With so much time and money involved, the decision to pursue an MBA is a serious one. Plus, the competition to get into good programs means that not only grades and work experience are scrutinized but also the personal attributes of the candidates. While essays play an integral part in getting into an MBA program, they are not the only factor by which admissions directors make their decisions. Essentially, essays offer the opportunity for applicants to provide information about themselves that can't be deducted solely from test scores and work experience. The objective facts gleaned from test scores and resumes provide the framework.
Essays flesh out the skeleton.
Brian Walker, Assistant Director of Admissions at Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management at Rice University in Houston, Texas, notes that the application asks for work experience and gives applicants only a few lines to list employers. After graduating, you went into that industry, but didn't like it. You found yourself managing the budget and realized that you were gradually changing direction. Or, it could be that an applicant's undergraduate experience wasn't a particularly stellar one. Extenuating circumstances can be explained and accounted for.