The MBA Essay is Usually Not Optional: Why You Should Write It

You’ve already spent weeks preparing your application for business school – not to mention the months you put into studying for the GMAT exam.

Now, you have all the mandatory components of your application ready: a thorough required essay, a great GMAT score you’re happy with, a recommender who can tell a compelling story of why you’re a strong candidate, and a top-notch CV to boot.

All that’s left is the optional essay.

Before you get started on crafting your optional essay, you need to know whether the optional essay is – or isn’t – right for you, the purpose of the optional essay in the first place, and how to write a strong essay that will get you admitted into your dream business school.

All of your questions – and concerns – will be answered below.

Is the optional MBA essay really optional?

Well, it depends.

For some prospective business school students, the optional essay is a chance to explain any shortcomings in your application. For others, the optional essay can help set you apart from other applicants and strengthen your candidacy.

Part of determining whether an optional essay is right for you depends on what type of essay the admissions committee is looking for. There are two main types:

Explain extenuating circumstances

Some business schools ask applicants whether they should be aware of any extenuating circumstances that could affect a student’s application. Here, an applicant could address potential weaknesses, such as a low GPA, low GMAT score, employment or education gap, or an unlikely choice of recommender.

An applicant should write this type of optional essay if circumstances or challenges in a candidate’s life affected the strength of their application. For example, working part-time during school to support your family or dealing with an illness are extenuating circumstances that could have affected an applicant – such challenges could have lowered your GPA or GMAT score, or caused education or employment gaps in your CV. In such cases, the optional essay would allow the admissions committee to assess you more fairly.

If an applicant did not experience difficult circumstances that affected their application, then the optional essay is not necessary – instead, an applicant will be assessed purely on the merits of their application.

Provide additional information

Other business schools ask applicants open-ended questions about any other information that would be helpful for a student’s application. Essentially, business schools are asking if there is anything else they should know.

With this type of optional essay, applicants have the opportunity to tell their story. Every student is more than just numbers on a page – while a high GPA and GMAT score are impressive, business schools want to know more about why you want to attend their business school and how you can contribute to the learning community.

You can share achievements in your life, experiences, skills, or personality traits that haven’t yet been revealed in the other components of your application. Sharing these additional details will strengthen your application by painting a fuller picture for the admissions committee of more reasons to consider you as a future student.

It is highly recommended for all applicants to write the optional essay if the admissions committee is requesting additional information – after all, this type of essay is giving you the chance to shine and tell your story on your terms.

I’ve already taken my GMAT exam and submitted my CV, why should I write an optional essay?

There are many reasons to write the optional essay, depending on the type of information the admissions committee is looking for. Here are some reasons you should consider:

Academic weakness

A grade of C or lower on your academic record or a low GPA should be explained to the admissions committee. The optional essay is your chance to share why you may have academic weaknesses and, most importantly, how you worked to improve your academic performance.

Low GMAT score

The GMAT is a critical component of your application, but you can still be admitted if you provide a clear explanation for a lower score.

Any circumstances that made it challenging to excel at the GMAT should be discussed in your optional essay. Also, be sure to highlight how your other achievements and skills continue to make you a strong candidate.

Education gap

Taking time off during your studies won’t stop you from being admitted. With the right explanation for the admissions committee, you can show them why you would be a great fit for the MBA program.

Explain why you may have spent time on academic probation, for reasons such as personal hardship or family difficulties. 

Employment gaps or career changes

You may need to explain to the admissions committee why there are gaps of several months between experiences on your CV. Make sure to highlight positive experiences that you had during your time off, such as professional development courses, volunteer opportunities, or extenuating circumstances like having to care for a family member.

If you’re transitioning to the business field from another profession, the admissions committee will want to be sure you made a careful, thoughtful, and considered decision. Use the optional essay to explain why you think an MBA is right for you.

Recommender choice

Not all MBA applicants can comfortably approach their current employer for a recommendation. Perhaps your employer isn’t aware of your MBA plans yet or you haven’t worked at your present company for a long enough time to receive a stellar recommendation.

The optional essay can prevent the admissions committee from making negative assumptions about your relationship with your employer.

MBA preparedness

Not all applicants come from a business background. In fact, business schools would love to hear about the diverse experiences that draw applicants to their MBA program.

The admissions committee, however, still wants to be sure that you are prepared for the academic rigor required of an MBA program. Discuss courses that you took to get ready for business school, like calculus, economics, and statistics.

Additional valuable experiences

Beyond your GPA, GMAT score, and CV, you may have valuable personal experiences that make you stand out as a candidate.

Volunteer experiences, leadership roles, and other accomplishments might not fit into the other application components. The optional essay is your opportunity to add more value to your application and create a narrative of how your experiences brought you to the MBA program.

Delayed MBA

The MBA program attracts students with a wide array of experiences. For personal or professional reasons, some applicants only realize an MBA is right for them later in their careers – and that’s okay.

In the optional essay, show the admissions committee why you believe an MBA is the next step for you, regardless of where you started.

Can optional essays hurt my chances of being admitted?

As long as you’re providing the admissions committee with an honest picture of who you are as a candidate, then an optional essay will not hurt your chances of being admitted.

In most cases, an optional essay can strengthen your application, because it can explain any weaknesses and highlight additional skills or experiences that make you a top applicant. 

If your weaknesses are explained and all your strengths are communicated in your application, then your optional essay will serve to complement your candidacy.

How do I succeed at the optional essay?

The optional essay is a chance for you to explain any discrepancies and add value to your application by revealing more strengths and experiences.

To write a successful optional essay, make sure to leave it for last when you are preparing your application. Once all your other application components are ready, you can better assess whether you need to address weaknesses or give more details about why you belong in an MBA program.

Once you determine that an optional essay is going to help your application, ensure that the additional details you are providing can’t be included elsewhere in your application. The admissions committee has a lot of applications to consider, and you must be sure to include all the necessary details in each component of your application.

If instructions are provided, be sure to follow them. Each school may have a different word count or other expectations for the optional essay, so writing a different optional essay for each school is recommended.

Keep your essay focused and don’t use excessive space to get your point across. Add insights you gained from the experiences you are including and if discussing your weaknesses, explain how you worked to address them.

In writing your optional essay, it is vital to be as clear and concise as possible. You should avoid unnecessary details and information that is included in other parts of your application. Instead, focus on key points that make your application stronger.

The bottom line

The optional essay is – usually – not optional.

Most applicants will want to consider writing it to explain extenuating circumstances, address potential weaknesses, or add valuable details that strengthen their chance of being admitted.

The optional essay is your opportunity to shine – make sure the admissions committee knows all the facts to make the case that you are the MBA applicant that they’re looking for.