Hanna Renaldi's Blog: When the MBA Optional Essay is No Longer Optional

The MBA optional essay: Is it optional for your?

You’ve already written the required essays that most business schools ask for – do you really need to write the optional essay?

If you’re a strong applicant who doesn’t need to explain weaknesses, low stats, or application inconsistencies, then you may be able to skip the optional question.

But the optional essay is NOT AN OPTION in the following two cases:

1. There is a weakness or inconsistency in your application.

If your grades plummeted your sophomore year in college, this is the place to explain that you underwent surgery that semester, had a death in the family, or had taken on too many extracurricular activities or work responsibilities. Or, if there is a gap in your employment, you provide the explanation. In other words, don’t leave the admissions committee guessing or assuming the worst.

When using this essay to address a weakness, keep it short and keep it simple. State the facts, the pertinent reasons surrounding the facts, and what you learned or what you did subsequently to improve or change, to the extent possible, the outcome. Your goal is to provide context for events that may not reflect well on you; it is not to make excuses. Either show that circumstances that no longer exist impeded your performance or that you have learned how to handle those circumstances so that they no longer impede your performance.

2. You have additional information to share.

Some schools are blunt and ask that the optional essay be used to address weaknesses; other schools ask a more open-ended optional essay question. Note, however, that schools do not ask for a summary of your essays. So take a look at your entire application and ask yourself: Have you presented a well-rounded picture of your candidacy? If you have nothing to add, then you do not need to write an optional essay simply because it’s there.

Are your essays heavily weighted to professional experiences? If yes, use the opportunity to showcase another dimension of your life, perhaps your community service activities or involvement in a sport. If you are still uncertain, consider what you could add that provides another reason to accept you.

Use or do not use the optional essay to your advantage to add value to your application.

Need help deciding whether or not you should write the optional essay? Looking for guidance on how to write an optional essay that will boost your chances of acceptance? Check out our MBA Admissions Consulting Services and work one-on-one with an expert advisor to perfect your optional essay, or any other element of your business school application. Learn more here.