Michigan Ross MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2021 – 2022]

The Michigan Ross MBA program is thriving. Its graduates are getting jobs throughout the United States and the world. 

Here are a few of the stats:

• 93.1% of 2020 grads and 97.2% of 2019 grads had at least one job offer within three months of graduation.
  
  
• Amazon was the 2020 top employer of Ross grads, and the school’s 2020 Employment Report shows that consulting and tech snagged roughly 60% of all Ross MBAs.
  
  
• The average GMAT score for the entering class of 2020 was 710, down from the previous year’s 719.
  
  
• The average GPA stayed the same at 3.5.
  
  
• Ross accepted over one third (37%) of applicants to the class of 2021.
  
  
• According to Accepted’s Selectivity Index, Ross placed twenty-eighth. 

There’s opportunity in these numbers. The Michigan Ross MBA program is a fantastic option that is easier to get into than other top programs.

Michigan Ross MBA essays: 2021-22 application tips

Ross kept the basic structure and essays that it had last year. A career goals essay combined with short answer questions that provide a little bit of choice characterize the Ross application. The short answer questions give you the means to paint a unique, multi-dimensional picture of yourself and also to provide the Ross admissions committee with insight into “your values and what you would add to the Michigan Ross community.” Keep that goal in mind as you respond. Use your responses to provide context for events described elsewhere and perspective on your values and your ability to contribute while at Ross and beyond.

Remember, the application is a way for the admissions committee to meet you.

Michigan Ross MBA application short answer questions

Select one prompt from each group of the two groups below. (Choose one from each group; 100 words each) 

While I wish Ross would have given you more room to answer these questions, make the most of what you’ve got. For the short answers, you’re going to have to ask yourself which prompt most speaks to you.

Answer the question in each group that is easiest for you to answer and that allows you to present events and experiences that complement each other and the information provided in other parts of the application. You want to minimize repetition and overlap.

Ross hasn’t labeled the groups thematically. It seems to me that Group 1 is an opportunity for you to talk about something you’re proud of — your identity or a contribution you made. Group 2 relates to handling a difficult experience or situation and your resilience. 

Again, choose the individual questions that allow you to present yourself best. Both groups ask for a behavioral response, where you discuss one experience or situation and reflect on it. You don’t have room for more.

Think a lot about what you want Ross to know about you as you choose the questions to answer. The question tells you what they want to know. Now answer it in such a way that allows you to tell them what you want them to know.

Group 1

• • I want people to know that I:

     

  • I made a difference when I:

     

  • I was aware that I was different when:

Group 2

• • I am out of my comfort zone when:

     

  • I was humbled when:
    
    

• • I was challenged when:

Given the 100-word limit on each response to these behavioral questions, describe the incident or situation and succinctly analyze it in terms of the prompt. For example, why do you “want them to know” about X (Group 1, #1) or why were you humbled or out of your comfort zone (Group 2, #1-2).

Michigan Ross MBA application essay questions

Ross MBA essay #1

Michigan Ross is a place where people from all backgrounds with different career goals can thrive. What is your short-term career goal and why? (200 words)

Ross is very clear in what it’s asking for with this MBA essay question: Your short-term career goals and the reasons (and experiences) that make this goal right for you. So where should you focus?

In her blog post last year announcing this essay question, Soojin Kwon, Managing Director Full-Time MBA Admissions and Program, wrote:

We found that the best responses to this essay were clear and succinct. The ones that were less successful tended to be less focused or focused too much on the “what” and not enough on the “why.” For the AdCom, the “why” is the most impactful and differentiating aspect of each essay to me.

There’s your answer: Focus on the “why” more than the what. While you do need to briefly state your short-term career goals, the majority of your essay real estate should go towards the “why.” Those reasons could include: 

• How the distinctive elements of your background influenced your goal.

   

• What you hope to accomplish in that position or how it will prepare you for a longer-term goal.

   

• The aspects of that role that appeal to you and times when you have enjoyed similar work in the past.

   

• The values that you will be realizing in that role.

   

• An achievement or challenge that you faced and how it has influenced your goals. Tell the story of that experience and how it influenced your short-term MBA goals.

Those are just a few ideas. You can come up with others.

Ross MBA essay #2 (Optional statement)

Is there something in your resume or application that could use some explanation? You might want to discuss the completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate.

Use this statement if necessary to provide context for circumstances that affected your performance or that may lead admissions readers to the wrong conclusion about your abilities.

Ross doesn’t provide a word limit, but keep it short.

For expert guidance with your Michigan Ross MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to top MBA programs and look forward to helping you too!

Michigan Ross 2021-22 application deadlines

	Application Deadline	Decisions Released
Round 1	September 20, 2021	December 8, 2021
Round 2	January 10, 2022	March 18, 2022
Round 3	April 4, 2022	May 11, 2022

*All applications are due by 11:59pm ET on the date listed. International students can apply in any round, but are encouraged to apply in Round 1 or 2 to allow sufficient time for visa processing.

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Source: Michigan Ross website

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By Linda Abraham, president and founder of Accepted. Linda earned her bachelors and MBA at UCLA, and has been advising applicants since 1994 when she founded Accepted. Linda is the co-founder and first president of AIGAC. She has written or co-authored 13 e-books on the admissions process, and has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, U.S. News, Poets & Quants, Bloomberg Businessweek, CBS News, and others. Linda is the host of Admissions Straight Talk, a podcast for graduate school applicants. Want an admissions expert help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• 5 Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your MBA Application Essays, a free guide
• What Prospective MBAs Should Know About Applying to Michigan Ross, a podcast episode
• Writing About Overcoming Obstacles in Your Application Essays

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