While there are many elements involved in crafting your application to your preferred elite MBA program, there is one thing that ties the entire thing together: your goals. This webinar goes through how to write an MBA goals essay that brings you one step closer to attending your top-choice MBA program. 

Do you want to learn how to communicate your goals to the admissions committee so they understand the kind of professional you plan to be? Join Ellin Lolis, one of the world's leading MBA consultants and the founder and president of Ellin Lolis Consulting, as she discusses how applicants can present their goals most effectively. With a 98.9% success rate, Ellin and her team specialize in placing professionals like you in the world's most competitive MBA programs.

How to define appropriate goals?

There are a couple of aspects that you want to consider when thinking about your goals.

Don’t skip building personal brand

When looking at your application, you need to have an application that functions as a whole. You don’t want goals disconnected from your background. Instead, you need a consistent application, whose touchpoints are telling the same message. You may find a personal brand exercise available at Ellin Lolis Consulting’s Resource Center very useful.

Short term and long terms are critical

You don’t want to think about your short-term goals and you don’t want to think just about your long-term goals. Your short-term goal is not attending the MBA. It’s what you plan to do exactly after you graduate. The long-term goals can be five or 10 years after that, it can be the ultimate goal you want to have. However, your short-term goals and your long-term goals need to have a clear connection.

Mix of ambitious and realistic goals

Your goals need to show that you see progress in your future, but they also need to be realistic. Becoming the CEO of Google, for example, doesn’t qualify as a realistic goal. Declaring a goal like that will signal to the admissions team that your ambitions are immature and not well thought-out.

Vague goals - no interview

You can’t just say that you plan to figure out your goals in the MBA. In general, vague goals mean that you are unlikely to get an interview.

The basic structure of a goals essay

Once you define what your goals are, it’s time to think about structuring your essay. The winning formula is:

Past

You aways want to ground your goals into some sort of context. Instead of stating what your goals are right away, share a story. Put some sort of context that’s related to that goal and show that you have already done something related to your goals.

Present

You can talk about what are you doing now to achieve your goals. Here’s is where you can describe your short-term and long-term goals. You may point to the industry where you want to go to and the position you would like to have.  

Future

Here you can say how the MBA can help you reach your goals. You need to be very deliberate and also very thoughtful.

Want to learn more? Watch the full webinar to hear more detailed-advice on presenting your goals, including important do’s and don’ts.

Take advantage of Ellin Lolis’ MBA Resource Center: a comprehensive library of resources designed to help you craft a strong MBA application and increase your chances of being accepted into your dream program. The Resource Center includes a wide range of real-life essay examples, interview mock-ups, school guides, and other bonus materials that have been carefully curated to provide you with the tools you need to succeed in your MBA journey. Whether you're just starting out or are already deep into the application process, our resources are designed to support you every step of the way.