ISB PGP YL Essay Analysis

ISB PGP YL is designed for fresh graduates and early career professionals. ISB PGP YL Essay Analysis on this page is our take on how to approach the ISB PGP YL essays, to maximize your chances of admission to ISB PGP YL.

ISB PGP YL Deadlines

Round-2: February 22, 2026

Essay 1: Describe a specific personal situation in which you assumed a leadership role without formal authority. How did you motivate and influence others during this experience? What challenges did you encounter, and what insights did you gain about your leadership abilities as a result of this experience? (400 words max).

The candidates in the ISB PGP YL program are fresh graduates or early career professionals. Hence, formal authority (by virtue of designation, experience, or seniority) would not have come to them.

In fact, even senior people and experienced professionals do not have the luxury to continually keep flaunting their designation and exercise formal authority, to influence others. This essay wants to understand that without formal authority, are you capable of influencing others.

In most cases, we have seen candidates cite instances or events from their academic life, by virtue of opportunities such as organising some events, hosting some college-fests, or executing some group-projects.

Delve into the details of such settings and opportunities: what the event was, when was it, and in which capacity you were a part of it.

Subsequently, just follow the question prompt, to answer the following questions: what challenges did you encounter, and what insights did you gain about your leadership abilities as a result of this experience.

Essay Tip #1
Treat essays no differently from critical reasoning: There should be a logical flow of ideas and coherent cause and effects. Statements loosely "hanging in the air" disrupt the flow of the entire essay.

Essay Tip # 2
Even if you are not seeking professional editing services for your essays, make sure you send across your essays to at least two people, whose judgment and expedience you trust. Essentially it is important to get an Independent third-party view of your essays.

Essay Tip # 3
Applicants should be wary of mentioning philanthropic activities or stipulate ambitions of Entrepreneurship, just in the hope of winning favor with Admissions committee. Unless you have a strong case to make, such claims actually have a reverse effect, making your entire application weak.

Essay 2: What unique experiences and perspectives do you bring to your class? How do you intend to contribute to the diversity of thought and ideas within the programme? Please provide specific examples to illustrate your points. (400 words max)

Candidates must appreciate that a large part of the ISB experience is the peer to peer learning that happens in the campus. This essentially means that the diversity of cohort plays a major role in bringing various perspective to the learning that happen inside the classes as well as outside of them.

Start by reflecting on your personal, professional, or cultural background. Ask yourself:

What makes your story different?

• Cross-cultural experiences (e.g., working/living abroad, bilingual upbringing).
• Non-traditional career paths (e.g., entrepreneurship, nonprofit work, creative industries).
• Overcoming adversity (e.g., navigating systemic barriers, personal challenges).
• Unique skills or passions (e.g., coding, sustainability advocacy, competitive sports).

What perspectives have these experiences shaped?

• Problem-solving approaches (e.g., design thinking, crisis management).
• Values (e.g., resilience, empathy, collaboration).
• Worldview (e.g., global mindset, focus on equity).

Diversity isn’t just demographic—it’s about how your experiences influence how you think, debate, and collaborate. For example:

• If you worked in a startup, you might bring scrappy problem-solving or risk-taking to case discussions.
• If you grew up in a multicultural household, you might challenge assumptions about global markets.
• If you’ve advocated for underrepresented groups, you might push peers to consider social impact in business decisions.

Essay 3: What impact do you aim to create after completing the PGP YL programme? Please share your medium- to long-term career plans, including any specific challenges you anticipate facing along the way. (250 words max).

Why MBA is what this essay prompt is essentially asking you. This is basically the goals essay. This essay is best addressed along three major points.

a) First what you have done in life so far (primarily on the professional/academic front)
b) Second what you want to do in future
c) Third how does MBA fit into the scheme of things

Clearly there are some experiences, attributes, and interests that you already have. This is your past. You have aspirations in life; you hope these aspirations to become your future. What is currently holding you back, from realizing your aspirations? This is where MBA comes into picture.