Michigan Ross Class of 2029 essay analysis
- Amit Kapur
- Jun 22
- 3 min read
Michigan's Ross School of Business has released its questions for the 2026-27 application cycle.
Part 1: Career Aspirations
What is your short-term career goal, and how do you plan to leverage the Ross MBA and its program offerings in your first role after graduation? Please be specific and answer both parts of this question (300 words).
Part 2: Impact and Growth
Michigan Ross is proud to support a community of leaders and impact makers who value growth. As a future member of this community, we want to know more about who you are and what drives you. Choose one of the following prompts to tell us more about what makes you stand out beyond your academic and work experience. List the prompt you are answering at the top of your essay. (200 words)
Think of a time something important did not go as planned. What did you do next?
What is something you worked on for an extended period of time (over six months) that ultimately resulted in a positive outcome? What kept you committed?
Share an example of a specific situation when your actions created a positive impact on your community or an individual.
2026/27 essay question analysis
Part 1:
While worded slightly differently than last year, this essay is essentially a more traditional “Why [our school]” that other schools ask as well. Given the tight word limit, we recommend focusing on your top 2-3 ways you envision gaining value as it relates to your career goal, rather than a laundry list of experiences and resources you will use. The former approach will make it easier for you to make a stronger link between Ross and your future success, through explaining how you will use the particular examples you cite. That will help differentiate you from other applicants.
Part 2:
This is the larger change in Ross' focus - last year, Ross was focused on applicants' character, whereas this year their essay questions seek to assess character through actions and impact.
Given the tight word limits, we suggest using an abbreviated STAR framework when answering these prompts. As for prompt-specific advice:
Think of a time something important did not go as planned. What did you do next?
Suggest using 20-30% of the word limit to describe what was unplanned, and most of the remainder of the word limit linking your actions with the improved outcome that followed. Avoid blaming others for the original unplanned outcome. Instead, use the essay to focus on what you made better, not what someone else made problematic in the first place.
What is something you worked on for an extended period of time (over six months) that ultimately resulted in a positive outcome? What kept you committed?
While some clients may be able to answer this question directly in the allowed space, it is a lot to cover in only 200 words. To make writing more efficient, mention what kept you committed into your explanation of your actions. Also be mindful of choosing an example that differentiates you from other candidates. For instance, highlighting a positive case experience as a consultant or a financial transaction as a banker or investment professional will only differentiate you if you explain how the outcome or your actions differentiated from peers.
Share an example of a specific situation when your actions created a positive impact on your community or an individual.
Similar to Stanford's impact statements, this essay asks for one of your key accomplishments. Avoid spending more than 50% of the essay discussing what you did. And when you do, focus on the key decisions you made, and why you made those decisions. For the remainder of each essay, discuss the impact your decisions had on the outcome. Did you provide a critical insight that convinced key decision-makers to pursue a different path, with a different outcome? Did you ask for help at a critical time? The closer the link between your decisions and the positive impact created, the more you will set yourself apart from other applicants.
Other application details
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Re-applicant?
Check out information here (near bottom of page).
School resources
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