How to Prepare for MBA Video Essays

Updated April 2026

Video essays have become a standard component of the MBA application process at many top programs. They're used by schools to get to know you beyond the two-dimensional application – to see how you communicate, how you think on your feet, and whether the person on screen matches the voice in your written materials.

The format is different from both written essays and live interviews – and it catches many candidates off guard. With the right preparation, it doesn't have to.

What video essays are actually assessing

Understanding what Admissions Committees are looking for in video essays changes how you prepare for them.

They're not looking for a polished performance. They're not expecting you to deliver perfectly structured answers with flawless delivery. What they want to see is a real person – someone who can communicate clearly under mild pressure, who comes across as genuine and personable, and who feels like a natural fit for the community they're building.

In that sense, video essays are less like a test and more like a first impression. The Admissions Committee already has your essays, your resume, and your recommendations. The video essay adds the dimension that none of those can provide: a sense of who you actually are when you're speaking rather than writing. Can you organize your thoughts quickly? Do you communicate with warmth and engagement? Are you the person they'd want to have in their classroom and community?

That's the frame to keep in mind as you prepare. The goal isn't perfection – it's presence.

Understand the format before you start

Most MBA video essay platforms follow a similar structure. You'll typically be given one or two practice questions first – designed to help you get comfortable with the format and test your technical setup before anything is recorded for evaluation. Use them seriously. The practice questions are there for a reason.

For each actual question, you'll be given a brief window to read and think before recording begins. Then you'll have a set amount of time to record your answer. The specific time limits vary by school and platform – check each program's instructions carefully beforehand so you know exactly what to expect.

Platforms like Kira Talent are widely used across top MBA programs. If you haven't used the platform before, familiarize yourself with it in advance. The last thing you want is to spend your preparation window figuring out the interface rather than organizing your thoughts.

Practice – but don't over-script

Practice is essential. The video essay format – answering questions on camera with a limited preparation window and a running clock – is genuinely different from any other kind of communication, and it requires specific rehearsal to feel comfortable.

But there's a trap in preparation: over-scripting. Candidates who memorize answers word-for-word often deliver them in a way that sounds exactly like what it is – a recitation. The rigidity that comes from trying to recall a script works against the quality the Admissions Committee is most looking for, which is natural, genuine communication.

The goal of practice is fluency, not memorization. Practice answering common video essay questions out loud – on camera, with a timer running – until you can organize your thoughts quickly and deliver them coherently without having to retrieve a specific sequence of words. Practice the thinking process, not the script.

Record yourself and watch it back. It's uncomfortable, but it's the most reliable way to identify what's working and what isn't. Are you making eye contact with the camera? Is your energy and warmth coming through? Are your answers landing within the time limit without feeling rushed?

Look at the camera – and be present

This is one of the most common – and most impactful – technical mistakes in video essays: looking at your own image on screen rather than at the camera lens.

When you look at the screen, you appear to be looking slightly away from the viewer. When you look directly at the camera, you appear to be making eye contact. The difference in how personable and connected you appear is significant – and it's immediately noticeable to anyone watching.

Find your camera and look at it. If it helps, put a small sticky note next to the lens to remind yourself where to look. Practice this in your preparation sessions until it feels natural.

Beyond eye contact: smile. It's easy to become very self-conscious in this format – to get so focused on the content of your answers that the warmth disappears from your delivery. Admissions Committees are watching not just what you say but how you come across. Energy, warmth, and genuine engagement make a meaningful difference in how personable you appear on screen.

Highlight new dimensions of your story

Because the preparation window is brief and familiar topics feel safe, many candidates default to repeating what's already in their written applications. This is a missed opportunity.

The video essay is another piece of the whole application – and ideally it adds something rather than restating what's already been said. If the question asks why you want to attend a specific program, try to highlight clubs, professors, or program features that you didn't mention in your essays. If a behavioral question invites an example you've already written about, see if you can approach it from a different angle – a new dimension of the story, a different lesson, a perspective that the written version didn't capture.

This doesn't mean avoiding topics that appear in your essays entirely – sometimes the strongest answer genuinely is the one you've already developed. But wherever you can add something new, do. The Admissions Committee is building a fuller picture of you with every piece of the application. Use the video essay to make that picture richer.

Go with the flow

The preparation window before each question is brief. In that window, the instinct is often to search for the perfect answer – the most impressive response, the most complete structure, the angle that will land best.

That instinct is counterproductive. Trying to find the perfect answer in twenty seconds is a reliable path to not finding any coherent answer at all. Instead: within the first few seconds, commit to a topic or angle. Then spend the remaining preparation time fleshing it out – what's the main point, what's the specific example, what's the takeaway.

Once recording starts, deliver what you prepared rather than continuing to search for something better. Admissions Committees are not assessing your video essays for perfection. They're assessing whether you can think clearly and communicate coherently under the modest pressure of a brief time constraint. A clear, genuine answer that lands within the time limit is far more effective than a perfectly structured response that trails off because you ran out of time.

Set up your environment properly

The technical and environmental dimensions of video essays matter more than many candidates account for – and they're entirely within your control.

Choose a quiet space where you won't be interrupted. Background noise – traffic, other people, notification sounds – is distracting and unprofessional. Test your audio before you start.

Your background should be clean, neutral, and appropriate. A tidy room, a plain wall, or a simple bookshelf all work well. Avoid cluttered, busy, or visually distracting backgrounds.

Lighting matters significantly. Position yourself facing a light source – a window or a lamp – rather than having the light behind you, which will make you appear as a silhouette. Even lighting on your face makes a noticeable positive difference in how professional and present you appear on screen.

Dress professionally. You're making a first impression – treat the video essay with the same level of care you'd bring to an in-person interview.

Frequently Asked Questions About MBA Video Essays

How is a video essay different from a written essay? 

Fundamentally different in what it assesses and how you approach it. A written essay is a deliberate, revised document – you have time to draft, rethink, and polish. A video essay captures you in real time – your thinking process, your communication style, your personality under mild pressure. Written essays assess what you can craft. Video essays assess who you are when you're speaking. The preparation is different too: for written essays, you're developing content and refining language. For video essays, you're building fluency and presence – the ability to organize your thoughts quickly and deliver them naturally on camera.

How much preparation time will I have before recording? 

Preparation windows are typically brief – often enough time to read the question, identify your main point, and sketch a rough structure in your head, but not enough to compose a full answer. The exact time varies by school and platform, so check the specific instructions for each program you're applying to before you sit down to record. The key implication: your preparation for the video essay itself happens before you open the platform – through practice sessions that build the fluency and quick-thinking skills the format requires. The preparation window during the actual recording is for organizing, not for learning.

What are the most common MBA video essay questions? 

The most common categories are: why you want to pursue an MBA, why you're interested in this specific program, behavioral questions about leadership or challenges, and questions designed to reveal your personality – your interests, your values, what you do outside of work. Some programs also include unexpected or unconventional questions specifically to see how you handle something you couldn't have prepared a specific answer for. The best preparation is to practice across all of these categories so that no type of question catches you off guard – and to develop the general fluency to organize your thoughts quickly regardless of the specific topic.

How long should my answers be? 

Use the time available – but don't feel obligated to fill every second if you've made your point clearly and naturally. Trailing off with filler content to reach the time limit is worse than finishing a moment early with a clean conclusion. In practice, you should aim to use most of the allotted time with substantive content – but the priority is quality and clarity over duration. The candidates who perform best in video essays are the ones who make their main point clearly, support it with a specific example, and land it within the time limit without rushing.

How do I avoid sounding scripted in a video essay? 

Practice the thinking process rather than the answer. The scripted quality that undermines so many video essay performances comes from trying to recall a memorized sequence of words – which produces a halting, recitative quality that sounds nothing like natural conversation. Instead of scripting answers, practice answering a wide range of questions out loud, on camera, until you can organize your thoughts quickly and speak fluently without a predetermined script. The goal is to internalize the process of thinking clearly under time pressure – so that when the recording starts, you're genuinely responding to the question rather than retrieving a stored answer.

How do Admissions Committees evaluate video essays? 

They're assessing the dimensions of your candidacy that written materials can't capture: how you communicate in real time, how you think under mild pressure, and whether the person on screen feels like a genuine fit for the community they're building. They're looking for natural, coherent communication – not a polished performance. They're looking for warmth, engagement, and the sense that this is someone they'd want to have in their classroom. They're also checking for consistency – does the person on screen match the voice and the story in the written application? Video essays are rarely the deciding factor in an admissions decision, but a strong video essay reinforces a strong application, and a poor one can undermine an otherwise compelling candidacy.

Your story is already there. The work is figuring out how to tell it – clearly, honestly, and in a way that only you could.

If you're working on your MBA application and want a thought partner who has helped hundreds of clients navigate every part of the process as a top MBA admissions consultant – I'd love to connect.

You can also explore my MBA admissions consulting services or read what past clients have said.

About the Author

Shaifali Aggarwal is the Founder/CEO of Ivy Groupe and a Harvard MBA and Princeton alumna. Named a top MBA admissions consultant by Business Insider and Poets & Quants, she has helped hundreds of ambitious professionals earn admission to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, M7, and top global MBA programs. She has been quoted as an expert in Business Insider, Fortune, Forbes, Entrepreneur, MarketWatch, US News, and other media outlets, and holds a perfect 5-star rating across all verified client reviews on Poets & Quants.