The London Business School (LBS) is one of the top international business schools in the world. Getting accepted into their MBA program is extremely competitive. The LBS admissions committee receives thousands of applications each year, but only accepts around 10-15% of applicants. Therefore, it is crucial that applicants craft compelling and thoughtful essays that really highlight their qualifications and experiences. Here are some important LBS MBA essay tips to keep in mind:
Research the London Business School. The first step is to thoroughly research LBS online, read their program information, look at course offerings, and familiarize yourself with their mission and values. You want your essays to show that LBS is the right fit for you and that you understand their culture and priorities. Look at reports and rankings to see what makes LBS distinctive from other business schools. This research will help you address why LBS specifically in your essays.
Emphasize your post-MBA career goals and fit with LBS. The admissions committee wants to understand your specific motivations for wanting an LBS MBA and how it will help you achieve your career aspirations. Evaluate how classes, internships, student groups, and the London location will help you reach your goals. Be as concrete as possible about how an LBS education translates to career opportunities. Discuss any interests that align well with LBS specialties like marketing, finance, or healthcare management.
Demonstrate leadership and impact. The committee looks for candidates who will be active contributors to the LBS community and make the most of their experience. Essays should provide compelling examples from your background that exhibit leadership, initiative, teamwork, communication skills, and impact. Quantify your achievements and responsibilities whenever possible. Choose examples that best display your potential to succeed in LBS’s collaborative program.
Express your authentic self. Admissions officers want to gain a sense of who you are beyond your resume. Use the essays as an opportunity to share something meaningful about your values, personality, interests or background. Be genuine while highlighting strengths like resilience, curiosity, or creativity. While professional achievements are important, showing some dimension of your character can help you stand out from similar applicants.
Emphasize continuous learning and growth. Successful applicants demonstrate an ability to self-reflect and evolve over time. Discuss how past experiences shaped you or exposed areas for improvement. Explain what motivates your desire for an advanced business degree right now. Comment on any setbacks, risks taken, or lessons learned that made you a stronger candidate. Prove that an LBS MBA will take your skills and impact to the next level.
Use powerful, measurable examples. Anecdotes that specifically quantify your achievements will be much more compelling than generic descriptions. For instance, instead of simply stating you led a club, specify that “As president, I oversaw a budget of £50,000 and organized 15 fundraising events that raised £25,000.” Quantify results whenever applicable to vividly demonstrate your capabilities and past performance.
Showcase global mindset and cultural awareness. International candidates should highlight any cross-cultural experiences that have shaped their worldview. Discuss meaningful interactions with diverse groups of people and perspectives challenged or expanded. Domestic applicants could touch on interests in global affairs, language skills or study abroad experiences. Providing this context reinforces the value you place on diverse communities and will bring to LBS’s globally-focused curriculum.
Communicate passion through compelling storytelling. Don’t just list facts – craft your responses like intriguing stories with a clear narrative arc. Hook readers from the start by leading with your most interesting qualities or compelling challenges overcome. Progress your examples purposefully, citing vivid details to transport evaluators into each scenario. Wrap up powerfully by connecting back to how those situations have informed your desire to attend LBS.
Emphasize fit with London and post-MBA career goals. Note any specific experiences or interests relating to the London business community, politics, culture or history. Discuss potential internships, consulting projects or startups that could emerge from the city’s vast professional network. Referencing strategic long-term plans for utilizing an LBS degree in London demonstrates serious thought alignment with the program.
Review, edit meticulously and get feedback. Take time to perfect your responses through careful reviews and edits. Ask objective third parties to provide perspective on how you come across or suggestions for improvement. Proofread for consistent tone, structure, and compelling portrayal of your strengths. Leave yourself several days at a minimum to thoughtfully revise each essay within the word limit. Polishing is key to demonstrating highest caliber writing expected of an LBS candidate.
While the LBS MBA application is understandably rigorous, following these thorough essay tips can help set applicants up for success in showcasing their qualifications persuasively. Targeted examples and passionate storytelling coupled with message and fit emphasize the value you aim to extract from an LBS education. With compelling responses highlighting their experience, goals, and personality, prospective students strengthen their cases for admission to one of the world’s premiere business institutions.
Andrew Stroud