Boston University (Questrom)

Essays
In order to get to know you on a more personal level, applicants to our full-time and part-time MBA programs are required to complete either three short video essays OR one written essay during the application process. Because everyone expresses themselves in different ways, the choice is yours.

VIDEO ESSAYS
If you’re someone who feels they can better express themselves and their reasons for applying to the Questrom School of Business through a video, we encourage you to complete the video essays. Within the “Documents” section of the “Program Materials” portion of the application, you will find your personalized link to the video essay website. Clicking this link will bring you to the Kira Talent website, our partner for the video essay process. When you register, you must use the same email address that you used to create your admission application account.

Upon creating your account with Kira Talent, you can begin your video essays. You’ll need to use an internet-connected computer with a webcam and microphone. We will first ask you a question that all candidates will receive. You’ll have thirty seconds to prepare, and then 60 seconds to record your answer. This will then repeat for two additional random short-answer questions.

You can practice an unlimited number of times with Kira Talent’s provided example questions, but once you start the formal video essay questions, you are only allowed one opportunity. This allows the committee to see your candid responses. The formal process should only take you about five minutes to complete, and can be done on your own time. If you have any questions about your video interview once you’ve registered, please contact [email protected].

Preparing for your video essay: We want your recording process to be as easy as possible. As such, we encourage you to dress in business casual attire – no need for a suit. The admission committee will review your responses as part of the application process, and are interested in your presence, personality, and fit with our community. We recommend trying out a few of the sample Kira questions prior to recording your formal video essay responses.

WRITTEN ESSAY
If you’re someone who feels they can better express themselves and their reasons for applying to the Questrom School of Business in writing, we encourage you to complete the written essay. Within the “Documents” section of the “Program Materials” portion of the application, you will scroll down to “Essay” and click “Add Document” to upload your written essay.

Your written essay should be no more than 750 words, and should explain to the admissions committee why you’d like to earn your degree from the Questrom School of Business specifically. It should also address reasons why you believe you would be a good fit for whichever program you have chosen to apply to (Full-Time MBA, Professional Evening MBA, Health Sector MBA, Social Impact MBA, dual degree, MS in Management Studies, etc.).

OPTIONAL ESSAY
If you have any additional information to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee, you may address it in an optional essay of no more than 250 words. Acceptable topics for the optional essay include gaps in post-college work experience, choice of recommenders, and concerns about academic/test performance. If you plan to retake any admissions tests (GMAT or GRE; TOEFL, IELTS or PTE), please provide the date of your scheduled test here. To upload an optional essay, please scroll to the “Essay” section and click “Add Document.”