Kellogg Video Essay Questions & Practice

CURRENT FORMAT

How the Kellogg video essays work

For the 2026-27 Full-Time MBA application, Kellogg uses five short video essay questions. The video essay becomes available through your Application Status Page after you submit your application and payment, and it is due within 96 hours of the application deadline.

Kellogg says you will have a brief moment to think about each question and up to one minute to respond. The school does not currently publish an exact preparation time for the Full-Time MBA video essays on its admissions page. Current 2026 applicant reports indicate that the assessed questions provide 10 seconds to prepare, even though the practice environment may provide 20 seconds. You can complete practice questions as many times as you like beforehand, but you cannot redo an answer once you begin the official questions.

The purpose of practice is not to predict the five questions you will receive. It is to become comfortable responding authentically and concisely when you have very little time to organize your thoughts.

HOW TO PREPARE

What to practice for the Kellogg video essays

Kellogg describes the video essays as a way to bring your written application to life and show the person behind the carefully crafted words. That makes natural delivery especially important. Prepare the substance of your candidacy, but do not turn your answers into memorized scripts.

Know the story your application is already telling

Be comfortable discussing the experiences that shaped you, your motivations and ambitions, and what you would contribute to the people around you. Your video responses should feel consistent with the rest of your application while adding personality and immediacy.

Practice concise answers, not speeches

One minute goes quickly. Make your main point early, use one useful example or piece of evidence when appropriate, and finish cleanly. Trying to squeeze several ideas into every answer usually makes the response less convincing.

Get comfortable answering without a redo

Kellogg provides unlimited practice questions before the official video essays, but official responses cannot be redone. Use practice to become comfortable recovering from a pause, an imperfect phrase or an unexpected question without starting over.

Let your personality come through

The format is deliberately short and spontaneous. Clear English, composure, eye contact and a conversational tone matter. You do not need to sound polished to the point of being rehearsed.