yale som application essay

Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

July 21, 2023

Jeremy Shinewald

Yale SOM 2023–2024 Essay Tips

Required essay: we want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or aspirations, depending on where you take your response. to ensure that you’re able to write about something important to you, we offer you three essay prompts from which to choose:, 1) describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it (500-word limit).

When this intriguing essay prompt was originally introduced in 2016, Assistant Dean for Admissions Bruce DelMonico noted that the “seemingly simple and straightforward question” was composed with assistance from one of the program’s organizational behavior professors. Yale’s admissions committee clearly takes its application essays seriously and is thoughtful about the mind-set and types of behaviors it wants to see in the school’s students. In an online Q&A session with several leading admissions officers we hosted, DelMonico declared himself “agnostic” about whether applicants should discuss a personal commitment or a professional one, noting that he wants to gauge the level to which candidates commit themselves, rather than the context of the engagement: “We don’t have a preference for professional or personal accomplishments. . . . We are not making value judgments about what that commitment is, but it is more about how you approach that commitment, how you have demonstrated that commitment, and what sorts of behaviors underlie that commitment.”

You might initially perceive this prompt as rather narrow in scope, allowing you to share the story of just a single professional or community project and nothing more, but that is not the case. You can certainly discuss your dedication to a particular project or cause, of course, but you are definitely not restricted to this approach. Consider this: you can also be committed to an idea (e.g., personal liberty) or a value (e.g., creating opportunity for others), and approaching your essay from this angle instead could enable you to reveal much more of and about yourself to the admissions committee. For example, you might relate a few anecdotes that on the surface seem unrelated—drawing from different parts of your life—but that all support and illustrate how you are guided by a particular belief or world view. Or, to use the example of personal liberty as a theme, you could show how you take control of your academic and professional paths, adhering steadfastly to your values and vision. Whatever you choose to feature as the focus of your commitment, your actions and decisions, manifest via a variety of experiences, must allow you to own it as a genuine part of who you are as an individual. Identifying a theme that you think no one else will ever use is not your goal here; presenting authentic anecdotes that powerfully support your selected theme is what is important.

If you elect to focus on a single anecdote, the commitment you claim must be truly inordinate. Being particularly proud of an accomplishment is not enough to make it an effective topic for this essay. You need to demonstrate your constancy and dedication in the face of challenges or resistance, revealing that your connection to the experience was hard won. Strive to show that you have been resolute in following a sometimes difficult path and have doggedly stayed on course, citing clear examples to illustrate your steadfastness. Nothing commonplace will work here—you must make your reader truly understand your journey and leave them more impressed by your effort than the outcome.

2) Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community? (500-word limit)

In working with business schools and MBA applicants, we hear about the concept of “community” quite a bit, and these days, it seems to be more important (and ubiquitous) than ever. Each school has its own unique community and, understandably, wants to ensure not only that the applicants it accepts will in some way fit with and enhance that community but also that they will benefit from it themselves. This essay is clearly a tool the Yale SOM admissions committee will use to identify candidates who would make fitting matches with the school’s community. It will also help the committee determine which applicants view and value the concept of community in the same way (or at least very similar to how) the members of Yale’s do. More specifically, the school wants to see that you have been an engaged member of a community before, how you personally define what a community is, that you know how to be an additive member (and in what way[s] you actively are one), and that you are aware of how you yourself profit from your participation and inclusion.

The prompt does not specify that you must discuss a strictly professional community or a  personal one, so you can draw from any facet of your life. The community involvement you discuss could have been a long-term engagement or a short-term one, and it might even still be ongoing. Share what you value about your inclusion in this group and the motivations behind what you have contributed to it. We would caution you against discussing your family as your meaningful “community,” given that it is not one you proactively had agency in choosing and so would not be as revelatory of your individuality and personality. 

We are going to assume that you have thoroughly researched the Yale SOM MBA experience and have therefore familiarized yourself well with its particular characteristics and qualities—what it values, the kinds of people who excel there, and so on.  (If you have not , start doing so immediately; contact students and alumni, read student blogs, watch videos on the Yale SOM YouTube channel , and visit campus or participate in admissions events in your area.) If any of the attributes you appreciate in the community you describe overlap with any of those of the Yale SOM community, be sure to emphasize them in your essay.

3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person? (500-word limit)

A challenge or obstacle can be the catalyst for a powerful learning experience, whether you were able to completely overcome the impediment or not. So, for this essay, you can discuss a one-time occurrence or an ongoing issue that you deal with regularly. And because the school does not stipulate that the challenge you share be strictly professional or personal, you can (and should) consider every possible option you have from the various facets of your life—your workplace, academic background, family, personal life, community engagements, and so on. The one you ultimately choose should be the one that has made the most significant impact on how you view and/or operate in the world today. The Yale SOM admissions committee wants to understand how and what you learn from situations in which things do not go as planned. Your goal is to convey that you are not easily discouraged by setbacks but that you instead use them as learning tools or stepping-stones on your path forward.

Consider using a narrative approach to tell your story, rather than simply stating the facts outright. Including vivid anecdotal details will help you most effectively convey the nature of your challenge. You want to ensure that the admissions reader fully grasps your struggle. Then, your explanation of how you have been “shaped” by the experience—and of the way in which you dealt (or are dealing with) the obstacle—will reveal your character. Avoid clichéd lessons, such as “gained resilience.” In what substantial way have you been changed by the situation, and how are you now able to apply what you learned from it or expect to do so in the future? 

One important note: do not be afraid to reveal a weakness or error on your part. Although this is not a “failure” essay, if your own actions helped create the obstacle or you failed to see the obstacle right before you (and should have), you should not shy away from an honest discussion of your responsibility. Such incidents are usually very effective learning opportunities and could therefore make for a compelling essay. The key is in conveying what your takeaways are from the experience and explaining how it has influenced you and your life since.

Within its application, the Yale SOM also poses the following question:

Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (150 words maximum)

Although this is not presented by the school as an official essay question, we feel that a little guidance might be helpful. Here, the admissions committee is essentially asking for context for your professional aspirations, which typically involves some level of information about your work history, and wants to know how you expect to use the Yale SOM experience and degree to move your forward on your path to achieving your goals. 

Keep in mind that the admissions committee will already have your resume on hand to review, and this should provide the basic information as far as your previous positions/titles, responsibilities, and accomplishments. What the school is looking for here is the more personal side of the story—what has motivated you along the way and is motivating you still, prodding you to pursue an MBA as part of your efforts to continue on your chosen professional path. In an application tips blog post , Kate Botelho, senior associate director of admissions at the Yale SOM, offers this advice when considering your response: “You may want to think about the answers to questions such as ‘How did these interests develop?’ ‘What kind of exposure have you had to them?’ ‘What steps have you already taken to explore these interests?’ ‘What enables you to pursue them successfully?’” Be sure to explain how you have set yourself on a path to attain your objectives and what you intend to do going forward. The school wants to know that you are, and will be, a determined and active participant in your eventual success and are not expecting to rely on the Yale name to do the work for you.

Given that this prompt essentially covers some of the elements found in a typical traditional personal statement essay, we encourage you to download a free copy of the mbaMission Personal Statement Guide , which offers in-depth advice on how to address these sorts of topics and provides examples.  

Optional Information: If any aspect of your application requires additional explanation, you can address it in the Optional Information section below.  Please note, you should use the specific prompts provided in the Work Experience section to address gaps in work experience or choice of recommender.  The Optional Information section is truly optional – if no aspect of your application requires further explanation, you should leave this section blank. (200 words maximum)

Yale’s optional information prompt invites you to address any potential problem areas in your profile if you feel you need to. The use of the adjective “brief” clearly conveys that the school wants you to focus on imparting key information rather than offering a detailed and long-winded explanation of the issue in question. This is absolutely not an opportunity to share another cool story or otherwise try to impress or pander to the admissions committee. If you do not truly need to explain an issue or potentially confusing element of your candidacy, we do not recommend that you complete this section; if you do have issues to clarify, keep things concise. In our free mbaMission Optional Essays Guide , we offer detailed advice on when and how to take advantage of these kinds of opportunities, with multiple examples.

For a thorough exploration of the Yale SOM academic program/merits, defining characteristics, crucial statistics, social life, academic environment, and other key features, check out the mbaMission Insider’s Guide to the Yale School of Management .

The Next Step—Mastering Your Yale SOM Interview

Many MBA candidates find admissions interviews stressful and intimidating, but mastering this important element of the application process is definitely possible—the key is informed preparation. To help you on your way to this high level of preparation, we offer our  free Interview Guides . Download your free copy of the  Yale School of Management Interview Guide  today.

To learn more about the essays for other top business schools, visit our  MBA Essay Tips and Examples Resources Page .

2023-2024 Business School Essays MBA Essay Tips Yale University (School of Management)

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Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024

Yale School of Management has released deadlines and essays for the 2023-2024 application year, changing their essay section for the first time in eight years.

As one of the smaller top MBA programs, Yale SOM’s intimate class size is a defining characteristic of the program, with 347 students enrolled in the class of 2024 . Of these students, 43% identify as women, 48% are international passport holders, 17% are first-generation college students, and 12% identify as LGBTQ+.

The class of 2024 came from a range of pre-MBA industries, the top three being financial services, consulting and non-profit. On average, students had an average of 4.4 years of work experience.

Want to learn more about applying to Yale SOM? Take a look at Personal MBA Coach’s interview with Laurel Grodman, Assistant Dean for Admissions at Yale School of Management, to get insider advice on the Yale SOM experience and application process.

Watch below to learn how to position yourself for success!

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Round 1:  September 12, 2023

Round 2:  January 4, 2024

Round 3:  April 9, 2024

This year, Yale SOM decided to allow applicants to choose the essay question they would like to answer, leavings its longstanding essay regarding commitment as one of the options. Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions, gives more detail on this choice in the 2023-2024 Application Guide (copied below):

We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or aspirations, depending on where you take your response. To ensure that you’re able to write about something important to you, we offer you three essay prompts from which to choose:

1) Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

2) Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you and about which you have the most enthusiasm.

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips:

It can always be a bit of a challenge when a program offers you an essay choice. However, Yale has stated that you should truly pick the essay question you best relate to and there is no “wrong choice.”

Regardless of which option you choose, as you craft your Yale SOM essay, keep in mind that Yale strives to “educate leaders for business and society.” With a passionate and committed student body, Yale takes pride in the small group learning teams and close-knit community.

Below, we have shared our tips for approaching each of the three options:

Yale MBA Essay Option 1: 

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words).

This question gives candidates a chance to provide admissions committee members with a glimpse of who they are and what matters to them, confirming they can and will live up to the school’s lofty mission.

The commitment can be personal or professional, though Personal MBA Coach prefers to see candidates share personal experiences in their Yale SOM essays. Whatever you choose, be sure that you focus on ONE thing; do not include multiple commitments here. Past MBA essay examples have included causes, personal development areas, athletic achievements and professional pursuits. The commitment can be something completed in the past or ongoing. However, if you select something that is ongoing, be sure that you have already made significant steps to deliver against your commitment. A commitment you just recently made and your forward-looking plans will not cut it here.

Yale SOM wants to see passion, dedication and follow-through. They want to assess how you think and how you plan effectively. Your commitment should be something that genuinely matters to you. Remember, think leader for business AND society here.

The most successful answers will show how you have delivered against this mission in the past. However, the commitment does not have to be focused on volunteer work. There are countless ways to make an impact on society.

Five hundred words is fairly short, and this is your main shot to show who you are and why you will fit in on campus. Be focused and be genuine!

Yale MBA Essay Option 2:

Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. what is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community (500 words).

This essay is a great opportunity for candidates who have a close relationship with a particular community. You can think of your physical community or think of community more broadly.

To craft a strong answer here, be sure that you can identify a community from which you have learned and to which you have contributed. Remember, this is your main opportunity to tell Yale SOM what you uniquely bring to the table, so be sure that community is significant to you.

Once you have defined this community for the reader, tell them how this community shaped who you are today.

Equally as important, you want to share what you have done to add value to this community. As you do this, be specific! Keep in mind that Yale admissions directors are looking to glean information on how you will add value on campus. While you do not need to discuss Yale here, past actions are the best predictors of future behavior so let Yale SEE the leader you will be on campus.

Yale MBA Essay Option 3:

Describe the most signific ant challenge you have faced. how have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person (500 words).

This third option is also new for Yale SOM. For those applicants considering this option, keep in mind that Admissions Directors shared at the 2023 AIGAC conference how the “trauma” essay, particularly if unrelated to an applicant’s reason for applying to business school, is often overused.

This means that the challenge selected here does not need to be a major tragedy that you faced or challenge you have overcome. You can select either a personal or professional challenge here. However, this challenge should have shaped you in some way.

A strong essay not only will show the skills you developed and utilized in overcoming this challenge but also help the reader to understand how this experience has prepared you to succeed at Yale and beyond.

Yale MBA Short Answer Essay: Post-MBA Interests: Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (150 words)

Finally, Yale has a short career goals essay. There is a lot to cover in just 150 words so you want to be very direct. In addition to briefly sharing your goals with Yale (need help developing a compelling goal statement – check out this blog ), tell the reader what drove these goals and how you have already prepared for them. Finally, think about where Yale fits into the picture. While there won’t be a lot of space to deep dive into Yale’s offerings in this essay, you should make it clear that you have thought about why you need a Yale MBA to be successful in achieving your goals.

Yale MBA Reapplicant Essay Topic:

Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities. (200 words maximum; required for all reapplicants).

Reapplicants should use the required additional essay to demonstrate growth. We advise candidates to review  our tips for reapplicants  before tackling this essay.

Finally, Yale has retained its video essay

Candidates will receive the video questions after submitting their applications. Learn more to get started with Personal MBA Coach’s video essay guidance and tips . Ready to apply to Yale SOM? Contact Personal MBA Coach today  to learn how we can help with your Yale SOM application!

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Yale SOM MBA Essays Guide: Overview, Tips & Examples

Looking to ace your Yale SOM MBA essays? Our comprehensive guide provides an overview of the application process, valuable tips, and real examples to help you craft compelling and standout essays that can secure your spot at Yale School of Management..

Posted March 1, 2024

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Table of Contents

The Yale School of Management (SOM) is known for its rigorous MBA program that prepares students for leadership roles in various industries. As part of the application process, applicants are required to submit essays that provide insights into their backgrounds, experiences, and aspirations. In this comprehensive guide, we will provide an overview of the Yale SOM MBA essays, along with tips and examples to help you craft compelling essays that showcase your unique qualities and fit with the school's values and culture.

Yale SOM Application and the Role of Essays

Before diving into the essay prompts, it's important to understand the overall application process for Yale SOM. In addition to essays, the application includes standard components such as a resume, letters of recommendation, and test scores. However, the essays play a crucial role in allowing applicants to express their personal stories and motivations, helping the admissions committee evaluate their potential fit within the SOM community.

Yale SOM values candidates who demonstrate intellectual curiosity, a commitment to making a positive impact in the world, and the ability to thrive in a collaborative environment. The essays provide an opportunity for applicants to showcase these qualities and convey how they align with the school's mission and values.

When it comes to the essay prompts, Yale SOM offers applicants a chance to delve into various aspects of their personal and professional lives. The prompts are carefully crafted to elicit thoughtful and introspective responses, allowing applicants to showcase their unique perspectives and experiences.

One of the essay prompts asks applicants to reflect on a time when they faced a significant challenge . This prompt provides an opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their resilience, problem-solving skills, and ability to learn from difficult situations. Applicants can choose to discuss a personal or professional challenge, highlighting the lessons they learned and how they grew as a result.

Another essay prompt focuses on applicants' career goals and how a Yale SOM education will help them achieve those goals. This prompt allows applicants to articulate their aspirations and explain why Yale SOM is the ideal place to pursue their desired career path. Applicants can discuss the specific resources, programs, and opportunities offered by Yale SOM that align with their career goals.

In addition to these prompts, Yale SOM also includes an essay that asks applicants to reflect on their connection to the Yale SOM community . This prompt allows applicants to showcase their understanding of the school's values and culture, and how they envision contributing to the community. Applicants can discuss their past experiences in collaborative environments, their passion for teamwork, and their desire to engage with and learn from their peers.

Overall, the essays in the Yale SOM application provide applicants with a platform to showcase their unique qualities, experiences, and aspirations. Through thoughtful and well-crafted responses, applicants have the opportunity to stand out and demonstrate their fit within the Yale SOM community. The essays not only serve as a means for the admissions committee to evaluate candidates but also allow applicants to reflect on their own journeys and articulate their goals and motivations.

Yale SOM Essay Prompts (2023-2024)

This year, Yale SOM has introduced three essay prompts that allow applicants to delve deeper into their experiences, aspirations, and values. Let's take a closer look at each prompt:

Prompt 1: Describe an impactful experience or accomplishment that is not reflected elsewhere in your application.

This prompt invites applicants to share a specific experience or accomplishment that holds personal significance to them. It could be a professional achievement, a personal challenge overcome, or a transformative event that shaped their perspective on life or career goals. The key is to focus on an experience that adds value to the application, complementing other aspects that may already be covered in other sections.

When approaching this prompt, it's important to provide context and clearly explain the impact of the experience or accomplishment on personal growth and development. Showing self-reflection and drawing connections to future goals will demonstrate your ability to apply insights from past experiences to future endeavors.

For example, you could discuss how you overcame a difficult obstacle while working on a team project. Detail the specific challenges you faced, the strategies you employed to overcome them, and the ultimate outcome of the project. Reflect on how this experience shaped your understanding of teamwork and leadership, and how it will inform your approach to similar situations in the future.

Furthermore, you could explore how this experience influenced your career aspirations and how it aligns with the values and mission of Yale SOM. By providing a comprehensive and thoughtful response, you will showcase your unique qualities and contributions.

Prompt 2: Describe how you have positively influenced an organization or community.

This prompt highlights Yale SOM's emphasis on leadership and making a positive impact. Whether you have led a team, initiated a community project, or championed a cause, this is an opportunity to showcase your ability to create change and inspire others.

When addressing this prompt, provide specific examples of your actions and the outcomes that resulted from them. Discuss the challenges you faced and the strategies you employed to overcome them. Emphasize the impact you had on the organization or community and the lessons you learned along the way.

For instance, you could share how you organized a fundraising event for a local nonprofit organization. Describe the steps you took to plan and execute the event, including coordinating volunteers, securing sponsorships, and promoting the cause. Highlight the positive outcomes, such as the amount of funds raised or the number of individuals impacted by the organization's work.

Additionally, reflect on the leadership skills you developed throughout this experience and how they align with Yale SOM's mission of developing leaders who create lasting positive change. By showcasing your ability to make a tangible difference, you will demonstrate your potential as a future leader in the Yale SOM community.

Prompt 3: Reflect on your relationship-building skills, both professionally and personally.

This prompt acknowledges the importance of relationships in achieving personal and professional success. Yale SOM believes that effective leaders are adept at building and maintaining meaningful connections. Use this question as an opportunity to showcase your interpersonal skills and the impact of your relationships on your life and career.

In your response, highlight instances where you demonstrated relationship-building skills, such as collaborating with diverse teams or forging connections within your community. Discuss the challenges you encountered and how you navigated them. It's crucial to demonstrate self-awareness and the ability to form authentic connections that create value for both parties involved.

For example, you could discuss how you successfully built a strong network of mentors and peers during your undergraduate studies. Explain the steps you took to establish these relationships, such as attending networking events, reaching out for informational interviews, and actively participating in extracurricular activities. Reflect on the impact these relationships had on your personal growth, academic achievements, and career exploration.

Furthermore, discuss how you plan to leverage your relationship-building skills at Yale SOM to contribute to the vibrant community and foster meaningful connections with your classmates, faculty, and alumni. By showcasing your ability to build and nurture relationships, you will demonstrate your potential to make a lasting impact at Yale SOM and beyond.

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Advice, tips and insights from the admissions dream team., table of contents, yale som mba essay for 2023-2024: tips & strategy.

• By Zachary White

Yale SOM’s MBA application includes several innovative features, including a behavioral assessment, a personal assessment, pre-interview questions , and behaviorally anchored recommender forms.

These elements combine for an effective and efficient package, helping applicants and the admissions team focus on what matters most while boosting the predictive power of the application.

For several years, the SOM app also included a single required essay prompt: “Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.” For 2023–2024, however, Yale has added some detail and context to that question, and added two more prompts, so candidates can choose one of three essays.

Essay Options

• Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. 
 Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?
• Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. 
 What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?
•  Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. 
 How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

All three questions focus on actions: making a commitment, contributing to a community, or confronting a challenge. They are all designed to give you opportunities to tell the school a story of a meaningful experience that has shaped who you are today. 

Rather than asking you to make a statement about who you are or what’s important to you and marshal evidence to support that claim, SOM takes a different approach. They ask you about important things you have chosen to do, and from that, they can infer what moves you and what matters most in your life.

SOM’s long-serving admission leader, Bruce DelMonico, has explained the rationale behind this approach. Reading about future plans is helpful, but actions speak louder than words, he explains. “In your response, we are looking to learn about how you have approached a particular commitment, whether personal or professional, and the behaviors that support it,” DelMonico notes. “You should be less concerned about what we want to hear and instead focus on being honest with yourself in selecting and describing the commitment that has been most significant to you.”

In addition to your choice of these questions, SOM has also added a new question in the family and background section of the app that offers additional space and flexibility to tell the school who you are. Likely in response to the recent Supreme Court Affirmative Action ruling, the new field asks, “If you would like to elaborate on any of your responses within this section, or any other aspect of your background, we encourage you to do so here. (250 words)

Top Tips for Tackling the Yale SOM Essay Question 

Understand yale som’s “bias toward action.”.

DelMonico has often talked about Yale SOM’s “bias towards action,” and this shows up in essay prompts rooted In the belief that actions speak louder than words. SOM is looking for behaviors that support your stated commitment, contribution or challenge. 

They implore applicants to be honest with themselves. Honesty is the key because the essay asks you to bring the receipts (see Tip #2). Yale is looking for something more objective and dispassionate than other schools. There are bound to be strong feelings, values and motivations backing your actions, but Yale isn’t asking what moves you – they want to witness what you’ve done!

Ask yourself the tough questions.

If a stranger shadowed you for several years and had unfettered access to your life – spending patterns, reading habits, physical moves, contact with other people, emails, meals, etc. – but couldn’t read your thoughts or know your feelings, what might they infer about what matters to you? What could they conclude based on how you invest your most precious resources: time, attention, social capital, emotional energy? When faced with a high-stakes decision, which path did they see you choose? When forced to make a thousand everyday decisions, what patterns would they have observed? 

Running this thought experiment in a dispassionate way can be hard – we are constantly rewriting stories about ourselves in illogical, inconsistent, very human ways. But interrogating yourself this way gets at the spirit of the question. The trick here is to link up your honesty and your confidence and let them reinforce one another. That’s no easy task in this business where everyone is stretching to project a vision of their best self, but that just makes authenticity all the more precious.

Get to the point.

We have all made lots of commitments, but you can only write about one. Yale welcomes personal or professional angles, but whichever you choose, state it clearly in the first few sentences of your essay. You have only 500 words to work with, so there’s not a lot of room for context or compelling sentimental hooks. That’s okay. Some of our deepest, most enduring commitments have an emotional core; if you dig deep enough to find something genuine you should be close to something compelling, even as you’re focused on actions, choices, investments, sacrifice and results. Use the straightforward nature of the prompt to inspire your writing style. Keep the focus on yourself as the main character and keep your sentences concrete, specific, and action oriented. Do that, and you’re likely to end up crafting some pretty good prose along the way!

Finally, resist any temptation to bend your response to align with the SOM mission or pick a particular commitment that you think will resonate with the school’s values. If your response links up naturally with the school’s strengths, that’s great, but don’t force it. Really focus on you and your behavioral patterns; stick close to the question and close to how you regularly impact the world around you.

View our MBA Admissions Masterclass featuring Yale SOM, Berkeley Haas, and UCLA Anderson for more Yale SOM application insights. Follow Fortuna’s YouTube channel for the latest videos. 

Let’s Get You In.

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA Admissions Directors and Officers from 18 of the top 20 business schools, including Yale SOM. With our unparalleled collective expertise, we are able to coach you to develop a clear vision of your goals for business school and beyond. We work closely with you throughout the application process and provide expert guidance at every stage to maximize your chances of admission to a top school.

Our free consultations are consistently rated as the best in the industry. To learn more about Fortuna and assess your chances of admission to Wharton and other top programs, request a free consultation .

Want more advice? 

For more insights and advice on applying to Yale SOM, view our related articles and videos:

• Yale SOM MBA Interview: What to Expect & How to Prepare
• Why Now is a Great Time to Apply to Yale SOM
• How to Tailor Your Application to Yale SOM (video)
• Application Strategy for Berkeley Haas, UCLA Anderson, Yale SOM (video)
• B-School Profile for Yale SOM 
• Request a copy of our Insider Tips Report for Yale SOM

Updated September, 2022

• Posted on July 22, 2023

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The Yale SOM Video Essay Questions – And How to Successfully Answer Them

Sep 18, 2023

Why does Yale require a video essay?

How does the yale video essay work, technical requirements, which types of questions are asked.

• Get expert help

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on September 18, 2019. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

With curricular flexibility that allows students to take classes across Yale’s many faculties (not just the business school!), Yale SOM is a top choice for engaged, globally-minded leaders who seek to make a meaningful difference in the world, all while benefiting from an Ivy League education. 

Despite this fact, many applicants dedicate countless hours to writing Yale’s admissions essays and then rush through the video essay component. 

This is a huge mistake. 

In addition to giving the admissions committee the chance to “put a face with a name,” the Yale SOM video essay is an essential part of the Yale application, as it allows committee members to determine if your communication style and values are a good fit with the Yale community. 

In fact, in our experience helping our Yale applicants secure a place at the school, we have noticed that the video essay can be as influential in an applicant’s admissions decision as the admissions interview . 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you understand how the Yale video essay works and have shared a list of Yale video essay questions to ensure you put your best foot forward! 

When we first started working with Yale applicants many years ago, the video essay component had not yet been introduced. However, after being one of the first business schools to incorporate the video essay into their admissions process, this component has quickly become a critical part of the application. 

That’s because it gives the admissions committee the chance to truly “meet” candidates — as well as identify red flags in potential members of the Yale community. 

Here is what they say about it: 

The way the video essay works is very simple. 

After submitting your application, you will receive an email from a company called Kira Talent. This email will contain a link that allows you to access the video essay platform. 

After signing in and starting the session, you will get three Yale video essay questions in total, one at a time. All will be random, but each question falls into a certain category (more on that below!). 

• For questions 1 and 3 , you will have 20 seconds to think and 60 seconds to answer. 
• For question 2 , you will have 30 seconds to think and up to 90 seconds to answer. 
• You will be able to stop the question and move on if you finish before the time runs out.

If you’ve taken the TOEFL exam , you’ve already practiced for the type of format you can expect in the Yale video essay! 

After signing in and “starting” the session, a video will appear on the screen. This video will show a member of the Yale community, who will read the question you are tasked with answering. The question will also appear in written form under the video. 

After the time runs out, the screen video will disappear, and your image will be visible on the screen. At this point, your 20 or 30 seconds to think will automatically appear. 

After the preparation time runs out, the clock to answer (60 or 90 seconds!) will start, and you will need to give your answer during this period of time. Remember: you cannot redo any of the Yale video essay questions . 

After you answer the question, the system will upload your answer to the server (depending on your connection this can take a while) and will present you with the next question. 

DO NOT leave your computer during the upload time, even if it’s taking a while. You cannot pause the process, and you may end up missing questions!

The Behavioral Assessment

Yale also has a unique separate video essay requirement: the behavioral assessment . 

Unlike the video essay, the behavioral assessment is a fixed-choice assessment conducted by ETS that does not require any previous preparation. It is designed to measure a set of “interpersonal and intrapersonal competencies associated with business school success,” according to the Yale SOM site. 

The behavioral assessment should be completed in a single sitting and should take you about 20 minutes to complete. 

Given past applicants’ issues with iPad and mobile versions of the application, we strongly suggest you record your answer on a computer . 

If you do end up experiencing technical issues, access the support page here . 

Regardless of when you submit your application, you need to submit your responses to the Yale video essay questions no more than 48 hours after the round’s deadline . Find Yale’s most current application deadlines here. 

If you submit your application early, you can submit the Yale video essay questions at any time, as long as you make the final deadline.  

The Yale video essay questions are grouped into three different categories, each with a different focus. 

Group 1: MBA Motivations

The first question in the Yale SOM video essay will focus on your interest in Yale or the reason you are pursuing an MBA.

(Photo courtesy of @yalesom on Instagram)

This might take the form of “Why Yale?”, or “What are you expecting to learn at Yale?”. Conversely, they may also ask why you think now is a good moment in your career to stop and go to business school. They obviously want to be sure that you have researched Yale and have good reasons for applying for an MBA.

For this section, refer back to your goals essay , reflect, and be honest with yourself about why you’re applying to Yale. Maybe you like the program’s focus on diversity, maybe the raw case method, or perhaps you have colleagues who attended and spoke highly of Yale. 

The curriculum should also be a selling point for you, as well as the clubs and campus life, the diversity of the students, the experience of the teachers, and the internships and alumni network.

Now, please don’t reel off that list! It won’t be personal enough to you. 

Instead, clearly articulate your top three or four reasons for applying to Yale , and speak about them.

You don’t need to spend much time introducing this topic, saying “There are three main reasons why I want to attend Yale” and then giving us the reasons is more than enough.

It’s always good to include something that shows you’ve researched the program, so mentioning something specific, be it the academic modules or a specific club you want to join is a must for a winning video essay. 

Group 2: Behavioral questions

Yale is a community that values purpose-driven, adaptable people who work well in teams and are strong communicators. 

For that reason, Yale often asks questions aimed at determining if you work well with others and will be a positive addition to the Yale community. 

These questions won’t specifically ask, “Do you like working in a team,” but if you can keep in mind that this is a chance to show how you interact with others, you’ll have a good starting point for this question.

Typically questions range from how you help someone who needs advice, to your management style to how you handle conflict.

To do well in this question, it’s great to draw on examples , and to be clear and to the point.  Furthermore, make sure to show your human side and demonstrate that you genuinely care for others and want the teams you join to succeed. It can be easy to answer in a very conversational way, but doing so can often lead to an answer without a point, so make sure you use your planning time to structure the key elements of your answer. 

For this question, you want to make sure you’re showing what you do and use active language.

Your answer will want to show that you’re mature, that you’re emotionally intelligent, that you can see the bigger picture, that you’re empathetic, and that you make a positive contribution to those around you.

If the question is about helping someone with a problem, tell us what you do. Perhaps you first like to listen, then help them get clear on what they really want, and then decide together on some next steps.

If the question is about your management style, be precise. Tell them how you manage people and why. Maybe you’re very hands-off, and like to give everyone the opportunity to take responsibility within their role, as you think this empowers them the most to learn and develop. Maybe you’re more hands-on and like to make sure your team knows they can come to you with problems, as giving people too much freedom too soon can actually be overwhelming to them.

Regardless, make sure to show your reasons for your actions and demonstrate that you’re a person who embraces collaboration and who sees setbacks as opportunities for learning.

Group 3: The thinking question

In addition to the traditional interview questions, you will also be required to answer a thinking question (similar to a case study) during the Yale video essay. 

The key to the thinking question is to see how you think on your feet (and, as a result, test how well you’ll do with Yale’s raw case method ). 

The point of this task is to see if you can present a clear idea and demonstrate good critical thinking abilities, not to get the “right” answer. As such, focus on using your answer to walk through a clear, well-reasoned answer to the prompt. 

Sample Questions

To help your preparation, here are a few sample Yale video essay questions that our clients received when completing their own Yale video essays. 

Group 1 Questions

• Why are you pursuing an MBA at this point in your life?
• Why are you doing an MBA now?

Group 2 Questions

• You are starting a new project with team members coming from different cultures and educational backgrounds. How would you help them get to know each other?
• What do you do when someone comes to you with a problem?
• A colleague is asking you to help them assess their future career options. How do you help them grow?

Group 3 Questions

• Please respond to the following statement: “It is better for a leader to have a superficial knowledge of many topics than to be an expert in one topic.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
• Providing health insurance for employees is the most pressing issue for business leaders at the moment. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? 
• Please respond to the following statement: “It is more important to judge people by their actions than by their intentions.” Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The difference between a good and great Yale SOM video essay

Given the importance of the video essay in your Yale SOM application, it’s crucial to make sure you don’t just have a good video essay but that you have a great video essay. 

Now that you’ve learned how the video essay will work, we’ve gathered our top 5 tips here to ensure your video essay performance brings you one step closer to reaching your goal of attending Yale. 

Make sure you get into Yale SOM

You have stressed about every aspect of your Yale application, and now you are ready to record your video essay! With the right preparation, this can be your chance to shine and get a highly-coveted spot at Yale. 

However, maybe you don’t know where to start in preparing, or maybe you ramble on and lose your focus while answering. Maybe you’ve even downloaded the sample questions and written out your answers. The problem is, when you try to apply these templates to your own story, it doesn’t quite work.

Our video essay prep focuses on helping you determine how to present yourself to Yale while using appropriate, impact-driven language without being artificial, or worse, robotic.

Regardless of where you’re from or what type of experience you have, we are focused on helping you do your best. 

Want to put the Ellin Lolis advantage to work for you? Schedule your preparation session with our team of video essay experts today!

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Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2022-2023

Yale School of Management  has released deadlines and essays for the 2022-2023 application year, leaving their essay question unchanged for the seventh year in a row.

As one of the smaller top MBA programs, Yale SOM’s intimate class size is a defining characteristic of the program, with 349 students enrolled in the  class of 2023 . Of these students, 43% identify as women, 44% are international passport holders, 9% are first-generation college students, and 9% identify as LGBTQ+.

The class of 2023 came from a range of pre-MBA industries, the top three being financial services, consulting and non-profit. On average, students had an average of 4.4 years of work experience.

Want to learn more about applying to Yale SOM? Take a look at Personal MBA Coach’s interview with Laurel Grodman, Managing Director of Admissions at Yale School of Management, to get insider advice on the Yale SOM experience and application process.

Watch below to learn how to position yourself for success!

The Upcoming Yale SOM Application Deadlines Are as Follows:

Round 1:  September 13, 2022

Round 2:  January 5, 2023

Round 3:  April 11, 2023

Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions, has shared this advice to candidates in a previous blog post:

We have one essay question: “Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.” We developed this question in collaboration with Amy Wrzesniewski, a professor of organizational behavior at Yale SOM. Your time in business school, and the choices you make thereafter, represent significant commitments. In asking this question, the Yale SOM Admissions Committee is seeking to learn about how you have approached a commitment of importance in your life.

When it comes to choosing a topic, be genuine. We want to hear about something that is meaningful and distinctive to you, in your own voice. Your commitment can be personal, specific or expansive. We receive outstanding, insightful essays covering a wide range of topics.

The content of your essay is every bit as important as the topic. Regardless of the commitment that you choose, the most effective essays do a great job of describing your approach to commitment. Point to the specific actions that you have taken, over time, to bolster your commitment.

This is especially important if you have chosen a broad topic, such as an ideal or a belief. Don’t just explain why a commitment is important to you; we want to understand how your behaviors have demonstrated and supported your commitment.

Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM Essay Tips:

Yale MBA Essay:  Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made.  (500 words)

As you craft your Yale SOM essay, keep in mind that Yale strives to “educate leaders for business and society.” With a passionate and committed student body, Yale takes pride in the small group learning teams and close-knit community. This question gives candidates a chance to provide admissions committee members with a glimpse of who they are and what matters to them, confirming they can and will live up to the school’s lofty mission.

The commitment can be personal or professional, though I prefer to see candidates share personal experiences in their Yale SOM essays. Whatever you choose, be sure that you focus on ONE thing; do not include multiple commitments here. Past MBA essay examples have included causes, personal development areas, athletic achievements and professional pursuits.

The commitment can be something completed in the past or ongoing. However, if you select something that is ongoing, be sure that you have already made significant steps to deliver against your commitment. A commitment you just recently made and your forward-looking plans will not cut it here.

Yale SOM wants to see passion, dedication and follow-through. They want to assess how you think and how you plan effectively. Your commitment should be something that genuinely matters to you. Remember, think leader for business AND society here.

The most successful answers will show how you have delivered against this mission in the past. However, the commitment does not have to be focused on volunteer work. There are countless ways to make an impact on society.

500 words is fairly short and this is your main shot to show who you are and why you will fit in on campus. Be focused and be genuine!

Contact Personal MBA Coach today  to learn how we can help with your Yale SOM application! For more program-specific information, check out Personal MBA Coach’s Yale SOM guide .

About Personal MBA Coach:

Founded by a Wharton MBA and MIT Sloan graduate who sits on the Association of International Graduate Admissions Consultants Board of Directors,  Personal MBA Coach  has been guiding clients for 15 years and is consistently ranked #1 or #2 by leading sources. Personal MBA Coach is the #1 most favorably reviewed US Consultant of all time on Poets & Quants.

We help clients with all aspects of the MBA application process including early planning, GMAT/GRE/EA tutoring, application strategy, school selection, essay editing, and mock interviews. Our team includes former M7 admissions directors and former M7 admissions interviewers.

Last cycle, our clients earned more than $6.5M in scholarships!

The post Yale SOM Essay Tips and Application Deadlines: 2022-2023 appeared first on Personal MBA Coach .

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Tips for Your Yale SOM Application Essays 

July 28, 2023

Yale SOM Application Essay Tips, 2023-2024

The Yale School of Management (SOM) has made some changes to its application this year. For one, rather than sticking to just one essay prompt, the school now gives you a choice of three prompts:

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. what is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community, describe the most significant challenge you have faced. how have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person.

The SOM invites you to choose the prompt that speaks most to you, so pick the one that you think will allow you to best communicate your profile and values There is no “right” prompt, so be honest with yourself about which option gives you the greatest opportunity to demonstrate your fit with the SOM and its values.

As the instructions for the essays suggest, the adcom is truly trying to get to know you and what matters to you, so be honest and as open as possible, and be sure to tell stories . Your essay should not read as a dry, academic account of one aspect of your life, so make sure to come alive in your writing!

For prompts 1 and 2, the information you’ll provide in your essay response will not likely overlap with any other information about you that the admissions committee will be able to glean from the rest of your application. They therefore offer a great chance to show the school who you are beyond your resume and transcripts, what makes you tick, and what you are passionate about. Although some information about your most significant challenge might be gleaned from your résumé, there will be a lot of gaps for you to fill in, so take advantage of this opportunity. Lets take each prompt one by one:

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it? (500 words maximum)

Eagle-eyed readers will note that even for this returning essay prompt about commitment, there have been some tweaks made — the second sentence is new. Really, those elements were always inherently part of what you should have described in your answer, but it appears that the Yale SOM adcom now feels the need to be explicit about them.

Another way of framing this essay is that the admissions committee wants to know what commitment means to you. So, it is not enough just to state your commitment — you have to demonstrate how you followed through with it.

We encourage you to not think too narrowly in defining “commitment.” You might immediately think of committing to a person or a goal, of course, but you could also commit to a value, a cause, a lifestyle, a project… you get the idea. Really run through all the possible options from both your personal life and your career to find the one thing that has captured your devotion above all else. Consider what excites you and what your passion is. If you choose something finite, such as a goal or project, you’ll likely end up sharing a single anecdote in your essay, but if you want to illustrate your commitment to a cause, ideal, or the like, your essay will be more effective if you describe multiple events or situations that underscore your allegiance. That said, given that you are allowed only 500 words, you will have to be judicious in how you approach describing various examples.

Ask yourself why you made this commitment, and convey your motivation in your essay. Also consider any challenges you’ve faced. How has your commitment evolved over time? What parts of your life does it affect (especially if this might not be immediately obvious to an outsider)? You can treat this as a “hero’s journey,” taking the reader along a narrative that exemplifies your perseverance. Often, a good structure begins with the “Aha!” moment that started you on the path toward the commitment, followed by the trials that nearly took you off the path. But don’t fall for the trap of making this a laundry list of challenges; you need to leave room for describing what actions you took to overcome the challenges and what outcomes resulted from your efforts.

Finally, share any lessons you have learned as a result of your dedication. How have you grown personally since making the commitment?

Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community? (500 words maximum)

There are no limitations on what the adcom is looking for in terms of “community,” so do not feel the need to discuss strictly a professional community or a clichéd/narrow definition of where you grew up. We all touch and become part of many different communities in our lives, so consider which one has had the most significant impact on who you are today.

Of your three prompt choices, this one is perhaps the most likely to elicit a story regarding race or ethnicity. In light of the recent Supreme Court decision, this might cause you pause. However, as we explain in How Does the U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Affirmative Action Affect Your Application? , applicants are allowed to discuss how race or ethnicity has affected their lives, so do not feel that you have to shy away from writing about a community that is based on ethnicity. The SOM wants to know how you have become the person you are today, so if a race-based community is the one that has been the most meaningful to you, then discuss this authentically.

Ask yourself why you feel so connected to this community, and express why you have been driven to remain a contributing part of this group. Structurally, this essay will not likely follow a “hero’s journey” format as described for essay option 1, but beginning with a specific story about how you became connected to and empowered by the community would be a great place to start your essay. From there, you can demonstrate why this community is important, what lessons you have learned from it, and the contributions you have made to the community.

Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person? (500 words maximum)

This throwback question is the most “classic essay” of the three choices. As such, it is pretty straightforward in that you will discuss the challenge pretty directly. However, while it is relatively clear-cut, that does not mean your answer has to be boring! As with the other choices, you should tell this as a story so that the admissions reader feels engaged.

It is quite possible that your most significant challenge is not at all work related, and that’s perfectly fine! It is fair game to discuss something from your personal or academic life as long as it is, in fact, the most meaningful story to you.

Ask yourself what made this challenge so significant to you and how you developed the plan to address it. The CAR (Challenge, Action, Result) outline format would be the most appropriate choice for this essay. You’ll start by briefly describing the Challenge, then use the bulk of your answer to describe the Actions you took to address the challenge (with any relevant twists and turns along the way), and wrap your answer up with the Result of your efforts. When discussing the result, be sure to include the lessons you learned through the process and how you’ll take those lessons with you going forward.

All three questions (and therefore, all your potential answers) really are as wide open as they seem. In other words, there is no one “right” answer that the admissions committee wants to hear. So, you must be completely genuine. Your essay will not ring true to the admissions reader if you claim dedication to something (commitment prompt), a deep connection to a specific population (community prompt), or a huge turnaround (challenge prompt) but then have only shallow evidence to support your claim. Whatever you choose to discuss, you need to have a sincere and meaningful connection with it. Maybe your biggest commitment is playing the piano, improving your spoken English, or helping your parents as they age. Perhaps your most meaningful community is your city, your neighborhood, your place of worship, or your ethnicity. It might be that your most significant challenge is learning your study skills in school, dealing with a family member’s health issues, or attacking a particularly difficult project at work. Don’t be afraid to share these kinds of stories if they are truly central to who you are and how you live your life.

Whichever prompt you choose to answer, it is not necessary to try to add an explanation of “Why Yale?” at the end. The admissions committee would rather you tell a complete story than shoehorn in a tie to the SOM. So, only refer to Yale if doing so is relevant and you have the space to do so appropriately. If you believe that such a discussion is appropriate, then share how your commitment, community, or challenge sets you up to contribute to the Yale community in a meaningful way. Alternatively, if your commitment, community, or challenge is related to your career aspirations, share what you plan to do at Yale to continue to engage with your interest or passion. 

Yale has also made some changes to its short-answer questions, which combine to form a kind of mini essay prompt, in its application:

Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (150 words maximum)

Which industry best aligns with your short-term, post-mba career interests (drop-down), which industry best aligns with your long-term, post-mba career interests (drop-down), do the interests above involve being an entrepreneur within the first 3 years post-mba (yes/no), are you being financially sponsored for your mba by an employer or another organization (yes/no/application in progress).

The two biggest changes here are (1) the actual wording of the career interests prompt and (2) the word limit (down to 150 words from 250). The drop-down questions remain the same, but the Yes/No questions are new.

To respond to these questions, you must identify the position you’d like to have immediately upon graduation from Yale’s MBA program and where you want to be ten to 15 years later. Your goals should be ambitious, yet attainable. If you plan to use the MBA to pivot or change careers, be sure to explain what motivates this interest. Your desire to change careers might be motivated by wanting to leverage the skills and knowledge you have developed through your professional experience in a role that would allow you to pursue a passion and make a more meaningful impact through your work.

Yale also asks how your professional interests have developed, so you’ll need to provide some context for your choices. The admissions committee will of course already have your resume, which will offer some of this information, but you’ll need to fill in the gaps from a more subjective angle. Explain what has inspired you to pursue your stated goals and what keeps you motivated to reach them.

In discussing what you have already done to pursue your interests, be as straightforward as the school’s wording suggests. If you’re planning to stay on your current path post-MBA, then your answer will likely focus on your career path to date. However, if you plan to pivot, then you might have needed to take a class, shadow a leader in your intended field, or do something outside the box to gain pre-MBA exposure to your intended field.

The last part of the core question here (“What do you need to do going forward?”) is a sneaky “Why Yale?” question, so be clear about what you expect to learn at the Yale SOM that will set you up to be a strong candidate for your desired post-MBA position. Your immediate post-MBA role might allow you to develop additional exposure that will accelerate your career toward your longer-term career aspiration. With respect to your long-term goal, you can be a little less specific, but you still need to show a clear trajectory to which you are dedicated. And it’s important that your long-term goal is actually achievable via your short-term goal. Building that bridge for the admissions committee will show that you have educated yourself about what’s required to achieve your objectives, how the SOM fits into that plan, and how you are ready to take the steps necessary to get there. Consider how your aspirations intersect between business and society to demonstrate that the Yale SOM is the best program to put you on a path to reach your goals.

Keep in mind that the SOM adcom understands that you might not have your career path completely figured out and that your goals could change while you’re in the program. So, don’t feel like you have to be hyper specific in your descriptions if you’re not quite solid in your goals. However, you do need to demonstrate the ability to make a logical plan for yourself and your abilities and that the SOM will help you to address your needs to reach your goals.

Because you have only 150 words, it will be difficult (but not impossible!) to hit on all of these elements. You will have to be direct and concise, without a lot of flowery language.

Optional Information: If any aspect of your application requires additional explanation, you can address it in the Optional Information section below.  Please note, you should use the specific prompts provided in the Work Experience section to address gaps in work experience or choice of recommender.  The Optional Information section is truly optional – if no aspect of your application requires further explanation, you should leave this section blank. (200 words maximum)

The optional essay is just that: optional . As such, it should always be approached judiciously. If you feel that your application already conveys a complete, accurate picture of who you are as a candidate, then you should probably refrain from submitting an optional essay. You have little to gain from adding to the admissions committee’s workload by asking them to read another essay that doesn’t add anything significant or compelling to your profile. But if you have something truly unique to share that you believe would make you stand out, or if you have an issue of some sort in your candidacy that could benefit from additional explanation (such as those listed in the prompt), then this is your chance to share or clarify it.

In the  Stratus Admissions’ Guide to Getting into Yale School of Management , you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as Closing Bell, the raw case method, Global Study, and Global Network Weeks. This free guide also includes class profile statistics. Download our guide to learn more about Yale SOM !

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October 7, 2022

Yale School of Management Executive MBA Essay Tips & Deadlines [2022 – 2023]

Yale School of Management’s Executive MBA fully reflects the character of the SOM and more broadly of Yale University: strong, vibrant community; intellectual vigor (and rigor!); and real-world engagement and impact. Yale EMBA’s unique “areas of focus” approach is central to its identity, and while it may not be for everyone, for the right people, it will be perfect. Make sure you are in the latter category before applying – and, if you are, allow this approach to organically drive your application. Thoroughly review the website, read the blog, and, if possible, interact with the adcom by visiting the school and/or attending an info session. I strongly recommend obtaining the offered pre-assessment. These efforts should inform your essays and will help you convey fit.

Yale School of Management Executive MBA application essays

Yale som emba essay #1.

What is your motivation for applying for an Executive MBA at this point in your career? Please discuss your interest in the Yale SOM MBA for Executives program, your area of focus, and your professional and personal goals. (500 words maximum)

Starting off the question with why-now indicates that timing is so important to the adcom—this program should help you at a pivotal career moment, to make some significant advancement or transition—launch or leap. It also requires you to evaluate and interpret your career trajectory. Of course, fundamentally, your whole application in aggregate should answer this “why now” question. In this essay, address it explicitly.

Yale’s EMBA program is unusual in its emphasis on “areas of focus.” In the essay, integrate your reason for selecting your area of focus with your discussion of goals and how the Yale EMBA will help you achieve them.

With only 500 words to answer this multi-part question, keep the structure simple. A straightforward, effective way to structure it is to start with your professional goals, including both “what” (industry, function, positions, perhaps geographies) and “why” (what motivates these goals, what footprint do you hope to have)—including “why now” in this part of the discussion.

The question has an interesting twist in asking about your personal goals. These can be personal growth areas and/or explorations you wish to make for personal interest. They may or may not be directly connected to your professional goals. Most people will, understandably and appropriately, devote more space to the professional goals. But DO discuss personal goals as well. This part of the question aligns with Yale’s holistic perspective and is important for fit.

In discussing how the program will benefit you, be specific: describe what skills and knowledge you seek, and how the program will provide it. Yale’s “areas of focus” approach is unique; convey how and why this approach is ideal for your needs.

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Yale SOM EMBA essay #2

Cite a statistic that you find shocking. As a leader for business and society, what actions could you take to address this challenge, and what would be your guiding principles and values? (500 words maximum)

You might reasonably think that you should choose a statistic strategically linked to your career goals in some way. Or that will show some distinctive area of knowledge or experience you possess. Well, maybe. Or maybe not.

Just picking some random statistic that you really did find shocking when you heard it might be a bit unnerving for an MBA essay. I’ve seen it work. Why? Yale SOM’s intellectual dimension:  They appreciate people who are open to intellectual exploration and find interest in the world around them. In this question, the Yale SOM adcom is truly interested in the quality of your thinking and your curious nature, not just how advantageously you can portray your existing interests.

Use and write from the perspective of “leader for business and society” when you discuss prospective actions to take in addressing the challenge that arises from (or leads to) the shocking statistic. (And in citing “leader for business and society” the adcom clearly indicates an important aspect of “fit” they are looking for.) With that framework, you clearly must identify actions that involve mobilizing people beyond yourself and friends/family. While your actions, if described with meaningful specificity, will naturally reflect your “guiding principles and values,” still address this part of the question explicitly, with at least one sentence describing how they do.

Intended area of focus

Why have you selected this area of focus? Please describe how your current professional role relates to your chosen area of focus. (Word count: 150-250 words)

While you’ll discuss the Area of Focus in essay 1 vis-à-vis your goals, here you must link it to your existing work. For some people, that will mean emphasizing how it builds on their current role; for others it will mean emphasizing how it represents a turn or transition from the current role. The former situation is frankly easier and simpler; for the latter, which is more complicated, identify some aspects of your current work that will be valuable and relevant in the new direction. 

Optional information

If any aspect of your candidacy needs further explanation (unexplained gaps in work experience, choice of recommenders, academic performance, promotions or recognitions, etc.), please provide a brief description here. (200 words maximum)

Use this space if you have an extenuating issue to address or a point that needs clarification. It is not an invitation to write a whole new essay that goes beyond providing context.

For expert guidance with your Yale SOM EMBA 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 Yale SOM’s EMBA program and look forward to helping you too!

Yale SOM Executive MBA application deadlines for 2022-2023

Source:  Yale SOM EMBA website

Related Resources:

• Ace the EMBA: Expert Advice for Rising Executives , a free guide
• EMBA: The Ultimate Guide for Applicants
• School-Specific EMBA Application Essay Tips

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Yale MBA Essay for 2023-2024

Is the Yale School of Management on your list of target MBA programs? Then get ready to hit the ground running. The Yale MBA essay and deadlines for the 2023-2024 admissions season has been confirmed. After six years of asking the same single prompt, Yale SOM has broadened the possibilities for applicants to share what resonates most with them.

Required Yale MBA Essay

From the Yale SOM: We want to know what matters to you, and our essay question is designed to help us gain insight into your background, passions, motivations, responsibilities, ideals, identities, challenges, or aspirations, depending on where you take your response. To ensure that you’re able to write about something important to you, we offer you three essay prompts from which to choose:

Option 1) Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?

Option 2) Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?

Option 3) Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

Choose the prompt that speaks most strongly to you and about which you have the most enthusiasm. In answering the prompt – whichever one it is – you should think about the life experiences that have been most meaningful to you and that you most want to communicate to the committee, and pick the question that will best allow you to express that aspect of yourself. We find that the most compelling essays are the ones that are truly most important to you, so make sure that’s your guide in choosing what to write about; don’t try to guess what we’re looking for or what you think we want to hear. Importantly, regardless of which prompt you choose, you’ll want to support your essay with concrete examples.

Importantly, regardless of which prompt you choose, you’ll want to support your essay with concrete examples.

Optional Information

Per the SOM: The Optional Information section is truly optional. It’s not an additional required essay – if no aspect of your application requires further explanation, you should leave this section blank. In most cases, we get all the information we need from the various components of your application and there is no need to complete this section.

However, if you think the Admissions Committee would benefit from a brief explanation regarding any aspect of your application, you may provide it in the Optional Information section. Your general approach should be that if there is something you feel is material to your candidacy that you are not able to include in another section of the application, put it here.

Here are some examples: Consider providing additional context if it will allow us to better understand your academic performance, promotions or recognitions, or other information that is not apparent from the rest of your application. If you’ve taken concrete steps to mitigate a weaker element of your application or have an accomplishment that does not fit anywhere else in the application, you might include that here. Note that you should use the specific prompts provided in the Work Experience section to address gaps in work experience or choice of recommender. And if you would like to provide additional details to expand on any information provided in the Background Information section, you’re encouraged to do so in the “Supplemental Detail” area within that section.

For more information on applying, please visit the Yale SOM admissions website. If you need guidance on your Yale MBA essay and application or wish to discuss your business school plans, reach out for a complimentary analysis of your candidacy. We’re here to help! Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of the expertise on our consulting team :

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Yale MBA Essay: Tips for 2023-2024

At Menlo Coaching, we noticed that most MBA essays will fall into one of a number of categories: personal essays, career goals essays, behavioral essays, etc. Read ahead for our expert guide on approaching these essays for Yale SOM.

SOM’s Personal Essay

Choose one of the following prompts (500 words maximum):

• Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. Why is this commitment meaningful to you and what actions have you taken to support it?
• Describe the community that has been most meaningful to you. What is the most valuable thing you have gained from being a part of this community and what is the most important thing you have contributed to this community?
• Describe the most significant challenge you have faced. How have you confronted this challenge and how has it shaped you as a person?

SOM’s Career Goals Essay

• Briefly describe your career interests and how you arrived at them. What have you already done to pursue these interests? What do you need to do going forward? (text box, 150 words maximum)

The Optional Essay

• If any aspect of your application requires additional explanation, you can address it in the Optional Information section below. Please note, you should use the specific prompts provided in the Work Experience section to address gaps in work experience or choice of recommender. The Optional Information section is truly optional – if no aspect of your application requires further explanation, you should leave this section blank. (upload file, 200 words maximum)
• If you would like to elaborate on any of your responses within this section, or any other aspect of your background, we encourage you to do so here. (text box, 250 words maximum)

If you are a reapplicant to Yale SOM, you can also find a section on  the reapplicant essay , which include this year’s prompt.

Applying to Yale SOM

Yale SOM is looking for students with a well-rounded background and lots of experience that can be translated into a concise and compelling statement. One of the essential tips for an impactful essay is asking yourself why you chose to highlight a particular experience. Did it show significant professional development? Did it show how you overcame a personal struggle? Connecting your essay to the prompt, especially how it shows why you are pursuing an MBA, will make your essay stand out. No matter what the essay prompt is, these tips are broadly applicable. With that being said, the two different types of essays you will see on Yale SOM’s MBA applications are personal and career goals.

Yale SOM’s Personal Essay

Personal essays encompass your moral character, passions in and out of work, and the relationships you have fostered with friends and mentors. This essay type is where you can show the MBA program who you are as an individual and the intrapersonal impacts you have made on people around you. Yale is looking to recruit students who show compassion and enthusiasm in the office and with the people in their lives. Tailoring which attributes you write about to each program is essential. Yale prioritizes personal connections, teamwork, collaboration, real-world experience, and integration with the community. 

Make sure to emphasize where you have shown empathy in your life while explaining how you will contribute positively to the on-campus experience. One of the biggest mistakes students make when writing a personal essay is focusing too much on their professional expertise. This essay is where you can move away from talking about your work and speak about who you are outside of your job.

Yale SOM’s Career Goal Essay

The career goals essay is the space to emphasize your post-MBA plans. MBA programs want to accept students who have concrete, achievable career plans and a roadmap to success. MBA programs want a glowing post-grad report that proves they produce successful graduates with many job prospects (and who will donate money in the future)! Yale also wants students to promote their program to friends, co-workers, and prospective applicants. The career goals essay combines your hard statistics (ex: GMAT score) with your interpersonal skills (ex: recommendations) to formulate the case for getting an MBA. 

Make sure to state your achievable short-term and long-term goals explicitly. Explain why an MBA would help you achieve these goals and how Yale is essential to your plan. Connecting the positive attributes from your personal essay to your career goals essay is critical to forming a well-rounded application. Yale SOM students enter the consulting, finance, and investment banking industries, so emphasize your findings in the essay to show you’re genuinely interested.

Optional Essay

Once you’ve completed your application, the optional Yale SOM essay gives you an additional opportunity to provide the AdCom with any additional information or clarity that you feel would enhance your application.

One trap that MBA applicants fall into is using the additional space provided by this essay to write on a whole new topic. However, this is not always the best idea.

You should only make use of this essay if you what you write will provide context to an element of your application to improve your candidacy—you don’t want to jeopardize your chances by adding unnecessary noise to your application.

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Reapplicant Essay

For reapplicants, Yale SOM requires a specific essay in which you can address how your application has improved since your last application.

In this essay, you can address any improvements to your test scores, promotions at work, additional volunteer or community work, or any significant professional development that you have undertaken since you last applied to the program.

Timing is key for reapplicants, and when you’re applying for an MBA program a second time around, you want to be sure that you are a more qualified and desirable client than you were in the past—even if your application was stellar the first time.

Reapplicant Essay Prompt

• Since your last application, please discuss any significant updates to your candidacy, including changes in your personal or professional life, additional coursework, or extracurricular/volunteer activities. (upload file, 200 words maximum)

Overall, honesty and growth are the most important parts of a successful MBA application essay. In addition, applying the lessons you learned shows improvement in your interpersonal and professional skills, making you a more attractive candidate for MBA programs.

Need help with admissions essays for Yale SOM MBA? At Menlo Coaching, we’ll walk you through the prompts and share advice on how to tackle each essay type. Gain an edge in your application process with the assistance of our experienced MBA admissions consultants .

Related Articles

• Yale SOM MBA Program Overview
• MBA Essay Tips From 3 Top Admissions Consultants
• How to Get Into MBA Programs at Top Business Schools

Looking for Last-Minute Essay Help?

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Essay Question and Application Deadlines Announced

As the fall approaches, we’re excited to start connecting with future members of Yale SOM’s MBA Class of 2022.

I’m pleased to announce the application deadlines and essay question for the 2019-20 admissions cycle.

Application Deadlines

Round 1 Application deadline: September 10, 2019 Decision release: December 4, 2019

Round 2 Application deadline: January 7, 2020 Decision release: March 24, 2020

Round 3 Application deadline: April 14, 2020 Decision release: May 19, 2020  

Essay Question

Describe the biggest commitment you have ever made. (500 words)

This year’s application essay question evolved from a conversation with  Amy Wrzesniewski , Michael H. Jordan Professor of Management, who noted, “Reading about future plans is helpful, but actions speak louder than words.”  In your response, we are looking to learn about how you have approached a particular commitment, whether personal or professional, and the behaviors that support it. You should be less concerned about what we want to hear and instead focus on being honest with yourself in selecting and describing the commitment that has been most significant to you.

The online application is now available. As you prepare your application, we invite you to join us for one of our summer events . Tell us more about yourself to receive personalized invitations.

Catarina Abreu ’25

Paul Gennett ’25

Proud & loud: embracing pride at yale som, dean kerwin charles named to beinecke professorship.

Secondary Medical School Application Essays: How to Shine

Emphasizing fit and showing authenticity help medical school secondary essays stand out, experts say.

Tips for Secondary Med School Essays

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One of best pieces of advice when writing an application essay is to be authentic.

Key Takeaways

• Secondary medical school essays should highlight why an applicant is a good fit.
• Applicants should submit the essays early without compromising quality.
• It's important to be authentic in essay responses.

After receiving primary applications, most medical schools ask applicants to complete a secondary application, which typically includes additional essay questions. While primary essay prompts ask why you're pursuing medicine, medical school secondary essays focus on you and how you fit with a specific school.

Secondary essay prompts vary by school, but they're generally designed to help med schools learn about you at a deeper level. They may ask you to reflect on what makes you who you are, a time when you worked with a population different than yourself, an occasion where you asked for help or a time when you worked in a team. They may ask how you spent a gap year before applying to medical school or what you did after your undergraduate degree.

"What we are trying to figure out is if this is a candidate that can fulfill the premedical competencies and whether they are mission-aligned," says Dr. Wendy Jackson, associate dean for admissions at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine . “Can they help fulfill the needs that our institution is trying to deliver?”

A lot rides on these essays, but keeping a few best practices in mind can make the process less daunting.

Emphasize Fit

The first thing medical schools look for is whether an applicant will be a good fit for the school’s mission, Jackson says.

“I would challenge someone who is completing a secondary application to understand the mission of the school and envision how they are going to contribute to that,” she says. “The vast majority of schools are going to ask why you chose their institution, so you need to be prepared to answer that.”

Some secondary essay questions are optional, but experts recommend answering them even though they're extra work. For example, the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Tennessee asks applicants what makes them interested in the school.

“We just want to see if they’re a good fit for us and that they’ve done a little bit of homework about Vanderbilt," says Jennifer Kimble, director of admissions at Vanderbilt's medical school. "We want to make sure that the students we admit are going to be happy with their Vanderbilt experience.”

Avoid focusing on what you’re going to gain from the school – schools are really asking how you'll be an asset to the program.

"It’s almost like if you’re trying to date someone and you tell them, ‘Here’s what I’m going to get from this relationship,’ without saying, ‘We’re better off together,’” says Shirag Shemmassian, founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting. “You have to sell the idea that you’re bettering one another and how you’re better together than apart. I think students often miss that latter component."

Don't Procrastinate

The medical school application process is often compared to a marathon, but the final steps may feel like a sprint. Applicants typically receive secondary application requests in late June, and in some cases schools want those back within a matter of weeks. Others set deadlines months down the road.

Either way, because of rolling admissions , it's best to send essays in as early as possible without compromising quality, Shemmassian says.

The earlier an applicant submits materials, the less competition they typically face, experts say. For example, Vanderbilt receives nearly 7,000 applications per year. Of those, roughly 600 applicants will be asked to interview and around 260 will be offered admission for 96 spots.

"At the beginning of the cycle, our calendar is wide open and we’re very open to who we bring in for an interview," Kimble says. "Down the road when we only have 30 seats left, it’s highly selective who those candidates are that get those coveted 30 interview spots that are left over."

Prewrite Essays

Applicants won't know the specific language of secondary essay prompts until schools send them, but in many cases, essay prompts are similar year to year and the previous year's prompts are often published on a school's admissions website, experts say. Some schools may change or tweak questions, but you can generally get a head start by prewriting essays based on previous prompts.

"As the new ones come out, you can modify as needed," Shemmassian says. "I would say that about 70% to 80% of prompts will remain the same or similar. If they change, you can usually adapt an essay you’ve written for another school."

Secondary essays vary in length and number. Vanderbilt requires applicants to submit an 800-word essay and two 600-word essays. Some schools may require close to 10 secondary essays. Shemmassian says this is significantly more writing than applicants are used to, so budgeting time is crucial.

But applicants should take care when prewriting essays and make sure each is tailored to the specific school with the correct school name, experts say. Jackson says she's read plenty of essays where applicants included the wrong school name and it cost them.

“You may think you can save time by cutting and pasting or taking half of a previously written essay response and making a modification,” Jackson says. “Be careful, because the questions vary from institution to institution.”

Experts say applicants often neglect to fully read prompts in their haste to complete answers. Though there's a time crunch, it's vital to thoroughly read the prompt and answer the question fully without grammatical or spelling errors.

“That seems kind of silly, but I think we can get going down a road when we’re writing and feel like we’ve completed and written something well but look back and never really have a response to the true question being asked," Jackson says.

Be Authentic

Medical school applicants tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves to write something that schools haven't read before, Kimble says. Given that med schools sift through thousands of applicants a year, "we’ve read all sorts of scenarios in life, so take that pressure and put it on the shelf," she says. "That’s not a concern for us. We aren’t looking for something that’s totally innovative."

Experts say schools are mostly looking for authenticity and an organic, genuine tone. The tone "can make or break an applicant," Jackson says.

It may be tempting, especially given time constraints, to rely on outside help – such as ChatGPT or other AI-powered software – to write essays. While some professors and admissions officers have embraced AI to help automate certain processes, Kimble says she strongly discourages med school applicants from using AI to help with secondary essays.

"We had an (application) that you could clearly see was not written by a human voice," she says. "It sounded very computer generated, so we ended up passing on the candidate just because we want to hear their story in their own words."

A Secondary Essay Example

Shemmassian compiles more than 1,000 sample secondary essays each year, using prompts from more than 150 medical schools in various states, and offers them to paying clients. The excerpted example below, created by Shemmassian's team and used with their permission, shows what he considers to be a successful diversity-themed essay in response to a Yale University School of Medicine prompt that asks applicants to reflect on how their background and experiences contribute to the school's focus on diversity and how it will inform their future role as a doctor.

As a child, one of my favorite times of the year was the summer, when I would travel to Yemen… at least until I turned twelve. Suddenly, the traditional and, in my Yemeni American view, restrictive laws for women, applied to me. Perhaps the most representative of these laws was having to cover my hair with a scarf-like garment. Staying true to my values, I decided against returning to Yemen, thereby losing a vital connection to my culture. However, this estrangement did not inhibit my growth.

The 500-word response continues with how the applicant met a Yemeni student who grew up in France and was barred from wearing a headscarf due to a school uniform policy. Where the applicant saw the headscarf as restrictive, the other student saw it as a connection to her roots. The applicant describes how although the same object held different meanings to two people from the same background, she used that to appreciate different perspectives and to advocate for a woman's right to express herself.

Later that year, I applied this lesson in perspective to my work as a clinical coordinator, when a patient walked into the office and handed me a piece of paper explaining she only spoke Arabic...By thinking critically while vernacularly translating the doctor’s advice, I was directly involved in the process of her medical care. Because of my experience in exploring the multi-cultural barriers I faced alongside the Yemeni French student who cherished her headscarf, I spent time talking to this Yemeni patient about the barriers she had faced in receiving care.

This experience motivated me to help overcome cultural healthcare barriers and disparities, showcasing my devotion to equitable treatment by creating a new protocol within the clinic where I work. Now, when scheduling patients over the phone, we ask if they have any language preferences, and we have a series of scripts we can use during each patient’s treatment.

The applicant then drives home why she believes she's a good fit for the school.

My background and experiences will contribute to Yale School of Medicine’s diversity and inform my future role as a physician by creating a student organization that holds informational workshops, utilizing my unique experiences to connect with Yale’s diverse patient population, and working to address healthcare disparities as a future physician. I envision these informational workshops would operate in the Haven Free Clinic patient waiting rooms to empower all patients, regardless of their background.

This essay is successful because it does more than tell essay readers about the applicant's background, Shemmassian says. It shows how the applicant grew "into a more compassionate and culturally humble future physician who will help patients overcome health care barriers."

"Strong diversity essays will always show admissions committees how a unique trait or life experience will help them become a better physician," he says. "This essay is especially successful because the applicant connects their experiences and what they’ve learned because of them to the Yale School of Medicine itself. This is an applicant who is already thinking deeply about not just what they can get out of medical school but how they can contribute to the values and mission of the school they attend."

Searching for a medical school? Get our  complete rankings  of Best Medical Schools.

Medical School Application Mistakes

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