MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative – true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.
Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).
Entrepreneurial mindset, adventure, passion, lead from the front, influence others, self-starter, apply non-conventional ideas to solve conventional problems ….these are the words that come to my mind whenever I visit the MIT Sloan campus. Original thinkers who have the fire in the belly to get things done are the most suitable ones for the MIT Sloan program. During my numerous visits to the MIT campus, I witnessed that they are “simple living and high-thinking” folks. They appear smart and relaxed but have the burning desire to launch a company, lead an initiative to create cutting-edge stuff such as cancer diagnostics tools, create an equity investment fund by leveraging AI/Data Science, design women's safety programs of the US Government by leveraging GPS technology and so on. They usually don’t have a shortage of ideas or the fire in their belly to implement their plan. They apply imagination to overcome challenges and are not restricted in their mind set.
If you have done big things in life, such as launched a company to manufacture innovative automobile equipment to fight carbon emissions, implemented Lean Manufacturing methodologies across an organization to boost efficiency, or joined a nonprofit to start a nationwide campaign against income inequality in the US, you are just the kind of guy they are looking for. But if you are a regular Joe, you might have some problems here. Think deeply about some of the big stuff you have done in your life. What have you done to test the boundaries of your competence? What ideas have you shared with others that have resulted in big savings either in manual efforts or in dollar terms? Or, what are the things you have done that have expanded the horizon of everyone in your team? Have you led a Six Sigma initiative in your department? If yes, how have you accomplished that feat? How did you motivate others to shoulder responsibilities in an environment in which everyone was demotivated and literally gave up hope? How have you revised business plans, handled difficult situations, negotiated with senior management and managed stakeholders? How have you influenced others and made your presence felt? Focus on how you did things. Think thoroughly, remove apprehensions from your mind about how they will perceive your essay and write it in detail.
It’s quite a tall order. Talk to me if you want to crystallize your ideas and create a masterpiece cover letter.
Introduce yourself to your future classmates. Here’s your chance to put a face with a name, let your personality shine through, be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!
It’s a 60-second video. Hence, you don’t have too much room to explain your career trajectory in detail. Give MIT Sloan the highlights of your career in approximately 30 seconds. Spend the next 30 seconds narrating why you believe that MIT Sloan will provide you with the best ecosystem for your MBA journey.
Conduct in-depth research on MIT’s course curriculum, concentrations, professors, and career options by interacting with current students, alumni and admissions officers. As each second of your video will be precious, explain a maximum of three specific reasons for selecting MIT Sloan.
Please don’t be too casual; your peers are your future professional network and probable business alliances. Just be friendly and give your answer with a smile on your face. Practice in front of a webcam so that you get used to talking to a camera lens without any human feedback or expression. This is not the same as talking on Skype. Remember to put a smiley face above or below the camera to remind you to smile at appropriate points in your statement. Then view your practice videos several times to perfect your delivery.
When recording the video, take your time and speak slowly and clearly into the camera. Think of it as an interview, and try to be natural and comfortable as you respond. The most crucial part is to convey your personality! Dress in business or business casual attire. Ensure that your location is quiet and away from pets and children. Blank walls make a great background.
In addition to this, review the tips I have given about video questions in my blog.
Please provide any additional information you would like the Admissions Committee to know that may be helpful in evaluating your candidacy (i.e. choice of recommenders, areas of concern in your academic record, other extenuating circumstances, etc.). This information should be provided in a written format. (200 words or less)
Please review my tips on optional application essays in the following blog posts:
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