How to Get into Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management

1. Kellogg School Program Overview
2. Kellogg School of Management Curriculum
3. Kellogg School of Management Extracurriculars
4. Notable Professors and Classes at Kellogg
5. Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Statistics
6. How to Answer Kellogg’s 2024−2025 Essay Prompts
7. Application Requirements for Northwestern Kellogg
8. Northwestern Kellogg FAQ

Kellogg School Program Overview

The Kellogg School of Management takes pride in its emphasis on teamwork and its student-centered, collaborative culture. The school opened its state-of-the-art flagship building, the Global Hub, in 2017. The Hub is the pride of Kellogg and an architectural gem, featuring a central atrium, a two-story auditorium, and numerous group meeting spaces—which is not surprising given that teamwork is very much at the heart of the Kellogg experience. 

If you’re interested in being part of the Kellogg community, think carefully about how you will fit in. How will you get involved inside and outside the classroom? Kellogg aims to educate, equip, and inspire brave leaders who build strong organizations and wisely leverage the power of markets to create lasting value. How can you demonstrate your ability to live these values? Kellogg’s “high impact, low ego” mentality is evident in the school’s incredibly active and synergetic student body. Dean Francesca Cornelli, who stepped into the position in 2019, quickly found that Kellogg’s culture is so strong that embracing it comes naturally: “The biggest surprise [to me was] how big and distinctive the culture is. … It’s really in the DNA. It’s good that I love the culture because I wouldn’t be able to change it even if I wanted,” Cornelli said in an interview after joining the school.

Kellogg may have a reputation as a marketing school, but its students accept jobs in a plethora of fields each year—in fact, far more students go into consulting (40.7% within the Class of 2023) from a functional standpoint than marketing/sales (6.9%). Technology is, perhaps surprisingly, also quite popular among Kellogg graduates; more than 16.7% of the Class of 2023 went into this industry after graduation. Kellogg students have the choice of several majors and pathways in their studies, with such options as Economics, Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Sustainability: Social Impact and Responsible Leadership available. The school emphasizes customizability in its curriculum and offers more than 1,000 experiential learning opportunities, including lab courses and practicums.

Kellogg’s student-focused approach is evident in the school’s clubs and conferences as well as its Complete Immersion in Management (CIM) Week, a weeklong orientation for incoming students in the fall. Although Kellogg is considered a mid-sized program, with 529 students in the most recent incoming class, its tight-knit culture evokes a more intimate feel than one might imagine. For example, students unwind at weekly TG events hosted on the first floor of the Global Hub on Fridays.

One key phrase you will hear at Kellogg is “growth minded,” and on its website, Kellogg describes its program as a good fit for students who “challenge conventional thinking in the global marketplace.” There’s a huge emphasis on forging real connections at Kellogg, and they last well beyond graduation. 

Our past clients who were accepted into Kellogg have used such words as collaborative, humble, generous, fun, real, and dynamic to describe their classmates.

Are you ready to become a member of the Kellogg community? Although every business school seeks students with a record of past successes, Kellogg is also interested in those who have demonstrated their willingness to take risks and are constantly seeking ways to improve themselves and the environments in which they live and work. Think about experiences in your past that demonstrated how you were willing to step out of your comfort zone and take chances that enabled you to grow, whether professionally, personally, or both. How do you intend to grow by having all of Kellogg’s resources at your disposal?

Kellogg School of Management Curriculum

The full-time MBA curriculum at Kellogg features nine required core courses, including “Marketing Management,” “Leadership in Organizations,” and “Business Strategy.”

“Some of my favorite classes include the core strategy class with Professor Craig Garthwaite—the class includes interesting frameworks, readings, and class discussion,” a Kellogg student and former Stratus client told us.

The rest of the curriculum is highly customizable—students can choose one of seven majors or can decide not to specialize at all and have a general management major noted on their transcript. They can also choose as many “pathways” as they would like from the following list to take advantage of a deeper dive into topics of interest:

• AI and Analytics
• Asset Management
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Entrepreneurship
• Growth and Scaling
• Healthcare at Kellogg
• Real Estate
• Sustainability: Climate, Environment, and Energy
• Sustainability: Social Impact and Responsible Leadership
• Technology Management
• Private Equity and Venture Capital

Kellogg is on the quarter system, so students can take more electives than in programs on a traditional semester system. Students also can obtain waivers for courses where they demonstrate mastery of the material, which allows them to take a more advanced elective in that area. Another Kellogg student and former Stratus client said, “My favorite elective courses have included ‘Managerial Leadership’ with Professor Harry Kraemer (impressive guest speakers, wonderful class for personal development and reflection) and ‘Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets’ (great class for people with experience in or curiosity about emerging markets).” Another student told us, “My favorite class so far has been ‘Business Law,’ surprisingly. The professor used to be a senior partner at Winston & Strawn, and he is so funny and all of his stories and teachings are very relevant.”

Kellogg School of Management Extracurriculars

Kellogg students are active, as seen in the number of clubs and the range of activities available. Students play a big role in shaping the activities of the school. Roughly 85% of incoming Kellogg students participate in one of the more than 30 available Kellogg Worldwide Experiences and Service Trips (KWEST) that help students bond and explore new locations such as Malaysia, Japan, Iceland, Italy, Alaska, and Hawaii even before classes begin. As students arrive, they are immersed in the CIM (Complete Immersion in Management) program, where they learn about Kellogg’s culture and activities.

There is a club for everyone, and if students can’t find one of interest, they are encouraged to start one. Career clubs such as Consulting, Investment Banking & Capital Markets, and Marketing are very popular, but there are also many others in demand including the very active Kellogg Women’s Business Association. As for social clubs, Brew ‘n Q is dedicated to all things beer and BBQ and has more than 600 members. The Cork & Screw club meets to learn about wines of the world. There are also many annual conferences and events to get involved in, including the Business of Healthcare Conference, and the Private Equity & Venture Capital Conference.

The Kellogg Ski Trip, hosted by the Kellogg Ski Club, is an annual tradition dating back to 1993 that brings more than 1,000 students together each winter break. Students can take part in such activities as dogsledding, snow tubing, snowshoeing, parties, restaurant tours, and, of course, skiing! The December 2023 Kellogg Ski Trip took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

The Kellogg Tech Club hosts the annual Kellogg Tech Conference, which is one of the largest student-led conferences on campus and attracts more than 400 participants annually. The latest conference was hosted in February 2024 with the theme “Techtonic Shifts: Fueling Resilient Innovation in a Rapidly Evolving World” and featured such speakers as the vice president of product at Adobe and the vice president of innovation at Cypress Living.

Notable Professors and Classes at Kellogg

Jim Lecinski

Professor Lecinski joined Kellogg following a 30-year career in marketing, including 12 years at Google. He is perhaps best known for his book Winning the Zero Moment of Truth: ZMOT (Google Books, 2011), which the Kellogg website claims has been read by more than 300,000 marketing professionals. Lecinski has received the Sidney J. Levy Teaching Award and the L.G. Lavengood Outstanding Professor of the Year Award. His courses at Kellogg include “Marketing Strategy for Growth and Defense” and “Omnichannel Experience Strategy.”

Shana Carroll

Shana Carroll holds multiple appointments at Kellogg; she is a clinical professor of management and organizations, the associate chair of the Management and Organizations Department, and a co-director of the Leadership Development and Communications Program. When Professor Carroll first joined Kellogg, she served as chief of staff. She has received numerous awards during her time at Kellogg, most recently in 2020–2021, when she was given the Sidney J. Levy Teaching Award. Her courses at Kellogg include “Personal Leadership Insights,” in which students work in teams to improve their leadership skills under the observation of the faculty leader, and “Strategic Communication for Organizations,” which combines lectures, exercises, and discussions to teach students to be more effective communicators.

Luis Rayo

Luis Rayo is the Erwin P. Nemmers Professor of Strategy at Kellogg, where he formerly also served as the chair of the Strategy Department. Professor Rayo received the Ned Smith Research Mentorship Award at Kellogg in 2021. He teaches the course “Strategy and Organization,” which explores the relationship between organizational structure and strategy using microeconomic tools. Prior to joining the faculty at Kellogg, Professor Rayo held appointments at such schools as the London School of Economics, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

Asset Management Practicum

The “Asset Management Practicum” course is part of a sequence of courses in which students help manage a portion of Kellogg’s endowment. During the 2024–2025 academic year, the five portfolios that make up the practicum are worth approximately $19.5M. Students oversee performance evaluation, trading, individual investments, and asset allocation decisions. The course also regularly welcomes guest speakers, who in the past have included the chief investment officer of HF Capital, the president and CEO of Gulf Shore Private Capital, and the owner and managing director of Mandel Money Management. 

The Rookie General Manager

This half-credit course is intended for second-year students who are hoping to make a career switch after graduation and become general managers for the first time. The course addresses such common problem areas as operations, marketing, finance, and team building by having students implement a plan. Students explore domestic and international case studies to identify the issues that new general managers typically face in their positions.

Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets

One of the most globally oriented elective courses at Kellogg, “Strategic Challenges in Emerging Markets” introduces students to such markets as Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Using political science research, business strategies, and the latest economics, the course identifies the possible issues and risks involved in these regions. The goal of the course is for students to emerge with the toolkits and frameworks needed to navigate emerging markets successfully.

Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management Statistics

Class Profile (Class of 2025)

Class Size: 529
Average Work Experience: 5 years
Average Undergraduate GPA: 3.7
GPA Range: 2.8–4.0
Average GMAT Score: 731
GMAT Range: 620–780
Median GRE Verbal Score: 163
GRE Verbal Score Range: 148–170
Median GRE Quant Score: 163
GRE Quant Score Range: 146–170
Women: 48%
U.S. Students of Color: 42%
International Citizenship: 39%
First Generation College Students: 13%
LGBTQ+: 9%

Career Placement (Industries, Class of 2023)

• Consulting: 41.9%
• Financial Services: 22.0%
  • Private Equity: 9.8%
  • Investment Banking/Brokerage: 7.7%
  • Venture Capital: 1.3%
  • Diversified Financial Services: 1.1%
  • Investment Management: 0.8%
  • General Financial: 0.6%
  • Commercial Banking: 0.3%
  • Hedge Funds: 0.3%
  • Insurance: 0.3%
• Technology: 16.7%
  • Internet Services/E-Commerce: 5.3%
  • Software: 4%
  • General Technology: 3.5%
  • FinTech: 2.1%
  • Equipment/Hardware/Networking: 1.1%
  • HealthTech: 0.8%
• Consumer Packaged Goods: 6.9%
  • Food and Beverage: 3.2%
  • Household/Personal: 1.9%
  • Apparel/Textiles: 1.6%
  • Other Consumer Products: 0.3%
• Healthcare: 3.2%
  • General Healthcare: 0.8%
  • Pharmaceutical Other: 0.8%
  • Pharmaceutical Manufacturers: 0.5%
  • Providers and Services: 0.5%
  • Biotechnology: 0.3%
  • Medical Devices: 0.3%
• Manufacturing: 2.4%
• Retail: 2.1%
• Nonprofit: 1.1%
• Real Estate: 1.1%
• Energy: 0.8%
• Media/Entertainment: 0.8%
• Other (Includes Agribusiness and Engineering Services): 0.8%
• Hospitality: 0.3%

Geographic Placement (Class of 2023)

• United States: 94.1%
  • Midwest: 32.0%
    • Chicago Metro: 28.7%
    • Other Midwest: 1.7%
    • Minneapolis Metro: 1.1%
    • Detroit Metro: 0.6%
  • Northeast: 24.4%
    • New York City Metro: 20.2%
    • Other Northeast: 2.5%
    • Boston Metro: 1.7%
  • West: 22.8%
    • San Francisco Bay Metro: 12.9%
    • Seattle Metro: 3.9%
    • Other West: 3.1%
    • Los Angeles Metro: 2.8%
  • Southwest: 7.0%
    • Denver Metro: 2.5%
    • Dallas Metro: 1.7%
    • Other Southwest: 1.7%
    • Houston Metro: 1.1%
  • Mid-Atlantic: 3.9%
    • Washington D.C. Metro: 2.3%
    • Other Mid-Atlantic: 1.7%
  • South: 3.9%
    • Other South: 2.5%
    • Atlanta Metro: 1.4%
• Outside the United States: 5.9%
  • Asia: 3.4%
  • North America (non-U.S.): 1.1%
  • Central America and the Caribbean: 0.6%
  • South America: 0.6%
  • Middle East and North Africa: 0.3%

How to Answer Kellogg’s 2024−2025 Essay Prompts

This is the year of the MBA application essay revamp, with many top programs changing their essay prompts. Kellogg has jumped in with both feet, as this year marks the most significant changes in Kellogg’s admissions essay questions in recent history. A new Essay 1 question highlights intentionality and asks applicants to share their goals, and Essay 2 retains some elements of Kellogg’s prior Essay 1 about leadership and prior Essay 2 about values. 

Kellogg Application Question 1 (450 words)

• Intentionality is a key aspect of what makes our graduates successful Kellogg leaders. Help us understand your journey by articulating your motivations for pursuing an MBA, the specific goals you aim to achieve, and why you believe now is the right moment. Moreover, share why you feel Kellogg is best suited to serve as a catalyst for your career aspirations and what you will contribute to our community of lifelong learners during your time here.

Kellogg Application Question 2 (450 words)

• Kellogg leaders are primed to tackle challenges everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Describe a specific professional experience where you had to make a difficult decision. Reflecting on this experience, identify the values that guided your decision-making process and how it impacted your leadership style.

Click here to read our advice on Kellogg School of Management’s essay questions.

Application Requirements for Northwestern Kellogg

Bachelor’s degree and transcripts

Kellogg requires all applicants to have completed a four-year bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent if the applicant graduated outside of the United States) and to provide unofficial academic transcripts with their application. If the applicant is admitted, they are expected to provide official academic transcripts.

Resume

All Kellogg applicants must submit a resume with their application. “[The resume] should be similar to one you would use for a job application, but tailored to a more general audience as it will be reviewed by those with different backgrounds,” the Kellogg website reads.

Recommendations

Kellogg requires two recommendation letters from each applicant. In business school applications, obtaining a recommendation from a direct supervisor or a manager is usually the best option. If you do not have a current direct supervisor or manager, consider past supervisors, colleagues, or clients, based on your work situation. Family members, friends, or professors are typically not suitable recommenders. “Ideally, one letter should come from a current supervisor or manager. The second should come from someone who can evaluate your professional performance and your managerial/leadership potential (e.g., former supervisor, previous employer, client),” the school says on its website.

Test scores

Kellogg accepts the GMAT and the GRE to fulfill the test score requirement. All applicants must provide a test score, although the school does not have a stipulated minimum score. For the Class of 2025, the average GMAT score was 731, and the median GRE Verbal and Quant scores were both 163, respectively. International applicants are also required to provide a TOEFL or IELTS score.

Anything else?

An interview and two written essays are also required of Kellogg applicants, and the school offers applicants the option to answer three video essay questions as well. Although Kellogg seeks to interview as many applicants as possible, due to high demand, some may receive an interview waiver. All interviews are hosted virtually. These are some of the questions that are commonly asked during Kellogg interviews:

• Take me through your resume.
• What was your biggest take-away from your undergraduate experience?
• What are your short-term and long-term career goals and how does an MBA fit in with them?
• Why do you want an MBA?
• Why Kellogg?

Northwestern Kellogg FAQ

What is Kellogg best known for?

Kellogg is likely best known for its marketing program, which features research centers, award-winning professors (including marketing legend Philip Kotler, now professor emeritus), and a comprehensive curriculum. Kellogg carries the prestige of Northwestern University and is one of the oldest business schools in the world.

How much does tuition cost?

Estimated tuition for the Kellogg full-time MBA program is $125,191 for single students for the 2023–2024 academic year. This includes program charges for two terms, room and board, health insurance, and such additional fees as travel and books and supplies.

How difficult is it to get accepted into Kellogg?

As is the case with all top-ranked business schools, Kellogg has a competitive acceptance rate—in 2023, the school received 4,316 applications and admitted 1,439 applicants. This means that approximately 33.3% of applicants received an invitation to join the program. Out of the 1,439 applicants who were admitted, 529 decided to enroll.

Kellogg is best known for its strengths in marketing. However, do not let a school’s reputation steer you elsewhere if it doesn’t seem like a perfect match right away! Visiting campus and speaking with alumni and current students can give you a better idea of whether a school is right for you.

Are you considering applying to Kellogg? Whether you are looking for comprehensive MBA admissions consulting, hourly help, or perhaps interview prep, we at Stratus Admissions Counseling can help you! Sign up for a free consultation today!