Oxford Said MBA Sample Essays

Oxford Said MBA Winning Sample Essays – 1

Oxford Essay 1: Consider a statistic or trend that shocks you. Why is it important to you and how could it be changed for the better?   (Maximum 500 words)

According to a survey done by the National Centre for Learning Disabilities, a third of the population attribute inaccurate causes to learning disorders. 22% think learning disabilities can be caused by too much time spent watching television, and 55% wrongly believe that corrective eyewear can treat certain learning disabilities. The most shocking are the 20% believing that people who suffer from learning disorders are less intelligent.

When I was eight years old I was diagnosed with a severe case of Dyslexia, and I was told I may never be able to properly write and read.

Although I was able to fully understand the lessons at school, I had trouble getting the words down in written assignments. Some of my teachers and classmates would think I was lazy or simply stupid. I sought refuge by spending my afternoons volunteering at a dog kennel with the animals that were my greatest source of joy.

At the age of 15 I decided to take an advanced dog-training course, which required a complex entry exam. This was a turning point for me: For the first time in my life, I set myself a goal: to achieve something I was passionate about. In order to do that I had no choice but to read and write.

The kennel manager became my mentor. He believed in me and pushed me to challenge my way of thinking. Creating mechanisms that helped me cope with the challenge, I broke down every topic into small and simple parts, making it easier to comprehend. I realized that I could visualize and identify patterns, which helped me digest vast amounts of information.

Informed I was one of the top achievers in the exam, I was offered a seat in the course. For the first time I experienced the incredible feeling of success, and a flood of achievements followed. I successfully graduated from high school, completed my military service, pursued an academic degree and kicked off my career in consulting, where I felt I could continue to challenge my own abilities on a daily basis. After achieving 710 in the GMAT exam, I look forward to being successful at Oxford, and in my future career as well.

Although some advancements have been made in changing the public perception of people with learning disorders, many talented, intelligent and creative children get overlooked by the traditional education system. This eventually causes the same people to get passed over later in life. I would like to change this negative perception, which I personally managed to overcome. As education is one of the most effective ways to break the cycle of discrimination that children with learning disorders often face, I think that increasing educators awareness and elimination of some traditional teaching methods will provide them with an opportunity to achieve their potential and shine. I plan to increase awareness for the importance of appropriate curriculums in schools and I will encourage companies to recruit talent based on the advantages that are attributed to certain learning disorders.

Essay 2: Is there anything not covered in the application form which you would like the Admissions committee to know about you? (Maximum 250 words)

I have always been a staunch supporter of women education. I personally believe that without women education, no society can thrive smoothly. Female literacy rate in India is less than 40%, one of the lowest in Asia. Several girls are withdrawn from school each year because of reasons such as financial constraints or the girl attaining a “certain age”.

I have identified one such less privileged girl, Kaniyamma, whose parents are daily wage labours earning below poverty line (less than 2 GBP/day). They barely have the means to support their own livelihood and in such scenario’s educating their girl child is their last priority. Therefore, I have been sponsoring her education and guiding her in all academic matters since last XX years. With my continuous support Kaniyamma Secured an A grade in all her subjects in annual exams last academic year. It gives me immense pleasure to see how my small financial contributions are changing a girl’s future and help bring happiness and a glimmer of hope to their lives.

I also regularly mentor my housemaid’s daughter to help her realise her dream of becoming a Police officer. I have bought her a membership at the local library and taught her to use the internet. Like her I guide several other girls who do not have anyone else in their family to guide them in matters of professional career.

In my pursuit to make a difference to the society, I will continue to do my best in educating girl child in India.

Oxford Said MBA Application Tips

Essay 1: Consider a statistic or trend that shocks you. Why is it important to you and how could it be changed for the better?   (Maximum 500 words)

To understand why Oxford may be asking this question, candidates would do well to listen to Dean Tufano’s commentson the school’s strategy and vision, and learn about the program’s commitment to graduating students who will make a significant impact across regions and sectors. After all, the final part of this prompt is forward-looking and, ideally, an Oxford MBA would prepare you to resolve the issue that you select. Overall, applicants should look for ways that the selected statistic or trend is tied to their candidacy for an MBA.

In terms of the statistic or trend itself, you may open the essay by explaining the context of it as well as how it was personally jarring.  Ideally, this revelatory information has inspired you to action—whether in your community or at work.  Anecdotal evidence from past experiences and accomplishments would demonstrate why an issue is important to you. Finally, strategic insights for a solution at a broader level, or indeed through one’s own career, could round out the essay. This is where the benefits of an Oxford MBA could come in as well.  Perhaps your proposed solution entails interagency communication, or strategic compromises, that the MBA curriculum could teach through specific projects or courses. While the data forms contain fairly detailed questions about the candidate’s immediate post-MBA objectives and plans to accomplish them, this prompt is well suited for some remarks about the applicant’s 10-year plan and the way this objective fits with resolving a shocking statistic or trend.

In sum, there are a wide range of subjects that applicants might introduce in this response. We encourage applicants to consider the elements of their prior experience and potential impact that resonate most closely with what they learn about the Oxford MBA culture, and to strike a balance between these two categories in this response.

Essay 2: Is there anything not covered in the application form which you would like the Admissions committee to know about you? (Maximum 250 words)

While this prompt sounds very similar to the optional essays posed by many MBA programs, this response is actually a required element of the Oxford MBA application. Candidates will therefore want to consider what sort of anecdote or information will add the greatest value to their applications beyond what’s already included in their first essay, CV and data form responses. This could truly be anything: a favorite hobby or community involvement, a challenging work project that was ultimately successful, an aspect of your upbringing that’s had a lasting influence, an international or cross-cultural experience that prompted learning or growth, one’s plans for involvement in the Oxford community — all would be appropriate here. Candidates should consider the balance of content between this response and the first, and aim to highlight something new here that will show the adcom an additional side of their personalities and potential to contribute to the Saïd community. Given the narrow word limit, our sense is that the most effective responses to this question will fully develop a single topic (or introduce 2 examples with a common theme) rather than attempting to cover several disparate items.

That said, because Oxford does not pose an optional essay question, applicants who do have a liability in their candidacy may want to reserve a portion of this response to provide an explanation or point to a mitigating factor. Such candidates should aim to accomplish this as briefly as possible — ideally in 50-100 words — in order to reserve some space in this response for purely positive additional information.

Reapplicant Essay

What improvements have you made in your candidacy since you last applied to the Oxford MBA? (Maximum 250 words)

Given the narrow word limit for this response, reapplicants will want to offer a straightforward account of the specific steps they’ve taken to strengthen their applications since last applying to Oxford. Candidates should aim to be as exhaustive as possible as they cover improved quantitative records, enhanced professional qualifications, efforts to become more familiar with the Oxford MBA program, and other ways they’ve worked to become a stronger applicant this season.