DEADLINES
Round 1: 25 September 2018
Round 2: 22 January 2019
Round 3: 8 April 2019
ESSAY
MIT Sloan is a highly competitive and innovative school. It should come as no surprise that the application is equally inventive. Featuring a combination of uncommon elements, MIT’s app includes a cover letter, a video introduction, an organizational chart and an essay only offered to those who are selected for an interview.
In order to approach this diverse collection of application components intelligently, you need to begin by doing some due diligence. Take time to understand what is Sloan offering (courses, professors, resources, etc.) and what is its culture. Furthermore, if you can, visit one of MIT’s many events, and try to connect with current students and alumni. The information you gain will be critical for your application.
Cover Letter – MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect for passion.
Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Program. Your letter should conform to standard business correspondence, include one or more examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to Mr. Rod Garcia, Assistant Dean of Admissions (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation)
One of the questions we most often get asked in relation to this essay is whether MIT really wants a cover letter. The answer is yes and no. While the format of this essay is that of a standard cover letter, the content must be oriented to match the tone and unique preferences of MIT.
In terms of substance, there should be two areas of focus: your experiences and MIT’s MBA. The larger portion should focus on specific examples from your life that reflect MIT values. It might be best to concentrate on recent professional experiences and successes, though you can extend your focus in certain cases, making sure to highlight those qualities that MIT finds invaluable, including leadership, teamwork, creativity, and communication.
For the second portion of this essay, you should connect the experiences you mentioned to concrete aspects of MIT. Include only relevant and specific points that you’ve gathered from your prior research. The purpose of this section is to show that you fit the type of profile that MIT is looking for.
Finally, while cover letters might at times be rather dry, it’s important to show a bit of style and creativity in your approach to writing MIT’s. Try to avoid generic devices when possible; instead, pique the interest of the reader by employing an engrossing and positive tone.
Optional Essay – Please provide any additional information you would like the Admissions Committee to know that may be helpful in evaluating your candidacy (i.e. choice of recommenders, areas of concern in your academic record, other extenuating circumstances, etc.). This information should be provided in a written format; (200 words or less).
This essay should only be used to explain any particular issues that might exist within your application. As always, we strongly recommend that you use this space to talk about any problems that might be visible in your profile. Admissions committees are conservative entities when it comes to red flags, and they will assume the worst reasons for a problem if you do not take the time to inform them otherwise.
It’s vital to keep in mind that when you’re explaining the circumstances behind a particular issue, it is best to explain how you have permanently resolved it. MIT should be convinced that it is a problem that will definitely not reappear.
Potential Additional Essay (Interview Dependent) – The mission of the MIT Sloan School of Management is to develop principled, innovative leaders who improve the world and to generate ideas that advance management practice. We believe that a commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and well-being is a key component of both principled leadership and sound management practice. In 250 words or less, please describe how you, as a member of the MIT Sloan community, would work to create a campus that is welcoming, inclusive, and increasingly diverse. Details for submitting your response will be included in the interview invitation.
MIT wants to create a strong, supportive network. To do so, they need to make sure that potential candidates are going to actively participate in Sloan’s community. In order to best answer this question, try to identify where your previous interests and activities meet with those available at MIT Sloan, especially outside of the classroom. Be creative with what you can bring to the table. Ask yourself, how can you improve the community or a particular association? And how is that improvement linked with your particular strengths, interests and previous experiences?
VIDEO ESSAY
Please introduce yourself to your future classmates via a brief 60-second video statement. (This video will be used for application purposes only and will not be shared.) Videos should be a single take (no editing) lasting no more than one minute and consisting of you speaking directly to the camera. We recommend using an application such as QuickTime or iMovie to record yourself.
Upload the video file according to the detailed instructions within the application. We support the following file formats: .avi, .flv, .m1v, .m2v, .m4v, .mkv, .mov, .mpeg, .mpg, .mp4, .webm, .wmv
Should you experience difficulties uploading your file, please ensure that you’re using a modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari) on the fastest wired Internet connection available. An intermittent or slow Internet connection can cause uploads to timeout.
Video recordings make a lot of people nervous, however, this isn’t an INSEAD-type video essay where you’re asked different topics and need to think on your feet (you can read more about that sort of requirement here). In fact, you can plan this video out as much as you want. So, what should you do with all of that control?
Before we get to what you should do, let’s quickly go over what you shouldn’t. This is not a section of the essay where you should be mentioning any topics that have already been discussed in other parts of your application. Neither is this question about your future objectives nor is it about MIT. This essay is all about you.
In most cases, you want to take a personal approach here. Take some time to figure out what are the big passions that define your life. There are many questions you could pose to yourself to help identify them. What hobbies take up most of your time? What events have recently caused you to change your opinion? What principles guide you?
Additionally, when you’re shooting the video, you need to also consider the presentation. This isn’t a movie shoot. You don’t need to have a camera crew with you (unless you happen to actually work in the industry). However, there are ways you can bring your interests to life. For instance, if your passion revolves around flight, shooting your video surrounded by aeronautical materials or even in an airplane hangar could be a great way to engage your audience. Aside from the mise-en-scène, you want to make sure that your speech comes out in a natural, friendly and attractive manner while remaining professional.
