2021 MBA Essay Questions: Northwestern Kellogg

The 2020 application requirements were largely the same as what Kellogg had for 2019.

Kellogg is a school that, it seems, EVERYONE wants to go to right now! They have been quite picky in who they’re admitting so far for their Class of 2023. Congrats if you made it in, and good luck if you’re trying this round!

Kellogg’s essay questions are the same as last year – and our 2020 Kellogg application guide has been updated to support you! Here’s what you will be tackling:

1. Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip and inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Provide a recent example where you have demonstrated leadership and created value. What challenges did you face and what did you learn? (450 words)
2. Values are what guide you in your life and work. What values are important to you and how have they influenced you? (450 words)

We also have to mention that Kellogg’s average GMAT score has been sky-high before now. They really do care about seeing your skills as demonstrated on a standardized test!! If you have weakness in the academic transcripts, you’re going to need to show proof that you have the ability to succeed in their challenging program. In the chaos around coronavirus at the end of last application season this spring, Kellogg dropped the requirement for a GMAT or GRE, however they’re reinstated it for our current admissions season. They’re still being incredibly flexible though: if you don’t yet have a test score, you can submit your application in the round you want to try in, and communicate with Kellogg admissions about how to secure your test, then submit the score subsequent to the app. That’s their accommodation for those who have never tested. If you have a test that’s just lower than you’d like, you’ll want to include it in the app and you can still pursue retesting, and plan to submit the new score after the app is in. If your score is about to expire, contact Kellogg right away! They’ll give you instructions on your specific situation. It’s going to be a case by case.

Don’t neglect the importance of the essays, though — that’s where your real potential lies for this school in Round 3 rolling!

How do you answer them?

WITH EXAMPLES!

As they are directing you in essay 1: RECENT EXAMPLES!

Though that advice applies to essay 2 also, and in fact, to almost all essays you’ll write to pretty much every school out there.

How recent is “recent”?

Within the last three years is a good guideline. It’s very rare that you’d want to go further back than that in most of your essay content (again, for most schools). The adcoms want to hear about you as a contributing member of society, a mature adult who’s out in the world doing stuff. Can you really say you were doing that more than three years ago? (Sure, some of you can, because you’re a bit older — but then maybe you don’t want to be emphasizing that directly in your content strategy, right?)

The main risk to using an older story is that it can appear that you’ve peaked early. If your best example from leadership is way back in college, well, then hmm. What have you done lately?

For Essay 2, this one is going to be tough for a lot of people, because the common tendency is to come up with some values that sound impressive. That’s not gonna work. The only way your Essay 2 is going to resonate is if you back up your claims to those values through EVIDENCE.

Want more help with these? Our Kellogg Essay Guide has undergone an extensive clean-slate rewrite to get it into shape to guide you through this process, with specific call-outs on whether, or how, to talk about coronavirus or social justice or entrepreneurship based on all that’s happened in the world. We are proud of this book! Pick up the 2020 Kellogg essay guide now and start working on your Class of 2023 application. This one is going to take some time and you really need to start as soon as you can! We go in-depth on what the Kellogg adcom expects and what they, err, value. These are challenging essays! Learning these pro tips will be important, so don’t wait, get started in learning more and formulating your strategy right away!
 

[end discussion of last year’s questions.]

Let’s begin with a quick talk about reality.

Hooboy. The Kellogg class profile is… daunting. Can you say “high GMAT score” “EVEN HIGHER GMAT”?! The Class of 2019 profile for Kellogg average GMAT up to 724?!? is now 728!!!!! NOPE, BOYS AND GIRLS, IT’S 732 NOW. Please don’t hit your head on the ceiling, you crazy GMAT test takers. Sheesh.
Kellogg kept its essay questions the same for the Class of 2021:

1. Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
2. Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

The “lasting value” angle in essay 1 isn’t easy! We touch on it briefly in this Kellogg “a time you have demonstrated leadership” essay critique. And, if previous Brave Supplicants’ experiences are any guide, you’re going to have some trouble with essay 2 question 2 especially. Kellogg is looking for you to discuss how you understand the MBA experience that they particularly offer and what you want to get out of it. This means going beyond a recitation of classes and clubs!

Here’s a classic mistake that many make in writing for these types of questions. We also talked about the Kellogg essays in this post on inside-out and outside-in stories and another on professional stories and showing “growth” for Kellogg MBA Essay 2. The Kellogg adcom suggests that you think about the essays combined, as a set, and look at the balance of content you’re presenting across both of them. They also encouraged you to use more recent examples.

You’ll note that there is no explicit career goals essay, though you will be answering questions about goals in the application. It’s often relevant to discuss goals in essay 2 question 2, but not always. It’ll need to be handled carefully if you do.

They’re also keeping the three video questions (they were one of the pioneers for this format back in 2012). You’ll complete these after you submit the written application.

On the video essay, don’t read from notes when you give your answers! They want you to be yourself. You should not be overpreparing. It’s fine to take notes when you get the question if it makes you more comfortable on the spot, but you should not have a scripted answer prepared in advance.

The earlier you submit your application (before the deadline) then the more choices you’re going to have with the interview request.

[end discussion of 2018 questions.]

The 2017 essay questions for Northwestern Kellogg were the same as they’re using for 2018 — please see full discussion above in the main page!

The essay questions for Northwestern Kellogg in 2017 were only slightly changed from 2016:

1. Kellogg’s purpose is to educate, equip & inspire brave leaders who create lasting value. Tell us about a time you have demonstrated leadership and created lasting value. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
2. Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

The second question is the same as the past few years, but they’ve tweaked the wording on the first one to a) incorporate their purpose thing and b) introduce this “lasting value” angle in what they’re asking you. Eeek! That’s gonna be tough!!!!! And, if previous Brave Supplicants’ experiences are any guide, you’re going to have some trouble with essay 2 question 2 especially. The wording is not as straightforward as it could be and it’s not so easy to do a good job with this.

[end discussion of 2017 questions.]

The 2016 essay questions for Northwestern Kellogg were:

1. Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
2. Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)

Those happen to be the same as they asked in 2015. And, if last year’s Brave Supplicants’ experiences are any guide, you’re going to have some trouble with essay 2 question 2 especially. The wording is not as straightforward as it could be.

However, essay 2 question 1 is also proving sticky for many BSers. We covered a classic mistake in writing for these types of questions on the blahg in September. We also talked about the Kellogg essays in this post on inside-out and outside-in stories in December, and here it is right before the deadline and we’re doing another post on professional stories and showing “growth” for the Kellogg MBA Essay 2.

Also you’ll note that there is no explicit career goals essay, though you will be answering questions about goals in the application. It’s often relevant to discuss goals in essay 2 question 2, but it’ll need to be handled carefully.

For essay 1, this previous post on “lessons learned” in essays might be useful.

They’re also keeping the video questions (they were one of the pioneers for this format) and even expanding them from two to three. You’ll complete these after you submit the written application.

In a webinar in August 2016, Kellogg adcom was very candid in offering some advice from last year’s applicants since the essay questions were the same. They suggested that you think about the essays combined, as a set, and look at the balance of content you’re presenting across both of them. They also encouraged you to use more recent examples.

And finally:

Can you say “high GMAT score”? The Class of 2018 profile for Kellogg is out and average GMAT up to 724?!? is now 728!!!!! They’ve also got 20 fewer students in the class, which is the opposite direction we’d expect to see in an increasing-apps environment. Last season was indeed crazy competitive. Let’s hope this year’s not quite so bad!!!

A few other trends:

• Fewer women: 41% which translates to 194 female students, compared to 211 in the Class of 2017
• Fewer internationals: 35% (166 students) compared to 40% (197) last year
• More work experience: 80% range of 3.5 to 7 years of experience, compared to 3 to 7 years in the class of 2017

We doubt that they explicitly designed these shifts into the class makeup so it’s not like these are trends that will continue for the upcoming admissions season – but they’re definitely marked changes from the year before.

[end discussion of 2016 questions.]

The Class of 2017 profile for Kellogg is a little intimidating!! Average GMAT up to 724?!?
The Kellogg essay questions are reasonably straightforward but the second question is tricky, and they do have those video questions which makes some people nervous. The Kellogg application process is also different, since you need to request your own interview – plus there’s some important wrinkles and potential gotchas in the app itself. Our Kellogg MBA Application Guide walks you through everything.

Here are the 2015 essay questions:

1. Leadership and teamwork are integral parts of the Kellogg experience. Describe a recent and meaningful time you were a leader. What challenges did you face, and what did you learn? (450 words)
2. Pursuing an MBA is a catalyst for personal and professional growth. How have you grown in the past? How do you intend to grow at Kellogg? (450 words)
3. After submitting a completed application, each applicant will be asked to complete two Video Essay Questions. One will be about the candidate’s interest in Kellogg and the other will be a “getting to know you” type of question.

You can see their FAQ on the Video Essay in their application instructions .

Their online app also asks for a lot of stuff, as every school’s does – including, in this case, some questions on your career goals.

There’s also a reapplicant essay (up to 250 words) and another essay if you’re applying to MMM or other dual-degree program, plus an optional Additional Information section with no word limit (only use that if necessary to explain something you’re not covering elsewhere).

Just like the 2014 season, Kellogg is continuing the trend of being kind to Brave Supplicants. Clear language, easy-to-understand questions, and a real opportunity to share something important, with both essays.

For 2015-’16, Kellogg took the extra step of publishing some specifically useful and practical tips for your essays – advice which we’ve covered for years in our Kellogg application guide (/end shameless self-promotion) and which also can apply to plenty of other schools.

[end discussion of 2015 questions.]

Two written essays and two in-app video questions:

1. Resilience. Perseverance. Grit. Call it what you will…. Challenges can build character. Describe a challenging experience you’ve had. How were you tested? What did you learn? (450 words)
2. Leadership requires an ability to collaborate with and motivate others. Describe a professional experience that required you to influence people. What did this experience teach you about working with others, and how will it make you a better leader? (450 words)
3. After submitting a completed application, each applicant will be asked to complete two Video Essay Questions. One will be about the candidate’s interest in Kellogg and the other will be a “getting to know you” type of question.

Wow. Kellogg. Nice essays.
[end discussion of 2014 questions.]

2013 Essays – EssaySnark’s Analysis

Things were CON-FUS-ING at Kellogg that year. They completely changed their application process, AND they implemented a video essay at the same time – and none of these changes were managed well.
Here’s how the interview/application deadlines worked then:

• Round 1
  • Off-campus interview request – recommended deadline was September 18 last year – the problem was, they announced this on like August 20th or something crazy! It created much panic in the minds of BSers everywhere
  • Final Rd 1 deadline was October 16 last year – they claim no disadvantage to submit on the deadline but they were pretty firm that you should apply early if you can
• Round 2
  • Off-campus interview request – recommended deadline was December 3 last year
  • Final Rd 2 deadline was January 7 last year

Thankfully they fixed this problem for the 2014 season.

This is what we said when the 2013 essay questions came out… remember this analysis is not for the current season (but the Kellogg adcom does still care about these things, which is why we’re keeping this for your reference).

Here’s the Kellogg essay questions – they went shorter with one but not unreasonably so. Good job, Kellogg!

Three essays including a very straightforward career goals question:

1. What’s the greatest obstacle you’ve overcome (personally or professionally)? How has overcoming this obstacle prepared you to achieve success now and in the future? (350 words)
2. What have been your most significant leadership experiences? What challenges did you face, and what impact did you have? This is your opportunity to explain how you Think Bravely. (500 words)
3. (This requires two separate answers; it’s not a single essay)
   • Part 1: What career/role are you looking to pursue and why? (250 word limit)
   • Part 2: Why are Kellogg and the MBA essential to achieving these career goals? (250 word limit) (Please answer Part 2 in terms of your program choice: One-Year, Two-Year, MMM, JD-MBA).
4. There’s also a Video Essay – you’ll answer an impromptu question within the application itself using a webcam and your browser (we discuss it in the Kellogg essay guide and if you want help preparing, our Automated Interview Prep offers a very similar experience in a practice environment)

These questions were different, but they were still very Kellogg! Besides that video essay, the biggest change that year was that Kellogg streamlined their process so the dates are standard – Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 – just like everyone else. They used to have multiple deadlines with all these different “if/then” rules based on what type of interview you were selecting and where you live. That’s now embedded within the actual app submission form. Phew! Aw snap. They really didn’t. There were indeed two sets of dates per round again that year. And they only announced it A MONTH BEFORE THEY WANTED PEOPLE TO SUBMIT APPS. And they had only released the app on August 22nd!!! With apps due on September 18th? Totally uncool, Kellogg.

[end discussion of 2013 questions.]
[

2012 questions – these are REALLY OLD
Three essays and a quick answer:

1. Discuss moments or influences in your personal life that have defined who you are today.
2. What have been your most significant leadership experiences? What challenges did you face, and what impact did you have? This is your opportunity to explain how you Think Bravely (personally and/or professionally).(You can definitely expect a question about leadership from Kellogg.)
3. Imagine yourself at your Kellogg graduation. What career will you be preparing to enter, and how have the MBA and Kellogg helped you get there? (Please answer in terms of your program choice: One-Year, Two-Year, MMM, JD-MBA)
4. What one interesting or fun fact would you want your future Kellogg classmates to know about you? (25 words or less)

And really old:

• Kellogg’s not-really-new essay questions (2010)

[end discussion of 2012 questions.]