How to Formulate Your Goals in a Business School Application

Craft compelling MBA application goals. Learn to define short-term & long-term aspirations, research post-MBA careers, and align your strengths with your dream job for a successful application.

How to Articulate Goals in a Business School Application

What do you want to do after you graduate from business school?

Surprisingly, many applicants are initially stumped by this question. I help North Star clients figure out and articulate what they really want to do by guiding them through an introspective process. By the end, their goals essays and interview responses are crystal clear, authentic, and compelling – which is critical to their success.

Here are some tips for articulating goals in your business school applications:

Break it down into short-term and long-term goals

One reason people freeze up when asked about their goals is that they find the question overwhelming. How are you supposed to know what you want to do in 20 years? It’s hard enough to decide if you want sushi or pizza for dinner! The goals question can also trigger feelings of commitment-phobia.

To get past the panic, start by thinking about the jobs you would most like to do right after you graduate. (Princess, hedge fund associate.) Then, think about what you would like to be doing in 10 years. (Retired, head of an international non-profit that saves sea turtles.) Ideally, your goals are connected, but it’s okay to think about alternative paths. Remember, you are not committing to actually doing these things! You don’t even have to put them in your applications. At this point, it’s about finding jobs that you find exciting.

What if you don’t even know what’s out there for newly minted MBAs? Perhaps you are applying to business school because you don’t like your job, or you are unemployed or underemployed. It’s possible that you don’t have a clear path in mind, and you want to go back to school to gain clarity and create options. That’s okay – but you still need to articulate precision in your applications. To find interesting post-MBA jobs, start with the career pages of the schools that interest you. Sloan, Tuck, Wharton, and Stanford have good ones.