Queen’s Smith MBA Sample Essays for 2021-22
Essay 1: Cover Letter: please address the following in your cover letter:
1) Why do you want to pursue an MBA
2) Why you are a good fit for our program
3) Discuss your post-MBA goals and how a Smith MBA will help you achieve those goals
The letter should be approximately one page in length and addressed to the “Admissions Committee”. Please send the completed letter back to me via email.
Queen’s Smith MBA COVER LETTER:
To,
The Admissions Committee
Full-Time MBA Program
Smith School of Business, Queen’s University
Goodes Hall, Room 330
143 Union Street
Kingston ON
K7L 3N6
Dear Ms. Terry,
I am writing this letter to apply for the Smith Full-Time MBA program at Queen’s University. Presently, I am working as a lead Project Management Consultant (PMC) to manage cost and schedule of a $450MM crude treatment project. I have 8.5 years’ experience working in the Oil and Gas industry with major Engineering, Procurement, and construction (EPC) companies and PMP certification helped me excel in this role. Currently, the project is 7% ahead of schedule and well within the budget, an achievement that helped me get the highest possible performance rating in the company.
Post this enriching 8.5 years’ experience; I aspire to grow up to a commercial manager for a top global energy & infrastructure company, and over ten years a vice president/director in similar organizations.
However, so far, my exposure is limited to cost control, project finance, and contractor’s workforce management. To achieve my desired transitions, not only I require a strong base in business fundamentals, but I also need to fulfill gaps in my soft skills for taking leadership roles.
For bridging these gaps, two features of Queen’s MBA excites me the most; first is its holistic approach to coaching, to be an excellent leader one should be a role model in all aspects of life and I think this approach of learning is one of the unique ways to groom a leader. The second feature of Queen’s MBA program, which entices me the most is it’s “Team-Based Learning.” Having worked in a genuinely global Environment, I have already realized the importance of working in a team, and I think this approach will exponentially enhance my learning experience.
If admitted to the Queen’s MBA, I believe, I will bring diversity to the class. Working in global cities- such as Dubai- with people from various nationalities (Middle East, Europe, North America, and South-East Asia), I have experience of working in diverse teams. Being a certified PMP and my current role leading more than 10 members of the contractor has further enhanced my leadership skill set to complete complex and varied projects. Also, since schooling days, I have been an active sports person throughout my life. I was the captain of the university volleyball team and a member of the college cricket team. Currently, I am also a member of an ongoing professional cricket tournament in Dubai. So I will take initiatives to keep students take part in sports activities.
In conclusion, I believe that Queen’s MBA is a perfect fit for me, and I am also going to be a good student for January-21 intake.
With warm regards,
XXXXX
Queen’s Smith MBA SAMPLE 2 Cover Letter
March 20th, 2022
Office of MBA Admissions Committee
The Stephen J.R. Smith School of Business
Goodes Hall, Queen’s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Dear Members of the Admissions Committee:
I am an operation manager at Mahanagar Gas Limited, a leading natural gas utility company in India, and currently hold the position of District In-charge of one of the company’s fifteen districts. On February 13th, 2022, I had the pleasure of interviewing with your alumnus, Roshan Aslam. After speaking to him and conducting extensive research about the program, I was particularly impressed by Smith’s team-based learning methodology and personalized coaching facility. For these reasons, I am highly enthusiastic about the FT MBA program at Smith.
No two days have been the same in my professional career, and I take pride in leading some of the company’s most critical and cross-functional projects. For example, while working as the project manager for the CNG maintenance activities, I created new frameworks for planned maintenance by analyzing historical data. This drastically reduced downtime of CNG gas filling stations by 15%. Furthermore, my career in the demanding gas industry has equipped me with abilities to lead teams during pressure-intensive hazardous situations involving gas leaks and explosions.
My experience has honed my analytical, decision-making and people management skills, and I am ready to take on more significant challenges and make significantly more impact. Therefore, Post-MBA, I aim to broaden my expertise in the energy sector by working for a leading strategy consulting firm such as Kearney, Bain, or BCG. Working on complex business problems will sharpen my conceptualization and problem-solving skills and develop my network in the domain. In the long run, I want to leverage my consulting experience to pivot to a senior leadership position in a strategic capacity at a multinational energy organization.
The Smith MBA program perfectly aligns with my career goals. Courses in Corporate Strategy offered by the excellent Goce Andrevski and Operations Management taught by the brilliant Arcan Nalca will bridge the gaps in my business knowledge. In addition, I highly relate to the team-based learning approach at Smith and look forward to contributing to and learning from my distinguished peers. Working alongside highly diverse and talented teammates on different case studies and simulations will equip me with a holistic perspective on problems and better prepare me for my post-MBA journey. I also hope to identify and improve my weakness and interpersonal skills by working closely with experienced coaches.
To summarize, I can’t think of a more transformative program than the MBA at Smith business school that will help me realize my personal and professional goals. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Thank you for your time and consideration
Sincerely,
XXXXXX