What Reviewers Look For in the MBA — London Business School Application Essays

This rubric evaluates whether your goals essay gives a focused post-MBA direction, shows how prior actions prepared you, and explains how a London Business School activity addresses a development need. It also examines whether your uniqueness essay shows a personal practice or perspective through concrete evidence, while adding information beyond the goals essay. Clear, direct writing and complete responses within the stated limits help readers follow your case.

What We Check

Mistakes We Flag

Stating a broad ambition without a direction

Saying you want to make an impact does not show the role, sector, problem, or next step that currently guides your MBA plans.

Calling skills or leadership transferable without an example

A conclusion about your abilities needs a task, decision, project, or other action that shows what you did and what capability you developed.

Using general school praise instead of a specific purpose

A general reference to the global network or London as a business hub does not explain what you need to learn, test, or practice and how a program activity will help.

Claiming you are unique because of a label or rare background

Passion, rarity, or background alone is not evidence. Show a concrete example or recurring way you approach people or problems.

Repeating your career goals in the uniqueness answer

The second answer should add a distinct practice, perspective, fact, example, or meaning rather than using ambition as its only evidence.

How this rubric reads your essay

• Built from published reader guidance — the sources are listed below.
• Scored per section against defined criteria, not general impressions.
• Calibrated for consistent scoring, so a better draft shows up in the score.

References

Frequently Asked Questions