CEIBS MBA Essay Prompts & Writing Guide 2025–2026

Start by establishing your long-term vision first, then working backward to your short-term goals. Your long-term objective (five to ten years out) should go beyond just the job title or location; articulate the specific impact you want to create, whether that's transforming an industry, solving a particular business problem, or building something meaningful in a specific market. Then clearly describe your immediate post-MBA plans, naming the specific roles and one or two companies you intend to target. This logical flow helps the admissions team see that your trajectory is deliberate and well-reasoned. Make sure your goals connect naturally to CEIBS's unique positioning; if you're planning to work across Asian markets or with Chinese businesses, mention how understanding China's business environment directly supports your ambitions. Avoid generic career paths that could apply to any MBA program, since your goals are a reflection of why CEIBS, specifically, is the right fit for you.

Your past experience is the foundation that shows you already possess relevant skills and demonstrates where your knowledge gaps lie. Briefly walk through your career history to highlight the concrete skills you've developed in areas like strategy, operations, people management, or financial analysis. Then identify the specific skill gaps an MBA would fill; for example, if you've spent your career in operations at a manufacturing company but now want to move into management consulting, acknowledge that you need deeper training in case analysis, business model evaluation, and client engagement. Be honest about what you're missing, because this sets up why CEIBS is the solution. The admissions committee wants to see that you have enough professional foundation to handle an intensive program, but also genuine need for what the MBA will provide.

When you explain how CEIBS will help you achieve your goals, connect specific program offerings to the capabilities you'll need in your target role. For instance, reference required courses like Chinese Economic Reform or China Human Resources Management if your goals involve leading operations or talent management in China or across Asia. Mention the Integrated Consulting Project if you're targeting a consulting career, or discuss how the international exchange partnerships (CEIBS partners with over forty business schools globally) will expand your network for your intended market. Also highlight CEIBS's Career Development Centre, which provides personalized coaching and connects graduates with top recruiters across industries. If you're non-Mandarin speaking and targeting roles in mainland China, explicitly note your intention to take advantage of free Chinese language courses offered on campus. These specific references show you've done real research and understand the program beyond its brand name.

Finally, recognize that Shanghai itself is central to your narrative. CEIBS is located in China's economic epicenter and serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western business practices, which is core to the school's philosophy of ("China Depth, Global Breadth.") If your aspirations involve Asia-Pacific growth, technology innovation, cross-border trade, or any sector influenced by China's market dynamics, emphasize how being on the ground in Shanghai during your MBA will accelerate your learning and build the network you need. Admissions readers respond well to candidates who view the location not as a constraint but as a strategic advantage for their specific goals.

CEIBS values leaders who demonstrate resilience, self-awareness, and the ability to learn and grow from both victories and setbacks. This essay is your chance to show admissions that you embody these qualities in authentic, specific ways. Rather than choosing a generic corporate achievement or a vague failure, pick examples that reveal something meaningful about how you operate under pressure and how you evolve. The admissions team wants to understand not just what you did, but how you reflected on it afterward and what it taught you about yourself as a person and colleague.

For your accomplishment, select something where you took initiative and created tangible value, especially if it involved working across different perspectives or navigating ambiguity (both critical in Shanghai and global business environments). Walk the reader through the context, your specific actions, and the measurable impact. Then explain what made you truly proud beyond the outcome itself: Was it overcoming a limitation you previously thought you had? Was it bringing people with opposing views together? Did it require you to step outside your comfort zone or challenge conventional thinking? CEIBS emphasizes not just individual achievement but also how your success built others up or shifted how a team or organization operates. Use concrete examples and avoid corporate clichés. For the failure section, choose something real and substantive where you misstep or missed the mark, rather than a sanitized "lesson learned" story. What was the actual consequence of your misjudgment or inability, and how did you feel when you realized it? Describe the specific steps you took to recover, improve, or make amends. Then connect this to a genuine shift in how you approach similar situations now. Did it teach you humility? Teach you the value of asking for help? Show you that your initial strategy was flawed and how you adapted your thinking?

Throughout your essay, emphasize how these two experiences shaped your ability to work effectively with others and your overall mindset moving forward. CEIBS is building a global community rooted in collaboration and mutual growth, not competition. They want to see that your pride doesn't translate to arrogance and that your failure hasn't made you defensive or risk-averse. Instead, show that both experiences deepened your capacity for self-awareness, respect for others' expertise, and genuine curiosity about different approaches. Use your word limit strategically: dedicate roughly equal space to each story, leaving room to reflect on what both experiences revealed about your character and how you show up in teams. This reflection is where you demonstrate the maturity and learning mindset CEIBS actively seeks in candidates.

This is truly an optional essay, meaning you should use it strategically only if you have a legitimate clarification to make or additional strength to highlight. Do not simply add it because the space is available, as forcing content risks diluting your overall application narrative. CEIBS reviews your profile holistically, so the admissions committee values judgment and self-awareness in deciding whether to respond at all.

Use this essay if you need to explain something specific that would otherwise raise questions. For example, if you have a notable gap in your work history, a recommender who is not your direct supervisor, an unusual career transition, or a timeline change in your plans, provide brief context here. Keep explanations factual and focused; avoid making excuses or over-justifying. If your academic readiness is unclear (such as weakness in quantitative skills), you might mention relevant coursework or certifications you have recently completed to show you are prepared for CEIBS' rigorous curriculum.

You can also use this space if there is a dimension of your candidacy that is not fully captured elsewhere: a unique perspective shaped by living across multiple cultures, specific research you have done into CEIBS' program that reveals a particular alignment with your goals, or a detail about your values and work style that strengthens the picture. Keep in mind that CEIBS places emphasis on resilience, adaptability, and the ability to thrive in complex business environments, especially those involving China. If you have relevant experience or insight that demonstrates these qualities and genuinely adds new information, it belongs here.

That said, resist the urge to introduce information that overlaps with your other essays or to force additional achievement statements. The admissions team reads your entire application; repetition or unnecessary elaboration will only weaken your candidacy. If your profile is clean and all your strengths have been expressed across the required essays and your resume, leaving the optional space blank is a perfectly acceptable choice.