UPDATE: This article was originally posted on August 9, 2018. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

With its famous MAP project, Michigan Ross is a haven for collaboratively-minded leaders who love to learn by getting their hands dirty.

However, Ross has rapidly increased in the rankings in the past few years, making it more difficult than ever to secure admission to this elite MBA program. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Ross admissions essays to stand out. We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to Michigan Ross MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Ross application your best shot.

 

1. Who is Ross looking for?

(Michigan Ross students participating in Ross’ 7-week MAP program, Photo courtesy of Michigan Ross)

Every year, Michigan Ross searches the globe for outstanding professionals for its annual class of 380 students. With a strong emphasis on diversity and leadership, there is no “typical” Ross student, yet the average admitted student for the Class of 2025 had a 719 GMAT score and an average of 5.8 years of work experience. 

NOTE: Michigan Ross is continuing to offer GMAT/GRE waivers. If you would like to be considered, an additional essay is required. Find out more information here.

Beyond the impressive statistics, though, Ross offers its students the chance to prepare themselves to lead by giving them multiple opportunities for hands-on learning. 

Check out this video on the Ross student experience: 

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Ross’ admissions essay questions.  

 

2. How should I answer Ross essay questions?

2.1. Essay 1 Tips

Ross Experiences in Action-Based Learning (REAL) 

At Michigan Ross, we believe the best way to learn is by doing. In our Full-Time MBA Program, you will put your skills and knowledge to the test in real-world situations with real stakes. 

How will this learning environment benefit you, and how do you plan to contribute to the action-based learning experience? (300 words) 

First, before starting on any of your essays, we suggest that you review these tips from the Michigan Ross admissions team. 

Ross is famous for pioneering action-based learning with its MAP course. This “learning by doing” approach is at the core of the Ross experience, and this question challenges you to demonstrate that you are a good fit for this environment. 

At its core, this is a research-based question, so start by doing research. Look into the MAP course, as well as the school’s other REAL (action-based learning) opportunities. 

Then, connect these opportunities to your goals. For example, if you plan to go into social impact investing, you’ll want to highlight the REAL.INVEST Social Venture Fund course and how you’ll gain specific skills and experiences that will directly benefit your future career. You may then also want to add which type of MAP project you’d want to pursue and why and add how being involved in the Erb Impact Projects will also enhance your learning in a unique way. 

I would suggest not focusing on just one aspect of the REAL/action-based curriculum at Ross, but would instead choose multiple different offerings and show how each uniquely contributes to helping you reach your goals. 

When talking about how these offerings will help you reach your goals, stay away from general statements like, ‘The MAP project will be a great way to help me get more experience.” Instead, focus specifically on what you hope to get out of the experience and how that will help you grow in a specific way that benefits your future goals. 

Finally, end the essay by talking about how you can contribute in these environments. Don’t just include statements like,  “I have 5 years of experience in healthcare, so I am excited to contribute to a healthcare-focused MAP project.” Instead, pull out specific aspects of your experience that your colleagues could benefit from learning. 

For example, perhaps you’re a lawyer who is making a career transition. When sharing your contributions, you might want to mention how legal concerns are a huge part of the business world that young leaders often fail to consider when thinking about starting or acquiring businesses, so you’re excited to share this vision with classmates. By connecting specific contributions to the offerings you mention and making sure you directly mention how others can benefit, you’ll show Ross that you’re someone who will leverage the Ross MBA to take their career to new heights while also helping others reach their goals. 

Need more guidance? Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of Michigan Ross essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning Michigan Ross essay. Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join! 

 

2.2. Essay 2 Tips

How will you make an impact at Michigan Ross? 

Michigan Ross is proud to support a community of leaders and impact makers. As a future member of this community, we want to know more about who you are and what drives you. Please choose 1 of the following prompts to tell us more about what makes you stand out beyond your academic and work experience. List the prompt you are answering at the top of your response. (200 words) 

• What makes you unique? 
• Can you provide a specific example of how you’ve overcome a personal challenge? 
• What makes you excited to get up each morning? 
• Describe a time when you made a difference in your community or with an individual. 

In this essay prompt, you’re given an opportunity to show the admissions committee how you’ll contribute to the unique diversity of the class in a way that no one else will. 

Choosing well here is essential. The rest of your application will speak to your academic and professional strengths, your goals, and why you feel Ross is a good fit for you. The majority of applicants will also check these boxes, so this essay question is your chance to show them why they should take YOU. 

First, before looking at the prompts, I recommend that you brainstorm a list of examples that show off a side of you that hasn’t been covered elsewhere, that aligns with your personal brand, and that shows off why you’ll be a strong contributor at Ross. This could be experiences pulled from your volunteer work, a challenge you’ve overcome in life, a unique life experience, or a passion you voraciously pursue (like a sport or hobby). Based on the wording of the question, I would stick to non-professional experiences/stories here. 

Once you’ve brainstormed, I would also suggest filtering your list based on which stories can be told in a STAR format, since these will have more impact than general statements, especially considering the tiny word count. 

Finally, choose the prompt that best connects with your story and ensure that you frame your introduction and conclusion to mirror the wording of the prompt. For example, if you choose to focus on what makes you unique but don’t actually mention why the story you’re sharing makes you unique in your essay, the essay won’t work exceptionally well. 

To end, if you have space, you might want to share a sentence or two about how you’ll contribute what you’ve learned with this story/experience at Ross. This isn’t required, however, so don’t worry if you don’t have space. 

 

2.3. Essay 3 Tips

What is your short-term career goal and how will Ross help you achieve it? (200 words)

As one of the most transparent admissions committees in the MBA world, Ross has taken clear steps each year to make their application increasingly streamlined. 

This is important to keep in mind because Ross has deliberately been very clear about what they want here: short-term goals only. 

TOP TIP: If you’re not sure what your goals are, check out this post designed to help you think through this critical component of your application!

To answer the first part of the question, you want to clearly and concisely state your short-term goal. When discussing your goals, clarity is king, so make sure you include a job title and industry in your description of your post-MBA aspiration. Additionally, we suggest you briefly elaborate on your vision for impact – or, what you hope to accomplish in your stated position in the future (if necessary, you can move this part to part two of this response!).

However, goals without context can be a little confusing to decipher or understand (or they can just seem a bit lackluster). For that reason, it is essential that you include that context.

We suggest including that context in the form of a brief story or past experience that shows the reader why your goals are meaningful to you or how you have worked towards them so far. For example, if your goal is to focus on sustainable transportation methods, you may want to include a very brief story or statement about how you have helped catalyze sustainable solutions in the past. 

After clearly stating your motivations for your goal, briefly touch on how Ross can help you achieve these goals. This should not be a “laundry list” of 10 classes you found on the Ross site, nor a section in which you repeat clichés about the school. 

Instead, you should thoughtfully consider how you must grow personally and professionally to reach your stated short-term goal and what elements of Ross (classes, faculty, clubs, etc.) will help you reach them. You only have space for 2-3 sentences, however, so choose wisely. 

Ending your essay with a killer conclusion sentence to leave your reader with a strong image of your profile is the perfect wrap-up. 

 

2.4. Optional Essay Tips

Is there something in your resume or application that needs a brief explanation? Appropriate uses of this essay would be the explanation of an employment gap, academic outliers, choice of recommender, completion of supplemental coursework, etc. You may use bullet points where appropriate. (250 words) 

This section should only be used to convey information not addressed elsewhere in your application, for example, completion of supplemental coursework, employment gaps, academic issues, etc. Feel free to use bullet points where appropriate. 

Though with such a short application you may be tempted to use this response to add additional stories and information you couldn’t quite squeeze in elsewhere, restraint is necessary here. Make sure you focus on explaining gaps in your application only, though you can use these explanations to highlight related achievements. 

For example, our client Fernando needed to explain his 6-month gap in work experience. As luck would have it, he spent these 6 months volunteering in Asia, so we not only addressed a “weakness” but were also able to include a new achievement in his application. (Read more about Fernando’s time in Asia by downloading our Ross sample essays below).

We have written extensively on the issue of optional essays, giving tips and tricks for how to address issues like low GMAT scores or poor academic performance here. 

Looking for Michigan Ross MBA essay examples? Check out our real sample essays that got our clients admitted here.

 

3. 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!

 

4. Michigan Ross Deadlines

The deadlines for the 2024-2025 season are below. You can access the Ross application here.

Ross Round 1 Deadlines

Application Deadline: September 9, 2024

Interview Notification: Ongoing

Decisions Released: December 6, 2024

 

Ross Round 2 Deadlines

Application Deadline: January 6, 2025

Interview Notification: Ongoing

Decisions Released: March 14, 2025

 

Ross Round 3 Deadlines

Application Deadline: March 24, 2025

Interview Notification: Ongoing

Decisions Released: May 2, 2025