Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business stands at the intersection of technology, data-driven decision-making, and leadership innovation. Known for its rigorous academic curriculum and emphasis on analytics, Tepper prepares students to excel in a fast-changing, technology-driven business environment. With small class sizes, Tepper fosters a close-knit community where collaboration and personal growth thrive alongside academic excellence.
This guide is designed to help you craft essays that showcase your unique strengths and alignment with Tepper’s distinctive culture. By understanding what Tepper values in its candidates and tailoring your responses accordingly, you can present yourself as an ideal fit for the program.
1. Who is Tepper looking for?
Source: @teppercmu on Instagram
Carnegie Mellon Tepper seeks candidates who embody a combination of analytical prowess, innovative thinking, and leadership potential. The program values diversity and looks for individuals from a wide range of industries, geographies, and academic backgrounds who can contribute to its collaborative and intellectually curious community.
According to the most recent class profile, students in Tepper’s Class of 2026 have an average of 6.3 years of work experience and an average GMAT score of 697. Beyond academic and professional accomplishments, Tepper is particularly interested in candidates who demonstrate a strong aptitude for problem-solving and a passion for leveraging data and technology to drive impactful decisions.
Tepper also emphasizes the importance of interpersonal skills and leadership ability. Candidates who can articulate a clear vision for their career goals, demonstrate a commitment to collaboration, and reflect Tepper’s values of inclusivity and innovation will stand out. Essays and interviews should highlight your unique perspective, problem-solving skills, and readiness to thrive in a program that values both analytical rigor and emotional intelligence.
2. How should I answer the essay questions?
Writing any admissions essay is a tough task. However, with the right tips, you’ll be well on your way to crafting essays that get you admitted to Tepper’s MBA program.
2.1. Goals Video Essay Tips
Now, let’s hear directly from you! We know that your career goals are an important part of your decision to attend business school, and we are excited to hear them. Please describe your post-MBA career goals. You have up to 2 minutes to respond to this question.
Please consider the following information in your response:
- Please be as specific as possible. If you have not yet identified specific companies, that is okay. Just tell us what interests you for your next role or company. What about the industry, company, or functional role is appealing to you?
- If you have any criteria you are using to evaluate career opportunities, please share those as well. We may have great opportunities to add to your list.
- How does this post-MBA career goal relate to your long-term career plan?
Pro Tip: While we have titled this a video essay, we prefer you to answer this prompt like a live question. We do want you to think about your response and likely write down some of the points you would like to communicate. However, the best responses are not reading your essay on camera.
In this essay, you have a big task. In 2 minutes or less, you need to discuss:
- Context for your goals
- Your specific post-MBA goals and why you are pursuing them at this moment
- How you plan to evaluate your future career opportunities
Each of these elements must be included and must build off of each other.
First of all, many candidates think they do not need to specifically state their goals, or that it’s better to leave “their options open.” If you are applying to elite business schools, however, you must have and present absolute clarity about your goals.
TOP TIP: If you’re having trouble figuring out what your post-MBA goals are, we’ve prepared this post to help you decipher this essential part of the application process!
However, goals without context can be a little confusing to decipher or understand (or they can just seem a bit lackluster). For this reason, we suggest starting your essay with context.
For example, a client last year initially started his essay by saying:
“I want to become a Business Development Director at a Brazilian company.”
While interesting, it’s better to give a little bit of context to help these goals come to life. Check out the final version of the same essay’s introduction:
“In the 1970s, the phrase “think global, act local” came into use, suggesting that to have global impact, one must be active locally. With this mindset, I focused my career on Brazilian multinational companies to start creating global change at home. While at Company 1, I led a diverse global team, which showed me that clear communication is essential. I later accepted a finance position at a real estate company where I learned how new technologies can impact traditional local industries and that leaders must adapt to these trends to maintain competitiveness. Most recently, I joined Company 2 to participate in its daring globalization plan. At Company 2, I have learned how challenging it is to formulate effective global strategies to thrive in diverse markets. I have also developed management skills since becoming Financial Coordinator, learning how important establishing a culture of collaboration is to providing stability for organizations.
I now seek to take the next step to becoming a “global” leader by becoming Business Development Director at a Brazilian company pursuing globalization, giving me the experience to assume my long-term goal of CEO of one such company.”
Third, you should clearly demonstrate how you plan to evaluate career opportunities that arise in the future. In this section, you should discuss the research that you have already done on the industry and how recruiters are selecting people. This is important because Tepper wants to see that you have clearly prepared for your goals and that you will use their MBA wisely and give them a good reputation.
Finally, if you have extra space, you can briefly mention why Tepper is the best place for you to attend your MBA by mentioning a few top-level features of the program that will help you reach your goals.
TOP TIP: In our experience, the average person can speak between 200-300 words in their video. Since Tepper asks you to speak more “informally” we suggest you write a script that is 200-300 words and practice reading it out loud a few times. Then, condense it into bullet points and practice spontaneously answering based on your bullet points to keep your answer fresh and spontaneous-feeling. If you need to adjust at this point based on the amount of time it takes you to answer, do so!
2.2. Required Essay 1 Tips
The Tepper School community is committed to helping students reach their full potential. Explain your philosophy on helping others achieve their full potential. How have you implemented this philosophy in your professional life, and what impact has it had on those around you? How will this philosophy influence your approach to leadership in the Tepper School of Business and beyond? (Maximum 500 words, double spaced, 12 point font)
Within your life, you’ve probably had a lot of times that you impacted others — both big and small ways.
Though you’re hopefully nodding your head in agreement, when was the last time you really reflected on this?
Go back and think of all the moments of your career and life where you made a difference in someone else’s life. Since this question does not state you have to use a professional example, you can surely include a personal example here. Filter this list for times you demonstrated some sort of leadership (since this will lead to a stronger essay overall), though you don’t have to have been the formal leader. Additionally, exclude examples where you didn’t make a clear impact (concrete examples are going to work best).
Then, consider what else the admissions committee will learn about you in the rest of your application and choose an example that adds a new angle or perspective that will enhance your appeal as an applicant.
After you choose your example, brainstorm how this example connects to a clear, specific philosophy you hold in terms of how you help others reach their full potential. You then want to begin your essay by sharing this over-arching philosophy.
We then recommend you use the STAR methodology to share the example you have identified that illustrates how you have put this philosophy into practice. Tell your reader what happened in the clearest and most high-impact way possible. Remember: the Tepper admissions committee doesn’t want to read about what happened, they want to experience it. Additionally, as you craft your response, make sure to clearly articulate what the “positive impact” was and who benefitted from it.
Using the STAR methodology and good storytelling techniques are key to ensuring your example jumps off the page and makes you stand out. This approach will help the admissions committee understand your thought process, the steps you took, and how your efforts led to a tangible impact on others.
Finally, end the essay by reflecting on how this experience influences the leader you aspire to become. In this section, make sure to address why creating a positive difference for others is meaningful to you. Additionally, make sure to show how this will translate to your involvement while at Tepper. Be specific about how you plan to contribute to specific clubs, initiatives, or classroom discussions. You may also want to include how you plan to contribute as an alum.
Sharing these insights not only highlights your values but also underscores your commitment to leveraging your skills and knowledge for the benefit of others. Kenan-Flagler values candidates who aim to make an impact beyond their own achievements—whether within their communities or on a larger scale.
2.3. Optional Essay Tips
Is there anything else that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you should not feel obligated to answer this question. This essay is intended to provide a place for you to add information that you think is important but is not covered elsewhere in the application. This could include clarification of your employment or academic record, choice of recommenders or helpful context for the admissions committee in reviewing your application.
As with nearly all elite business schools, Carnegie Mellon does not want to see a summary of your profile or a restatement of why you want to attend Tepper.
However, if you have extenuating circumstances that merit additional explanation (a good overview of what kind of circumstances qualify and how to write a strong optional essay can be found here), make sure to explain them clearly and directly.
Top tip: though there is no word limit, try to limit your answer to ~300 words. This is the average word count for an optional essay across the top programs, so it’d be a good standard to stick to! Of course, if you have a particularly complicated case, Tepper does give you as much space as you need to explain it.
3. Struggling to Make your MBA Application Stand Out?
The MBA application process can be overwhelming. Between deciding your profile strategy, writing multiple essays, tailoring your resume, and preparing for interviews, it’s easy to feel like your application isn’t capturing the true strength of your profile. The reality is that many applications fail to stand out, and the competition is fiercer than ever. Without the right guidance, you could miss out on your dream school.
But you don’t have to do this alone. With a 98.9% success rate, our expert MBA consultants know exactly how to make your application shine. From crafting compelling stories that showcase your unique experiences to helping you fine-tune every detail, we provide personalized, 1:1 support at every step of the process that ensures you get into your top choice schools.
If you’re ready to turn your MBA dreams into reality, learn more about working with us here. Let’s work together to craft an application that gets you noticed and accepted into your dream schools!
4. Carnegie Mellon Tepper MBA Deadlines
Here are the deadlines for the 2024-2025 season. You can access the Carnegie Mellon Tepper application by clicking here.
Tepper Round 1 Deadlines (full-time & online hybrid)
Application Deadline: October 1, 2024
Decisions Released: December 4, 2024
Tepper Round 2 Deadlines (full-time & online hybrid)
Application Deadline: January 6, 2025
Decisions Released: March 5, 2025
Tepper Round 3 Deadlines (full-time & online hybrid)
Application Deadline: March 3, 2025
Decisions Released: April 23, 2025
Tepper Round 4 Deadlines (full-time & online hybrid)
Application Deadline: May 5, 2025
Decisions Released: June 4, 2025
Tepper Round 5 Deadlines (online hybrid)
Application Deadline: June 9, 2025
Decisions Released: Rolling
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
