Here are this season's Stanford Essay tips from our Stanford GSB Alum!
What matters most to you, and why?
- Could be a person or a group of people, a hobby or interest, an event that occurred or might occur in the future, or a situation that you're in
- This essay needs to be pretty introspective - and it needs to be about you. If you are going to say "eradicating poverty or hunger" or "spreading literacy", take care to not make this essay about the cause - it must be about why it matters to you.
- The essay isn't just about stating why something or someone matters to you - it's about explaining the deep relationships or connections that make this so important in your life.
What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?
- The guidelines for this essay clearly state that you shouldn't repeat and reiterate your accomplishments from your resume or other essays - it must be forward looking.
- Career aspirations can be simply stated - i.e., "be a CEO of a Fortune 50 company" - but you should explain in very pragmatic terms the path leading to it and how the MBA fits into that path
- The "why Stanford" piece should follow naturally from your career goals - and remember, this is not an essay about Stanford - this is about how what they offer fits into your goals.
Answer two of the four questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years.
- Try to pick two questions that showcase different aspects of your life. These are all leadership questions, so they aren't easy to tackle, but the key is to tell your story in a unique, authentic voice that resonates with the reader.
Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
- The most important part of this essay is that it should be clear to the reader what the expectations were of your team - because without this baseline understanding, it is challenging to prove how you went over and beyond
- "built and developed" - for candidates in consulting, make note that you often don't build and develop short-lived teams; so don't forget to address this piece - how did you coach the people on your team? how did you attract and retain talent?
- The most engaging responses to this question respect the idea that building and developing a good team is extremely challenging.
Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
- If you work in a large multi-national company, this is not an easy question to answer in that setting; unless you are confident that your actions really made a sustainable impact on your company, avoid using this question
- Candidates will often rely on their own characteristics to answer this question - e.g,. "as a woman... " or "as the youngest Manager.." - if you are going to do this, be very careful not to slight others that don't share the same characteristic as you - and remember again, the impact must be sustainable and organization-wide.
Tell us about a time when you generated support from others for an idea or initiative.
- This can be done in a professional, community or personal setting - you must describe why it was challenging to gain this interest and support - this is harder to do when you have established authority - i.e., you were the founder of a non-profit or Chair of a club - your job is to generate support and interest, so these types of responses may not be as interesting
Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined or established.
- This is a good question to take on, because it is fairly individualistic, so it is easier to relate why you did something and how you changed what was defined
- Again, pick a practice such that it is obvious to the reader and seems natural why things were established or defined a certain way - so that your efforts jump out as something that was "over and beyond"
