How to Write a Standout Deferred MBA Essay

With only a few internships and campus roles to draw on, many deferred applicants try to prove impact the way a seasoned professional would, and the essay ends up reading like a padded résumé. The stronger approach is usually smaller: one honest story that shows how you think, what drives you, and why your next few years of work are pointed somewhere. Ben and Allie will talk through how to find that material and shape it into a draft that holds up. Ben brings a professional writer’s eye from a background in speechwriting and editing, while Allie reads applicants from the other side as an alumni interviewer for Penn. Together they offer two complementary takes on what makes a deferred essay feel genuine rather than rehearsed.