervisory role in which I’ll manage 35 engineering technicians.

I want to generate solutions to environmental problems. At Sloan, I’ll pursue the Sustainability Certificate to gain a deeper understanding of the environmental and social impacts of industry. Additionally, I look forward to developing further as an innovator through offerings such as the Sloan Innovation Period and hands-on Action Learning Labs. When I attended an AMA event during my visit, I was moved by the humility and curiosity of the student body. Sloan’s values, commitment to innovation, and focus on experiential learning make me confident that it’s the school for me. I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, YYY

sample cover letter for mba admission

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Columbia CBS and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.

Meet Erin , who has over seven years of experience working across major institutions, including University of Pennsylvania, Columbia Business School, and NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

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