IE Business School MBA Essay Prompts & Writing Guide 2025–2026

This is a genuinely open-ended prompt, and IE wants you to use that freedom strategically. Your CV and application form already lay out your professional history, so the admissions committee isn't looking for a summary of your career timeline. Instead, they're asking you to reveal something essential about who you are as a person and what you value. This might be a core belief that drives your decisions, a formative experience that shaped your worldview, a personal quality that doesn't show up on a resume, or an unconventional passion that adds texture to your profile. Think of this as your chance to answer the question, "Who is the person behind the accomplishments?" In a program as entrepreneurial and global as IE, authenticity is non-negotiable. You should feel like yourself on the page; if your voice here doesn't match how you come across on camera in the Kira assessment later, the admissions committee will notice, and it will raise questions about your sincerity.

IE's core values center on innovation, entrepreneurship, diversity, and humanities. When choosing what to reveal about yourself, consider how your answer connects to at least one of these pillars. If you're telling a story about taking an unconventional risk or approaching a problem creatively, show how that entrepreneurial mindset emerged in your life. If you're discussing an experience that shaped your global perspective or taught you to value people from different backgrounds, that resonates with IE's relentless focus on diversity. If you're reflecting on how you lead with purpose or care about impact, tie it to something concrete and personal. The key is not to force IE's values into your story, but rather to let your authentic story naturally speak to why you belong in that environment. Don't claim you're innovative if you're really a careful executor; don't pretend you're a natural entrepreneur if you haven't demonstrated that. Admissions officers can tell when you're bending yourself to fit, and IE explicitly seeks candidates who stand out precisely because of their unique profile and individuality.

Across the three format options, the essay works best when you select the format that plays to your genuine strengths. If you're a strong writer who loves precision and nuance, go with the 550 to 650 word essay. If you're more confident in person, can command a room with your presence, and want to show your energy and warmth through a video, the 3 minute video submission lets you lean on your charisma and delivery. If you're visually creative or want to combine text with images, design, or multimedia elements, PowerPoint can compress a complex idea into digestible, memorable slides. There's no "best" format for the admissions committee; what matters is that you choose the one where you can be most authentic and most compelling. Whichever format you pick, be precise and avoid unnecessary buildup. You have limited space or time, so every sentence or every second should advance your story. If you're writing the essay, aim for vivid, specific details rather than broad generalizations; if you're filming, rehearse until you feel natural, not robotic, and remember that IE values genuine moments over perfect polish. Avoid gimmicks: don't write in poetry unless poetry is genuinely central to who you are, don't use humor just to stand out, and don't over produce a video in a way that feels staged. IE is looking for the real you, and that authenticity will always outshine a clever trick.