Stanford GSB Essays 2017 - 2018 Tips and Guidance

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? 

This is perhaps one of the hardest business school essays - where do you start?  Start by truly thinking about what you care the most about.  This 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, or a passion or topic you care deeply about addressing

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.

Don't try to be too lofty or moralistic - just be yourself.  There is nothing more annoying than reading an essay that seems to be written to fit a "template".

There isn't a "right" answer - the "it" isn't as important as why - "it" can be something as simple as - "Spreading joy in the lives of those who surround me through humor or comedy", or "being an amazing dad to my kids" or "making the world 100% reliant only on clean energy"... it can be any one of these things but what the AdCom is really looking for here is why it matters to you.

Essay B: Why Stanford?

This is a good "open" topic - an opportunity to describe your background, experiences, goals and then clearly tie in how Stanford helps you bridge between your current situation and your short term and long term goals.

Be specific about why Stanford appeals to you - not just by referencing a club or two - but by going one level deeper about how you will contribute to those resources, how you will use them and how you will apply them toward your experience.  Similarly - mentioning a professor or two is helpful - but more important is why what they teach - how they teach it - will help you get to the next step.

Just as important are the "softer" resources at Stanford - the culture, the environment, the network, the support, diversity etc.  Think about these as you consider why Stanford is the right place for you given your personality and experiences.

There are two tests of success in this essay:

• Is the bridge between your current situation, Stanford and your future goals clear?
• Are you being specific enough about what Stanford is going to offer you and vice versa?

AdCom will be looking to "check" both boxes - both demonstrate your "fit" at Stanford in the classroom and in the environment there.

Note: Stanford is one of the few schools that has very prescribed formatting criteria on their applications page - make sure you conform to all of it!

Interested in getting your essay reviewed or in a consulting session with an alum?  Email us at essaycritique@gmail.com or use the Buy Now link on our site. 

Stanford GSB Essay Tips & Guidance 2013 - 2014

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.

Tell us about a time in the last three years 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 in the last three years when you identified and pursued an opportunity to improve an 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 in the last three years 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”