Stanford GSB MBA interviews, while so hard to get, are not necessarily that hard in any obvious way. This is interview about fit as determined by an alumni "gatekeeper." Chances are good that this gatekeeper might be in your industry or in some manner have a complementary background for assessing you. For example, if you might be perceived as lacking a particularly important attribute (professional experience in the field related to your goals or English skills for example), don't surprised if the alumni is someone who is in a good position to judge this. While I imagine in some places with few alumni, a high level of complementary assessment (e.g., McKinsey applicant interviewed by Boston Consulting Group alum) would be less likely, I can say that it is the rule rather the exception in Japan. Expect a lively exchange and whatever you do, don't make any plans for it to end on time as Stanford interviews are well known for going long. Based on my experience, I can say that every client who had a long interview got in. This might be coincidence, but I doubt it.
My analysis of Stanford is based on my own personal knowledge as well as reviewing the reports of Stanford University GSB interviews found at accepted.com and clearadmit.com.
Some key things to consider when preparing for Stanford GSB interviews:
1. My colleague, H. Steven Green, has put the following together by reviewing interview reports:
RESUME
- Tell me about your background/walk me through your resume.
- Tell me a bit about yourself
- What extracurricular activity are you most proud of?
- What did you take away from your undergraduate experience?
- What do you like to do outside of work?
- Tell about a time you streamlined operations/made things more efficient? What did you do? How did you measure its success?
- What metrics did you use?
- Tell me about your international experience.
- What is your favorite place you’ve traveled?
- What is your company’s strategy? Is it succeeding?
GOALS, REASONS FOR MBA, REASONS FOR STANFORD
- Tell me about a specific time when you realized you needed an MBA.
- Why a Stanford MBA?
- Why do you need an MBA?
- Why now?
- Why Stanford?
- How would you decide between schools if you got into multiple MBA programs?
- What will you bring that is unique to the program?
- How will you contribute to Stanford?
- What are your short-term goals? Long-term goals?
- Where else have you applied? How have those worked out?
- Explain how you are ready for academic rigor.
CHARACTER & CHALLENGES TO YOUR BELIEFS AND VALUES
- Tell me about a time you faced an obstacle and what did you do about it?
- Tell me about a time you faced an ethical situation.
- Tell me about a time you had your beliefs challenged.
- Tell me about a time you had to stand your ground and how did you do it?
- Tell me about a time your values were challenged and you had to consult your moral compass?
DIFFICULT WORK RELATIONSHIPS
- Tell me about someone difficult to work with that was in a position above you and what you learned from it.
CRITICISM AND FEEDBACK FROM OTHERS
- Tell me about a time when others have pointed out a weakness of yours.
- Tell me about the most valuable piece of feedback you've ever received. How did it change your relationship with that individual? Why was it important?
- What is a valuable piece of feedback you have received?
FAILURE
- Tell me about a time things didn’t go according to plan and you failed? What did you learn from it?
- What did you learn from a failure?
- Tell me about an individual or group failure.
- Tell me about a time when you failed. What did you learn from that event and how have you implemented what you learned from that failure?
- How do you deal with failure?
BOOKS YOU’VE READ
- Name a book that you've read recently that was not for work. We then discussed that book.
- What is your favorite book that is not work related?
- What are your 3 favorite books?
INSPIRATION, PASSION,
- Tell me about what inspires you.
- Is there anything you’ve done merely out of passion?
- If money were not an issue, what cause would you pursue most vigorously?
- Tell me about a time you wanted to give up but found the motivation to keep going?
- What is your greatest accomplishment?
- Tell me about a time you had to make a trade-off between two equally attractive opportunities?
TEAMWORK
- Tell me about a time you worked with a difficult team member or manager.
- Tell me about an individual or group failure.
- Tell me about a team experience.
- Have you ever led a team?
LEADERSHIP
- Tell me about a time when you had to lead a team of individuals. What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about leadership?
- Tell me about a leadership experience.
- Tell me about a time you knew you were an effective leader and how did you know?
- What is your leadership style? Give me an example of how you've led that way.
- When have you led peers and how?
- Tell me about a time when a leader fell short and you had to step up and lead.
- Tell me about a time when you've been challenged as a leader and what you learned from it.
2. You need to be able to explain in-depth why you should be admitted to Stanford, what you can contribute, and what you want to learn. Be willing to openly discuss what soft and hard skills you need to improve/acquire. Show yourself to be open, dynamic, change oriented, and a highly motivated person because the alum will be.
3. Since there is supposed to be time for you to ask questions to the alum, you need to give some significant thought to formulating those. Consider what year the alum graduated and any other background information if you can determine that through Linkedin or other sources of information. Develop four or more questions to ask.
4. Whoever you interview with, they are likely to be quite friendly and the style of the interview is conversational. Stanford alumni are provided with very clear guidelines for how to conduct interviews. Just because your interviewer is friendly, it does not mean that you are doing well. Don't assume a friendly interviewer is not actually a super critical one. Alumni are the gatekeepers and Stanford can afford to reject anyone. Take nothing for granted. Also keep in mind that the admissions process at Stanford is holistic and a great interview is no absolute guarantee of success.
5. Reported interview length for interviews is official 45 minutes, but can go on for longer than that. It usually consists of 30-40 minutes of questions from the alumni followed by 5-15 minutes of question to the alum, but often the interviews go longer, an hour or more is not uncommon. In my own experience with clients, I would say that if the interview goes for an hour or more, that is a good sign, but a 45 minute interview is not necessarily a bad sign. Interviews that last 75 minutes to 120 minutes are not uncommon.
If you are interested in my interview preparation or other graduate admission consulting services, please click here.
-Adam Markus
I am a graduate admissions consultant who works with clients worldwide. If you would like to arrange an initial consultation, please complete my intake form. Please don't email me any essays, other admissions consultant's intake forms, your life story, or any long email asking for a written profile assessment. The only profiles I assess are those with people who I offer initial consultations to. Please note that initial consultations are not offered when I have reached full capacity or when I determine that I am not a good fit with an applicant.
