kellogg mba essay samples

Kellogg Essay Examples

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Kellogg Essay Samples

Kellogg’s MBA essays reflect a holistic approach. Kellogg is looking for both strong academic potential as well as leadership and a track record of involvement. Depth or breadth are valued. The Kellogg essays are essential to showcasing fit.

SBC has four former Kellogg Admissions Officers and multiple Kellogg MBA graduates who deeply know the nuances of applying to Kellogg successfully. If you’d like to speak with one of our Principals about your candidacy, please request a free analysis here.

Successful Examples of Kellogg Essays

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.

Pizza should be a delicious comfort food. But following our acquisition of ABC Bakes, a manufacturer of pizza crusts, it had become nothing but a source of stress. I had the challenging responsibility of leading the new management team in developing a budget and operating plan for the following year.

The successful development of a budget and operating plan requires a truly cross-functional effort, with contributions from accounting, finance, sales, marketing and operations. However, this management team was new to the company and had never worked together. These individuals were all several decades my senior, and while all of them were talented, accomplished operators, few had been exposed to the rigor of private equity ownership. My key challenge would be the successful cohesion of this cross-functional team to execute against an eight-week timeline, culminating in a budget presentation to my CEO.

First, I organized a kick-off meeting to bring the team together. This meeting was a forum to discuss each team’s responsibilities – and how each function would both depend on and be accountable to others. Informed by the learnings from this meeting, I followed up with a detailed timeline listing deadlines for each group, including when they owed others certain information. I also scheduled a weekly check-in meeting to discuss each group’s progress towards completing the budget.

A challenge I did not anticipate were the clashing incentives inherent in the project. As the investor, I wanted to push the team to commit to an aspirational budget that maximized financial performance. Management understandably preferred a less risky approach given their compensation was tied to meeting the budget. While meeting with the CEO of ABC I expressed that if we didn’t push ourselves, we wouldn’t reach the levels of performance we all desired. The CEO countered that if we set unattainable goals, management would become dejected and unmotivated when they inevitably didn’t meet those goals. Coming out of this meeting, we both better appreciated the other’s perspective, and settled on a budget where we both felt a bit uncomfortable – a good compromise.

In the end, I created a collaborative project dynamic that relied on frequent communication and interdependent teamwork. This successfully led to a measured, but ambitious budget, that was developed in both a timely and effective manner. Significant value was created both operationally and financially, as the company, guided by this budget and operating plan, achieved a 17% increase in revenue and a 49% increase in earnings the following fiscal year. As a leader, I learned the value of open communication and necessary compromise – tools that I continue to apply with my other portfolio companies. These strategies have consistently driven improved teamwork and performance among our teams.

Compassion and empathy are guiding values both personally and professionally. I learned the value of these traits as a child, watching my father handle my uncle’s drug addiction and its impact on our family. Through all the pain he brought, my father cared for and loved him. This demonstrated to me that to understand and help my uncle, you had to approach him with a level of compassion that allowed him to show his best self. I also learned this didn’t just apply to friends and family – you had to show the same respect and understanding to the check-out clerk at the grocery store as you did your boss in the corner office.

I applied this lesson when I got to college and started working at the Bulk Mail Center. I worked alongside a blue-collar workforce, printing pamphlets and newsletters the university distributed. My colleagues had experienced extremely different circumstances than me – most had no more than a high school degree and many had criminal backgrounds. As I worked with them longer, taking time to better understand them as people, barriers broke down, and I was able to see them as caring and intelligent individuals. By approaching them with compassion, I was able to see their best selves and learn from them as a result.

As a PE Associate, I am exposed to many levels of a company’s organization and interact with diverse executives. I utilize an empathetic and compassionate perspective in this position, aiming to identify with employees at all levels and functions of an organization – whether I’m meeting with the COO or walking the factory floor with a production worker. By doing so, I’ve been able to gain a broader perspective on how value is created by every member within an organization. Recently a shift leader at a portfolio company, an immigrant from (Country) with limited English, demonstrated a newly implemented quality-control process to me– a learning I was able to suggest to another portfolio company with great success.

In my personal life, I have demonstrated these values through my work with (group), an education non-profit benefiting underprivileged children. I worked with (group) by fundraising at quarterly events supporting the organization’s mission and helping with an annual Christmas party and gift drive. Through a better education, we hope these children won’t be defined by their current circumstances, but will grow, thrive, and be empowered to become their best selves.

Compassion and empathy allow people to be respected and heard – this makes for better businesses, better communities and ultimately a better world. These will continue to be vital values both as I lead investments in companies and as I contribute to the community around me.

During my third year at TTT, Sam, the Senior on my government audit, was detained by a prior client, and I was left to lead the government audit. This audit was unique as our firm was required to hire two subcontractors—a Staff, Alicia, and a Senior, María—from a minority-owned firm to perform most of the testing, but TTT was responsible for directing the work. Both subcontractors reported to me and I was responsible for managing workflow and reviewing work.

This created a unique dynamic in that María had more years of experience than I did; moreover, she had two years of previous experience with our client. As I began the scoping, I quickly realized that not only would there be significantly more work “in scope” this year, but also the internal control testing needed to be completely redesigned.

The first thing I did was schedule a call with my TTT Senior Manager and Sam to discuss my concerns, both of whom agreed that I would need to redesign the testing. María, however, was indignant at the insinuation that she had executed prior year audits incorrectly. She also expressed concerns about the additional time that might be required to correct the identified issues.

To address her concerns and frustration, I met with María right away. I assured her that the audit in prior years had been flawless but the scoping provided by my firm was incorrect. I also walked her through the new control testing methodology. Ultimately, the redesign would require only a slight increase in billable hours in the current year but would significantly decrease the hours in future years, creating value to both the audit team and the client. I further explained to María that the previous internal control testing regimen did not provide sufficient audit evidence to verify compliance with government regulations, so making these updates early would save us all the inconvenience of having to perform additional testing later on.

This discussion was a turning point in my relationship with María. I acknowledged her strong operational understanding of the client and the audit procedures and she recognized my organizational and strategic abilities. Communication and camaraderie within the team improved ten-fold and the audit operated with great efficiency and speed.

My experience leading María taught me how important it is to maintain open communication and obtain buy-in from the team regarding new changes. I also learned to better leverage the strengths of different team members. Having María’s support made a world of difference as she used her strong relationship with the client to help troubleshoot the implementation of the new audit plan, identifying alternate ways to test the internal controls and contribute to our success.

Many of the values that are important to me today were instilled by my parents throughout my childhood. As entrepreneurs, my parents taught me the need for ingenuity and hard work to get a job done. They also taught me the importance of showing gratitude for the things that I have and empathy towards others.

My parents worked hard to succeed as entrepreneurs, my mom as a healthcare consultant and my dad as a farmer. I found that same self-starter spirit at an early age, always seeking ways to get creative and satisfy an unmet need. From selling candy on the playground in elementary school to starting a business in high school unlocking iPhones, my resourcefulness carried into college where I majored in entrepreneurial management. Throughout college, I started several new ventures that leveraged my skills and interests. For example, after learning from a family friend how expensive swimming lessons were at the local golf club, I earned my instructor’s license and taught private lessons at a much more affordable rate.

While I was fortunate to live comfortably from my parents’ hard work, I learned the meaning of gratitude when my childhood home burned down during a thunderstorm in the summer of 2005. Although the house was a complete loss, I only felt gratitude that none of my family members were hurt. Since then, I’ve known that material things are not important to me. The things that are most important to me are intangible, including my family’s health, time with loved ones, and the sense of security that comes with stable income and housing. To this day, I consider myself incredibly privileged to have the things that I do and try to express that gratitude every day.

Growing up, my parents ensured that I understood my privilege by involving me in numerous charitable causes, such as volunteering at local group homes and at food drives. I continue to seek ways to help those going through challenging times, including my work with the Animal Humane Society. Beyond these volunteer efforts, I take great care to incorporate empathy and compassion into my personal life. Someone once told me that “People won’t always remember exactly what you said, but what they will remember is how you made them feel,” and for that reason I try to show kindness and respect to everyone that I meet.

I want to continue championing these values in my career, and earning my MBA from Kellogg will equip me with the tools I need to lead and empower teams with empathy, compassion, and gratitude. As an active leader and team member, I hope to inspire my classmates to bring empathy, gratitude and compassion into their work.

I began to learn about the power of integrity when I first flipped through Davidson College admissions materials. While immersed in these pamphlets, it was challenging to go two pages without seeing a reference to the honor code and its impact on campus. This emphasis on integrity continued as my class came together for our honor code signing ceremony, as I took self-scheduled finals, and as I left my laptop unattended in the student union. It never ceased to amaze me that this focus on integrity could permeate every aspect of the Davidson experience. From my time at Davidson, the first thing I notice about new communities is whether they place this same emphasis on integrity. In the workplace, this idea comes to life through working under different project leadership. When leaders emphasize the importance of doing the right thing, even if it’s not easy and may not maximize our annual revenue, it trickles down to the daily behaviors of the team. As I ultimately want to lead a portfolio of team-based projects grounded in integrity, a Kellogg MBA would give me the necessary leadership skills to achieve this goal as well as a strong community supportive of this ideal.

The importance of trust became apparent much earlier; I realized that running the soccer ball down the entire length of the field by myself was not an effective strategy. I couldn’t score, and my teammates were understandably frustrated. However, if I passed, my strengths and the skills of my teammates could complement one another, and the team would be much more successful. While trust looks different amongst a team of consultants, the lesson is the same. If one team member tries to own a deliverable individually or independently present every time there’s a client meeting, the team eventually suffers due to a lack of trust. The team also fails to leverage its full range of skills and strengths. At Kellogg I will be working in multiple teams concurrently, each comprised of unique individuals with diverse backgrounds working towards different goals. The opportunity to contribute to and lead this range of teams will further hone my ability to build and facilitate groups that successfully operate in an environment of trust.

My conversations with (student) and (student 2) demonstrated that Kellogg fosters these same values. (Student) highlighted the trust between the administration and students that enables most aspects of Kellogg to be student-led. (Student 2), a Davidson and Kellogg alumna, spoke of her initial concern that a larger community couldn’t replicate Davidson’s focus on integrity. She grew to understand this concern was unfounded as peers treated academics and extracurriculars with focus on doing the right thing and supporting their classmates.

Trusting a 24-year-old engineer to manage a sales territory is a big risk, especially when the customers are demanding surgeons and the competition is far more experienced. Despite these considerations, I was promoted early to a territory manager and tasked with growing a new medical device business.

After finding initial success, I learned that a key product was being divested due to product consolidation. This threatened my business with Dr. Smith, but I was confident that I could leverage our relationship to retain the business. I assured leadership not to worry and even projected sales growth for that product in my annual business plan. Dr. Smith tried a comparable product I offered, but ultimately went to a competitor who inherited the divested product because it was the best decision for his patients and practice.

I learned from this experience to never assume that past success is an indicator for future success. I began to expect adversity and use feedback to constantly improve my customer service. Overcoming this challenge caused me to become introspective with my relationships and career goals. The professional growth and maturity I developed early in my career allowed me to establish myself as a credible and reliable vendor, which led to retaining other at-risk customers and winning new business.

Now, I crave an opportunity to grow as a leader and become a product manager in the medical device industry. A Kellogg MBA will empower me to follow my passion of creating value for healthcare providers by delivering innovative products and solutions. Kellogg offers experiential and design-centric learning opportunities through the MMM program and a collaborative environment, which I enjoyed when I visited campus in the spring. From our tour guides to the participants in the Marketing Strategy class I audited, the students and staff were engaging and helpful.

The Healthcare Enterprise Management pathway feels tailor-made to my career aspirations. Classes such as Healthcare Strategy and Biomedical Marketing will provide me with industry-specific foundational knowledge and electives such as Medical Product Early Stage Commercialization will teach me the technical skills necessary for my career track. I will utilize the broader Northwestern network by partnering with an interdisciplinary team in NuVention: Medical Innovation and gain entrepreneurial experience taking a medical device concept to market.

Kellogg’s vast extracurricular offerings will help me grow personally and as a leader. I look forward to competing in case competitions with the Marketing Club and coordinating events with industry sponsors as a leader in the Healthcare Club. As an avid skier, I am excited about bonding with classmates at the annual ski trip. Kellogg is the best MBA program for me and I look forward to sharing my passion with the Kellogg community.

“What does he even do every day? Why do you and I subsidize his income while we do all the work?” These were the questions that JJJ asked me about another teammate, ABC, seemingly on a daily basis. Last year, the sales territory I led merged with another territory and I was tasked to lead a team of five sales reps producing $10 million in sales. The celebration from the promotion was short-lived when I realized the challenges of managing a team of senior sales reps across an expansive geography.

Our medical device business is very entrepreneurial; we are paid a commission on every sale plus a bonus on growth. JJJ supported our largest account while ABC supported a few smaller accounts but spent a considerable amount of time cultivating those relationships and performing sales calls. As the team leader, I had an obligation to grow our territory each month while keeping our customers satisfied and I knew we couldn’t do that if the internal strife on our team continued.

To address the conflict, my strategy was to speak with both individuals and then host a team meeting to collaborate on creative, growth-centric adjustments to the compensation plan. JJJ and I had constructive conversations reminding each other that we are tasked with growing every account in our territory, not only the largest ones. ABC and I discussed the importance of communication and transparency; we talked about his role in supporting our largest accounts and communicating with the whole team on sales activities and ongoing deals. At our team meeting, I introduced a compensation plan where a portion of bonus commission would be awarded, based on merit, to the teammate who closed the most new business that quarter.

The modified compensation plan was a success and created value both internally and externally. Team morale was noticeably better; with the new growth-based incentive, we spent less time focusing on each other and more time focusing on our targets and driving new business. I knew the compensation model would have a lasting impact when two other territory leads contacted me about implementing it for their teams. As an added benefit, senior management was impressed that we worked through these problems without their intervention. Through this experience, I learned that in times of conflict, leadership is more about listening than prescribing. I continue to apply this philosophy when I coach my junior reps on overcoming objections and closing new business. We encounter unique business challenges daily that require empathy to navigate. As a growth-minded leader, I will bring my style of empathetic and creative problem-solving to Kellogg.

Feeling the weight of every eye in the room, I took a calming breath and began my presentation. I was outlining my team’s next initiative to a group of product managers, directors, and VPs from across the company, and it was the first high-stakes test of the public speaking strategies I’d been working on for several months. Public speaking had never been my specialty, but as I progressed in my career I had to present more frequently in front of larger, more senior audiences. I could tell I wasn’t projecting the same gravitas as my colleagues, and my manager agreed this was something I should address in order to advance.

I took a two-pronged approach to improving as a public speaker: I looked for outside help to learn new techniques, and I turned to introspection to understand what triggered my anxiety. I joined Toastmasters, attended improv classes and seminars, and started a journal to reflect on my development. I also volunteered to be a teacher with my director and the senior VP for our department. This allowed me to practice speaking in front of senior managers in a low-stakes, non-work environment.

My efforts created a positive feedback loop: I could tell I was improving, which made me more confident, and helped me improve faster. I built stronger relationships throughout the organization, which allowed me to feel more confident speaking in front of colleagues whose opinions I valued. As a result of my preparation, my big presentation was a success, and my manager commended me on my improvement. I’m proud of the headway I’ve made, and there will be many opportunities for me to continue gaining confidence and growing as a public speaker through Kellogg’s student-driven culture and focus on empowering students to lead.

I want to grow at Kellogg in new areas, too, and approach them with the same resourcefulness and tenacity. Discussing Global Lab with an alumna got me excited to learn about solving business problems in a real-world, international context. Speaking with students during my campus visit inspired me to build relationships through the Women’s Business Association’s peer mentorship program and cultivate community at Kellogg by organizing events like Ski Trip and the Charity Auction Ball. As an officer in the Tech Club, I’ll develop my leadership skills, and joining Net Impact will help me contribute off-campus by sharing what I’ve learned through the Inner City Mentoring Club, which has a similar mission to .

I’m excited to take advantage of all these opportunities during the 1Y program. While a year goes by quickly, 1Y alumni have told me that it’s just enough time to focus on personal growth while still maintaining my career trajectory.

Errors in economic consulting are sometimes worth millions; in antitrust litigation, defense attorneys entrust my team with finding these expensive errors. Often these cases are thousands of pages of industry reports, data methodologies, and client strategy documents—our job is to find where something was wrong. On one such case, I was tasked with managing a team of unfamiliar faces from outside my LA office. Motivating this new group throughout the routine of casework was a new challenge for me.

Initially I stressed the importance of the details, since minor errors in analysis could change the trajectory of the case; our diligent review was essential to success. Initially, the project hummed along, but a challenge soon emerged. One of my team members, “Bill,” was several years my senior with a higher title, and didn’t appreciate his reduced role on this project. Although the chain of command had been established, he subtlety attempted to circumvent me and seek tasks from my boss. Sensing his frustration, I decided to delicately confront Bill without turning the situation toxic. I didn’t reprimand him, but instead thanked him for his willingness to take a role beneath his normal responsibilities; I even confided to him that this was an important opportunity for me and asked if he had any managerial advice. After our conversation, he recommitted to the team and even became my second in command.

Our commitment eventually paid off: we found a costly blunder. The opposing economist had innocently confused “the San Francisco metropolitan area” with the city of limits of San Francisco and correcting this seemingly minor error in his model decreased the predicted damages by almost $30 million. With our successful outcome, the partner on the project called me into his office to thank me for my effort on this project. Although my team members had already dispersed back to their respective offices, I asked if he could call and thank Bill and the rest of the team as well. As someone who hasn’t always held the manager role, I appreciate the satisfaction that comes from simple acknowledgement of work done well.

This experience taught me that there is no single prescription for leadership. My style for managing self-motivated consultants shouldn’t mirror my style as captain of my co-ed soccer team. In this situation, my team didn’t need someone to tyrannize, but someone to galvanize them as the case progressed. I also learned that success sometimes comes at the expense of my own ego; I built the team’s trust by my willingness to take on even the simplest task to inch us toward completion. While my leadership style will evolve as my responsibilities grow, a key tenant of my leadership style will always be adaptability.

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Kellogg, Booth 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 Beth who held the position of Director of Admissions for Kellogg’s Full Time MBA program selecting candidates for the 2-year, 1-year, MMM and JD MBA programs.

Meet Kim , who was an Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Chicago Booth.

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

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• Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

July 19, 2023

Jeremy Shinewald

Northwestern Kellogg 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Required essay 1: kellogg leaders are primed to tackle today’s pressing concerns everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. tell us about a time in your life where you’ve needed a combination of skills to solve a problem or overcome a challenge. which skills did you use what did you accomplish (450 words) .

Challenges and obstacles can be powerful learning opportunities. Kellogg wants to learn three primary things here: (1) what are some of the key skills and strengths you already possess, (2) how do you apply them and use them synergistically, and (3) how do you act (and react) in situations that do not go as planned. You of course want to convey that you are not easily discouraged by setbacks and instead use them as learning tools or stepping-stones on your path forward.

For this essay, you could discuss a one-time occurrence or an ongoing issue that you deal with regularly (and have learned to “overcome” when it arises). And because the school does not stipulate that the challenge you share be strictly professional or personal, you should consider every possible option you have from the various facets of your life—your workplace, academic background, family, personal life, community engagements, and so on. Also, the problem could be something you faced alone or as part (or leader) of a group. We recommend using a narrative approach to present your story, but in addition to clearly explaining how you approached and prevailed over the challenge at hand, ensure that you detail the inner workings of your decision making—the thought process and motivation(s) behind your actions. This way, the admissions committee will get a clear impression not only of what you accomplished but also of the abilities and aspects of your character that enabled your success. And be sure to not focus solely on one skill; the prompt specifically notes “a combination of skills,” so you will need to describe a situation in which you drew from different areas and capabilities to create synergy.  

With just 450 words for this essay, you have limited space, but if you can work it in easily, consider mentioning a skill that you could gain at Kellogg that would have made your experience easier or somehow more successful. Similarly, Kellogg does not specifically ask you to explain what you learned from the experience, but if word count allows enough for you to include this element in your essay, we would encourage you to do so. This would demonstrate to the admissions committee an advanced level of self-awareness and highlight your ability to learn from obstacles, rather than be daunted by them. 

One final note: do not be afraid to reveal a weakness or error on your part. Although this is not a “failure” essay, if your own actions helped create the problem or you failed to see the obstacle right before you (and should have), you should not shy away from an honest discussion of your responsibility. Such incidents are usually very effective learning opportunities and could therefore make for a compelling essay.

Required Essay 2: At Kellogg, our values are based on research that concludes organizations comprised of leaders with varied backgrounds and perspectives outperform homogeneous ones. How do you believe your personal and professional experiences to date will help to enrich the Kellogg community? (450 words)

At its core, this is a kind of diversity, equity, and inclusion essay, which many top schools are introducing this year (if they did not already have one). Kellogg is directly stating its belief that when people who represent a diversity of experiences, viewpoints, and capabilities work together, the results are better than those produced by teams of individuals who are more similar than different. The admissions committee is not asking you to comment on this part of the prompt specifically, though, but rather to keep it in mind when formulating your response. Your job with this essay is to convey the special attributes you possess that would be additive to the Kellogg learning environment and community by describing the situations and circumstances that have helped you develop them. Although your personal background, strengths, and abilities might overlap with those of other Kellogg applicants in some way, you can differentiate yourself here via the stories you choose to illustrate them. 

A good way to start identifying your best options for this essay is by making a list of things you believe are notable about you and that would be helpful to have in an MBA environment and then pinpointing the experiences you have had that engendered these qualities. As the prompt notes, you can draw from both your career and your personal life. Look for and especially consider experiences from your past that not only allow you to discuss your strengths and standout characteristics but also involve situations in which you worked with or alongside individuals who were different from you. If you can show the admissions committee concrete evidence that you know how to collaborate and communicate effectively with diverse coworkers, clients, and/or team members, your essay will be even more powerful. 

You will then need to demonstrate both self-awareness and a thorough understanding of the Kellogg MBA experience by drawing connections between (1) what you have done and who you are and (2) what you can subsequently provide at the school as a member of its community. To do this effectively, you will need to truly familiarize yourself in depth with what the Kellogg MBA experience is like. Go beyond the school’s website and published materials and connect directly with students, alumni, and other people who can provide firsthand, insider knowledge. Absolutely visit campus if at all possible, and sit in on a class. Read news articles about the school as well as student blogs, check out Kellogg’s YouTube channel , and, if offered, attend admissions events in your area. As you do all this research, look for places where your skills, strengths, and personality would not just fit but also contribute in some way. You want to make sure that in your essay, you are not merely showcasing traits, events, and achievements that you think are interesting or singular. They also need to clearly fit with Kellogg specifically. 

To further familiarize yourself with the Kellogg program and get an insider’s perspective on its academic program, unique offerings, social life, and other key characteristics, be sure to download a complimentary copy of the  mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the Kellogg School of Management .

Reapplicants: How have you grown or changed personally and professionally since you previously applied and what steps have you taken to become the strongest candidate you can be? (250 words) 

Whether you have improved your academic record, received a promotion, begun a new and exciting project, increased your community involvement, or taken on some sort of personal challenge, the key to success with this essay is conveying a very deliberate path of achievement. Kellogg wants to know that you have been actively striving to improve yourself and your profile, and that you have seized opportunities during the previous year to do so, because a Kellogg MBA is vital to you. The responses to this essay question will vary greatly from one candidate to the next, because each person’s needs and experiences differ. We are more than happy to provide one-on-one assistance with this highly personal essay to ensure that your efforts over the past year are presented in the best light possible.

Additional Information: We know that life is full of extenuating circumstances. Whether you want to explain gaps in work experience, your choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance or something else, you can use this section to briefly tell us anything we need to know about your application. (280 words) 

However tempted you might be, this is not the place to paste in a strong essay you wrote for another school or to offer a few anecdotes that you were unable to incorporate into any of your other essays. Instead, this is your opportunity, if needed, to address any questions an admissions officer might have about your candidacy. We encourage you to download our free  mbaMission Optional Essays Guide , in which we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of the optional essay, along with multiple sample essays, to help you mitigate any problem areas in your profile.

Video Essays: We’ve read your essays, we’ve read your resume — now we want you to bring all that to life in a video. Show us the person behind all those carefully crafted words. The video will be comprised of three questions, each designed to help you showcase your personality and share some of the experiences that brought you here today.

We find these videos to be a great opportunity for you to tell us more about your story, experiences and why kellogg is the right place for you., here are some things to keep in mind as you prepare to complete this section:, video essays are due 96 hours after the application deadline., a video essay link will appear on your application status page after you submit your application and payment., you will need an internet-connected computer with a webcam and microphone, the video should take about 20-25 minutes to complete, which includes time for setup., after submitting your application and payment, you will be able to access the video essay through your application status page., here are some additional tips:, there are practice questions that you may complete as many times as you like to get comfortable with the format and technology. the practice questions and experience will simulate the actual video essay experience, so this is meant to be a useful tool to help you feel prepared., we encourage you to practice so you are comfortable with the format once it is time to complete the official questions. you will not have an opportunity to re-do the answer to the official video essay questions., you will have 20 seconds to think about the question and up to one minute to give your response..

During a Q&A session at a past mbaMission annual conference, a Kellogg admissions representative explained that the school’s video component sprang from the admissions committee’s desire to actually see and hear the applicants they were evaluating. Given that Kellogg’s interviews are conducted by alumni, the video is the committee’s only “live” interaction with candidates. Keep this in mind as you tackle this segment of the application, and make being authentic and natural your primary goal. Kellogg is not looking for the next viral TED Talk presenter or late-night TV host. They just want to get to know you as a unique individual who may one day join its community. 

So, start by taking a deep breath. We understand that these video essays can make you feel like you are being put on the spot, but Kellogg is really not trying to scare you. The admissions committee simply wants a more dynamic representation of your personality than a written essay can provide. You cannot answer any of the school’s video questions incorrectly, so do not concern yourself with trying to give the “right” answer. Just respond to each query honestly, as smoothly as you can (despite any nervousness you may be feeling), and be yourself. 

In the past, Kellogg has provided the questions applicants would encounter in the application’s video segment, but this year (at least at the time this post was written), the specific questions posed are unknown. Do not let this panic you. The core reason for this component is still to put a face to a name for the admissions committee and to see how you communicate and conduct yourself when questioned in this way (very similar to how you will eventually be interviewed by recruiters as a Kellogg student). Not knowing the questions beforehand just ensures a higher level of spontaneity and therefore authenticity. We would not be surprised to learn later that candidates were asked similar questions to those posed in the past, which focused on introducing oneself, one’s career goals, one’s interest in the Kellogg MBA program, and a challenge one has faced—pretty basic stuff for an MBA admissions interview, really. 

Remember to speak with energy and enthusiasm. You are trying to connect with others, so charisma is welcome, and a little less rigid and traditionally “professional” demeanor is okay. Forego any fancy or dramatic tactics, and just be as natural and authentic as possible. As they say, you only have one chance to make a first impression, so dedicate some time to prepping (just in case) to ensure that your introduction is engaging, substantive, and true to who you are. 

Even though you do not know exactly what you will be asked, you can still practice and prepare to some extent. We encourage you to download a free copy of the mbaMission Interview Guide , which includes a list of 100 common MBA interview questions that you can use in getting comfortable with responding to the types of queries you will likely encounter for these videos. And even though this is not an official Kellogg interview, our school-specific Northwestern Kellogg Interview Guide could still be a helpful resource. One minute is not very long, so run through several practice sessions—perhaps in front of a mirror—to get a sense of how quickly those 60 seconds will pass when you are in front of the camera. Although you can prepare as much as you want, you get only one chance at the recording. If you stumble while answering or ultimately are unhappy with your answer, unfortunately, you cannot do anything about it. You will not be able to rerecord your responses or try again another time. This might make you nervous, but we encourage you to view the situation a little differently. Kellogg wants to get to know the  authentic  you through these video essays. If you fumble for words or lose your train of thought, just laugh or shrug and continue with your response. Accepting a mistake with a sense of humor and grace will give the admissions committee a more positive and natural impression of your personality than rigid scripting and overpreparation ever could.

The Next Step: Mastering Your Kellogg Interview

Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. And to help you develop this high level of preparation, we offer our   free Interview Guides ! Download your free copy of the   Northwestern Kellogg Interview Guide  t oday.

To learn more about the essays for other top business schools, visit our  MBA Essay Tips and Examples Resources Page .

2023-2024 Business School Essays MBA Essay Tips Northwestern University (Kellogg)

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2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips

• Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
• Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Esade Essay Tips and Examples
• Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
• Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
• HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IESE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
• International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
• Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
• Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
• The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
• Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
• Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips

MBA Program Updates

• Berkeley-Haas
• Boston University (Questrom)
• Cambridge Judge Business School
• Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
• Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
• Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
• Cornell University (Johnson)
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• Duke University (Fuqua)
• Emory University (Goizueta)
• George Washington University (GWSB)
• Georgetown University (McDonough)
• Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
• IE Business School
• IESE Business School
• Indian School of Business
• Indiana University (Kelley)
• Ivey Business School
• London Business School
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• New York University (Stern)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Notre Dame (Mendoza)
• Ohio State University (Fisher College)
• Oxford University (Saïd Business School)
• Penn State Smeal College of Business
• Rotman School of Management
• Saïd Business School
• Southern Methodist University (Cox School of Business)
• Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
• University of California Los Angeles (Anderson)
• University of Cambridge (Judge)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• University of London (London Business School)
• University of Michigan (Ross)
• University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Southern California (Marshall)
• University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
• University of Virginia (Darden)
• Vanderbilt University (Owen)
• Villanova School of Business
• Yale University (School of Management)

Kellogg MBA Essay Examples

Looking for Kellogg MBA essay examples? You’ve come to the right place. The Kellogg School of Management is considered one of the best MBA programs in the world , and is also home to one of the best part-time MBA programs in the US. Getting accepted is extremely competitive, but you can help your application stand out and win the hearts of the admissions committee through your Kellogg MBA essays. In this blog, we’ll look at how to write an MBA essay for Kellogg and some MBA essay examples!

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Article Contents 8 min read

How to write an mba essay for kellogg.

Getting accepted to Kellogg Business School is very competitive, seeing as it is among the top of MBA rankings not only in the US but worldwide, and globally known for its business education excellence. Kellogg takes a holistic approach to admissions, which essentially means that the admissions committee will look at every aspect of your application materials closely to determine if you’re a good fit. In other words, having a high GPA or impressive GMAT score is not enough to get you into Kellogg. You need to come armed with a stellar MBA resume , strong MBA extracurriculars and, most importantly, nail your Kellogg MBA essays.

Kellogg’s MBA program emphasizes a strong sense of purpose. Moreso, the school has a strong inclination for social impact, diversity, creativity, empathy and innovation in business. The statement of purpose for the Kellogg School of Management is: “To educate, equip and inspire leaders who build strong organizations and wisely leverage the power of markets to create lasting value.”

Kellogg’s MBA program has two MBA essay questions you will be required to respond to in short essay form. Like many MBA programs, Kellogg’s MBA essay topics are focused on leadership and the value you can bring to their program.

Kellogg’s admissions committee is looking for “leaders who possess a blend of analytical, creative and social intelligence and who can uplift teams to their full potential” in their candidates. Brainstorm on these qualities a bit after you read the Kellogg MBA essay prompts and start jotting down some experiences or ideas you can explore in your essay.

The prompts for Kellogg MBA programs two required written essays are:

• Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face and what did you learn? 
• Values are what guide us in our life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you?

Kellogg gives a word count limit of 450 words for both essays. Of course, keep in mind that the quality of your writing matters more than the quantity, so don’t focus too much on the word count when you’re drafting your essay. Once you’re ready to start revising your essay, eliminate anything unnecessary or irrelevant, and be sure to ask a friend of MBA essay consultant to serve as a second set of eyes for you.

Reapplicants: Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 words) ","label":"IMPORTANT","title":"IMPORTANT"}]" code="tab1" template="BlogArticle">

Kellogg has also introduced new, optional MBA video essays . While you can choose not to submit a video essay as part of your application, this is another opportunity to help your application stand out, share more about yourself with the admissions committee and generally put a face and personality to your application package.

The MBA essay questions for the Kellogg video submissions are:

• Introduce yourself to the admissions committee.
• What path are you interested in pursuing, how will you get there, and why is this program right for you?
• Tell us about a challenge you've faced and what you've learned from it.

To complete your Kellogg MBA video essay, you’ll be provided with a link to on your online application once you’ve completed your initial application to Kellogg and provided payment. Your MBA essay is due 96 hours after you complete your application, so be sure you’re prepared to complete the video essay in that time frame!

Once you’ve clicked on the link, you’ll be able to set up your computer’s webcam and microphone and record your answers to the 3 questions. You’ll be provided 20 seconds to think about the question once you’ve read the prompt, and then 1 minute to record your answer. Your video essay will take an estimated 20-25 minutes to complete, including setup.

Kellogg provides practice video essay questions, which simulate the video essay recording experience and allow you to practice giving your answers as many times as you want. This is similar to an MBA mock interview , so we highly encourage you to use the practice questions to get comfortable and rehearse your responses! ","label":"TIP","title":"TIP"}]" code="tab2" template="BlogArticle">

Brainstorming Questions

If you’ve started brainstorming for your Kellogg MBA essays, ask yourself some questions to get your creative juices flowing:

• When have I acted as leader professionally or personally? How did I create value for myself, my team or others?
• What has been my biggest challenge as a leader? What did I take away from it?
• What leadership qualities do I possess? How do they create value for myself or others?
• What are the 3 most important values for me? Why are they important?
• Which values define me personally? Which values define me professionally?
• How do Kellogg’s values align with my own?
• Why am I choosing Kellogg?
• What are my short-term and long-term career goals?
• How will a Kellogg MBA benefit me or help me achieve my goals?

Here are some Kellogg MBA essay examples to help inspire you when writing your own! If you’re looking for more examples from top business schools, read some Chicago Booth MBA essay examples , Stanford MBA personal statement examples , Wharton MBA essay examples or Harvard MBA personal statements .

Kellogg MBA Essay Example #1

Prompt: Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face and what did you learn? 

Recently, I was appointed as the team leader for a major project at my workplace with [company]. The project involved implementing an innovative digital solution to streamline internal communication processes, aiming to enhance efficiency and collaboration within the organization. Because of the company’s move to a hybrid work environment, where employees would be working from home half the week and in-office the rest of the time, there was a need to transition to implement new digital communication processes. As an experienced digital communications and computer technology expert, I was asked to lead the transition. The project was critical to our company's long-term success, and I recognized the opportunity to exhibit leadership and create value for the entire team and the organization.

As the team leader, I initiated the project by carefully studying the existing communication challenges and identifying potential solutions. I independently evaluated which digital options would be most beneficial and feasible for our new hybrid team. Then I organized a series of brainstorming sessions where team members were encouraged to contribute their ideas, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration. Through active listening and effective communication, I ensured that every team member felt valued and empowered to contribute their unique perspectives and skills. I presented the potential solutions I had vetted and accepted ideas for other solutions so we could debate their value as a team.

To create lasting value, I emphasized the importance of a well-defined project plan and assigned clear roles and responsibilities to each team member. By assigning tasks to key team members, we were able to test our potential digital solutions, identify weaknesses and gaps in communication and assess the overall level of comfort with the transition before implementing it fully. I also prioritized open and transparent communication, providing regular updates to the entire team and addressing any concerns or challenges promptly.

During the project's execution, there was a challenge as some team members were hesitant to adopt the new digital solutions. It required active listening, careful persuasion and showcasing the potential benefits to overcome this resistance. It also required me to work with team members to address their concerns and help them get comfortable with unfamiliar technologies and digital platforms.

Through this experience, I learned the importance of patience and empathy when dealing with resistance to change. Recognizing that people have different comfort levels and motivations allowed me to tailor my approach, fostering a positive environment for collaboration and engagement. By embracing these lessons, I am confident in my ability to lead and create lasting value, aligning with Kellogg's purpose of developing leaders who drive positive change.

Want some more MBA personal statement examples?

Kellogg MBA Essay Example #2

Prompt: Values are what guide us in our life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you?

The three values that have intersected in both my personal and professional life have been empathy, social responsibility and a commitment to learning. In my professional life, I have strived to lead both myself and others with empathy and honesty, to demonstrate and encourage social responsibility and to devote myself to continuous development. In my personal life, these values have remained important to me as well, and I believe these values are indivisible from one another.

These values have influenced me to actively participate in community service initiatives, volunteer work, and sustainability efforts. It has also shaped my career choices, leading me to seek opportunities where I can make a meaningful difference in people's lives and address pressing societal challenges. Currently, I work for an international NGO, which has allowed me to express these personal core values in my professional sphere. I believe that knowledge is a lifelong pursuit and that embracing learning opportunities leads to self-improvement and success. This value has influenced me to seek out new challenges, take risks, and push beyond my comfort zone in my work by accepting new roles and taking on new projects.

By remaining open to new ideas and experiences, I was able to participate in a two-year long project in Haiti, to help provide disaster relief. I have gained a broader perspective and developed adaptability, resourcefulness and deepened my empathy for others. My experiences in Haiti also allowed me to reaffirm my commitment to social responsibility, as I lived and worked alongside good, hardworking people everyday and saw the value of giving back to a community and the healing that comes from rebuilding. Working and living in Haiti allowed me to learn incredible new skills, from well-building to first aid to creative engineering. It taught me that continuous learning doesn’t just involve technical skills but also the development of personal qualities such as resilience, patience and fortitude.

These values of empathy, social responsibility and lifelong learning have guided me through amazing professional growth and opportunities, but they have contributed to deep personal development and improvement, too. I know they will continue to guide me and push me further in both my career and my personal life.

As a top business school, not just in the US but globally, getting accepted to Kellogg is quite competitive. However, the school also has a relatively high acceptance rate among top b-schools, of around 20%, making it one of the easiest MBA programs to get into among the top-ranked business schools.

Yes, the Kellogg MBA essays are an important part of your overall application. Kellogg uses a holistic admissions approach, so any writing example you submit as part of your application will be scrutinized, and it is your chance to distinguish yourself from other qualified applicants.

Kellogg’s MBA program values leadership, social impact, diversity, empathy, creativity and innovation.

No. Kellogg has two required written essays and one optional MBA video essay submission. There are no optional written essay questions.

Although it is optional the video essay is an essential part of your application. It not only allows the admissions committee to put a face to your application, they also want to know your communication style, personality and determine how you fit with the Kellogg community.

Kellogg provides practice questions you can rehearse with as many times as you like, to get comfortable with the video essay format and questions. We highly recommend you treat these practice questions as a sort of mock interview before submitting your official video!

Kellogg provides a word count limit of 450 words for both its required, written MBA essays. 

Yes. Although the MBA video essay is optional, it’s still an excellent chance to expand on your application, share more about your background with the admissions committee and help your application stand out. 

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2023-2024 Kellogg MBA Essay Analysis and Tips

Admit expert.

• August 10, 2023

Thinking about pursuing an MBA at Kellogg? Well, get ready to put your thoughts into words! In this article, we’re diving into the essay prompts for Kellogg MBA admissions. Don’t worry, we’ll break things down and give you an analysis and a few tips to tackle these prompts like a pro.

The application process at Kellogg is distinctive in that it includes both written and video essays.

So, if you’re aiming to make a splash with your Kellogg MBA application, stay tuned for the juicy tips and insights coming your way. Let’s make those essays work for you!

Ready? Let’s dive in!

Kellogg MBA essays for the 2024 admissions

Kellogg mba application deadlines, kellogg mba essay analysis, video essay, other essays, let us help you get into kellogg, written essays.

All applicants are expected to submit the following two essays:

Essay Prompt 1 (450 words)

Kellogg Leaders are primed to tackle today’s pressing concerns everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Tell us about a time in your life where you’ve needed a combination of skills to solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Which skills did you use? What did you accomplish?

Essay Prompt 2 (450 words)

At Kellogg, our values are based on research that concludes organizations comprised of leaders with varied backgrounds and perspectives outperform homogeneous ones. How do you believe your personal and professional experiences to date will help to enrich the Kellogg community?

Reapplicants will receive a prompt about their growth since their last application: How have you grown or changed personally and professionally since you previously applied and what steps have you taken to become the strongest candidate you can be? (250 words)

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

Kellogg Leaders are primed to tackle today’s pressing concerns everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Tell us about a time in your life where you’ve needed a combination of skills to solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Which skills did you use? What did you accomplish? (450 words)

Essay 1 Analysis

This question aims to explore various facets, prompting you to not only discuss your skills but also their evolution, application in challenging situations, effectiveness, and the ultimate outcomes. This comprehensive framework provides a platform to showcase the breadth of skills and talents you offer. By skillfully navigating these elements, you can make efficient use of the word limit and demonstrate to the admissions committee that you embody the qualities of a Kellogg Leader.

How to start writing this essay?

The first thing you should know what qualities Kellogg MBA adcom looks for and use those stories which highlight these qualities.

Some of the qualities Kellogg looks for are:

• Strong, empathetic leader
• Thinking outside the box, innovation, problem solving
• Empathy, creativity, adaptability
• Community, collaboration
• High impact, low ego leader
• Diversity, equitably/inclusion

Now follow this framework to create a structure for the essay 1

• Start by delving into the concern you identified, providing a clear explanation of its significance and why you felt compelled to address it. Explain the reasons behind your decision to take action.
• Move on to describing your approach to making a difference. Detail the specific areas where your skillset came into play during the strategic planning process. Showcase how your abilities were crucial in shaping your strategy.
• Summarize the tangible outcomes that emerged from your strategic efforts, underscoring the positive impact you were able to generate within the community. Highlight the transformative changes that resulted from your actions.
• Conclude by outlining the valuable insights you gained from this experience. Discuss how these takeaways will inform your future endeavors and demonstrate your commitment to applying these lessons in various contexts. 

Here are a few tips to help this essay

Outline concerns & skills

Before you begin writing the essay, set aside some time to create a list of challenges you’ve faced in both your professional workplace and your community. From this list, choose a particular concern that you personally tackled, demonstrating the full extent of your skill set. Take a deeper look within to understand why this specific skill set was crucial in addressing the issue. This form of mind mapping encourages thoughtful consideration of each aspect, allowing you to discuss them in a coherent and relevant manner within your essay.

Impact and accomplishment

When addressing impact and accomplishments, begin by describing the tangible results or material outcomes that stemmed from your actions. Before delving into your key takeaways, consider discussing these outcomes within the context of the ‘community’ aspect, aligning with the question’s emphasis on leadership and influence within communities. Be it in the boardroom or the neighborhood, emphasize how your skills have been harnessed to enhance the lives of others.

Once you’ve outlined the direct consequences of applying your skills and implementing your strategy, transition into discussing your takeaways. Reflect on the lessons you gained from these experiences and briefly mention how you intend to apply these insights in the future.

It’s beneficial to research and understand the attributes of a Kellogg leader – what qualities the admissions committee is seeking. Aligning your responses with these expectations can strengthen your essay and present you as a candidate embodying the traits they value.

Do you want to impress Kellogg’s Adcom?

At Admit Expert, we have helped hundreds of students get into top MBA programs around the world. We would be happy to help you too. Schedule a free call with us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you achieve your goals.

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At Kellogg, our values are based on research that concludes organizations comprised of leaders with varied backgrounds and perspectives outperform homogeneous ones. How do you believe your personal and professional experiences to date will help to enrich the Kellogg community? (450 words)

The Kellogg values, often referred to as their ‘purpose,’ are summarized as “To educate, equip, and inspire leaders who build strong organizations and wisely leverage the power of markets to create lasting value.” Examining this statement in the context of the question reveals their belief in the transformative potential of diverse thought and opinions within leadership. Such diversity can ignite change and drive superior performance compared to organizations led by a homogenous group. This notion resonates with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices, where the incorporation of diverse perspectives is believed to drive change, expand the talent pool, enhance financial performance, foster innovation, and facilitate decision-making .

In this context, it becomes crucial to demonstrate your engagement with individuals from various backgrounds, your exposure to international settings, and your experience across different industries. These experiences enrich your perspective, offering a breadth of acquired knowledge and resources that enable you to approach challenges from a novel angle.

In your essay, spotlight the distinctive blend of personal and professional experiences that have broadened your worldview. Emphasize how these encounters have introduced you to fresh ideas, diverse individuals, and new vantage points, enabling you to reevaluate and expand upon your previous understanding.

Tips to write Essay 2 effectively

First follow this framework

• Begin by introducing the specific personal and professional experiences you’ve chosen to highlight.
• Elaborate on the valuable insights gained and the skills honed through these experiences.
• Transition into outlining your strategic approach for applying these learnings and skills within the Kellogg community. Emphasize the distinctive contributions you aim to bring to the table, aligning with Kellogg’s ethos.
• Conclude by discussing your vision for integrating these takeaways with Kellogg’s values in your post-MBA professional pursuits. Illuminate how you plan to synergize these principles to drive positive change and influence in your future endeavors.

Follow these essay tips

Sort carefully

Given that this essay encompasses both your professional and personal experiences, there’s a wealth of material to navigate. It’s advantageous to categorize both these areas and assess which instances best illustrate your interactions with diverse individuals and situations.

To facilitate this process, consider the following aspects: where, what, who, and how.

• Where: Reflect on the environments or settings where you encountered diversity. This could be within workplaces, community involvement, travel experiences, or educational contexts.
• What: Identify the specific encounters or situations that exposed you to diversity. Whether it’s collaborating with internatinal teams, participating in cultural events, or engaging with varied perspectives during projects.
• Who: Recognize the key individuals who played a role in facilitating these experiences. This could include mentors, colleagues, friends from different backgrounds, or community leaders.
• How: Analyze how these experiences were facilitated. Was it through networking, volunteering, seeking out opportunities, or participating in cross-cultural initiatives?

By addressing these fundamental questions, you can effectively pinpoint experiences that underscore your takeaways. You can then elaborate on how these insights will contribute to enriching the Kellogg community. This structured approach ensures you highlight the depth and breadth of your exposure and its potential impact on your contribution to the Kellogg environment.

Discuss application

Equally essential is the exploration of how you intend to apply these takeaways and lessons. To ensure a balanced treatment, avoid relegating the latter half of the question to just a few lines. While briefly touching upon your experiences is important, the primary focus should shift towards how you plan to leverage these insights at Kellogg and the unique value you’ll contribute to an equally talented and diverse cohort.

Highlight a range of qualities garnered from your experiences, emphasizing how they enrich your interpersonal and communication skills. These enhanced abilities lead to effective interaction and a personable demeanor, allowing you to adeptly navigate challenging group dynamics. For example, if you’ve acquired proficiency in one or more languages during your personal or professional journey, you could discuss how this linguistic skill fosters deeper connections. Understanding people in their native tongue enables you to build friendships and establish rapport, particularly with individuals from diverse backgrounds. In doing so, you will be able to showcase how your skills align with the Kellogg values.

The Kellogg admissions team advises the following in regards to the video essay: We’ve read your essays, we’ve read your resume — now we want you to bring all that to life in a video. Show us the person behind all those carefully crafted words. The video will be comprised of three questions, each designed to help you showcase your personality and share some of the experiences that brought you here today.

Take a look at this article on video essays to get more tips on Kellogg’s Video essays.

Video Essays for MBA Admissions: What They Are, Why They Matter, and How to Create One

There are 3 video essays:

Video essay 1: Please introduce yourself to the admissions committee.

– Consider this your opportunity to share what you would want your future Kellogg classmates and our admissions committee to know about you. What makes you, you?

Video essay 2: What path are you interested in pursuing, how will you get there, and why is this program right for you?

– This is an intentionally broad question so you can answer honestly and meaningfully. We want to know why you’re pursuing an MBA and why you’re choosing a particular Kellogg Full-Time Program.

Video essay 3: This question will be based on a challenge you’ve faced and what you’ve learned from it.

Additional Information

We know that life is full of extenuating circumstances. Whether you want to explain gaps in work experience, your choice of recommenders, inconsistent or questionable academic performance or something else, you can use this section to briefly tell us anything we need to know about your application.

Address any employment gaps or academic concerns honestly, providing a clear and concise explanation of the challenges you faced and how you have overcome them. This will demonstrate your determination and resilience as a candidate.

Focus on highlighting your strengths and unique qualities that set you apart. Discuss your engagement in extracurricular activities, such as local philanthropic drives, sports, or hobbies, and explain how these experiences have shaped you as a person and contributed to your work ethic.

Ensure that your narrative centers around your suitability as a candidate and adds value to the discussion of your candidacy for the program. Avoid irrelevant information and stay focused on showcasing your potential to thrive in the MBA program.

Reapplicants 

Since your previous application, what steps have you taken to strengthen your candidacy? (250 words)

In this answer, show how you have improved your candidacy in a way that can be seen and touched. A higher GMAT score could be one sign of improvement that can be seen. Also, give us your grades from any new math classes you’ve taken.

You could also talk about a promotion at work or some new volunteer work. You might also need to take on more responsibility at work or in extracurricular activities. Or, talk about how your goals for your career have changed. Lastly, you could talk about how you’ve changed your own goals.

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.

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Everything you Need to Know About the Kellogg MBA Essays

Introduction.

The Kellogg MBA essays can be the most challenging part of the school’s application process. But, in reality, they are an opportunity to showcase your authentic self to the admissions committee. In your essays, you can present what best separates you from the rest of the applicants - your personality.

While this may seem straightforward, it can be challenging to know the best approach to selling yourself as an applicant in your essays. Besides being familiar with your strengths, you must know what structure, craft methods, and information would be best to include in your essay for the best chances of admittance.

This article will tell you everything you need to know about the Kellogg MBA essays and provide tips on how to craft your essays for the best chance of a successful evaluation when applying to the Kellogg School of Management.  

Purpose of the Kellogg MBA Essays 

The written and video essays fall under Kellogg’s holistic review process, with no essay being more important than the other. The admissions committee is looking to fill the spots with students that will excel in the classroom and contribute to the community with the ultimate goal to create the most diverse class possible. The school values intellectual ability, leadership, impact, work experience, professional goals, and interpersonal skills, all of which can be displayed in your MBA essays. 

The Kellogg MBA essays consist of two written and three video essays. The written essays are meant to allow you to explain why you feel you belong at Kellogg. Many MBA programs are offered worldwide, so the admissions committee wants to ask you: Why Kellogg?

In these essays, you are encouraged to evaluate past experiences and consider how they influenced your personal and academic goals. This personal reflection will make it easier to discern your values and aspirations based on personal anecdotes and your reactions to adversity.

The three video essays are meant to bring the written essays to life. Personality can be hard to gauge through words alone, and this is remedied with the video essays. These videos will present your personality, highlighting your true authentic self. The video essays would also be another opportunity to reflect and share experiences that shaped you on your path to pursuing an MBA. These essays encourage you to be open and deeply consider how you got to where you are today.

What Are the Kellogg MBA Essays?

The first written essay usually focuses on challenges and experiences in leadership; the admissions committee wants to know what you learned in leadership positions and how you created value from these experiences. This essay will provide insight into your leadership qualities and determine how you will utilize these traits as a Kellogg student.

In a leadership position you may also be asked to think critically about risk factors, which is an important skill to showcase as an applicant. You could provide anecdotes of times you demonstrated leadership and emphasize your involvement and impact on the community around you.

When explaining work experience, reflecting on career progression and critical thinking skills used in the workplace would be a great demonstration of what you’ve learned and how it has affected your ability to lead. 

Collaboration is highly valued at Kellogg and this dependence on collaboration makes your interpersonal skills vital to the admissions committee. With Kellogg being one of the first schools to utilize a team-based learning curriculum, leading a team to success effectively is essential as a potential admit.

Kellogg pioneered a learning method now used amongst other top business schools, making an innovative thought process important. Kellogg’s MBA program aims to inspire, educate, and equip students with the tools they need to create value as leaders.

This essay is an opportunity to illustrate how you can do that, what skills you already possess that will ensure your success, and how innovative you can be. It’s always helpful to be introspective, so you should ask yourself: Where have you been? Why do you need an MBA? What do you want to do next? 

Below is an example question for essay 1, which has been used once before in Kellogg’s application process: 

Ex. Essay 1 

Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn?

The second written essay usually focuses on your values and how they have influenced you in your life thus far. The admissions committee wants to know what motivates you and how this drive will aid your contributions to the Kellogg community.

This essay question asks for some introspection, encouraging you to think about how you acquired your defining values and how you have, and will, utilize them in meaningful change. Unlike the first essay, this one may be the one that closely resembles the required video essays.

Both of the prompts allow the admissions committee to get to know you better, take away the academic obligations, and become more familiar with what makes you unique. This essay will be an opportunity for the committee to see if you possess the qualities needed to become a student that will be an asset to the Kellogg community. 

Below is an example question for essay two used once before in Kellogg’s application process: 

Ex. Essay 2

Values are what guide you in your life and work. What values are important to you, and how have they influenced you?

Video Essays

The purpose of the video essays is ultimately to get to know you better. Usually, you are allowed to introduce yourself and answer a question centered around how a current social or economic issue has influenced you. These video essays will bring your written essays to life, allowing the admissions committee to put a face to the intricately crafted essays you submitted.

Video essay 1 is merely an introduction; here, you will present anything you feel the admission committee should know about you and highlight your values. 

Video essay 2 asks about your professional goals and your interest in the Kellogg MBA program . This question could be seen as an extension of the first video essay but with a more academic and aspirational focus.

The broad nature of the question is purposefully designed to encourage you to write honest and meaningful answers that fit your aspirations precisely. A current social or economic issue will determine the final video essay. This essay intends to gauge your response to adversity and evaluate your understanding of significant societal problems. Video essay number three could also give you the chance to display how innovative you can be when presented with a difficult situation. 

Depending on the type of MBA program you’re applying to, additional questions will be asked along with the two required written essays. A one-year MBA applicant, for example, will have to answer a different additional question than a JD-MBA applicant would.

This difference is due to the specifications of each program. There are different sets of values desired in an admit for each MBA program, and which program you select should be based on your personal career goals. The additional question would ask what each specific program’s values mean to you and how they will influence your professional aspirations. 

Top Tips for Crafting the Kellogg MBA Essays  

1. only use meaningful info.

Both the written and video essays have specific guidelines for their formatting and structure. The written essays should be 450 words each, and the additional program-based questions range from 250-450 words. For such broad questions, this word count may seem too small to condense your thoughts effectively.

With this in mind, the information presented in your essays should be meaningful and imperative to understanding your essay's main focus. Each sentence used should build off of one another, with filler being discouraged. Any info you feel is essential for the admissions committee to know, but does not align with the essay question you are answering, should be expressed in the application’s additional information section. 

2. Be Open and Honest

Know that there is no right way to answer the essay questions. Each question is looking for an honest answer from you, with profound reflection being a key factor in its effectiveness. You could consider these questions a test of your intrapersonal skills.

Before sitting down to write these essays, think about your values and how they have influenced you in your professional and academic work. This reflection will allow you to choose the values that resonate with you most. You should also consider accomplishments and personal events that align with the values you selected. By doing so, you will provide personal anecdotes in your essays to convey your individuality to the admissions committee. 

3. Research Kellogg and Practice 

Researching the school’s programs, activities, clubs, classes, and professors will make it easier for you to discuss how you plan to contribute to the Kellogg community. This method applies more to the written essays, which will gauge the involvement and impact you plan to make as a Kellogg MBA student.

You can assess what programs and activities you want to be a part of based on your passions and interests. The professors and classes you are excited to take will highlight your motivation to be admitted and make you stand out as a well-spoken and knowledgeable applicant. 

For the video essays, Kellogg provides practice questions for you to become familiar with the technology and format. You will have 20 seconds to think about the video question and a maximum of one minute to give your response.

This time constraint makes knowing what you want to say and how you want to say it very important to ensure your answers are eloquent. The practice questions will be much like the video essay you will submit, except you can complete them as often as you need to feel comfortable.

By practicing, you will get the chance to rid yourself of possible application jitters and avoid saying information that may not relate to the question. It is also essential to make sure you are in a space where you will not be interrupted, as you will not have the chance to redo the official video essay questions.

Remember to be yourself and enjoy the process. The admissions committee wants to know you as a person, so feel free to present your personality. 

Kellogg MBA Essay Example 

The following example is a sample introduction, body paragraph, and conclusion based on a past Kellogg MBA essay question. The sample answers the question: 

‘ Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? ’ 

Sample Introduction:

“To marry my passion for art with my fervent desire to have a positive impact on society, outside my full-time job as a management consultant, I founded an NGO called [NAME] in 2015. Leveraging my strong business acumen, I ideated [NAME's] entire value chain - underprivileged women in [CITY] would be employed to make artisan jewelry, which my team of five peers and I would package, market, and sell to boutique fashion stores. All proceeds from this enterprise would go back to the women. “

This paragraph would be considered a successful introduction. Not only does it perfectly describe the leadership position in question, but it also provides some insight into who the applicant is in the first sentence. From the introduction alone, we know that this applicant has a passion for art and the desire to impact society positively.

The rest of the introduction describes the leadership position and what role they had in it, along with its purpose. The applicant provides this explanation concisely, with every sentence essential to the reader’s understanding. 

Sample Body Paragraph:

“Leading [NAME] has thoroughly challenged my grit, character, and ingenuity. My first major trial came just weeks after our inception. Social norms forbade many women from working, and getting raw materials to them proved to be a logistical nightmare. This started to take a toll on the team. Morale fell, and disagreements brewed.

That was when I realized the importance of persuasive communication as a leadership trait. I organized a weekend retreat to realign the team to our greater mission, especially since impact, and not money, would be our enabler. I ensured that learning from and empowering each other became the team’s mantra. Rejuvenated with a newfound cohesiveness, we convinced over 60 women to join us and creatively leveraged neighborhood suppliers to source raw materials.”

This is a successful and effective body paragraph, answering the last part of the essay question. This paragraph uses a structural approach that states and describes the challenge, lists the effects of said challenge, states the solution, and lists the solution’s outcome along with what they learned.

By structuring the body paragraph this way, each part of the question is answered thoroughly and is imperative to understanding the challenge presented. The section also highlights the applicant’s leadership qualities with a detailed personal anecdote that applies to the essay question; these qualities are what the admissions committee will be looking for.

Thus, by shining a light on your leadership ability and how you applied what you’ve learned, your essay will stand out from the rest. 

Sample Conclusion:

“To date, [NAME] has had a lasting impact on the lives of over 300 women. I am undoubtedly one of them. I am wiser with my learnings and more excited, inspired, and confident than ever to lead teams and leave a positive impact in the years to come.”

While this conclusion is concise, it provides everything needed to answer the essay question. The applicant provides the impact the challenge had on them, what they learned, and their desire to apply it to their future endeavors. The first sentence also highlights the impact the leadership position had on other people. This conclusion answers the essay question and sells the applicant as someone willing and excited to excel at Kellogg. 

1. When will I be able to submit the video essays?

The link to submit your video essays will appear on your application status page after submitting your application and application fee. 

2. When are the written and video essays due?

The written essays are due with your application, and the video essays are due 96 hours after the application deadline. Kellogg has three application rounds. The first is usually mid September, the second is around the beginning of January and the third is around the beginning of April. The applications are expected to be submitted no later than 5pm Central time on the date of that rounds application deadline. International students are encouraged to apply in the first two rounds to allow time for visa processing. 

3. What qualities is the Kellogg admissions committee looking for in applicants?

The admissions committee is looking for intellectual ability, work experience, professional goals, leadership, impact, and interpersonal skills. You can display these qualities in your written and video essays. 

4. Is work experience required to apply to the Kellogg MBA program?

While work experience is not required, it is recommended that you have at least two years of full-time work experience. Kellogg believes this will improve your academic experience at Kellogg and enrich classroom discussion. 

5. When is the best time to submit my application?

Applications are accepted in all three rounds, but the prime time to apply would be in the first two rounds . This early application allows time for visa processing and will enable you to stand out in the applicant pool. 

6. Are there different essay requirements for reapplicants?

Reapplicants must answer the same essay questions as first-year applications. They will also be required to submit their response to an additional reapplicant essay question that asks for an update on their professional and academic career since they last applied. 

Writing the Kellogg MBA essay can produce feelings of angst and nervousness. But with the necessary personal reflection and proper planning, this nervousness can seem silly by the time your application is submitted. By being yourself, researching the university, and providing meaningful answers when crafting your essays, you are sure to produce an essay that makes you stand out in the applicant pool.

Remember, there is no right way to answer the questions, and the admissions committee is looking for an authentic personality. So relax, be yourself, and you’ll be sure to succeed on your journey to becoming a Kellogg admit when you’re writing the Kellogg MBA essay.

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