This year’s Kellogg essays may be a signal of where MBA applications are heading. In an application world where written essays are increasingly at risk of sounding polished but impersonal due to AI usage, Kellogg’s new format is especially interesting. By reducing the written requirement to one main essay and increasing the video component from three to five short responses, Kellogg is placing greater weight on authentic voice, presence, and in-the-moment reflection.
The removal of Kellogg’s long-standing leadership essay is notable. For years, it was among my favorite MBA essays because it allowed applicants to showcase how they lead, influence, and create impact. Now, some of that assessment may shift to the video essay section, where applicants should be prepared for more behavioral, values-based, and personality-led questions.
The goals essay, which Kellogg introduced only two years ago, has now become the central written essay of the application.
With this context, let’s dive
into the essay analysis.
Goals (small questions):
We recognize that for some candidates, the MBA is an opportunity to explore and clarify career direction. Whether your goals are well defined or still evolving, we ask that you share your current thinking as specifically as you can. You will have the opportunity to connect your experiences and ambitions more fully in your written essay.
These questions are mentioned in the employment history section of the application. Applicants often look at these only in the end. However, we suggest you work on these short answers right from the beginning, when you start to pen down your goals essay. They give the reader a sense of your career direction and your goals essay should be a continuation of these short answers.
Industry desired after Kellogg: this is a drop-down choice. You have to select one option. Make sure what you select here closely aligns with the goals you will expand upon in the goals essay
Functional area desired after Kellogg: this is a drop-down choice. You have to select one option. Make sure what you select here closely aligns with the goals you will expand upon in the goals essay.
Short essay questions:
Immediately following graduation: Beyond your industry and function selections above, describe the type of role(s) and organization(s) you are targeting. (500 characters)
At 500 characters, this answer is roughly 70-80 words, so it should be specific and factual. The focus of this prompt is on your short-term goal. Mention names of 2-3 possible companies you would like to join in the industry you mentioned in the above section. What role will you have and what responsibilities will the role involve? With a tightening of the job market, it will be wise here to present a short-term goal that is realistic, well-researched and achievable for you.
Five years post-graduation: Describe where you expect your career to have progressed by this point. We are interested in the scope of responsibility and leadership you are working toward. (500 characters)
This question asks about your mid term goal. It should build naturally from the short-term goal you described in the previous answer, but it does not mean you must stay in the same company or do the same kind of work.
One key feature of the Kellogg goals essays has been intentionality. They have wanted to see how you are thinking about your career and designing your next steps rather than just taking any attractive role that comes your way. In this sense, your five-year goal should show logical progression from your immediate post-MBA role and point toward the larger career ambition you will explain in the main essay.
Think of this answer as the bridge between your short-term goal and your longer-term direction. For example, if your short-term goal is consulting, your five-year goal may involve growing within consulting or moving into a strategy or leadership role in a specific industry. If your short-term goal is product management, your five-year goal may show progression toward ownership of a larger product portfolio, or responsibility for a wider market.
Kellogg specifically asks about the scope of responsibility and leadership you are working toward, so this answer should be more aspirational than the immediate post-MBA goal. Show how your role may grow in terms of more responsibility, influence, or ownership. If you can’t point to what’s actually grown, the adcom won’t be able to either.
Main essay question:
Part I: An MBA is a significant investment of time, energy, and resources, and the decision to pursue one deserves serious reflection. Tell us about the pivotal experiences and decisions that have brought you to this moment in your career, how they have shaped your ambitions, and why now is the right time to take this next step.
Part II: Now turn the lens outward: beyond what you hope to gain, what do you hope to contribute to the students who will learn alongside you? 550 words (space for 575 words)
This is a two-part question, but with no specific word limit allotted to either part, so you can decide the split. My allocation of space for the two prompts would be ~300 words for the first part and ~250 words for the second.
While the two 500-character short answers ask you for factual goals statements, this question affords you the chance to talk about the motivation behind your short-term and long-term goals.
I wrote about intentionality earlier in this analysis, and by asking how your past experiences have brought you to this moment in your career, Kellogg is referencing that same theme. Select 1-2 pivotal experiences that have been instrumental in shaping your career aspirations. These could be related to identifying a gap or opportunity in your industry, or wanting to solve a persistent problem that inconveniences businesses or consumers. What is your personal stake in the problem you wish to solve? Make sure you select an experience that isn’t simply a notable achievement, but one that genuinely leads to your motivation for the career goal. Kellogg also uses the word “decisions,” which could relate to job or role changes and how they have informed your career goal. Explain in a few lines what this experience or decision was, and how it shaped your desire to make an impact in this area.
Without repeating what you wrote in the short answers, explain your goals and the impact you wish to create through them.
Why is now the right time to take this step (implicitly, not 1-2 years earlier or later)? There can be many reasons here — perhaps you’ve realized, through a specific project or setback, that reaching your goal requires a credential, a network, or a skill set you don’t currently have access to in your job. Or perhaps a shift in your industry or the broader market has positioned you to act on it now rather than later. Be thoughtful about which reason genuinely resonates with you and give an authentic answer.
Although Kellogg doesn’t explicitly ask for it, I’d advise you to also touch on how Kellogg’s academic and professional resources are crucial to attaining your career goals.
The second part of the prompt is a natural one for Kellogg, a school known for its collaborative environment. Any b-school experience is designed to promote teamwork and contribution to classmates’ learning, and at Kellogg, this collaborative spirit takes on a bigger dimension. How will you contribute to your classmates’ learning and growth?
Pick out 2-3 areas of the Kellogg experience where you’ll use your specific skills, knowledge, or strengths to help your peers. Your contribution might be in academics, professional opportunities, or extracurricular activities. Researching Kellogg’s offerings, and where you might genuinely add value, will be instrumental in writing a convincing piece.
Many applicants propose ideas that are innovative but ultimately ineffective. One example would be starting a niche club or initiative that’s only valuable to a very limited number of classmates. So, it’s important to understand whether what you’re proposing would actually be useful to others. Trying to impress the adcom with something unusual can backfire if it isn’t a meaningful contribution.