Why I Want an M.B.A.: College Admission Essay Sample

Ever since the age of eleven, I have known that I wanted to pursue an M.B.A. Business practices across disparate environments fascinate me. I hope to pursue an institutional framework that allows me to gain an understanding of the different modes of business that exist (and have existed) across industries, countries, and time periods. I want the chance to apply an alternative, more rigorous perspective to the practical experience I have already gained through work in a wide range of industries and business settings. I have always learned well by doing; I want a chance to learn business theory, and to reap the benefits of the knowledge gained by those who have gone before me.

More practically, my short time in the business arena has taught me the value of an extensive personal network. I am proud of the professional contacts that I have established thus far. However, the GSB will provide me with an opportunity to meet and interact with a group of people who will undoubtedly prove invaluable in the future. Additionally, graduation from the GSB will equip me with a set of unparalleled credentials to use in future business activity.

Upon completion of my M.B.A., I expect to continue on my current path, establishing a group of professionals to work on a rolling collection of entrepreneurial projects. Unlike the typical incubation model, the team would be directly involved in all aspects of the foundation and operation of the business - from financing to marketing, operations to exit. At the completion of each phase or project, directly-involved individuals would roll onto the next project, creating an effective pipeline for starting businesses under a larger umbrella organization.

Furthermore, I would love to write a book about unconventional entrepreneurship. I already have very strong ideas about what fosters a successful startup company, ideas which often seem to conflict with conventional wisdom. In order to write about my adventures in alternative entrepreneurship, it is absolutely essential to thoroughly understand conventional startup wisdom. I have no doubt that the GSB will provide me with this type of opportunity.

I truly believe that one person can make a real difference through hard work, an unwillingness to accept the dominant paradigm, and a bit of luck. It disturbs me that so few people - particularly minorities, youth and women - pursue the dream of independent entrepreneurship. I want to use my M.B.A. and professional skills and contacts to build an organization that encourages and facilitates entrepreneurship among all people, with a particular focus on the underserved groups mentioned above. One does not need to pursue "mogul" status to be an entrepreneur. I want to help people achieve the courage and the know-how to start their own little businesses.