Essay prompt: The cover letter serves as a sort of executive summary for your application.

It is also
the written equivalent of the first impression which you make when meeting someone for the first
time. As such, it should reflect a great deal of time, thought, and energy. Ideally, we will finish
reading your cover letter eagerly anticipating reading the rest of the application. (500-800 words).

Dear Admissions Committee Members:

It is with the single-minded determination to become a new product development manager in the
supercomputing industry that I am applying for a seat in the MIT Sloan MBA Class of 2003. [This lead
would be too stolid for an essay, but because of MIT's business-letter format it works here] Pursuing
an MBA at this time fits perfectly with my career goals and eventual desire to start my own venture.

Ambition, achievement, and acceleration are common themes in my academic and professional
experiences. I chose the Hamburg Technische Institute (HTI) for undergraduate studies not for its top-
ranked Advanced Computing program, but for its unparalleled emphasis on developing well-rounded
leaders and managers who can take charge in tough situations, readily address any audience on any
topic, and provide effective and efficient solutions for challenging problems. No other college in the
world offers its students such extensive practical summer training; by the time I graduated, I had been a
contributing member of a hot-air balloon team, a Baltic resort design group, a Berlin art museum
renovation technology team, and a DM400 million government supercomputer project. [Responds to
MIT's instructions for a "summary" by telegraphing several key projects that intrigue reader in her
other essays]

I was one of only a select few engineering students to pursue a minor in Arabic, and was among only
4% of my classmates admitted to an early-entrance fast-track graduate program in my third year at
HTI. Now, in considering graduate business programs, I am seeking a rigorous academic curriculum
with parallel opportunities to put theory into practice. In this regard Sloan stands out among the top
MBA programs, setting the standard with programs like the MIT $50K Entrepreneurship Competition
and by providing MBA students with special access to the world-renowned Media Lab.

The leadership and service experiences I had as an HTI honors student and government consultant have
had a tremendous impact on my interests outside of work. Whenever possible, I have committed my
time and energy to my local community whether co-directing an orphanage in Ethiopia, helping the
children of Turkish Gastarbeiter seek job opportunities, or raising funds for the reconstruction of the
Marienkirche in Dresden by participating in cross-country skiing events.

I feel very fortunate to be able to share my most substantial accomplishments with you: [Use of bullets
provides visual relief and allows Ingrid to cover wide-ranging material without seeming to ramble]

- Graduating first in the HTI Supercomputing Department's Scientists Training Program, and later
ranking 1st among 35 peer HTI undergraduate researchers assigned to the Bundes Wirtschaftliche
Agentur (BWA); being personally selected to serve on the BWA Director's East German Integration
Team

- Leading, managing, and motivating 106 scientific and business personnel in four different
organizations responsible for computer design, marketing, commercialization, and supercomputing
project evaluations

- Earning the designation Zeugnis f�r Supercomputing Systeme Bauweise Fachmann (ZSSBF), earned
by fewer than 4,900 high-speed computing professionals and equivalent in the industry to the CPA and
CFA certifications

- Achieving success as a commercial project and account manager for China's largest chemical products
distributor and the world's largest robotics manufacturing company, delivering over DM$15M in
scientific consulting services[Ingrid offsets her letter's somewhat formal tone with several truly
impressive mini-accomplishments]
Considering my rapidly building career momentum and interests, now is the most appropriate time for
me to pursue an MBA and grow my new technology product development skills. Sloan's MBA
curriculum will supplement my engineering background with a solid understanding of marketing,
finance, and technology management. A new product development manager must interface effectively
with different business functions, identify and manage the best design strategies, and quickly make
sound decisions on the basis of often limited information. The New Product and Venture Development
track's focus on innovation will help me to become an adaptive and strategic-minded new product
development manager. The chance for hands-on experience through MIT's Entrepreneurship Lab will
enhance my grasp of the management tools and techniques successfully applied by rapidly growing
ventures. Immediately following my MBA, I intend to assume a position as a technology design
manager at a high-intensity startup where I can lead teams in building innovative, useful, high-quality,
and profitable supercomputers, such as those now offered by Siemens, Cray, and IBM.

Reflecting on the strong relationships I have maintained with my Hamburg Technische Institute
classmates, I welcome the chance to build equally strong bonds with my Sloan classmates, enriching
my classroom experiences by interacting with them on both social and professional levels. Looking
five to 10 years into the future, I would like to start my own venture involving supercomputing
technologies. Being able to tap into the extensive experience of Sloan School alumni and the greater
MIT alumni communities will be a powerful catalyst for my efforts to create a viable business plan,
secure funding, and successfully build a profitable company.

My direct and very recent experience as an early employee of a startup reveals that the road of an
entrepreneur is freshly paved with calculated risks and varying uncertainty. Since experiencing the
German government's rejection of my application for research funding earlier this month, I am
undeterred in my resolve to improve myself as a leader, manager, and supercomputing professional,
and am eagerly awaiting my next opportunity for growth and success. [Takes risk by mentioning a
setback so near end of essay, but preceding paragraphs have shown Ingrid's successes, goals, and
knowledge of MIT's resources to be so strong that her admission only enhances her credibility]

I look forward to the opportunity for a personal interview and would be pleased to answer any
questions you may have regarding my candidacy.

With warm regards,