MBA Letter of Intent Example

What is an MBA letter of intent?

An MBA Letter of Intent (sometimes referred to as a statement of Intent or an LOI) is an admissions essay written in a letter format that is supposed to tell the admissions committee why a candidate has decided to pursue an MBA and why specifically in their institution. To do that, your MBA letter of intent should discuss your goals, motivations, and what you intend to do in order to achieve those goals. 

Not all MBA programs ask for a letter of intent, but it carries a lot of weight for those schools that do request this application component. For example, the University of Alberta business school requires all MBA applicants to submit a statement of intent. On their website, the school compares it to a cover letter and states that the letter of interest serves to make a first impression on the admissions committee. In other words, if you have been asked to submit an LOI, you need to make sure you are writing one that is compelling.

MBA letter of intent vs. MBA statement of purpose

Students often confuse the letter of intent and the MBA statement of purpose, but while these two documents have similarities, they are also quite different. It is important to understand the difference between them if you want to write either of them adequately. This is especially true for applications that require both a statement of purpose and a letter of intent. 

The first way in which they differ is also the most obvious: format. The statement of purpose is an essay, while the MBA letter of intent is a letter addressed to the admissions committee. These two application components also cover suitableness for an MBA program differently. Where a statement of purpose is a general essay focused on your suitability for your chosen MBA program, a letter of intent is more detailed. In your letter of intent, you need to talk about how you intend to make use of or learn from specific program features.

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Furthermore, even though you discuss your past experiences in both application components, the way you do it is different here too. In your statement of purpose, you discuss your experiences and connect those past experiences to your long-term career goals. You need to take things a step further in your letter of intent. The program committee will want to hear about the specific skills that you learned from these experiences. 

How to write an MBA letter of intent – Step by step guide

Now that you know what an MBA letter of intent is, you need to know how to write one that will convince the admission board that you are the right candidate for their program. Written application components like the MBA personal statement, MBA statement of purpose, and letter of intent require time and effort to prepare. That is why we recommend giving yourself at least six to eight weeks to compose a compelling essay. That is enough time for you to thoroughly research the program in question and gather all the information that could be helpful to you before you start to draft, redraft, and finalize your letter of intent.

To maximize your odds of admission to an MBA program, these are the steps that we recommend you follow:

Step 1: Research & brainstorm

For an MBA letter of intent to be effective, it needs to discuss specific details about the school and the MBA program you are applying to. You can't do that if you don't have information. That is why it's important to take the time to research and learn as much as possible about the school in question. Write down everything about the curriculum, the culture, and the overall program that interests you. For example, if you find out that one of the instructors at the university you're applying to has a research project that you would like to be a part of, or if you are researching Wharton business school, and you like that their program is supposed to be very collaborative, then you should write these things down. The aim of this exercise is to keep track of all the things that make this school a great fit for you. 

Keep in mind that you also need to show the admissions committee that you are a good match for their program. So, in addition to writing down the details about the school, you should also think about your grades, background, past experiences, and career goals and how they align with your chosen school's values and goals. 

To help with the brainstorming process, you can ask yourself the following questions: 

• How will an MBA program help me achieve my goals?
• What valuable experiences did I have during my undergraduate/ working years?
• How did those experiences inspire my interest in an MBA program?
• What are some problems in my field/ organization that I want to fix?
• What do I find intriguing about this school and the experience it provides?
• Is there anything particularly appealing to m about this school’s curriculum? The campus of this school? Any professors at this school?
• What resources does this school offer that can help me? 
• Why should they admit me?
•  What values do I have that the school is seeking?

Step 2: Plan/structure your essay

When you have done enough research on the school and answered some of the questions above, you should have enough to talk about in your letter. Now, it's time to organize your thoughts and structure your letter. You can do this by creating an outline and writing down the key points you want to cover in each paragraph of your letter. This will allow you to check that your letter has a good flow and that it will be easy to follow. 

The word count for your MBA letter of intent will depend on the specific school you're applying to. Generally, the limit ranges between 250 to 1000 words. You will need to verify the information provided by the admissions team and tailor your statement as per their requirements. Keep in mind that some schools may also request a specific format or stylistic guideline, so make sure that the structure you are using follows those too.

Unless otherwise stated by the school, your MBA letter of intent should be divided into three sections:

Step 3: Fill in the gaps & write

Once you are satisfied with the outline of your letter, you can start to fill in the gaps and write your actual MBA letter of intent. The exact information you provide in these paragraphs will depend on your reasons for pursuing an MBA and your motivation to attend this school in particular. 

Talk about the experiences that have prepared you for this program and the most significant factors that influenced your decision. While you do not want to get too personal, these paragraphs should be genuine, and your personality should shine through. Use short anecdotes and specific examples to achieve this. It will also have the added benefit of showing instead of just telling the admissions committee about your strengths.

Have you started preparing for your MBA interviews? This video can help: 

Step 4: Proofread and edit

Your first draft will probably not be the one you submit with your MBA application. Like with your other application components, your MBA resume or MBA personal statement, for example, you need to make sure that the letter of intent is free from grammatical errors and typos. It should also be easy to read, concise and compelling. We recommend reaching out to an MBA essay consultant so that they can review your letter and make sure it is up to par. A consultant can help you identify the strengths in your letter and give you the tools to improve on the weaker points in your MBA letter of intent. 

MBA letter of intent example

Dear [University] admissions committee, 

I want to start by thanking you for taking the time to review my application and this additional letter. I'm applying to the [University] MBA/MA International Studies Program because I believe that the rigorous curriculum it offers covers everything that I need to learn about business management and international studies to achieve my career goals. 

I was fortunate enough to be born in a family that values and encourages education. My parents moved from Ghana to the United States when I was seven years old, and one of my earliest memories in my new country was a day trip to DC, where we visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture. It was during that trip that I first started asking questions about history, politics, and how different countries interact with each other. 

Over the years, my interest in political science and international studies has grown. So much so that I pursued a bachelor's degree in the subject. I have become particularly interested in money and technology's impact on politics and international relations. My goal is to learn as much as possible about the management of resources like money, technology, and labor, in today's interconnected world and use that knowledge to help companies and non-profits that are trying to help underdeveloped nations.

I have been working as a project manager for one of those nonprofit companies for just over five years, and I feel that one of my duties is to stay informed and keep up with the newest research and developments in business management, economics, and international relations. That is how I came across the research that Dr. Elaine Thomson from your MBA/MA International relations department is conducting. 

I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Thomson in the past as a teacher's assistant, and I know that she is very passionate about bridging the financial gap between "first world" and "third world" nations. Something that I also care about deeply. So, when I found out that she was exploring the impact of globalization on the international economic order, I was intrigued, and I wanted to learn from her once more. She is one of the many brilliant professors in the department that I hope to have the opportunity to learn from and, one day, maybe even work with again. 

 My experience as a manager for a non-profit company has allowed me to learn a great deal about business management, but I know that there is a lot more that I do not understand yet. I believe that my passion for both of these fields, dedication, and work ethic make me a great fit for your program. Furthermore, my work and research experience, along with my academic background, have prepared me for your curriculum. 

I am not only eager to learn, but ready to do so. I genuinely hope that you will give me the opportunity to do so come September. 

Sincerely, 

James Kweku

Conclusion

Writing an MBA letter of intent is no easy task. You need to give yourself enough time to research the school you are applying to (specifically their MBA program), brainstorm, structure your letter, and then you can start writing and editing until it is polished and ready to submit. If you follow the step-by-step process outlined above, you are well on your way to writing a solid MBA letter of intent. Furthermore, you can always reach out to an MBA admissions consultant for additional assistance.

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Your friends at BeMo

BeMo Academic Consulting

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