Wharton EMBA Contribution Essay 2

Taking into consideration your background – personal, professional, and/or academic – how do you plan to make specific, meaningful contributions to the Wharton community? Required: 500-word limit.

3 main things to consider:

1. What separates you, in terms of both what you know and who you are/how you show up
2. State not just your strengths/areas of mastery but put them into context of Wharton EMBA program offerings, to make the essay specific and convincing. Network and research. This is a bit like doing market research before a product launch. You are looking for product-market fit.
3. They are also looking at how community-oriented you are. You can take the approach of  “I know this thing; I am so great” vs. “I know this thing; here is how I can leverage it for the benefit of others.” Empathy is being evaluated here.

On #1 – how do you stand out from others with a similar profile?

One way to illustrate this might be to consider my BCG client (full-time applicant) who, unlike most consultants, was not required to be a generalist but instead staffed mostly to energy projects. He stood out from other consultants by having an in-depth understanding of both traditional and renewable energy.
This became a good platform for getting into MIT-Sloan and after paying off his sponsorship to BCG he is now Senior Director for Climate Risk Management at a top 10 bank.
A value proposition consists of two items – desirability and exclusivity. Something is more valuable if it is desirable, and also, if it is rare. This is your competitive advantage, and it’s worthwhile taking time to figure it out.

On #2 – Research the program to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities.

Think about all the touchpoints you would have with WEMBA. The classroom is the most obvious one, and indeed important, but also consider what you would add to small-group workshops like P3, if you could host a valuable career session, or leverage relationships to recruit high-value guest speakers. If you have experience launching products internationally, or leveraging international workforces, how could you enrich the experience of your peers during GMC (Global Modular Courses) or Global Business Week?
One of my WEMBA aspirant clients – visiting sites in the EU right now - was dinged for WEMBA last cycle. Given how international WEMBA is, after reviewing his application, I was a bit shocked he didn’t discuss his international experience in the contribution essay.
I am excited to research and identify how we can leverage his extensive international experience in the classroom, GMCs and GWC to benefit the cohort in his application for this cycle. He has experience partnering with external development teams in Argentina which could have added a lot to the conversation when Global Business Week was in Argentina, focusing on managing in turbulent environments. This is what I mean by product-market fit.

On #3 – “I know this thing; here is how I can leverage it for the benefit of others.”

A client was an expert in HVDC green energy infrastructure. He knew that Hatch and MBB consultants were weak in this area, after working alongside them on projects. We came up with the idea of hosting a workshop aimed at strategy consultants hoping to get staffed on sustainable energy projects. This idea was validated by his interviewer who said, “I was too intimidated to take these technical courses, and this is the exact type of thing that would have given me the confidence to take them.”  Another example of product-market fit.

Brainstorming Considerations

EMBA is a social program, and they want to know if you would be a social value-add. You want to present yourself as well-rounded and multidimensional, someone who can talk about non-work things with your fellow WEMBAs. In sum, interesting.
Think about your areas of mastery, special knowledge, or passions. Consider ways you have contributed in any setting, as long as it holds applicability to WEMBA. Make sure it is additive. The resume, recommendations, and goal essay all speak to your professional life, and this is your one chance to show how you have achieved impact outside of work.

• Network & partnerships – consider how you could leverage your connections to enrich the career outcomes and learning experience for your cohort, such as a guest speaker on a topical issue.
• Mentoring others in some way that shows leadership and pay-in-forward mentality. Like mentoring someone to speak up more and provide their input in meetings.
• Subject matter expertise that might be in-demand or unique. For one admit, we spoke about how he reached out to new startups he found in ProductHunt and gave them critical advice at a critical time, increasing their chances of traction.
• Consider a unique perspective/vantage point you offer, acquired through your experiences.
  Sit with the question for a while. Crowdsource. Talk with people you’ve impacted, know you well, and know you across different settings.