Rochester / Simon MBA Essay Topic Analysis 2025-2026

The following essay topic analysis examines the University of Rochester’s Simon School of Business (Simon) MBA admissions essays for the 2025-2026 admissions season. You can also review essay topic analysis for other leading MBA programs as well as general Essay Tips to further aid you in developing your admissions essays.

Rochester / Simon MBA Essay Topic Analysis 2025-2026

Let’s take a closer look at each prompt.

Essay 1

In 250–500 words total, respond to the following prompts:

• Describe your short-term and long-term post-graduation goals.
• Given the fluctuation of economic and industry hiring trends, identify a back-up plan should your short-term goal not be immediately attainable.
• How does your past education and experience support your career objectives?
• What aspects of your intended Simon Business School program make it a good choice for your graduate study?

This prompt is a standard career goals essay that touches on one’s educational and career history, career goals, as well as one’s interest in the Simon MBA. The main nuance here is that the admissions committee also asks for an alternate short-term plan (as is increasingly common in the MBA admissions process). The most direct structure for this response will be to address each of these items in the order in which it appears in the prompt. You may therefore begin by identifying the function or job title you plan to pursue after business school, as well as your target industry and perhaps one or two target organizations. This position should be a logical first step toward a longer-term role that you hope to hold 10 or so years after your MBA. Your long-term plans should lend meaning to your proposed short-term goals and also support reasoning behind an alternate short-term path.  In regards to your alternate plan, it may be established best briefly in conjunction with the initial statement of your short-term goals.  You may also feel that your original short-term goal leads to the long term so clearly that you keep those together, but then conclude your opening paragraph with your alternate plan and why it is feasible.  Structurally, it should be tailored to the flow of the introduction, but also appear before you discuss past experiences and pending skills.

It would then make sense to include a few sentences about how your educational and work experience to date has influenced (and prepared you for) these future roles, as well as the skills and knowledge that you still need to gain in order to move successfully along this path. With this “why MBA” piece established, candidates will then want to offer a detailed treatment of the ways specific elements of the Simon MBA program would help you to bridge the gap between their current skill set and their future plans. We recommend that candidates aim to devote at least 200 words to this section of the essay, if not a full half of their response.

To get as much mileage as possible out of this essay, you should aim to develop a very detailed response that explains how lessons from key classes and participation in certain student organizations will position you to accomplish your professional objectives. The adcom will also be interested in hearing about how you see yourself contributing to the community and enhancing the experience of other students, so naming some events that you would like to help organize or a club you would hope to lead will also bolster your case. Covering all of this ground within a 500-word essay is no easy task, so zeroing in on the aspects of the Simon MBA program that are most closely aligned with your goals will be important to developing an effective response; an in-depth review of the program website, conversations with current students and alumni, or online admissions events, are all viable sources of the information you’ll need here.

Essay 2

Simon Business School is committed to fostering an environment that values broad access to opportunity, the exchange of ideas, and the importance of varied perspectives in developing effective business leaders. Our approach emphasizes analytical rigor, collaboration, and preparing students to navigate an increasingly complex global economy. Reflecting on your personal, academic, professional, or volunteer experiences, how have you helped create environments where a range of viewpoints and backgrounds are respected and heard? How do you hope to continue promoting fairness, open dialogue, and a sense of community during your time at Simon?  (250-500 words)
This essay asks applicants to reflect on teamwork, collaboration and openness in their lives. As requested and because past behavior can attest to future success, you will need to highlight your related experience. When approaching how to share an example, consider the following structure:

• Situation – Set the stage or identify the situation.
• Action – Describe the actions you took related to diversity, fairness and openness.
• Outcome – Summarize the (positive) result.

The door is wide open for examples, but action is important here—think beyond comments or campaigns shared on Facebook, and reflect on advocating actively. Then, connect to specific avenues at Simon through which you can contribute to these values. Consider how you would apply, and even expand upon, what you know about fair leadership.

Video Essay – Optional

The video essay is an optional component of the full-time MBA application and gives you a chance to show us who you are beyond what we see on paper. We read every résumé, transcript, and written essay carefully, but the video helps us get a fuller picture—how you communicate, your presence, and what makes you, you. It’s a valuable complement to the written components because we get to see your personality shine.

Upon submission of your application, your video essay link will appear in your applicant status portal. You will have 5 days to complete your video essay (you will not have access until you submit your application). Note: you will not be penalized for opting out of the video essay.

Review our step-by-step Video Essay Guide with visual aids, which includes helpful reminders and considerations ahead of recording your video essay.
Be sure to review our tips on Video Essays before completing this element of the application. The adcom is just looking to get to know you better in an off-the-cuff, spur of the moment video. The best approach you can take is to relax, stay focused and speak clearly. Though Simon did change this from mandatory to optional, it is still a good idea to complete this element of the application.

Clear Admit Resources

Thanks for reading our analysis of this year’s Rochester’s Simon Business School essay topics. As you work on your Simon MBA essays and application, we encourage you to consider all of Clear Admit’s Simon offerings:

• Rochester / Simon 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 Rochester / Simon
• Clear Admit DecisionWire: school selections in real-time by admits to Rochester / Simon