Keeping in line with the format of the previous years, Sloan has retained its unique cover letter essay as the only required written essay in the application. Known as a hotbed of innovation, Sloan tends to gravitate towards students who show an aptitude for practical innovation which seems to be one of the reasons for the unique cover letter requirement. Sloan is also one of the few schools that clearly states that they use objective criteria to admit applicants (the exact details of the objective criteria aren’t revealed but basically it means that you are given a score on the different aspects that the school values like leadership, creativity etc.). So, make sure that you are providing a holistic picture of yourself in the limited space provided.

Rod Garcia, in his official blog, has time and again emphasized the similarities between job hunting and business school applications. This means that the school expects applicants to sell themselves and demonstrate a good fit – just as one would do in a job application. The length of this cover letter is relatively shorter than most other essays out there and therefore, it is important to be succinct. One of the major faux pas that applicants commit here is to tack on another school’s career essay. The tone and the content required here is completely different and you would be best served by developing a tailor-made response to this question.

Talk about your accomplishments and how you managed to achieve them and overcome the challenges that stared you in the face. A key trait to highlight here is innovation and a creative approach to problem solving. And of course, as Sloan clearly mentions in the prompt, your actions should convey passion towards your career and a zeal to succeed while doing the right thing. Though Sloan focuses more on your past experiences than future plans, it can be helpful to provide context to your actions by providing an idea about your future goals. Next, discuss fit with Sloan and emphasize how you would be an asset to the community. Sloan loves students who have a clear idea of why they want to go to Sloan and make it their top choice school. Show some love for the school and you might get that love back.

In the past few years, video essays have made an appearance in the applications for multiple top schools. The reason is clear – video essays provide the admission committee with a personal insight that isn’t really possible through just the written word.

Even though the prompt asks you to address your future classmates, you need to remember that the audience is still the admission committee. Be selective about what you communicate and make sure to add a strong personal flavor to it (having presented your professional self through the Cover letter already). Talk about your passions and interests and what defines you as a person. Since the introduction is meant for your future classmates, it would make sense to touch upon a few of your interest areas and the kind of opportunities you would make use of while at MIT, along with like-minded peers. For example, talk about how growing up in an underprivileged community has driven you to give back to society, or about how you are the go-to person for excel shortcuts in your office or even about that 15-day trek you took. Though you should have touched upon the “why MIT” points in the previous essay, you can talk about how your passions & personality would translate into your experience at Sloan. Your language may very well be conversational, but not too casual. Most importantly, have fun presenting yourself to your future classmates and make your excitement explicit enough.