MBA Decoder

Kelley MBA Application essays

Deadlines:
Round 1: October 15, 2024
Round 2: January 5, 2025
Round 3: March 1, 2025
Round 4: April 15, 2025

Required Essays:
1. Discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when
combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider? (500 words)

2. Respond to one of the following short essay prompts. (300 words)
a. My greatest memory is…
b. I’m most afraid of…
c. My greatest challenge has been…
d. I’m most proud of…

3. Share a brief fact about yourself that your classmates would find interesting, surprising, or noteworthy. (25 words)

Optional Essay:
Is there anything else that you think we should know as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you shouldn’t feel obligated to answer this question. (300 words)

Other application components:

Resume:
Submit a one-page resume (preferably) and surely not exceeding 2 pages.

Recommendations:
One recommendation is required, ideally from a current or recent supervisor. Recommendations are also due by the application deadline.

Interviews:
You can self-initiate and schedule an interview which would be held on the Bloomington campus or at events throughout the United States. This can be completed before you submit your application. Once you submit your application, interviews will be by invitation only, and these could be conducted over Skype or phone.

Reapplications:
Reapplicants are those who applied within a year of applying.

To reapply, you must complete a new online application including submission of all required supporting documents. You may submit your new application prior to any application deadline. You are welcome to register the same recommender you used in your prior application, or you may choose a new recommender. In the optional essay, we encourage you to specifically discuss your professional and academic accomplishments since your last application.

A note for Indian applicants:
Kelley requires students to have the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree, which usually follows 16 years of education. Students educated in India are expected to complete the Part 1 exams of a university master’s degree following a 3-year bachelor’s degree to be eligible for graduate consideration.

Post-graduate diploma programs offered by universities are also acceptable if a 3-year bachelor’s degree is required for admission.
Professional programs offered by external agencies, organizations or non-university groups are not acceptable.

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