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Diversity Essay for the MBA: Tips + Samples
It’s no secret diversity, equity, and inclusion are incredibly important in MBA admissions. Business schools value broad representation in the admitted student class to enrich the program’s experience for all. For this reason, many schools have a diversity essay within the application. Here, candidates can preview how they would contribute to class dicussions with their unique personal history, values, or life experiences.
But having a diverse background alone is not enough. Former Stanford GSB Admissions Director Derrick Bolton once signaled that application quality is equally important for minority applicants. “We are not going to take candidates who are not as strong as candidates from somewhere else, just to have that diversity,” he noted.
MBA application essays give candidates a chance to share the value of their unique identity. As Bolton explained, it is the “mindset that the students have versus what their passports say or what their gender is.”
In reviewing SBC admit data for the last five seasons, we see that every top MBA program has shown a preference for underrepresented minority (URM) applicants when those candidates have compelling stories in their essays and recommendation letters.
For example, we worked with a URM male in private equity who gained admits to every school he applied to—including HBS—even with a GMAT below 650. Last season, we guided a female Hispanic candidate who had a GPA below 3.0. Nonetheless, she received admits to Duke Fuqua and Kellogg with scholarships.
Diversity Application Materials
For the MBA admissions process, the application essays are the avenue for highlighting the value of diversity. The following are four essay excerpts taken from successful MBA admits within SBC’s client pool.
Diversity Essay Sample #1
Cultural sensitivity is an essential asset in India’s growing cosmopolitan cities and commercial life. For that reason, my parents sought out a school with a diverse student body to teach me how to navigate the modern Indian landscape.
My classmates traced their roots to every corner of India, and my closest friends practiced three different religions. When the tumult in Indian society would sometimes descend into violence, my friends and I would reflect on these issues. We each had distinct opinions, and I saw how people with opposing beliefs interpreted the same situation differently.
I learned to appreciate varied viewpoints—and even seek them out to expand my thinking and deepen my connections to those around me.
Diversity Essay Sample #2
We moved to the United States from Mexico in the 1990s. My father is a math professor and received a position at the University of Iowa. My experiences growing up in a “foreign” country have helped me to become a more open person. I now appreciate the world’s diversity and try to learn about people who are different from me.
I experienced culture shock going from a town where everyone looked like me to a place where I was considered exotic. My classmates welcomed me, and in no time, I learned to speak English with almost no accent. The seasons in Iowa came as a shock to someone who grew up in a warm seaside town. Also, it took me months to become acclimated to the food. My mother used to have to travel to the next city over to find chilies and cilantro to prepare our favorite foods.
But what has interested me the most over the years are the stereotypes that follow my life in the U.S. as a person of Mexican heritage. When I went to college, many of my classmates assumed I was on scholarship and that my parents had no formal education. When I told them that my mother is a dentist and my father is a professor, they had to change their conception of what a Mexican-American is.
As someone who is often judged before someone gets to know me as a person, I have learned to see beyond the superficial in others. For example, one of my best friends in college was on a football scholarship. Many people assumed that Rick had no interest in intellectual pursuits and would only focus on sports and parties.
Because of my background, I have learned never to make assumptions. That’s why I treated Rick as just as serious as any other classmate. Soon Rick and I started discussing the material from our world history class for hours. We built a strong friendship out of shared intellectual interests that lasts to this day.
Diversity Essay Sample #3
In the past ten years, I have lived in seven different places while pursuing academic and professional opportunities. Through study abroad programs in high school and college, I spent one year in Rome and another in London.
The greatest way in which I would be an asset to fellow Kellogg students is through the insight I can provide on cultural diversity. I would promote an environment where different ideas and perspectives can be expressed, understood, and accepted.
Living in many different places taught me to adapt to new environments and bridge cultural differences. Drawing from my own experiences studying and living abroad, I can help the many international students attending Kellogg and ease their integration into every aspect of the school’s community.
Diversity Recommendation Letter Excerpt
Sean will enhance the diversity of Wharton’s student body due to his unique international background. When he describes his experiences growing up in India and traveling through Western Europe, it shows he has a unique perspective on people, cultures, and religions.
In addition, Sean’s struggles as a gay Muslim man dealing with his own life’s contradictions have led him to appreciate others’ unique qualities. I expect that Sean will bring tremendous diversity to the class with his exposure to culture, study, work, and travel.
Fundamental Essay Writing: Tactical Tips
We have several diversity specialists on the SBC team, including a former board member of The Consortium . In partnership with The Riordan programs , two of our diversity experts recently led an MBA essay workshop for URM applicants. In that presentation, they shared how candidates can optimize all aspects of the essays.
When the fundamental elements of MBA essay writing are effective, a candidate’s own diverse voice, identity, and perspectives become vivid and compelling to the MBA admissions committee.
SBC’s Top 6 MBA Application Essay Tips and Examples
- Make sure you answer the question asked and do so early in the essay.
- Be specific rather than general.
- Don’t be afraid to get personal (but not too personal).
- Be bold in your aspirations and thoughtful/realistic about your plans.
- Let the S-T-A-R format be your guide.
- Have strong/memorable opening and closing sentences for each paragraph.
Essay #1: Personal Statement / Describe your personal leadership style
Best Practices:
Essay #2: Why School?
Essay #3: Short & long-term goals
Diversity in the b-school classroom is the best preparation for the challenges and rewards of the multicultural marketplace. SBC is the only MBA admissions firm with a complete panel of former Admissions Officers from all the elite programs. Several of these experts specialize in URM candidates and would love to help you tell your diversity story. Request a free analysis of your candidacy here .
SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Wharton, Booth and every elite business program in the US and Europe. These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.
Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Anthony , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he dedicated over 10 years of expertise.
Meet Kim , who was an Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Chicago Booth.
Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .
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Tips for the MBA Diversity Essay
December 19, 2022
Nisha Trivedi
As an MBA student, you are guaranteed to work in student teams composed of individuals from different backgrounds (professions, nationalities, cultures, orientations, etc.). For this reason, business schools want to ensure that you are equipped to collaborate effectively with people who might hold perspectives different from your own. During the past few admissions cycles, several programs have evaluated applicants’ ability to work across backgrounds by posing an essay question that asks about the candidate’s experience with diversity and inclusion, how they have created or promoted an inclusive environment, and/or how they expect to be an inclusive leader at the MBA program and after graduation.
Here are our tips on how to approach responding to an MBA diversity essay question:
- First, to identify your essay topic, think about times when you have worked with a diverse group of people, whether on the job or as part of an extracurricular activity or personal pursuit. When some people hear the word “diversity,” they automatically associate it with race, gender, and ethnicity. Although those dimensions certainly are major aspects of diversity, you need to think about the definition of diversity—and about your experiences—more broadly. For example, maybe you worked on a team with members from across functions and/or with varying levels of seniority. Or perhaps you worked on recruiting new employees from a more comprehensive list of universities than you firm has considered in previous years.
- Next, consider your actions as they relate to diversity. In which of your experiences did you actively cultivate diversity, such as by encouraging more people to participate in an initiative and to share their viewpoints during discussions? Simply writing about a time when you worked within a diverse group is not enough; you have to show that in that situation, you purposefully harnessed the advantages of having different perspectives by inviting the members of that group to express themselves, genuinely listening to them, and taking their views and ideas into account. If you encountered any challenges along the way, acknowledge them. Showing how you worked effectively to reconcile different points of view will lead to a more meaningful narrative.
- Then, reflect on the result. Based on your actions—including fostering participation and dialogue—how did you and your team successfully accomplish the mission at hand? For example, maybe you won a sales pitch because you were able to tailor your message more closely to your audience. Or perhaps your company’s once-homogenous internship program now represents a blend of students from a range of backgrounds. In addition to explaining the outcome, address what you learned from the experience. Business school admissions committees like to see that applicants are capable of growing as the result of being exposed to different perspectives.
- Finally, look to the future. If the essay question asks how you will promote diversity and inclusion on campus and in your post-graduate career, describe in specific terms how you aspire to be a leader in this space. Identify a student organization at your target MBA program that you would want to join based on your interests, and explain how exactly you would encourage the cultivation of a diverse membership and the voicing of different perspectives as a way of enhancing the club’s activities and impact. As for your post-MBA ideas, think about diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts you would want to be involved in at work or as a leader in a community organization that aims to foster diversity. Keep in mind that less is more—you will come across as more genuine if you focus on one or two ways that you will be an inclusive leader rather than providing a laundry list of activities you want to be involved in.
For specific essay-writing tips for programs that are posing a diversity-related essay prompt this year, please see our essay analysis for the following schools:
- UVA Darden School of Business
- Georgetown McDonough School of Business
- Washington Foster School of Business
- UNC Kenan Flagler Business School
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business
And if you have an especially strong track record of promoting inclusion at school, in your job(s), and/or in your personal life, consider applying to business school via the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. You can learn more about the Consortium in this blog post , and also refer to our Consortium Essay Tips .
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2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips
- Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
- Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- Esade Essay Tips and Examples
- Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
- Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
- HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- IESE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
- International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
- Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
- Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
- Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
- Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
- The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
- Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
- UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
- UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
- USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
- Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
- Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips
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