Rotman MBA Application: Strategies & Tips for 2025–2026

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Rotman School of Management has simplified its MBA written requirements. Instead of a traditional essay, applicants now complete two timed written assessments and an optional short essay. These components test your critical thinking, clarity of communication, and creativity under real conditions – a reflection of Rotman’s belief that how you think matters as much as what you’ve achieved.

Rotman wants evidence of how you think, adapt, and respond when you can’t over-edit or rehearse your ideas.

Together with your video interview, the written tasks help the admissions team assess your ability to think on your feet, organize ideas, and express authentic motivation – core qualities of future business leaders. Keep reading for practical tips, sample approaches, and expert insights from Fortuna’s coaching team on how to excel across each part of the Rotman process.

What Rotman Admissions Looks For

Rotman’s admissions process is intentionally dynamic. Rather than relying on static essays, the school’s written and video assessments are designed to reveal the “real candidate” – intellect, mindset, and motivation. The admissions team is evaluating whether you can:

Think critically and communicate clearly under pressure
Show curiosity and creativity in your problem-solving
Articulate your goals and values with authenticity
Fit Rotman’s culture of collaboration

The 2025–2026 Rotman MBA Essay Questions

This year’s application includes two key written components:

Timed Written Assessments (Two Questions, 10 Minutes Each)
Instructions from the school are as follows:

Two (2) timed written questions. Applicants will have 10 minutes in length to answer each question. Applicants will receive the link to complete the timed written assessments after submitting their online application form, within 1-2 business days.

Through the timed written assessment, you will have the opportunity to tell us more about yourself and your motivations for the MBA. Questions may cover topics and themes including: your short and long-term professional goals, and specific instances in your career as they relate to teamwork, leadership, resiliency, innovation, and conflict resolution.

Your written, professional communication skills in English will also be assessed through this exercise, so make sure to pay attention to your grammar and organization of thought.

Optional Essay (150–200 words)
Prompt: “Is there anything that you think the Admissions Committee should know that you feel has not been covered by the rest of this application? You are not obligated to answer this question.”

Understanding the Rotman Timed Written Assessments

Why does Rotman favor this unconventional format? The timed written assessments mirror Rotman’s classroom environment, where students must think critically, synthesize ideas, and express them clearly in real time. The timed, live written assessment allows the admissions team to see your thinking process in action. You should seek to demonstrate the following:

Analytical ability – Can you organize your thoughts quickly and coherently?
Critical thinking – Do you demonstrate judgment, perspective, and depth?
Communication skills – Are your responses clear, structured, and engaging?
Creativity and originality – Do you approach problems with insight or fresh ideas?

Common Question Themes & Sample Rotman Written Assessment Questions

Motivation & Goals

Why is this the right time for you to pursue an MBA, and how will the Rotman program help you achieve your short- and long-term goals?
What skills or perspectives do you hope to gain from the Rotman MBA that will help you reach your professional ambitions?
How does the Rotman MBA fit into your overall career plan?

Teamwork & Collaboration

Describe a time when you worked with a diverse team to achieve a common goal. What was your contribution, and what did you learn from the experience?
Tell us about a situation where you faced conflict within a team. How did you approach it and what was the outcome?

Leadership & Resilience

Share an example of a time when you demonstrated leadership under challenging circumstances.
Describe a situation when you faced a setback or failure. How did you respond, and what did you learn about yourself?
Tell us about a time when you had to adapt quickly to change. What did the experience teach you?

Innovation & Problem-Solving

Describe an instance where you introduced an innovative idea or approach that made a difference.
What’s a time when you found a creative solution to a difficult problem?

How to Structure Your Written Assessment Responses

You’ll have roughly 250–300 words per question (depending on typing speed), so a simple structure helps you stay clear and concise. Behavioral questions are a business school favorite; they ask you to draw on real examples from your past to illustrate specific skills or qualities, such as leadership, teamwork, resilience, or problem-solving. These questions often begin with prompts like “Tell me about a time when…” or “Give an example of how you…”, and they’re designed to reveal how you think, act, and reflect in real-world situations.

Recommended Framework for Tackling Behavioral Questions:
1. Situation – A brief introduction to the context (“During a product launch at my firm, our team faced…”).
2. Action – What you did and why (“I proposed a rapid feedback system…”).
3. Result – The outcome or takeaway (“It improved efficiency by 30% and taught me…”).
4. Reflection – Tie it to your personal growth or leadership insight.

How to Prepare Effectively

The best way to prepare for Rotman’s timed written assessments is to simulate real conditions. Practice writing concise, thoughtful responses under time limits – just as you’ll be required to do in the actual test.

Practical preparation tips:

Practice timed writing. Choose a leadership or business-themed question and give yourself 10 minutes to respond – no Googling, no editing after the 10 minutes has expired. Repeat with more sample questions to get comfortable with the format and time constraints.
Focus on clarity. Admissions officers are evaluating your ability to organize ideas and communicate them clearly.
Read for flow. After finishing, review your response: does it follow a logical structure?
Don’t panic about imperfection. One or two typos won’t hurt you; the school understands that this exercise does not give you the opportunity to deliver a high polished essay and even successful candidates rarely manage to deliver a 100% perfect response.
Get feedback. An experienced admissions coach can help you identify patterns in your writing – such as unclear reasoning, weak transitions, or overlong introductions – and show you how to sharpen your structure and voice under pressure. Practicing with expert feedback builds confidence and ensures your spontaneous responses still reflect the clarity, authenticity, and analytical thinking that Rotman is looking for.

For tailored one-on-one support, explore Fortuna’s hourly coaching services.

How to Approach the Optional Essay

The short optional essay is more valuable than it may seem. While it’s technically not required, most candidates can use this space to add color, context, or depth to their profile. Think of it as a final opportunity to help the admissions committee see you as a three-dimensional person, not just a resume.

Use this space to round out your story or highlight an element of your identity, experience, or motivation that doesn’t fit neatly elsewhere in the application. At just 150–200 words, the essay should be focused, personal, and reflective rather than repetitive.

Smart Uses for the Optional Essay:

Add dimension. Share an aspect of your background, value system, or worldview that hasn’t yet come through – perhaps a formative experience, passion project, or personal philosophy that shapes how you lead and collaborate.
Provide context. Clarify anything that might otherwise raise a question, such as an employment gap, unusual career path, or academic concerns.
Show motivation. Illustrate the “why” behind your choices – what drives your ambitions or motivates you to join the Rotman community.

If every part of your story is already well represented, you can leave it blank. But in most cases, this essay is a missed opportunity if unused. The best responses offer insights that help the reader connect the dots of your journey. Even with its brevity, the optional essay can serve as a powerful finishing touch – showing the admissions team not just what you’ve done, but who you are and how you think.

Rotman’s Admissions Interview: Tackling The Video Response Assessment

Following your written assessments, select candidates are invited to complete a recorded video interview. The video component gives the admissions team a chance to see your verbal communication style, presence, and authenticity – qualities that can’t be captured on paper.

You’ll be asked three short questions and have 90 seconds to respond to each. This means you have just enough time to make a strong impression, but not enough to overthink or script your answers – precisely how Rotman wants to see you think and communicate in the moment.

Like the written assessment, questions may explore your career goals and personal experiences around teamwork, leadership, resilience, innovation, and conflict resolution. The goal is to understand not only what you’ve accomplished, but how you approach challenges, interact with others, and reflect on your growth.

What Rotman Is Looking For In The Admissions Video Interview

Authenticity: Let your genuine enthusiasm for the program show – they want to see the real you, not a rehearsed persona.
Clarity and focus: Organize your response quickly and get to the point; avoid tangents or long introductions.
Presence: Speak naturally, maintain eye contact with the camera, and smile where appropriate.
Professionalism with personality: Rotman values confidence balanced with approachability.

Sample Rotman Video Interview Questions

Motivation & Goals

Why have you decided to pursue an MBA at this stage of your career?
What specific aspects of the Rotman program most appeal to you and why?
What are your short- and long-term career goals, and how does Rotman fit into them?

Teamwork & Leadership

Tell us about a time when you had to motivate a team under pressure.
Describe a time when you managed conflict on a team – what did you learn?
What role do you naturally play in group settings, and how do you adapt when others take the lead?

Resilience & Innovation

Share an example of a time when you faced a professional setback. How did you respond?
Describe a creative or innovative solution you implemented at work.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from failure?

How to Prepare for the Video Interview

Practice spontaneous speaking. Record yourself answering sample questions in 90 seconds or less. Focus on staying composed and concise.
Structure your responses. In particular for behavioral questions, use a framework such as: Situation → Action → Result → Reflection.
Simulate real conditions. Time yourself strictly – the goal is comfort with concise, unscripted delivery.
Project enthusiasm. Show energy, curiosity, and motivation for Rotman’s community and learning environment.
Review your recordings. Look for clarity, pacing, and tone.
Get expert feedback. An experienced admissions coach can help you refine your delivery, strengthen your structure, and ensure your authentic personality shines through.

The video interview is less about perfection and more about presence. Rotman knows applicants will be nervous – what matters is how you handle that moment. Show warmth, curiosity, and self-awareness, and speak as if you were in a genuine conversation with the admissions team.

For mock interview coaching tailored to Rotman’s format, Fortuna offers one-on-one video prep sessions to help you sharpen your communication and confidence under timed conditions. Sign up for a free consultation to discuss next steps.

Final Thoughts: Real Thinking, Real Time

Rotman’s application is designed to be a window into how you think and communicate rather than how perfectly you edit and curate content. They reward applicants who can organize their thoughts clearly, think on their feet, and write or speak with confidence and authenticity.

The optional essay, meanwhile, remains a powerful (if brief) space to round out your story or explain context. Together, these components reflect Rotman’s belief that leadership is about substance, not style. If you can communicate with purpose and authenticity under pressure, you’ll already be embodying the qualities Rotman values most.

Ready to prepare your Rotman MBA application? Book a free consultation with Fortuna Admissions for personalized coaching from former admissions officers and mock written/video assessments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the essay and assessment requirements for the Rotman MBA 2025–2026 application?

Rotman requires two timed written assessments (10 minutes each) and there is also an optional short essay (150–200 words). The time written assessment is designed to evaluate how you think and communicate under real-time conditions – a hallmark of Rotman’s innovative admissions process.

How important are the Rotman written assessments?

They’re a core part of your evaluation. Rotman’s admissions team uses them to gauge clarity of thought, reasoning, and written communication skills – all key to success in the MBA classroom. A well-structured, authentic response can strongly reinforce your overall candidacy.

What kind of questions can I expect in the written assessments?

Rotman’s timed written assessments are designed to give the admissions team a window into how you think, communicate, and reflect under pressure. You can expect two short-answer questions that invite you to share more about your motivations for the MBA and your personal and professional experiences.
Topics often relate to career goals, teamwork, leadership, resilience, innovation, or conflict resolution. For example, you might be asked to describe a time you overcame a professional challenge, collaborated effectively on a diverse team, or introduced a creative solution at work.
The goal isn’t to test technical knowledge – it’s to see how clearly and thoughtfully you can express ideas when you don’t have time to over-edit. Strong responses are structured, specific, and reflective, showing not only what you did but what you learned and how you grew.

How can I prepare for the timed written assessments?

Practice short, timed writing exercises (10 minutes each) using sample questions (see sample questions in the above article). Focus on structuring your thoughts clearly – context, action, result, and reflection – and try to avoid too many typos or grammar mistakes, although one or two slips won’t be held against you. Reading opinion editorials or executive summaries can also help sharpen concise writing. Sign up with Fortuna for one-on-one coaching for this exercise.

What makes a strong response in Rotman’s written assessment?

Strong answers are organized, reflective, and human. They show your reasoning process, what you learned, and how you approach challenges. Avoid generic statements – instead, demonstrate insight and self-awareness.

How should I approach the optional essay?

Use the optional essay strategically. It’s your chance to explain context – such as an employment gap, career transition, or a personal story that shaped your ambitions. Keep it brief, sincere, and focused on what admissions should understand about you.

Can I skip the optional essay?

Yes, but only if every part of your story already feels complete. Submitting an optional essay simply to fill space can dilute your application’s impact.

Are the written assessments similar to the video interview?

They complement each other. The written tasks test clarity and critical thinking, while the video interview reveals presence and verbal communication. Together, they give Rotman a fuller sense of your personality and potential.

How strict are the time limits?

Very strict – each written response closes automatically after 10 minutes. You’ll have about 250–300 words per answer depending on typing speed, so brevity and focus matter. Likewise with the video interview, your response will be cut off after 90 seconds.

Do spelling or grammar mistakes hurt your score?

Minor typos won’t. Admissions knows you’re writing under time pressure. What matters most is coherent structure and clear reasoning, however do keep in mind that they are also assessing the professionalism of your written communications.

What does Rotman ultimately look for through these exercises?

Authenticity, analytical depth, and communication agility. They want to see that you can think quickly, write persuasively, and bring a unique perspective to class discussions.

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