How to apply for a Master in Management at Kellogg
Tell us your story
Our application process is designed to give us a sense of who you are, what drives you and why Kellogg is the right place for you.
We recommend becoming familiar with what is required for each section of the application. You’ll find information and key resources below to help you prepare, navigate and successfully complete your application.
Preparing to apply
Criteria for admission
In order to be eligible for the Master in Management, applicants must be either a current undergraduate with plans to graduate prior to August 2025 or a recent graduate who will have less than two years of work experience by September 2025. Candidates that graduated prior to January 2023 are not eligible. Those with more than two years of full-time work experience are encouraged to explore our MBA options.
We are looking for well-rounded, high-impact candidates with strong leadership potential who are excited about augmenting their education with core business fundamentals. While the Master in Management is ideal for candidates from STEM, Liberal arts or other non-business backgrounds, we welcome applicants from any background looking to firm up their base of business skillsets prior to launching their careers. We look at all parts of the application process to understand applicants as a whole person and encourage you to share with us as much about you as you wish.
Evaluation and assessment
The committee assesses your:
- Undergraduate academic record
- GMAT/GRE score*
- One-page resume
- Two letters of recommendation
- Two essays
- Video essays
- Interview by invitation
*The GMAT/GRE requirement is waived only for Northwestern University undergraduates and anyone with an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a GPA not on a 4.0 scale must submit a course-by-course evaluation by a NACES-approved service such as WES to qualify. You can learn more about NACES-approved providers here.
Writing your application
The most important thing you can do during this process is to be your authentic self. We can’t stress enough that there are no “right” or “wrong” answers. Rather, we encourage you to tell your story as authentically and honestly as possible, because we truly want to get to know you and the experiences that helped shaped you as a person, student and employee.
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Please submit a one-page resume (PDF) with information about additional professional, academic and/or artistic achievements (optional). These can include student organizations, athletics and work experience.
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Your education is a major part of how you got here today, and we want to make sure we understand all parts of it. We ask that you list all colleges, universities and study abroad programs you have attended or are currently attending.
Transcripts
All records must show your name, name of institution, enrollment dates, courses taken, units of credit, marks or ratings in each subject and rank in the total class or group (if available). Hard copies of official transcripts are only required upon matriculation.
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GMAT/GRE
The GMAT/GRE is a required part of your MiM application. There is no GPA requirement to apply or be admitted to MiM. The GMAT/GRE requirement is waived only for Northwestern University undergraduates and anyone with an undergraduate GPA of 3.4 or higher on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with a GPA not on a 4.0 scale must submit a course-by-course evaluation by a NACES-approved service such as WES to qualify. You can learn more about NACES-approved providers here.
English proficiency
All non-native English speakers will need to show proficiency in English as part of the application process. Any of following criteria will satisfy this requirement:
- You have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree from a college or university in the United States.
- You have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree at a college or university where English was the only language of instruction. In the application, you must provide the exact URL or documentation from your institution that states English was the only language of instruction. If you graduate from an institution that does not explicitly state this, please provide the URL for the homepage of the school’s website.
If none of the above criteria are met, English proficiency will be evaluated throughout the application process and interview in combination with a valid TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English score. The Admissions Committee reserves the right to require a score from any candidate if they deem it necessary to assessing a candidate’s English proficiency.
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We want to get to know you. The written and video essays are your chance to tell us your story and why Kellogg is the right next chapter for you. Take some time to think through the experiences that led you here and how they have shaped where you want to go.
Written essays
The following two essays are required of all applicants:
Question 1 (450 words)
Intentionality is a key aspect of what makes our graduates successful Kellogg leaders. Help us understand your journey by articulating your motivations for pursuing MiM, the specific goals you aim to achieve, and why now is the best time to apply. Moreover, share why you feel Kellogg is best suited to serve as a catalyst for your career aspirations and what you will contribute to our community of lifelong learners during your time here.
Question 2 (450 words)
Kellogg leaders are primed to tackle challenges everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Describe a specific professional or extracurricular experience where you had to make a difficult decision. Reflecting on this experience, identify the values that guided your decision-making process and how it impacted your leadership style.
Video essays
We’ve read your essays, we’ve read your resume — now we want you to bring all that to life in a video. Show us the person behind all those carefully crafted words.
The video will be comprised of three questions, each designed to help you showcase your personality and share some of the experiences that brought you here today.
Some things to keep in mind as you prepare to complete this section:
- Video essays are due 96 hours after the application deadline
- A video essay link will appear on your Application Status page after you submit your application and payment
- You will need an internet-connected computer with a webcam and microphone
- The video should take about 20-25 minutes to complete, which includes time for setup
After submitting your application and payment, you will be able to access the video essay through your Application Status page.
Here are some additional tips:
- There are practice questions that you may complete as many times as you like to get comfortable with the format and technology. We put good practice questions out there so you won’t be nervous. Have fun and do your best
- We encourage you to practice so you are comfortable with the format once it is time to complete the official questions. You will not have an opportunity to re-do the answer to the official video essay questions
- You will have 20 seconds to think about the question and up to one minute to give your response
- You can wear a suit if you want to, but business casual is certainly okay with us too. And really, we will only see your head and shoulders so you can wear a collared shirt and we would never know you were still in your sweatpants
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Letters of recommendation provide insight into your experience and accomplishments as a leader through the eyes of someone else.
You’ll need to submit two letters of recommendation for your application to be considered complete. One recommender must be an academic reference, preferably a professor. The second recommender must be a non-family member who knows you well, such as a current or former boss, internship supervisor, student group advisor, research advisor, coach, etc. Peer references and family friends are not recommended.
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The application fee is $125. You will need to submit your payment via credit card within the application. Do not send payments directly to Kellogg.
Fee waivers are granted to:
- Active duty U.S. military applicants or U.S. military veterans who have been on active duty within three years of applying
- Candidates employed by Teach For America, Title 1 schools, AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps within the past three years
If you qualify for a fee waiver, please upload supporting documentation of your current/past employment or military status at the time of submitting your application to review. Military applicants should submit either a pay stub or letter from a commanding officer to verify active duty status. For military veterans who have completed service within the last three years, please submit a copy of Form DD-214.
Note: Kellogg’s policy is that application fees are non-refundable.
After you submit
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If I don’t get admitted in the round for which I apply, can I reapply in a later round?
All applicants will receive a decision of either admit, deny or waitlist. Students on the waitlist do not need to reapply, although they are welcome to submit any additional information that may enhance their application at any time by emailing us. If a student is denied admission, they may not reapply.
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To gain additional insight into an applicant's academic and professional accomplishments and goals, selected applicants will be invited to interview. Interview invitations will be issued on a rolling basis after the deadline. All interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom.
Application dates and deadlines
Application deadline | Decision released | |
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Round 1 | Oct. 9, 2024 | Dec. 4, 2024 |
Round 2 | Jan. 15, 2025 | March 5, 2025 |
Round 3 | April 9, 2025 | May 14, 2025 |
Round 4 | May 21, 2025 | June 11, 2025 |
*Rounds 3 and 4: Domestic applicants only