Cornell Johnson has a small, close-knit community and an amiable, internationally focused culture with an emphasis on collaboration. The school looks for candidates who will have an impact on the program both as students and after graduation. Leadership, teamwork skills, the ability to analyze problems, and strong interpersonal capabilities are key traits the admissions committee likes to see.
As presented on the Cornell Johnson site, the school seeks applicants who possess the following:
- Outstanding academic credentials and a commitment to academic excellence
- A resume outlining notable professional accomplishments
- Thoughtful essays that communicate [their] fit and potential contributions as a community member
- Competitive standardized test scores (GMAT or GRE)
- The desire to make a positive impact
- The ability to clearly communicate their career goals and the role Johnson will play in the process
Applicants to Johnson’s one- and two-year MBA programs must provide a goals statement and one essay, for which candidates are offered a choice of two topics.
Table of Contents
Goals Statement
Use this short-answer section to succinctly share your short- and long-term goals. If you’re invited to interview, you will have the opportunity to elaborate on your statement further, and you should be prepared to connect your prior experience with your future aspirations.
Goals Statement Prompt: A statement of your goals will begin a conversation that will last throughout the admissions process and guide your steps during the MBA program and experience. To the best of your understanding today, please share your short and long term goals by completing the following sentences and answering the enclosed short answer question (350 words maximum):
Immediately post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].
Targeted Job Role:
Target Job Company:
Industry:
In 5–10 years post-MBA, my goal is to work as a(n) [Role] at [Company] within [Industry].
Targeted Job Role:
Target Job Company:
Industry:
Please share how you plan to utilize the resources available at Johnson, as well as any personal resources to transition to your immediate post-MBA career goal.
The first part of this prompt is straightforward. The admissions committee wants to understand what your short- and long-term goals are and to see that you can articulate a clear plan. Be specific. Keep your responses short and unambiguous.
For the latter portion of the prompt, you want to briefly share with Johnson what is driving your interest in your goals. Give some context for your aspirations so the admissions committee can easily understand why you have decided on the goals you present.
The focus of this prompt is on how an MBA from Johnson will prepare you to reach your goals. Avoid merely citing a laundry list of classes and clubs; really showcase that you have done your research on the school by highlighting resources, internships, and experiences that you will take advantage of to build the skills you need. You won’t arrive on campus as a blank slate; you will bring some foundational skills that you will need to continue developing during your time at Johnson. Think about your professional and academic experiences as well as the communities you belong to. Consider how those might also help you achieve your goals.
Johnson offers candidates a choice of two essay options: the “Impact Essay” and “The Table of Contents Essay.” Pick the one that resonates more with you and that you can support with specific stories and examples.
Essay 1 Option: Impact Essay
At Cornell, our students and alumni share a desire to positively impact the organizations and communities they serve. How do you intend to make a meaningful impact on the Johnson community? (350 words maximum)
This question is forward looking. If you have done a lot of research on the school and have identified specific ways you will enhance the cohort, this might be the topic for you. Johnson seeks candidates who can hit the ground running and make the most of their time on campus. While the prompt asks how you will engage with and affect the community, by choosing your examples wisely, you can tie your goals to your anticipated activities on campus. This essay is your opportunity to demonstrate that you have done your research on the program. The school actively encourages you to reach out to community members, and after you have done so, avoid just offering a long list of the students and alumni you contacted. If you name a particular student or graduate in your essay, be sure to say how they influenced your decision to apply to Johnson and/or what you learned about the program from them. Look for insider tidbits that you could not find on the school’s website or blogs. Think about how you will engage with your peers both inside and outside the classroom, as a student and later as an alum.
Give a very brief overview of how you have had an impact on an organization in the past, with a professional or a community group. As noted, this is a forward-looking essay, but you want to touch on your past experiences to frame them as a springboard for how you plan to have an impact at Cornell Johnson.
Describe ways you intend to engage with the Cornell community, through classes, teams, clubs, and activities. Look for places where you can add value. For example, if you have connections or expertise in a certain professional community, you might offer to host a speaker series through which to share your knowledge. Are you involved in a STEM education program for local high school students? Perhaps you could join or even start a STEM outreach program in Ithaca. Johnson knows you will learn from your peers; the school wants to see that you are willing to add value back into your cohort.
Close with a reiteration of your desire to make a meaningful impact on the Johnson community.
Essay 2 Option: Table of Contents Essay
You are the author of your Life Story. Please create the table of contents for the book in the space provided or upload it as an attachment. We value creativity and authenticity and encourage you to approach this essay with your unique style. Alternative submission formats may include a slide presentation, links to pre-existing media (personal website, digital portfolio, YouTube, etc.), as well as visually enhanced written submissions.
Maximum file size is 5 MB. If you choose to submit a written Table of Contents, please limit your submission to 350 words. Multimedia submissions should be under 3 minutes.
With this essay prompt, Johnson is looking to tap into certain applicants’ creative sides. If you find this prompt intimidating, you might want to choose Option 1, but if this appeals to you, it can be a great way for you to showcase what makes you tick and, based on your trajectory so far, why you would be a good fit for and additive member of the Johnson cohort. Whatever format you chose, think carefully about the story you want to craft. Avoid a laundry list of facts and accomplishments or a string of photos or videos that do not seem to have any connection. Tell a story — your story. Just as an author writes a table of contents to give readers a preview of their narrative and in doing so, a peek at what is to come in their book, your table of contents will give your readers, the admissions committee members, a map or guide to your life and perhaps insight into what is to come in your personal and professional journey (either in writing or multimedia).
There are several ways to consider structuring your table of contents; a time line makes sense for many. If you are writing your table of contents, consider adding in photos or video clips to highlight the themes you are hoping to convey to spice it up a bit.
Chapter I Childhood
While lots of details about your birthplace and upbringing can be interesting and tempting to include, we suggest that you note them briefly; touch on them just to show how they shaped you and were relevant to who you have become as a person. Did you face any hardships as a child? Were you involved in a community organization, or perhaps the band or theater club in middle or high school? How did those experiences shape your choice of college, major, and/or undergraduate activities.
Chapter II College
Why did you choose your major? What clubs, groups, or teams were you a part of, and did you have any leadership experiences? Were there any challenges you had to overcome inside or outside of the classroom? Did your classes, internships, mentors, or professors help shape your career plans? Don’t be afraid to have a little fun and to let your personality come through here.
Chapter III Career and Life After College
The admissions committee will have your resume, so don’t just rehash what you have included there. Maybe you had always dreamed of being an investment banker, and you landed your dream role. Maybe you thought you would work with an engineering firm but volunteered with a food bank in school and pursued a role with a nonprofit instead. Every story has a backstory, so if yours is interesting, highlight it here. Include any challenges or struggles you have had, and don’t forget to cite any surprises and success you have had so far. Include ties to any volunteer and or community work you have done. Did you organize a women’s rugby team? Start an affinity group at work? Are you an avid reader, so you joined the junior board of your local library? You can show yourself in three dimensions here, not just as a working professional. And those three dimensions could be demonstrated via videos or pictures as well.
Chapter IV A Glimpse into the Future
Here, you can showcase your research on Johnson. How will the program help you reach you goals? What will you become involved with while at school, both inside and outside of the classroom? How will you add value to your cohort? Where do you hope your Johnson degree will take you in the short term and down the road in your career.
This can be structured similar to an outline. You want to give enough detail to hook the reader into wanting to know more, but it isn’t necessary to include every detail. Just as an author’s outline shows the theme of their book, this is your story, and your outline should have a theme that runs through it and helps the admissions committee see how your past has shaped your life and dreams for your future.
You can also use this format to think about how to create a multimedia submission. Be sure there is a thread running through your media choices, so the committee gets a sense of who you are and what you aspire to become through an MBA. This shouldn’t be a jarring video that is hard to follow or a random set of slides or videos. Just as you would if you were writing an essay, think about what message you want to send through your still photos, links, or clips.
If you are creative and this prompt intrigues you, give it a try!
Optional Essay (required for reapplicants)
You may use this essay to call attention to items needing clarification and to add additional details to any aspects of your application that do not accurately reflect your potential for success at Johnson (350 words maximum).
If you are reapplying for admission, please use this essay to indicate how you have strengthened your application and candidacy since the last time you applied for admission. Please also review our Application Guide for additional information about reapplying (350 words maximum).
For first-time applicants, this essay is entirely optional. Use this space only if there is something unusual in your candidacy that you want to explain. For example, you might have a low GPA because of an illness or work or family obligations while you were in college. Be factual and brief; do not feel the need to use the entire word count.
Reapplicants, however, must submit an essay for this prompt. Provide very specific examples of how you are a different candidate this year from the one you were when you applied previously. Perhaps you have received a promotion or been staffed on a critical project. Maybe you have taken on a leadership role (formal or informal) at work or in your extracurricular activities. If you have retaken the GMAT/GRE, did your score improve significantly? If your GPA might have been an issue, did you take a quant class such as calculus or statistics to demonstrate your capabilities in the classroom? This is your opportunity to show Johnson how you have grown over the past year(s) and demonstrate that you are currently a strong candidate.
Park Leadership Fellows Program Essay
The Roy H. Park Leadership Fellows Program is a two-year, full-tuition fellowship award for domestic Two-Year MBA candidates who have demonstrated outstanding leadership potential and who are committed to making an impact within their communities. Each year, fellowships are awarded to up to 25 incoming students with the expectation that they will participate in additional leadership and personal development activities outside of our regular curriculum, serve in leadership roles within the school, and complete a public service project by the time they graduate. The Park Fellowship is only available to U.S. citizens applying for the Two-Year MBA program.
Candidates being considered for the Roy H. Park Leadership Fellowship will be notified after their admissions interview with an invitation to join us for one of our virtual Leadership Exploration and Assessment Day (L.E.A.D.) events. Candidates invited to attend a LEAD event will be required to submit a response to the Park Fellows Essay.
Describe a past formal or informal leadership experience and how it informs your goals for growth as a leader. How would the Park Leadership Fellowship assist with these goals? (500 word limit)
Park Leadership Fellows have a strong track record of leadership and community service, so be sure to reflect in your essay on how you have demonstrated these characteristics in your life. Explain how your past leadership experience has set the stage for your future growth as a leader and how Johnson, and the Park Leadership Fellowship specifically, will be key to continuing that growth. The school encourages candidates to reach out to current Park Fellows, and we agree that this is an important part of writing an effective essay here. It is a great way to learn more about the cohort and about the projects these students are engaged in.
Give a brief assessment of a significant leadership experience you have had. Where possible, incorporate key Johnson values, and focus on your commitment to community service and/or socially responsible business. Explain how the experience has influenced your goals. Then, describe how you need to grow as a leader. What skills do you believe you must attain? This is a chance to show self-awareness through introspection.
Use your conversations with current Park Fellows to identify specific projects or teams you might get involved in. How would those activities nurture and strengthen your leadership capabilities? If you have space, highlight classes, clubs, and/or treks that would also help you build your leadership skills. Look beyond core classes and obvious clubs; perhaps think about how you could leverage opportunities throughout the greater Cornell community. Be specific about how each activity you mention would help in your development as a leader.
Close with a reiteration of how being a Park Fellow at the Johnson School would be the best way for you to attain your career goals.
In the Stratus Admissions’ guide How to Get into Cornell Johnson, you will find information on a variety of the MBA program’s offerings, such as the Sage Socials, Immersions, and Johnson Diwali Night.