UPDATE: This article was originally posted on July 15, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below.
For your MBA admissions essay, you want to make sure you stand out from the crowd so that the adcom wants you at their school among the thousands of applications that land on their desk. While there are many tricks to a successful essay, there is one you should not forget – extracurricular engagement!
Admissions committees are not just looking for future professionals who want the prestige of attending a top university. They seek candidates who aim to actively contribute to their business school community and make a lasting, positive impact.
Hence, it is important to go beyond just mentioning the essential classes you hope to attend while writing your essays. To impart your motivations for community engagement, a going-above-and-beyond attitude, and what is unique about your profile, you should carefully consider how you would like to participate in extracurricular activities during your MBA.
To do so effectively, we have compiled our top tips for handling extracurricular activities below!
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #1: Go beyond the required curriculum
In your essays – especially your goals essay or essays like CBS’ E2 – it is essential to include what you hope to gain from your target MBA program in terms of skills, knowledge, or networking opportunities. Usually, we recommend that candidates do this by connecting the gaps in their knowledge or skills with specific classes.
While you definitely want to include specific elements from the curriculum, extracurricular activities are also a great way to show how you plan to utilize your MBA community to improve on the weakness in your profile.
An MBA program is designed to be a comprehensive and immersive learning experience, encompassing both coursework and extracurricular activities such as clubs and social events. That means that you are expected to gain essential skills not just from classes but also from engaging in these additional activities!
In fact, extracurricular activities can even be the strongest environments for learning skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership since they offer practical, hands-on experiences with classmates whose interests collide with yours!
After all, learning to problem-solve local water sanitation issues in Kellogg’s Energy and Sustainability Club goes far beyond the theories that you study in the classroom. Similarly, taking a leadership role in Darden’s Outdoor’s Club can help you discover and refine your personal leadership style.
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #2: Share your interests
Participating in extracurricular activities at your target bschool is not just a winning strategy to gain the skills you need to succeed as a future professional. It is also a way to give back and contribute to your future MBA program and become a valuable member of the school community.
By participating in extracurriculars and contributing your unique experiences and interests, you can help your fellow classmates improve their skills and knowledge, too.
Not only does this help communicate to the adcom that you value community and giving back, but also what you – and only you! – can bring to their program.
There are many ways to show your interests and personality through extracurricular activities and clubs. For example, you could join a professional club – like INSEAD’s Blockchain and Fintech Club – or cultural affinity clubs like LBS’ Africa Club.
However, personal interest clubs – such as Wharton’s Beer and Brewmasters’ Guild or their Storyteller’s Club – can also be great ways to share your interests with your future classmates.
Similarly, athletic clubs like Booth’s Dance Club or their Basketball Club can be a great way to get involved, exercise with your classmates, and be yourself. Of course, another way to do so may be to organize group visits to watch your favorite team – like the Chicago Bulls – play on the court.
And what if you can’t find a club to fit your favorite interests? Well, that’s no problem – how about you discuss starting one in your MBA essay instead?
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #3: Be a leader!
Extracurricular engagement is also a great way to show one of the top traits that elite business schools are looking for – leadership!
Your MBA program offers numerous opportunities to showcase and develop your leadership skills. Participating in extracurricular activities is an excellent way to demonstrate and refine your ability to lead.
If you love supporting your fellow female students and also Rugby, you could consider joining and eventually captaining HEC’s Female Rugby Club, for example. To gain practical experience leading teams in high-pressure situations, consider participating in MBA regattas through INSEAD’s Sailing Club.
Leadership goes far beyond sports, of course. In fact, you could consider taking a leadership role on a personal level by engaging in mentoring opportunities. Consider discussing your excitement to give back to greater Philadelphia in Wharton’s Youth Mentors Club or helping out your global peers and honing your intercultural mindset by participating in NYU’s International Student Mentorship Program.
Rather be a leader for your MBA class as a whole? Well, consider spending your time with one of Darden’s advisory clubs or joining your MBA program’s student government.
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #4: Details are key
Keep in mind, no matter which extracurricular activities you decide to discuss in your MBA admissions essay, doing so with the right amount of detail is essential.
This is because including too little detail may come off as insincere.
To make sure you go in-depth into the opportunities you discuss – while staying brief to make sure you adhere to all word count requirements – you want to be specific.
Specificity means discussing exactly what you can and intend to contribute to each extracurricular activity you intend to pursue. For example, do not simply mention your general interest in CBS’ Social Enterprise Club without explaining what you intend to do there.
Instead, you may not only want to mention how you plan to polish your public speaking skills in the club but that you would love to do so by organizing their social enterprise week fundraiser and introducing esteemed professionals at CBS’ annual social enterprise conference.
Of course, including the right amount of detail can be tricky. If you are looking for help to determine if your arguments are detailed enough to persuade the adcom, don’t hesitate to check out our MBA Resource Center.
There, you can find dozens of past successful essays and detailed brainstorming worksheets to help you plan out a winning essay.
Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join!
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #5: Be honest and sincere!
Of course, there is one golden rule for discussing extracurricular engagement in your MBA admissions essays – always be sincere.
This means you should never discuss extracurriculars that you don’t intend to join or promote simply to get accepted.
It also means that you should never include a laundry list of clubs you like, since this will neither be persuasive nor convey authentic interest. As discussed above, each extracurricular you mention in your essays should include enough detail that it is clear how specifically you plan to engage on- or off-campus.
While it’s important to have ambitious goals, it’s crucial to avoid making empty promises. Whether you aim to start a new club, mentor local students, or share your professional network with peers, your plans for engaging outside the classroom should be both realistic and sincere.
Just like you should never make a promise you can’t keep, never include clubs or activities that you don’t intend to actually participate in should you be accepted into the program.
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #6: Engage in DEI
In 2022 – in the wake of DEI movements like #BlackLivesMatter and #Metoo – diversity and inclusion have grown to become one of the most important values for elite business programs. Not surprisingly, this means that the admissions committee is looking for future professionals who are truly committed to promoting DEI on and beyond campus.
This means that participating in extracurricular activities is a great way to show your determination to make your future MBA community more inclusive.
There are many ways to do so on campus – for example, by joining clubs like GSB’s Black Business Student Association or their First-Generation Low-Income Club. In either one, you can not only support your fellow club members but also add your voice to movements that are helping marginalized groups speak out across campus and around the world.
Of course, engagement is not limited to clubs. For example, consider taking on a leadership role at events like LBS’s EQUALL conference or Duke Fuqua’s MBA Pride Weekend.
Of course, supporting and promoting DEI goes far beyond just your MBA campus. Consider getting involved in your local community as well!
Discussing Extracurriculars Tip #7: Connect to impact!
Last but not least, engaging in extracurricular activities can be a great way to underline your vision for impact as a future professional.
In other words, you can connect to your goals and the kind of impact you hope to make by getting a head-start directly in your MBA community. This is a great way to show the adcom you mean business about making a difference.
Be it by leading your fellow female entrepreneurs in INSEAD’s Women in Business Club, supporting clean energy by joining Kellogg’s Impact Consulting Club, or helping make upcoming technologies more widely available by learning from other leaders in HEC TECH, it is never too early to start impacting others. Trust me, your favorite b-school definitely agrees!
Feeling Overwhelmed with the MBA Application Process?
Navigating the complexities of MBA applications can leave you feeling overwhelmed, especially when each program requires unique essays, resumes, and recommendation letters. Without a clear plan, it’s easy to fall into the trap of submitting a generic application that gets you dinged.
That’s where we come in. With a 98.9% success rate, our team of expert MBA consultants at Ellin Lolis Consulting has a proven track record of transforming applications into success stories. Through our personalized consultation process, we dive deep into your profile, helping you tell your story in a way that resonates with admissions committees and gets you into top business schools. From interview preparation to essay edits, we’re here to guide you through every step of the process.
If you’re ready to stand out in the admissions pool, learn more about working with us today. Let’s make your MBA dreams a reality!
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