Manchester / AMBS Essay Topic Analysis
The following essay topic analysis examines the University of Manchester / Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS) MBA admissions essay for the 2019-2020 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analyses for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions essays.
Manchester / AMBS Essay Topic Analysis 2019-2020
Let’s take a closer look at the prompt.
Essay 1
In your essay, please include information about the following (500 words):
- Why do you feel it is the right time in your career to study an MBA and why would you like to gain a place on the Manchester MBA?
- What are your immediate goals after you complete the programme?
- How do you believe your previous experience and transferable skills, combined with the Manchester MBA, will help you to achieve your goals?
- Which industry sector(s) and companies are your preferred target and which country/region would you like to work in?
- What is your plan B if you are unable to achieve your preferred goals immediately?
- What are your longer-term aspirations?
Manchester poses a fairly straightforward career goals essay, asking applicants to discuss both their short- and long-term career plans. The “plan B” is an interesting twist, and seems to hint that the school is looking for candidates who will be able to adapt. There is also an emphasis on timing, so applicants will want to ensure they hit this note in the course of the essay.
To start, candidates will want to identify the position that they hope to hold immediately after graduating from an MBA program, naming the industry, country/region and 1-2 organizations for which they would most like to work. You will then want to discuss your longer-range 5-10 year plan, explaining not just what role they hope to occupy, but also commenting on the broader impact they hope to have in this position. (Explaining your goals first sets the stage for why you need an MBA and how your experience to date supports these plans.)
Then, establish a career summary to highlight your prior experience and skills you already possess. This will naturally lead to the gap in your skill set that an MBA would fill. Subsequently, touch on the ways an MBA would facilitate progress toward these goals, and explain why the timing is perfect. For example, perhaps you’ve reached a natural breaking point in your career or simply could not make any more progress towards your goals without an MBA. Then be sure to cover the factors that make Manchester / AMBS an especially good next step. To underscore this fit, it would make sense to name some curricular or programmatic offerings that are relevant to these objectives. Conducting thorough research on the program will help you achieve maximum impact with this brief response.
Structurally, you may consider noting your “plan B” briefly at the end, or juxtaposing it with your “plan A” in the body of the essay.
Clear Admit Resources
Thanks for reading our analysis of this year’s AMBS MBA essay topics! As you work on your University of Manchester MBA essays and application, we encourage you to consider all of Clear Admit’s offerings:
- Manchester / AMBS School Profile on the Clear Admit website: up-to-date advice and admissions information
- Clear Admit LiveWire: admissions updates submitted in real time by applicants to AMBS
- Clear Admit DecisionWire: school selections in real-time by admits to AMBS