Stanford GSB 2006 MBA Application

[Edit 5/31/2009 : The Stanford 2010 Application Questions tips and guidelines are now posted.]

[Edit1 6/17/2008 : The Stanford 2009 Application Questions tips and guidelines are now posted.]

[Edit 8/24/2006 : The Stanford 2007 Application Questions tips and guidelines are now posted.]

Stanford's questions are short and sweet. And difficult.

We read the essays to get to know you as a person and to learn about the ideas and interests that motivate you. Because we want to discover who you actually are, resist the urge to "package" yourself in order to come across in a way you think Stanford wants. Such attempts simply blur our understanding of who you are and what you can accomplish.
Essays A & B

You must complete two personal essays.

    * Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?
    * Essay B: How do you plan to achieve your learning objectives at Stanford? How do you see your career developing?

In other parts of the application, we learn about your academic and professional accomplishments (i.e., what you have done). It is through your personal essays that we learn more about the person behind the achievements (i.e., who you are). This is the time to think carefully about what matters most to you: your values, your passions, your hopes and dreams.

Stanford does not set a length limit but it advises, "Most applicants find that three to seven pages each for Essays A and B is appropriate. " It also provides other instructions at the link above and in its application that you should follow. But let's look at those two questions for a moment.

They are among the most difficult MBA admissions questions to answer, especially Essay A. Essay B is a classic goals question. I have discussed that genre in several posts both in relationship to MBA goals in general and specifically in connection with particular schools so I'm not going to discuss it here. I am going to focus on Essay A.

When I think back on our many successful Stanford clients, they were the ones who showed, especially in Essay A, that they did not turn away or close their eyes when they saw need. They could demonstrate that they took  initiative when they realized an opportunity to contribute.  They were comfortable expressing emotion, their values, and their ability to act on both. More than anything else, to me initiative and self-awareness characterize the successful Stanford application. That means you have to reflect upon your values and those times you have acted upon them. You don't have to climb Mt. Everest or be a victim of terrible social ills, but you do have to know the person occupying your skin.

My bolded statement does not mean that goals aren't important at Stanford, because they are. And it doesn't mean that Why Stanford isn't important, because it is. They have to be in your application too, specifically in Essay B.

One last thought on Stanford's Essay A: Stanford representatives often say,  "In fact, most Stanford MBA students have excelled by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well."

When have you done something important to you, something that really matters to you, extraordinarily well?

Comments

[Don Harmize]

When Stanford says that they have no minimum GPA requirement, do they really it ot are they just being polite?

[Linda Abraham]

I assume there is some number below which they won't go, but it is a lot lower than you would think.

Stanford says that it wants to see "intellectual vitality." It emphasizes that GPA and GMAT are NOT the only ways to show that vitality. Now if you have a low GPA, you have to show your smarts in another way. You probably need a high GMAT and level of on the job progression or other evidence of superior intellect.

Getting into Stanford is difficult for anyone. I do believe it is harder for someone with a low GPA to show academic excellence, but when Stanford says there is no minimum GPA, they mean it. The question becomes can you show the "intellectual vitality" they demand?

[Siddharth Mathur]

How much weightage does Stanford gives to jox experience? Is there a minimum number of years of Job experience that they look at?

[Linda Abraham]

They don't have a minimum amout of experience, and Stanford is a school that I consider friendly to younger applicants. However, the younger applicant has to show that he or she has achieved in a short amount of time what most Stanford students take longer to do. Please see our article with advice for younger MBA applicants at http://www.accepted.com/mba/younger.aspx .

Good luck!

[Peter Kante]

The Stanford app allows descriptions for up to 4 full-time employment positions. I have worked at the same company for 9 years since graduating from college and achieved several promotions. Is it appropriate to break out my different job titles and promotions in these 4 sections even though they are all from the same company?

[Linda Abraham]

yes.

[vinay tyagi]

what is the kind of profile of the companies whose applicants get through the admission process ie the profile of companies vis a vis work experience of students getting admission ?

[Tony]

Should I give my Stanford essay responses a title? Or is just the response sufficient?

[Linda Abraham]

There is no one employer profile that guarantees you admission. Some accepted applicants come from large corporations, consulting firms, or investment banks. Others come from small businesses. A few come from outside of business -- sports, education, the arts. The key in all cases: excellence, initiative, accomplishment.

[Linda Abraham]

You don't need to title your essays.

[Jen]

Has Stanford started inviting applicants to interview yet? Any idea when to start worrying?

[Kapil]

I am a Marketing analyst - does having a not so common job title and job itself, help? Or is it that you are just looked at by the name of your industry? (Question is with respect to diversity?)

[Linda Abraham]

It does help, but far more important than whether your title is common or not common is what you accomplished and contributed while on the job. That's what will really distinguish you.