In Brief: Kellogg’s MBA video essays give the admissions committee a more personal and unscripted view of who you are. Shortly after submitting your written application, candidates respond to five short questions, with limited preparation time and up to 60 seconds to deliver each answer. A strong response will be concise, specific, and natural, while demonstrating the leadership, collaboration, self-awareness, and community-mindedness that Kellogg values. 

Increasingly, MBA programs are including video questions as part of their applications, and this year Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management has increased the number of video questions from three to five. (For advice on tackling the written application, see our article Kellogg MBA Essay Tips for 2026–27: How to Stand Out). These video essays are intended to help schools see the real you, and to gauge how you present yourself without much preparation. The school wants to get to know you better, as well as to get a sense for how you will think on your feet in the MBA classroom.

What to Expect With Kellogg’s Video Essays

Kellogg’s video essays are due 96 hours after the application deadline. They give you five questions, with up to 60 seconds to answer each. Here are the school’s instructions:

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 five 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 30 minutes to complete, which includes time for setup. 

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. The practice questions and experience will simulate the actual video essay experience to help you prepare.
• 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 a brief moment (approx 20 seconds) to think about the question and up to one minute to give your response.

After submitting your written application and paying the fee, you’ll receive access to the Kellogg video essay link from your status page in Kellogg’s application portal. (Given processing time, there may be a delay of a few hours before the link appears.) Kellogg MBA video essays are due within 96 hours after the application deadline. 

As outlined in the school’s instructions above, there are practice questions in the video system that you can answer as many times as you like. Kellogg recommends using the practice questions to get comfortable with the format and process. We strongly agree because there is no option to edit or redo your videos once you start.

Top Tips for the Kellogg Video Essays

Be Ready for Behavioral Questions

You can be sure of getting some behavioral interview questions among your Kellogg video essays. A behavioral question asks you to describe how you handled a specific situation in the past, on the premise that past behavior is the best predictor of how you’ll act in future. Prompts usually start with “Tell us about a time when…” and ask about teamwork, conflict, leadership, or problem-solving. To tackle them well:

• Structure your answer simply: a quick situation, the action you personally took, and the outcome or lesson. Given time constraints, you need to get to the point very quickly. 
• Keep the emphasis on your own role rather than the team’s, and on what you learned rather than the play-by-play.
• Have a handful of versatile stories ready that you can adapt on the fly, rather than memorizing a script for every possible prompt.

For further advice on tackling behavioral questions, see our article The 5 Most Common MBA Interview Questions & How to Ace Them. 

Prepare an Introduction That Adds Something New

You might get a question asking you to introduce yourself, sometimes framed as introducing yourself to your future classmates, and to share something admissions wouldn’t already know from your resume. Resist the urge to recap your career. This is the moment to show personality, an interest, a value, or a formative experience that brings you to life as a person rather than a profile.

Have a Reason for Kellogg Ready

Sometimes a “Why Kellogg” question appears, asking what draws you to the program specifically. Be ready to speak to concrete reasons for why you’re interested in a Kellogg MBA: particular academic offerings, the collaborative culture, specific clubs or experiences, and how they connect to your goals. 

Prepare for Improvisation

The question bank is huge, and you’ll almost certainly face a video question you didn’t anticipate. So get comfortable enough with the format that an unexpected question doesn’t throw you. Practice with the clock running so you internalize the rhythm: a few seconds to gather your thoughts, then a focused answer that makes its point in under 60 seconds. The more reps you put in, the more naturally you’ll think on your feet when a curveball comes, and the easier it becomes to stay structured and composed within the time limit.

Caroline Diarte Edwards, Fortuna Co-Founder & former INSEAD Admissions Director advises: “We have repeatedly heard from admissions officers that they are not expecting candidates to deliver a flawless performance in the video questions. They understand it is a challenging and somewhat stressful exercise. So if you stumble on a question, don’t assume it’s going to eliminate you, and very importantly, don’t let it impact your confidence or derail you as you tackle the next question coming up.”

Optimize Your Image Capture

If possible, stand to deliver your responses; you’ll convey more energy. Elevate your laptop to eye level and make sure your face is well lit (a ring light helps if you don’t have good natural light).

Record Yourself When You Practice

Put yourself through your paces, record yourself and watch it back. As you review your recordings, ask yourself:

• Are my answers well-paced and easy to follow?
• Did I get to the point quickly, and wrap things up cleanly?
• Is my body language positive and engaging? 

Dress for Success

This is still an interview, so put on your best Zoom outfit. If you work in a more creative or entrepreneurial field, you can skip the tie or jacket, but dress as though you’re interviewing for your post-MBA dream job. For more advice on looking the part, see our article How to Dress for an MBA Interview: Tips for a Polished Impression. 

Connect with the Viewer

Try to visualize that you are speaking with another human being, make good eye contact with the camera and smile. The admissions team wants to get to know you, and when you show some warmth and authentically convey who you are, it’s easier for the viewer to connect with you and picture you in their classroom.

Practice with a Fortuna Coach

The video essays reward preparation that still feels natural on camera, and the surest way to get there is to rehearse with someone who knows exactly what Kellogg is looking for. Fortuna’s coaches can help you anticipate the likely questions, sharpen your responses, and put you through your paces under simulated conditions until your delivery is confident and composed. Schedule a free consultation to discuss next steps.

Sample Kellogg Video Essay Questions

Drawing on recent cycles, here are the kinds of questions Fortuna clients have encountered. Use them as practice prompts:

Introductory Question: 

• Introduce yourself and tell admissions something they wouldn’t already know from your resume.

Motivational Question: 

What draws you to Kellogg specifically? Why is Kellogg the right program for you?

Behavioral Questions: 

• Tell us about a time when you worked on a team with conflict. How did you respond, and what did you learn from it?
• What did you do to contribute to an environment where different opinions were valued?
• Describe an innovation you made in the past year.
• Tell us about a time you created value.
• Describe a problem you faced and the creative solution you came up with.
• Tell us about a team culture you thrived in.
• Share a misconception people have about you.
• Tell us about an important relationship in your life.

For more advice on tackling video questions for Kellogg or other schools, see our article MBA Video Essay Tips + Sample Video Questions.

Get Ready to Shine

Reach out now for a free 30-minute consultation to learn more about how we can guide you through this high-stakes element of the application process, and help you put your best foot forward.