Michigan Ross 2006 Application and Deadlines
EDIT (July 15, 2008): The Michigan Ross 2009 Application Deadline and Essay Question with my tips are now online.
EDIT (August 27, 2006): The Michigan Ross 2007 Application Deadline and Essay Question with my tips are now online.
Application Deadline Notification
Round 1 Nov. 1, 2005 Jan. 15, 2006
Round 2 Jan. 7, 2006 Mar. 15, 2006
Round 3 Mar. 1, 2006 May 15, 2006
Michigan Ross Essay Questions
My comments are in red.
Required Questions
You must answer all parts of the four questions below.
1. We believe one of the keys to effective leadership is the ability to transform ideas into action through people. Please describe a professional leadership accomplishment in which you transformed an idea into action. How did your leadership impact your organization? (500-word maximum)
Don't forget the "through people" part. Also, note that Michigan wants to see a "professional" leadership accomplishment that had impact on your organization. So you need to discuss the idea, how you transformed it into action through people, and the impact that process had on the organization.
2. Describe the initiatives you have taken over the past two years to develop professionally. (500-word maximum)
This is pretty straightforward, but not easy. When have you taken initiative to develop professional skills? When have you had to change or push yourself to meet the demands of your job? ( and I don't mean just work incredibly long hours.) Yes, going for a CFA would qualify, but I don't think you can write about it for 500 words. You can write about leadership training, assumption of responsibility at work, development of "soft" skills you need on the job, joining Toastmasters, or a number of other developmental activities, but again note that this is a professional question.
3. What career goals have you set for yourself and how will a Ross MBA support the achievement of these goals? How will you utilize the opportunities at Ross to co-create an MBA experience that is right for you? How will you enhance the experience of other members of the Ross community? (500-word maximum)
Wow! A lot to cram into 500 words. This is a very specific and directed goals question. Answer all the sub-parts. What do you want to do after your MBA, and how will the Ross MBA help you attain that end. Do you homework about Ross. Know what MAP, M-trek, and other Ross programs are. Which do you want to take advantage of? How do you intend to contribute at Ross? (Hint: How have you contributed in the past? But don't repeat your other essays; build upon them.)
4. Describe a situation where your professional ethics were challenged and how you came to terms with the situation. What did you learn from this? (500-word maximum)
Have you ever had an experience when a supervisor wanted you to compromise quality in order to maximize profit? Does your compensation package inadvertently encourage cutting corners or emphasizing certain information (like sales) over other information (like the bottom line)? How do you handle the conflicts inherent in business? What did you learn?
Optional Questions
You may answer one, both or neither of these questions.
1. Describe a situation in which others with whom you were working on a project disagreed with your ideas. What did you do? In retrospect, is there anything you would have done differently? (500-word maximum)
If you have an experience that fits this, then I strongly recommend that you include it, especially if the experience provides a different perspective of you. For example if you were a captain of a sports team or the member of an amateur band or on the board of a not-for-profit, it is unlikely that you could go into any depth about those experiences in the required questions. If you had in that non-professional context, a situation like that described in the question, you cold really bring out another aspect of your experience by using it here. That is not to say that you must use a non-professional experience to answer the question.
2. Please feel free to elaborate on any other information that you believe is important for the admissions committee to assess your candidacy. (500-word maximum)
Do not use this essay like a storage room, my son's bedroom closet, or even a large salad: a place to put everything. Focus on one facet of your life or experience that is important to you, reveals the human being you are and isn't described in other parts of the application. Write about it here.
You can of course also use this essay to "explain" a weakness, but I hate to end your application on that note if it can be avoided. So weigh your options. If you have something to explain, do so. If you can tuck the explanation somewhere else in the application, more power to you. If the best place for the explanation is this last essay, so be it.
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