How To Get Into Kellogg MBA - The Complete Guide

Founded in 1908 as The School of Commerce, the Kellogg School of Business is among the oldest management schools in the world — it gained its current name in 1979 after a donation from the John L. and Helen Kellogg Foundation. 

Located near the vibrant city of Chicago, Illinois, its parent institution is the lauded Northwestern University. Kellogg consistently ranks in the top five business schools in the USA by U.S. News & World Report and in the world by Forbes. 

This guide will show you how to get into Kellogg and provide some helpful information to craft the best possible Kellogg application. It will also help you understand the competition level you might face.

Kellogg School of Management Acceptance Rate: 20%

Kellogg School of Management’s recent acceptance rate is 20%. This acceptance rate correlates to the competitiveness of the Kellogg School of Management. If you wish to attend this school, ensure you have a strong academic record and impressive work experience to be considered a strong applicant. 

How Hard Is It to Get Into Kellogg School of Management?

With an acceptance rate of 20.5%, the Kellogg School of Management is highly selective. This means that out of 100 applications received, only 20 applicants are admitted. This shows how difficult it is to get into Kellogg School of Management, so ensure you have a strong and competitive application when applying. 

Kellogg School of Management Admissions Statistics

If you’re considering applying to the Kellogg School of Management but are unsure what your academic record should look like. Below, we’ll cover what recently admitted students at Kellogg had when they applied to the school. 

Kellogg School of Management Average GPA: 3.7

Kellogg School of Management has a competitive application process, with its recent admits having an average GPA of 3.7. As you can see, the average GPA is higher, so ensure you have a higher GPA than the class average. 

Kellogg School of Management Average GMAT Score: 731

Kellogg School of Management boasts an impressive average GMAT score 731 among its incoming students. This score shows the competitive admission process at the Kellogg School of Management, so ensure you aim for a similar score for your GMAT exam. 

Kellogg School of Management Average GRE Score: 326

The median GRE score of admitted students to the Kellogg School of Management is 326. This competitive score reflects the competitiveness of applicants and their varied academic backgrounds. If you wish to get admitted to Kellogg School of Management, ensure you aim for a GRE score within this range; the higher, the better. 

Kellogg School of Management Average Year of Work Experience: 5 Years

The average year of work experience of admitted students to Kellogg School of Management is five years. The most popular industries that the admitted students worked in were consulting, financial services, technology, and healthcare. If you want to get admitted to Kellogg School of Management, ensure you have the same or more years of work experience when applying. 

Kellogg School of Management Admissions Requirements 

The Kellogg MBA requirements include the following: 

• A four-year bachelor’s degree or an equivalent degree from an accredited institution

• GMAT or GRE scores from within the last five years

• For international applicants: a TOEFL or IELTS score (certain exceptions may apply; contact the admissions office for more information)

• Professional experience in the business world, with notable aspects emphasizing how your jobs influenced you (military service accepted)

• A thorough and well-written current résumé or CV

• Official transcripts from your undergraduate institution

• Paying the $250 application fee or applying for a fee waiver 

International candidates are held to the same standards. However, they should ensure their degree is equivalent to a four-year, accredited baccalaureate from the United States. 

Kellogg School of Management Application Deadlines

Here are the dates for the various application rounds to help you submit your application to Kellogg School of Management on time.

Check the school’s website to confirm the deadline dates for your application materials. These dates are subject to change yearly. 

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting Into Kellogg School of Management

Now that you know how to get into Kellogg School of Business, we will present a few tips that will prove helpful for you. 

Question the Status Quo

Kellogg School of Management values applicants who “can motivate a team to drive impact [and] are not afraid to question the status quo and seek the non-obvious solutions.” So, be sure to emphasize specific examples of how you will do this and show your ability to meet these standards. 

Describe your intellect, curiosity, energy, and creative capacity. Emphasize your diverse range of interactions and experiences and your eagerness for collaboration. Remember to be specific and to ask your letter writers to provide specific examples.

Your Work Experience Matters

Solid intellectual performance during your previous education is expected, as is work experience. Acquiring meaningful work experience will undoubtedly improve your MBA profile and chances of admission. 

Most of Kellogg’s full-time MBA applicants have five years of work experience under their belts before enrolling. However, the quality of your work experience matters more than the quantity of it. 

Graham Richmond, a former admission officer at UPenn's Wharton School, says, “I’ve seen wonderful candidates with just one to two years of experience and others that clearly would benefit from more ‘seasoning’ in the professional world.”

Furthermore, you should have strong values and be ready to explain how and why you maintain them. 

Kellogg Interview Tips

The Kellogg interview is your chance to meet face-to-face with an admissions official. 

Unlike many other MBA interviews, Kellogg’s takes a behavioral-based approach. This means that your interviewer will simulate a work situation, ask you questions surrounding it, and see how you deal with the scenario. 

This form of interview aims to see how you approach new and challenging situations with your current knowledge. The interviewer will almost certainly throw some unexpected questions at you, so stay calm and draw on your experiences. 

Practice makes perfect with interviews; arranging several mock interviews will familiarize you with the interview format and help combat any pre-interview nerves. Your interviewer just wants to know more about you! Using specific stories is a great way to engage with your interviewer. 

Additionally, do your research and identify common MBA interview questions. If you have a rough idea of what your Kellogg business school admissions interviewer may ask you about, you can prepare for it. 

An essential part of the Kellog interview process is communicating with the interviewer. So, be prepared to talk about yourself without sounding like you are bragging or boasting while highlighting your strengths and knowing limitations you are prepared to overcome. 

Kellogg School of Management Essay Prompts

The Kellogg business school admissions office also requires you to create well-written MBA essays answering the following questions:

• Kellogg Leaders are primed to tackle today’s pressing concerns everywhere, from the boardroom to their neighborhoods. Tell us about a time in your life where you’ve needed a combination of skills to solve a problem or overcome a challenge. Which skills did you use? What did you accomplish? (450 words)
• At Kellogg, our values are based on research that concludes organizations comprised of leaders with varied backgrounds and perspectives outperform homogeneous ones. How do you believe your personal and professional experiences to date will help to enrich the Kellogg community? (450 words)

Reapplicants will need to answer an additional prompt about their growth since their last application. Here is the prompt:

• How have you grown or changed personally and professionally since you previously applied and what steps have you taken to become the strongest candidate you can be? (250 words)

Applicants will need to also submit a video essay. The video essay consists of three questions which you’ll need to answer. You submit the video essay 96 hours after the application deadline. 

Kellogg School of Management Interview

The Interview is an opportunity for you to get to know Kellogg’s community while giving the admissions committee insight into your skills, communication abilities, career goals, and reasons for pursuing a MBA.

Currently, all interviews are conducted virtually. You'll receive an email with details about the interview status and scheduling instructions.

Because there is a high demand and limited availability, you may receive an interview waiver. If so, don't worry—it won't affect your candidacy. The admissions committee may contact you for additional information if needed.

Once your interview is scheduled, changes are not allowed. If you can't attend, you must contact the Office of Admissions to cancel, and an interview waiver will be issued if necessary.