Alumni Application Tips: be yourself

April 13, 2024

Mirela Pitu on writing excellent motivation letters

Reveal Aspects of Yourself Truthfully

Letters of motivation are a very important part of the application process. I could say that they are more important than the resume itself. A business school wants to find out how you intend to integrate the specific courses into your personal & professional life, wants to know who you are now, what motivates you, what sets you apart from others, and who you'd like to become. Here, the letter of motivation is your chance: Reveal your inner self, your professional plans, your personal hopes and dreams, while being honest about where things have gone wrong. Business schools want to learn about a person’s character through the way they cope with setbacks and what they have learned from the process. Also, make sure that they understand that you have thoroughly researched suitable schools, their mba programs and the campus culture and that you are aware of the commitment involved.

Demonstrate what You Will Offer

But most importantly: Don’t forget to communicate just how much your entrance into this business school means to you, and what you bring to the table. You should be able to demonstrate not just what you will get out of the program, and how it will help your career, but also what you can contribute to class both academically and socially. They want to see people who bring dynamism to a group setting and enrich the overall program experience.

I real believe that when you start writing your letter of motivation, you should not get hung up on what you think the business school wants to read, you should try to make your essays lively and fresh.