How To Write Sloan’s Pre-Interview Essays

Originally published on November 3, 2022. Most recently updated on October 6, 2026.

Did you submit a Round 1 (2026-2027) application to MIT Sloan’s MBA program? Or perhaps you plan to apply in Round 2? You may have felt surprised. You needed to write so little. Many of Sloan’s peer programs require several 400 to 500-word essays. Sloan requires only one thing, a 300-word ‘cover letter’. Requirements change after the interview, however. For those who are invited for an interview, Sloan requires a 250-word essay. Wondering how to approach it? We’ve got you covered.

MIT Sloan’s Pre-Interview Essay Question

First, here is the prompt for Sloan’s pre-interview essay:

We are interested in learning more about how you use data to make decisions and analyze results. Please select one of the following prompts to respond to:

• Please select an existing data visualization and, in 250 words or less, explain why it matters to you. The data visualization should be uploaded as a PDF. Examples may come from current events, a business analysis, or personal research.
• In 250 words or less, please describe a recent data-driven decision you had to make, and include one slide presenting your analysis. The slide may include a data visualization example and should present data used in a professional context. Your slide must be uploaded as a PDF.

Advice for Writing MIT Sloan’s Pre-Interview Essay

Before we dive into more specific advice, it’s helpful to consider what Sloan is looking to learn about applicants through this phase of the process. According to our resident Sloan guru (and former Sloan adcom), Kristen Lindeman, the intent of the question is quite targeted. She shares that “[This essay] should demonstrate analytical ability and the ability to translate data into impact/recommendations.”

With that guidance in mind, let’s get a little more granular.

The essay can be intimidating for applicants, particularly those who don’t work in heavily quantitative environments. As the prompt indicates, you can either choose to use a data visualization you created for a work project and explain what it shows (in layman’s terms) or use a data visualization you found that shows something you care about. The key is that the data component of the analysis should drive the decision (or change in course) or something that changed your own viewpoint. In addition to explaining the data in an understandable way, tell the adcom why that data matters.

For example, a past client showed data around regional COVID-19 vaccination rates that demonstrated how underrepresented minorities faced lower vaccination rates due to limited supply/healthcare distrust while at the same time being at the highest risk of getting covid due to working high-contact jobs and lacking paid leave. She wanted to work in health care to address these types of equity issues, so the data directly supported her goals.

Another client who worked in investment management showed data that a company presented to her firm seeking funding. At first blush, it showed robust growth trends that the company’s management said would continue. This candidate was skeptical because of some factors not shown in the data and convinced her company not to do the deal. She made the very valid point that when examining data, context is everything.

Further Reading

We hope that gets your mind going as you sit down to write Sloan’s pre-interview essays! As you prepare for your interview, here are a few more articles you may find interesting:

MBA Interview Prep 101 | Vantage Point MBA

MBA Interview Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them | Vantage Point MBA

MBA Interview Prep – How to Plan for the Unexpected | Vantage Point MBA