How to Write the Bentley University Essays 2024-2025
Bentley University has two optional essay prompts. One is more creative, and the other is a diversity question. We highly encourage you to respond to both prompts to show more of who you are to the admissions committee.
Bentley University Essay Prompts
All Applicants, Optional
Prompt 1: Design a new college course that responds to your desire to blend an area of business with the arts and sciences. Give your course an eye-catching title and describe the course content. Then explain why this course will set you up for career and life success. (250 words)
Prompt 2: Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity — aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and your success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity has affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise. (250 words)
Prompt 1
Design a new college course that responds to your desire to blend an area of business with the arts and sciences. Give your course an eye-catching title and describe the course content. Then explain why this course will set you up for career and life success. (250 words)
Understanding the Prompt
Bentley University is asking you to design a course that reflects your interest in combining business with the arts and sciences. The admissions committee wants to see your creativity and ability to think critically about interdisciplinary connections. You’ll need to come up with a compelling title, describe what the course will cover, and explain how it aligns with your career and life goals.
Brainstorming Questions
- What specific areas of business and arts/sciences are you passionate about blending?
- How does this combination relate to your career goals?
- What skills or knowledge would this course provide that you can apply in the real world?
- Why is an interdisciplinary approach important for your success?
What Makes a Good Response
A good response should:
- Have a creative, engaging course title: Your title should be descriptive but also attention-grabbing.
- Blend business and arts/sciences in a meaningful way: Explain how the course combines these fields and what students will learn.
- Be relevant to your goals: Make sure to connect the course content to your career aspirations and personal development.
- Be clear and concise: Since you only have 250 words, ensure that your description is focused and impactful.
Example Response
Course Title: “Psychology of Consumer Behavior: The Science Behind Marketing”
This course will explore the intersection of business and psychology, examining how cognitive and emotional processes influence consumer decision-making. Through case studies, students will analyze marketing campaigns that effectively tap into human behavior and learn how to apply psychological principles like persuasion, social influence, and emotional branding to business strategies. In addition, students will conduct experiments to test consumer responses to advertisements, packaging, and pricing models, gaining hands-on experience with data collection and analysis.
By understanding the psychology behind consumer choices, students will be able to design more effective marketing strategies that resonate with target audiences. This course will set me up for success in a marketing career by equipping me with a deep understanding of what drives consumer behavior, as well as the technical skills to apply this knowledge in real-world business contexts. Blending psychology and marketing will allow me to create campaigns that not only sell products but also connect with consumers on a deeper level, ensuring both professional and personal growth. (162 words)
Why This Works
- Creative and descriptive title: The course title is engaging and clearly reflects the combination of psychology and marketing.
- Meaningful blend of disciplines: The course connects business (marketing) with psychology, showing how scientific concepts can be applied in real-world business scenarios.
- Relevant to career goals: The student explains how this course will help them succeed in a marketing career by providing practical and theoretical knowledge.
- Clear and concise: The course description is focused, and the explanation of its impact is straightforward and tied to career and life success.
Prompt 2
Our students bring to campus a variety of experiences, cultures, and intersecting identities including race and ethnicity — aspects that are important to a rich educational experience and your success in college and beyond. You may use this section to discuss how race and ethnicity has affected your life, be it through discrimination, inspiration or otherwise. (250 words)
Understanding the Prompt
This prompt invites you to reflect on how your race or ethnicity has impacted your life, whether through personal experiences, challenges, or sources of inspiration. Bentley University is interested in understanding how your background shapes your perspective and how it will contribute to the campus’s diverse community. This is an opportunity to share personal stories that have influenced your identity and worldview.
Brainstorming Questions
- Have you experienced discrimination or bias related to your race or ethnicity? How has it shaped you?
- Has your cultural heritage been a source of inspiration or pride?
- How has your race or ethnicity influenced your perspective, values, or goals?
- How do you think your experiences related to race or ethnicity will help you contribute to Bentley’s community?
What Makes a Good Response
A good response should:
- Be personal and reflective: Share specific experiences that have shaped your understanding of race or ethnicity.
- Highlight growth or learning: Reflect on how these experiences have impacted your development and worldview.
- Connect to the future: Explain how your perspective will enrich your college experience and contribute to Bentley’s diverse community.
- Be honest and authentic: Whether your experiences are positive, negative, or both, be genuine in how you share them.
Example Response
Growing up as a first-generation Vietnamese-American, I often found myself navigating two different worlds—my family’s cultural traditions and the mainstream American culture around me. At home, I spoke Vietnamese and celebrated holidays like Tết, while at school, I struggled to fit in and sometimes felt isolated because of my background. I vividly remember classmates making fun of my lunch or asking why I didn’t celebrate Christmas. These experiences taught me resilience and gave me a strong sense of pride in my heritage.
Over time, I began to embrace my dual identity, finding inspiration in my culture’s values of hard work, humility, and community. I became more involved in sharing my heritage with others, co-founding my high school’s Asian American Student Association, where we hosted cultural events to foster understanding and celebrate diversity.
At Bentley, I plan to continue advocating for cultural awareness and creating spaces where students can share their unique stories. I believe my experiences navigating different identities have made me more empathetic and open-minded, and I look forward to contributing to the university’s diverse and inclusive community. (174 words)
Why This Works
- Personal and specific: The student shares their unique experience of balancing two cultures and facing challenges related to their identity.
- Growth and reflection: The essay highlights how these experiences led to resilience and pride in their heritage.
- Connection to Bentley: The student expresses a clear intention to contribute to cultural awareness and inclusion at Bentley, showing how their background will enrich the community.
- Concise and authentic: The response is genuine, focused, and thoughtful, offering a glimpse into the student’s personal journey and values.
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