MBA Essays - The Goals Essay

Hi, this is Farrell, MBA Prep Coach and Verbal GMAT Expert.

I want to give you a quick formula to answer almost any essay question.

It’s a very common approach to answering interview questions, you might have heard of it, it’s called STAR – Situation – Task – Action – Result

Today I’m going to apply this to a goals question, which is definitely going to be somewhere on your application.

First, situation. What are you doing now, and what gives rise to your interest in business school? In this instance, I’ll take a common example of someone who wants to the opportunity to manage a staff.

Task. Who do you need to become in order to qualify for the job you want? In this case, you will need to develop strong interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, leadership skills and time management skills.

Action. Describe everything you will do in business school to obtain these skills. This would include classes, but so much more. You want to make reference to the specific opportunities of the program where you are applying.

Result. How will an MBA catapult you on to a new career trajectory? How will you be adding more value at your current company, or where you want to work after graduating? Is there some unmet need that you will fulfill? If there is some socially beneficial aspect to the work you plan to do, mention that.

So there it is, situation, task, action result. This is a great formula for almost every essay question, because it gives the reader all the information to visualize your story unfold. And this is going to enhance the impact, and the success, of your application.