The MIT Sloan MBA application requires a 300-word cover letter, two video questions, and an organizational chart. 

Success in the MIT Sloan application requires authenticity, intention, and alignment with Sloan’s mission and values. The admissions committee is looking for candidates who take initiative, collaborate generously, and bring a unique perspective to the classroom and community. They want to see who you are, not just what you’ve done.

At its heart, the MIT Sloan MBA program is about developing principled, innovative leaders who will have a positive impact on the world. As you prepare your application, reflect on how your experiences and mindset connect to that ethos.

How to Write the MIT Sloan Cover Letter

The cover letter prompt is as follows:

MIT Sloan seeks students whose personal characteristics demonstrate that they will make the most of the incredible opportunities at MIT, both academic and non-academic. We are on a quest to find those whose presence will enhance the experience of other students. 

We seek thoughtful leaders with exceptional intellectual abilities and the drive and determination to put their stamp on the world. We welcome people who are independent, authentic, and fearlessly creative — true doers. We want people who can redefine solutions to conventional problems, and strive to preempt unconventional dilemmas with cutting-edge ideas. We demand integrity and respect passion.

Taking the above into consideration, please submit a cover letter seeking a place in the MIT Sloan MBA program. Your letter should conform to a standard business correspondence, include one or more professional examples that illustrate why you meet the desired criteria above, and be addressed to the Admissions Committee (300 words or fewer, excluding address and salutation).

The MIT Sloan cover letter is a concise format with a clear purpose: to spotlight the mindset and motivation behind your achievements. Sloan is looking for independent, authentic, and fearless problem-solvers – people who take initiative, innovate with integrity, and collaborate to make things better. They’re not interested in platitudes or recycled content. They want specifics. Here are our key tips:

• Show, don’t tell. Use one or two focused examples – ideally from the last 2–3 years – that reflect your values in action. Think initiatives you led, challenges you navigated, or unconventional ideas you put into practice.
• Connect your story to Sloan’s mission. While this isn’t a traditional “Why MIT?” essay, it’s still important to convey how Sloan’s hands-on, community-driven environment aligns with your goals – and how you’ll add value to your classmates’ experience.
• Be crisp, confident, and purposeful. Avoid generic praise about the program or regurgitating content from the website. Instead, aim for a sharp, professional tone that mirrors what you’d write in a job application for a dream role.
• Write with clarity, energy, and intention. Focus on what makes you a standout fit. Think of it as applying for your dream opportunity – a rare chance to show what drives you, what you’ve done, and what kind of impact you’re ready to make next.

Think of the cover letter as your elevator pitch: grounded in experience, shaped by intention, and pointing clearly toward your future impact.

Key Takeaways for Your MIT Sloan Cover Letter

• Choose 1–2 recent examples that reflect Sloan values: action, integrity, innovation, collaboration.
• Keep your focus on what you’ll contribute to the Sloan community.
• Be authentic, concise, and specific – and let your drive shine through.

Tips for MIT Sloan Video Question 1

Prompt: “Every applicant has a story that can’t be captured in a resume. Take up to 90 seconds to share yours – who you are, where you come from, and what’s shaped the person you are today. Be conversational, be yourself. We can’t wait to meet you!”

Videos should adhere to the following guidelines:

• No more than 90 seconds in length
• Single take (no editing) 
• Speaking directly to the camera
• Do not include background music or subtitles
• Speak authentically to the camera – in your own words, as if talking to a friend. Avoid reading from a script or pre-written response.

MIT Sloan’s video prompt has shifted. Earlier iterations invited you to introduce yourself to future classmates. The 2026-27 version asks for something more personal: the story a resume can’t hold. Who you are, where you come from, and what shaped you.

The admissions committee has already read your resume and cover letter. The video is where they want to meet the human being behind the credentials.

Choose one thread

Ninety seconds is roughly 200 to 230 spoken words. Enough for one story told well, far too little for a highlights reel.

Ask yourself what someone would need to know about your background to understand why you make the choices you make. A family business that taught you how risk feels. A move between countries at fourteen. A night shift, a coach, a failure you still think about.

The moments worth choosing are often smaller than applicants expect. Maybe you’re the only one in your family who can get a grandparent to talk about their health. Maybe neighbors count on your smile to lift the day. Something modest and genuine can often leave a more memorable impression than something grand that is designed to impress. Take a risk. The prompt asks what shaped you, which is an invitation to be somewhat vulnerable. 

Here’s our suggested framework:

• Open with the moment or place (15-20 seconds). Put the viewer somewhere concrete.
• Develop the story (40-45 seconds). What happened, what it demanded of you, what you noticed.
• Land the connection (20-25 seconds). How it shaped your values, your perspective or the way you approach problems.

On being conversational

Sloan’s instructions are explicit: single take, no editing, no subtitles, no script. Rehearsed delivery is very easy to spot: memorized cadence, eyes drifting to a second screen or notes, the formal register people slip into when reciting. So practice the story, but resist the temptation to memorize. Say it aloud five or six times until it’s familiar, then record without notes. Don’t worry about small stumbles; that will do less damage than a robotic performance.

• Record somewhere quiet and well lit. A plain background works, though if there’s a space that reflects something about you, use it, as long as the sound and light hold up.
• Look at the lens, not your own image on screen, with the camera at eye level.
• Imagine you are speaking to a real human rather than a machine, and smile.

Keep in mind that this video is uploaded, not recorded live. That distinguishes it from Sloan’s second video question, which appears once the rest of your application is complete and gives you five seconds to prepare a randomly generated, open-ended question before recording a 60-second answer. There you get one attempt. Here you can record, watch it back, and submit the take you’re happiest with. The single-take rule still applies within each recording, so whatever you submit has to run start to finish without edits.

Key Takeaways for the MIT Sloan Video Question 1

• Pick one story rather than delivering a highlights reel. Ninety seconds holds roughly 200 words, so choose a single formative thread and follow it through.
• Modest, concrete moments land better than impressive summaries, and they’re exactly what a resume can’t capture.
• Practice but don’t memorize. Sloan requires a single take with no edits, and rehearsed delivery is easy to spot.
• Speak clearly to the camera in a quiet, well-lit space, and let your personality come through.

Tips for MIT Sloan Video Question 2

The second required video in the MIT Sloan MBA application works differently. It appears as a page in the application once your other materials are complete, and it delivers a randomly generated, open-ended question. You get five seconds to prepare and 60 seconds to answer, in one attempt. No re-records, no take you get to choose.

Sloan states that no prior preparation is required, and publishes sample questions to show the kind of thing to expect:

• What achievement are you most proud of and why?
• Tell us about a time a classmate or colleague wasn’t contributing to a group project. What did you do?

These are familiar behavioral questions. What you can’t anticipate is which one you’ll get, so the preparation worth doing is about handling the moment rather than preparing answers. A few things help:

• Use the five seconds to pick a direction. Choose one example and commit. Don’t try to use that time to compose a full answer.
• Have three or four stories in mind that you can draw on for different questions. A moment of leadership, a setback, a difficult team dynamic, something you care about outside work. Many open-ended questions can be answered honestly through one of them.
• Structure simply. All you have time for is a sentence or two to set the context, then make your point. You could wrap up with a brief reflection.
• Let the pauses happen. Taking a moment here and there to think is fine. The admissions committee is watching how you handle a live, unscripted moment, to get a sense for how you’ll react in the MBA classroom.

Since this question appears only after the rest of your application is complete, set aside time for it when you are feeling fresh rather than clicking through at the end of a long day.

For broader guidance on preparing for MBA video essays across schools, see our MBA video essay tips.

More Key Tips for the MIT Sloan Application

In addition to the cover letter and video, Sloan’s application includes the following unique elements that deserve special attention:

• The Organizational Chart: This distinctive requirement allows you to visually convey where you sit within your organization, providing quick context around your title, responsibilities, and reporting relationships. For detailed guidance on how to approach this, check out our article MIT Sloan Org Chart: How to Tackle It, featuring expert insights from Fortuna’s Heidi Hillis.
• The Pre-Interview Questions: If you’re invited to interview, you’ll be asked to complete a set of written responses in advance. These questions offer another opportunity to reflect on your impact, goals, and fit with Sloan. For advice on how to approach them, see our guide: How to Tackle the MIT Sloan Pre-Interview Questions.

Each piece of the application is intentional;  use them to build a multidimensional picture of who you are and how you’ll contribute to Sloan’s dynamic community.

Final Thoughts

A central theme across the entire application is that MIT Sloan values individuality, so in your responses, don’t be afraid to be authentically you.  Your deployment of illustrative examples across the cover letter, videos, and pre-interview reflection is vital.  Muster your authenticity and courage to show them you already have developed this capacity – and then make it clear where you hope to let it shine at MIT. 

Let’s Get You Into MIT Sloan

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA admissions decision-makers from top schools. We know what it takes to stand out because we’ve made the admit decisions ourselves. Whether you need help refining your story, strengthening your essays, or navigating interviews, we’ve got you covered.

Our free consultations are consistently rated the best in the industry – and they’re a great way to get personalized advice and honest feedback on your profile. Book your free session with us today.