Are you interested in applying to business school via The Consortium? While the early application deadline has just passed, applicants have plenty of time to meet the traditional Consortium application deadline. Since 1966, The Consortium has offered over $655 million in merit-based fellowships to MBA students across the country.

The Consortium was founded under the mission of equipping African American men with the business skills required to land positions in American corporations. In 1970, Consortium membership opened up to women, as well as Hispanic Americans and Native Americans.

In 2004, membership opportunities expanded to encompass all U.S. citizens and permanent residents of any race or ethnicity who are committed to The Consortium’s mission, which was recently updated to:

Our mission, supported by the strength of our growing alliance and network of committed allies, is to expand access and increase representation in business education and leadership. In collaboration with our member schools and partners, we work to strengthen enrollment and leadership across the following sectors:

Below, please find this year’s deadlines, along with Personal MBA Coach’s tips on how to tackle the Consortium MBA application essays.

The 2025-2026 Consortium Deadlines are:

Consortium Early Application Deadline: Oct. 15, 2025

Consortium Traditional Application Deadline: Jan. 5, 2026

Consortium Admission Decision and Fellowship Notification: Varies by school

Personal MBA Coach’s Consortium Essay Tips

Consortium Core Essay 1: Please describe your short- and long-term goals post-MBA. How has your professional experience shaped these goals and influenced your decision to pursue an MBA degree? (2,000 characters max)

For this first core Consortium essay, with 300 or so words, you want to mention your specific short- and long-term goals and share how your work thus far has prepared you for and cemented your belief in those goals.

While this is not the time to repeat your resume, you should give the reader some career context and explain how this experience shaped your goals. For example, perhaps your experience in environmental consulting highlighted a particular unmet need that you want to address post-MBA. To find out more on how to think about and articulate your goals, check out this blog.

**Consortium Core Essay 2: (Optional Essay): Is there any other information you would like to share with us that is not presented elsewhere in your application? (1,000 characters max)**

We recommend using this optional Consortium essay only for special or extenuating circumstances that you do not have occasion to mention elsewhere: gaps in employment, poor academic performance one year, or a personal crisis that affected your life. For more insights, read this blog.

Consortium Membership Application Essays

A. The Consortium is committed to expanding access and increasing representation for individuals and communities that have not always had equal access to opportunity. Please describe the specific actions you have already taken—through your business, personal, academic, or volunteer experiences—that demonstrate your commitment to this mission. Include examples that show your values in action, the impact of your efforts, and how they contribute to building a more inclusive community. (400 word limit)

In this first Consortium Membership Application essay, focus on demonstrating your commitment to increasing access and opportunity by highlighting what you have done to date. With limited space, be specific and select a few examples that clearly show your leadership and tangible impact.

If you have worked with an organization that promotes equal access, share that with The Consortium here. Be sure to mention the programs you worked on and the specific value you added. Or perhaps you developed a new program at work that increased representation or improved access to resources.

While you should avoid a laundry list of activities, a strong answer will include more than one example. The key is to show a pattern of engagement that demonstrates genuine dedication to advancing inclusion.

B. How do you plan to support The Consortium’s mission while enrolled in your MBA program? What actions will you take to help build a stronger, more inclusive community? (400 word limit)

Since you have already discussed your past experience, this essay should be forward looking. You want to detail specifically what you plan to do during your MBA to continue in advancing the Consortium’s mission. While you cannot name specific on-campus clubs (given this application will be shared with multiple schools) you can discuss the types of organizations you hope to support and the contributions you have in mind.

C. After completing your MBA, how will you continue to support The Consortium’s mission through your career, leadership, or community involvement? (200 word limit)

For this final essay, you want to think about how you will continue The Consortium’s mission post-MBA. This is not the time to write about your goals (which you have already covered). Instead, you want to talk about your involvement in increasing access outside of your day-to-day role. This can be an initiative you will implement in the office, a role you will have in your community or an organization you will join.

If you are already very committed to an organization or a type of community service, say how you will strengthen that with your newly gained insight. If not, think about how you will seek a new avenue to contribute to equal access. However, if you are selecting something new, be sure it aligns well with your past experiences. As you write this third essay, keep in mind that generalities such as “In my role I will hire more diverse employees” will not suffice.

Looking for guidance during the Consortium MBA application process? Personal MBA Coach is here to help you maximize your chances of admission via our comprehensive packages.