MIT Sloan's MBA Cover Letter
MIT Sloan takes a different approach to the standard MBA essay. The school asks students to write a cover letter; yes, like a job application, complete with an opening salutation and correspondence format.
While it may seem easy to use an essay you’ve written for another school here (like a Career Goals or Leadership essay), MIT’s cover letter format makes it easy for them to notice discrepancies – so don’t try to stick a salutation onto a recycled essay. Treat this like how you would treat any other cover letter, where your goal is to market yourself directly and concisely.
The Question
MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.
Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).
The first part of this prompt may seem like a bit of a word salad, but pay closer attention. MIT Sloan is looking for:
Students who can improve the MBA experience for their peers, both academically and non-academically.
Leaders whose professional achievements show initiative, innovation, and integrity.
Unconventional problem-solvers.
Notice how MIT Sloan doesn’t explicitly ask “Why MBA”, “Why MIT”, or “What are your goals?”. This is deliberate; the AdCom wants you to focus on your achievements. It’s up to you to choose which achievement(s) you want to share with the AdCom. So, choose one that demonstrates the criteria above.
The cover letter’s word limit of 300 words is on the shorter side. It does not include the address and salutation.
Structuring your Cover Letter
1. Introduction
Avoid starting your cover letter with a generic opening like “I am writing to your esteemed institution to apply for a place in the MIT Sloan MBA Class”. It might have worked in junior job applications, but here it would be taking up valuable letter space and, frankly, boring for the AdCom.
Instead, dive right into a story of a meaningful achievement that shows who you are and what you have to offer to the MIT Sloan class.
Example:
“Growing up with parents who ran a small clothing business in Da Nang, Vietnam, I watched as western online retailers overtook the market, causing our revenues to fall. When Amazon entered the market in 2019 and my parents made the gamble to pivot into online retail, their lack of experience in e-commerce and the high cost of hiring a digital transformation consultancy meant that their online business struggled for 3 years before it became stable. That’s why I have worked to disrupt the digital transformation industry in Vietnam throughout my career.”
2. Body
In our experience, the MIT Sloan AdCom evaluate their applicants based on two core requirements:
Demonstrated success
Personal leadership attributes
We recommend limiting yourself to 1-3 significant professional accomplishments that demonstrate these. Don’t try to fit in too many in the tight word limit, or you may risk your letter looking like a laundry list of achievements.
MIT Sloan firmly believes that past success is the best indicator of potential success in the future. That’s why you should pick the most impactful achievements that showcase key leadership qualities that MIT is looking for (we discussed those above). Think innovation (given MIT’s love for people who work on big, complex problems), collaboration, and support for others. That’s why stories about taking initiative, doing something new and unconventional, resolving conflict across stakeholders, mentorship, and teamwork are most attractive to MIT AdCom.
Example:
"While leading a cross-functional team at [Company], I launched a new automation strategy that reduced manual labor by 15% and improved delivery timelines. To do this, I fostered collaboration across departments by holding weekly virtual chat and Q&A sessions and ensuring buy-in from all stakeholders.
Outside of work, I joined Vietnam Youth for Digital Future, leading a team of 3 pro-bono and freelance consultants. Recently, we developed a digital transformation model for a local-language book retailer in Vietnam, which received investment from a local venture capital fund. For me, it was a tangible step towards transforming the retail industry in Vietnam”.
3. Conclusion
While you aren’t asked to discuss specific aspects of the MIT Sloan MBA program or your fit with the school, you may choose to do so if there is a natural link to your examples. Whether it’s the Action Learning Labs, Entrepreneurship Lab, specific course electives, school clubs and student associations, explain how you can use your skill-set and leadership to engage with the school’s community.
Example:
"When I visited MIT Sloan in October 2024, I was encouraged by Yi-en Tuan (MBA’24) to explore the MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy (IDE), where I hope to collaborate on research, publications, and events and broaden my perspective in the Action Learning course on analytics (A-Lab)."
Finally, end with a professional and forward-looking statement that reiterates your values as a leader and future MIT graduate. Good luck!
Struggling to draft an impressive cover letter? Get in touch.
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