Stanford GSB: Additional Info, Resume, Employment History, Activities

This is the fifth of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for 2009/2010 Admission. The first post provides an overall perspective on applying to Stanford GSB. The second post is on Essay 1. The third post is on Essay 2. The fourth post is on Essay 3. My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here.

THINK ABOUT THE REST OF THE APPLICATION
There is nothing more depressing to me than to look at an MBA application that is hastily put together. Worse still if it is for a school that is hard to get into. Worse yet if it is for Stanford, where, under Derrick Bolton, there is a very rigorous approach to application review.

Some people look at application forms as mere forms. I look at them as opportunities to provide admissions with as complete and impressive presentation as one can. The reason admissions made the application was because they need the information to make a decision about you, so don't provide something that is done at the last minute. For a full analysis of an MBA online application, see here.

RESUME & EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:

In this section of the online application, you have an opportunity to describe your full-time and part-time employment history, including your core responsibilities, your most significant challenges, and your greatest accomplishments.

We value diversity of experience in our student body, so no one industry or function or background is preferred over another.

As you approach your MBA application, keep in mind that we are more interested in the impact you have had in your work place than the name or stature of your organization.

Have you made the most of your professional opportunities? Are you cultivating your leadership and team skills and making a difference? We look at your responses in conjunction with your recommendations to create a broad picture of the impact you have had in your work environment(s).

If you have had more than one job, we also ask why you left your previous employer(s). Your response to this question will help us understand your career development and what has motivated your decision making.

We also ask you to report the industry and job function you hope to pursue after you obtain your MBA.

After completing the Employment History section, please upload a current copy of your resume (follow the Application Instructions).

Along with the essays, the resume and Employment History are the most critical documents that you control. Both should present you as effectively and honestly as possible. These two values are not in conflict: Be honest, be thorough, and do not be humble. You are being judged by your professional experience and this is where they get your complete record of it. If you have not done so, I suggest reading Steve Green's post on resumes.

TRANSCRIPTS
Two years ago at the Stanford presentation in Tokyo, the admissions officer emphasized that the admissions committee closely reads transcripts. While you don't control the content at this point, you have the possibility of impacting how the transcript is interpreted. Scrutinize your own transcript. If your GPA is high, this is easy. You can relax. If on the other hand,your transcript reveals an unimpressive GPA, some very low grades, gaps in study, or anything else that concerns you, you had better figure out how to address in the Additional Information section (See application instructions PDF found on the right hand column here).

USE IT OR DON'T USE IT, BUT DON'T ABUSE IT:

Additional Information
If there is any other information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, include it in this section of your application. Do not include additional essays.
Examples of pertinent additional information include:

• Extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance.
• Explanation of why you do not have a Letter of Reference from your current direct supervisor.
• Explanation of criminal conviction, academic suspension or expulsion, and/or failing grades.
• Any other information that you did not have sufficient space to complete in another section of the application (begin the information in the appropriate section).
• Additional work experience that cannot fit into the space provided.

If you read the above, it should be clear enough that this is the place to explain anything negative or potentially negative in your background or to provide additional information that did not fit in the space provided. DO NOT USE IT FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE. Yes, you may have written a great essay for Tuck, Wharton, Harvard, Chicago, NYU, MIT, INSEAD, Columbia, or London Business School, but unless your objective is to inform Stanford GSB about that, don't include it here. I don't think the categories above require interpretation as they are clear.

If you really have no explanation for something negative, don't bother writing about it. For example if your GPA is 2.9 and you have no good explanation for why it is 2.9, don't bother writing something that looks like a lame excuse. This is more likely to hurt than help you. In the same vein, don't waste the committee's time telling them that your GMAT is a much better indicator than your GPA (the opposite is also true). They have heard it before and they will look at both scores and can draw their own conclusions without you stating the obvious. That said, if you have a good explanation for a bad GPA, you should most certainly write about it.


Activities

We do not expect every applicant to be involved in activities outside the classroom or workplace.

If you have been involved in activities, however, this is an excellent way for us to learn more about your interests and experiences.

• Please report your activities in order of importance to you, with the most important listed first.
• A sustained depth of commitment in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six organizations.
• Report activities during university/college separately from those after university/college.
• Examples of activities in which you are/have been involved may include charitable, civic, community, and professional.
• Please avoid using acronyms to describe your activities.

This section is important. Of course, some applicants will not have much here, while others will have a plethora of things to mention. In any case, provide the best answer you can. Use your judgment about what to include. The above instructions make it very clear that Stanford GSB is not looking for quantity. Give them quality and don't mention anything that will show your lack of commitment: If you joined a lot of organizations for a really short time and did nothing, I don't think that it will help you to mention it.

Finally, please keep in mind that there is no perfect applicant, just like there is no perfect human being. If you have had to work 100-plus hours a week since graduating from university and your idea of extracurricular activity is sleep, don't assume that not having any great activities will hurt you. Admissions will evaluate your whole application. I have had the opportunity to work with great applicants who were admitted to Stanford, and I can say none of them were perfect, but what they were able to do was present themselves as honestly and effectively as possible.

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. If you are looking for a highly experienced admissions consultant who is passionate about helping his clients succeed, please feel free to contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. To learn more about my services, see here. Initial consultations are conducted by Skype or telephone. For clients in Tokyo, a free face-to-face consultation is possible after an initial Skype or telephone consultation. I only work with a limited number of clients per year and believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit. Whether you use my service or another, I suggest making certain that the fit feels right to you.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

スタンフォード ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 エッセイMBA留学

Stanford GSB MBA Essay 3 for 2009/2010

This is the forth of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for 2009/2010 Admission. The first post provides an overall perspective on applying to Stanford GSB. The second post is on Essay 1. The third post is on Essay 2. The fifth post is on additional information, resume, employment history, and activities. My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here.

Three years ago, Stanford introduced behavioral interview-style essay questions. Stanford applicants now have the opportunity to write about their accomplishments, failures, difficulties, impact, and other characteristics. This has made the Stanford Essay Set a more balanced set of questions. If Essay 1 is ultimately about what you value and Essay 2 is about what you want, Essay 3 is about what you can do.

When Stanford GSB started asking behavioral essay questions, it was clear that they had borrowed this from MIT. This distinctive style of question is based on an interview method that I will discuss below. Before reading the rest of this post, I strongly suggest downloading a copy of MIT's excellent guide to behavioral interviews, The MIT Sloan Interview Guide, because reading it first will maximize the value of my comments below.

The behavioral essay questions that MIT and Stanford ask have their origins in behavioral interviewing. This method is not old (well, at least for me, since I was born in 1968):
“Bill Byham, CEO and founder of Development Dimensions International, originated the behavioral interviewing method in 1970.”

In fact, the STAR technique outlined in MIT’s guide was developed by Byham as THE WAY to answer behavioral questions:

Byham calls an example of past behavior a STAR, because a complete example consists of a situation or task, the specific action you took and the result of your action. The result you describe doesn't have to be positive; it could be that you learned a valuable lesson from doing something the wrong way.

In his book "Landing the Job You Want: How to Have the Best Job Interview of Your Life" (Three Rivers Press, 1997), Byham tells candidates how to identify the skills for a job; explore their own "behavioral dimensions" (the behaviors they use every day to get things done); and recognize and present a STAR with positive impact in an interview.

In addition to the MIT SLOAN Guide, I suggest also taking a look at the slightly different guide to the Star Technique that MIT Career Services provides.

The STAR technique is really the core method you need to use for answering behavioral questions in Stanford's essays. It is simply this (taken from the MIT Sloan Guide):

• Situation: define the situation or “set the stage.”
• Task: identify the task/project performed.
• Action: describe the action you took.
• Result: summarize the outcome

Just keep in mind that you need to be introspective as well, so write what you thought as well as what you did. Don’t just present “the facts” but actively interpret your actions. There is really nothing overly complicated about this as long as you understand that you need to tell a DETAILED story. Pure abstractions disconnected from a concrete set of action steps are highly likely to result in a weak answer. Similarly, grand actions not told in any depth are also likely to be weak. Identify specific actions that contributed to the result so as to establish a clear link between cause and effect.

As when answering any kind of question, another important consideration is to think very critically about what your story selection, understanding of the task, actions taken, and results say about you. Keep in mind that the whole point of asking behavioral questions is to determine how someone acts and thinks as a basis for selecting or rejecting that person. It is obviously critical to be aware of your own message.

Before looking at the specific questions, lets look at the instructions:

Essay 3: 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.

Stanford GSB specifically requires that these experiences come from the last three years. This time constraint is important to keep in mind. One of the easiest ways to trash your application is to ignore this time limit. Essay 3 is the space to focus on the present or recent past.

I will analyze one question at a time, but four things to keep in mind are:

1. You need to show the capacity for analyzing and acting in different ways, so, while both essays should utilize STAR, don’t tell them in the same way. Make sure you are presenting different sides to who you are by telling your stories differently.

2. If at all possible discuss different situations in these essays, not two different stories from the same situation because you are trying present as wide a spectrum of events and qualities about yourself as you can.

3. You should ask yourself “What does this essay reveal about me?” If you can’t answer that clearly, you need to clarify your message. When asking this question, think about both what you intend the reader to think and what you might also be revealing. Control for the possibility of sending out unintended signals. One of the best ways of handling this issue is to have a very careful and intelligent reader review these essays. If you are working with an admissions consultant, they should be able to do this. Getting multiple perspectives on what you wrote will help you better understand your likely impact on an admissions' reader.

4. All four options below allow for great variation and the most important thing is to tell the best stories you can:
We all have important stories to tell. We want to share moments when we have achieved great things or helped to shape the world around us. Essay C [Essay 3] lists four potential questions (or prompts) to help you identify which are the two most important stories you have to tell us. The prompts themselves are not as important as the stories that they bring to the surface.

THE OPTIONS ARE ALL ABOUT HAVING AN IMPACT:

• Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
• Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
• Option C: Tell us about a time when you motivated others to support your vision or initiative.
• Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

One thing that is common to all four is that you must tell stories that show how you had an impact. Keep in mind what Derrick Bolton has written about this question:
Unlike the two previous essays, in which you are asked to write about your life from a more “global" perspective, these questions ask you to reflect on a specific recent (within the last three years) experience that has made a difference to you and/or the people around you. The best answers will transport us to that moment in time by painting a vivid picture not only of what you did, but also of how you did it. Include details about what you thought and felt during that time and your perceptions about how others responded. From these short-answer responses, we visualize you "in action.

LEADERSHIP IN ACTION STORIES
I have developed the following grid to help you outline leadership stories. The categories this grid employs may go beyond any particular school's essay requirements. Filling it out completely will help you write about your leadership in a way that will convince admissions of your leadership potential.
CLICK TO ENLARGE. 

How to use the grid:
1. Decide on a specific story.
2. Identify the most significant things you did in the situation- these are you action steps.
3. For each action step identify:

• What skills or qualities you demonstrated to complete this step
• The strengths you demonstrated to complete this step
• The kind of leadership you demonstrated
• What you still need to learn about leadership

4. Think about the results and identify how they relate to your action steps. So at minimum, you should be able to state the impact on others and/or yourself.

5. After completing the chart you will see that some aspects of your action steps may be repeated. If there is a total duplication and nothing new is shown, either you need to redefine the action step or you may decide not to focus on it very much.

6. Once you think you have two to four fully worked-out action steps, write your first draft.

7. Next start re-writing. Eliminate duplicate points made between action steps. Make choices about what parts of each action to step to highlight. Given that there are usually word limits, you will have to make some decisions about what to include.

Simply providing a description of your actions, is not enough. Think about what it signifies about you. Think about what your actions reveal about your leadership potential.

Finally, thinking and writing about leadership is an important part of preparing for interviews because you can be certain that you will have to talk about leadership. So, you might find that the parts of the outline you jettison now will become valuable when you will want to have alternative stories for your Stanford interview.


Specific Comments about each option:

Option A: Tell us about a time when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
Given the 300 maximum word limit here, you really need to be focused on your most important action steps. I also suggest you don't just simply a tell story with the following structure: "I led a team of X people. I told them what needed to be done and they agreed. They did it. The result was..." Not only will this be boring, but it will not really highlight why this story best demonstrates your team leadership skills. It will also fail to answer the last part of the question: You need to show how the team went beyond what was expected. Don't be overly dramatic, but get admissions to understand the significance of what you have done. Don’t feel obligated to provide a work related answer to this question even though you may have developed such an answer for another school. Three questions to think about:
1. What skills or qualities did you demonstrate in the process of building or developing the team?
2. What does this story reveal about the way you interact with organizations and/or individuals?
3. Specifically how did your team exceed expectations? If this is measurable, indicate that as clearly as possible.

Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
Leaving a lasting organizational legacy is another way that leaders have impact. If you think something you have done in the last three years will have a lasting impact on your organization, this is a great topic. Clearly indicate what that impact is and how you achieved it. I think it is particularly important to be very clear on why you think the impact you had will become your organizational legacy.

The one difficulty here is that the three-year limit on the topic means that the impact in question will actually not have been in place for very long. I think this is actually a poorly designed question in that regard. I think it could easily become a trap for those trying to fit an older story into the framework. It will no doubt frustrate those who ignore the three-year limit when they begin writing.

If you have the right story this can be a great question to answer.

Option C: Tell us about a time when you motivated others to support your vision or initiative.
Unlike Option A, you need not have motivated a team here. It is quite possible that the others you motivated are people who don't report to you: Colleagues, supervisors, clients, and customers are all possibilities. I imagine this one will be very popular with consultants, analysts, and anyone who leads by their ideas. It is also a great question for those who lead by example.

Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.
This question remains unmodified from last year. Actually, I have to say that I love this question. Going beyond something defined, established, or expected may involve breaking the rules. Stanford GSB is place for those who are not traditional and are flexible in their thinking. If you are a maverick, a risk-taker, or simply unconventional in your approach to adding value, this essay option is for you. Show how you alter the very rules of something that you have been a part of and have a positive impact as a result.

IN CONCLUSION
Behavioral questions are not necessarily harder than other types of questions, but they do have their own underlying logic: Past behavior is a guide to future behavior. Keep that in mind, so that Stanford GSB sees what you want them to see and believes in your future potential.


Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. If you are looking for a highly experienced admissions consultant who is passionate about helping his clients succeed, please feel free to contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. To learn more about my services, see here. Initial consultations are conducted by Skype or telephone. For clients in Tokyo, a free face-to-face consultation is possible after an initial Skype or telephone consultation. I only work with a limited number of clients per year and believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit. Whether you use my service or another, I suggest making certain that the fit feels right to you.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

スタンフォード ビジネススクール カウンセリング コンサルティング 大学院 エッセイMBA留学

Interview with Haas Class of 2010 MBA Student

One of the Japanese members of Class of 2010 at the University of California Berkeley’s Haas School of Business was kind enough to answer my questions. Prior to starting Haas in Fall 2008, he worked as a management consultant for five years. He is married with no kids and has both an undergraduate and graduate degree in engineering.
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Question: So, what did you learn during your first year at Haas?

Answer: I learned mainly three concepts that I hadn’t known in my previous professional/personal life. First, I acquired fundamental business skills in finance, MOT (management of technology) and global management in classes. Second, I gained some tastes of Silicon Valley ecosystem including global technology firms, venture capitals, and entrepreneurs, through not only various Haas opportunities but many local events. Third, I experienced something I wasn’t interested in before through special classes, such as learning politics by participating at Washington D.C., and conducting social non-profit consulting project in Zambia.

Question: What part of the program have you liked the most? The least?

Answer: I like the most about the very high freedom of choice in the program. Haas effectively leverages faculty from local business people belonging to its fulfilling EWMBA and executive MBA courses, as well as the other prestigious UC Berkeley departments such as engineering and law schools. Therefore, Haas can provide enormous opportunities of classes in various industries and functions, considering the small size of class, 240 students per year. Also, Haas system allows students to customize curriculum very flexibly. For example, if you want to launch start-ups or working with local venture companies rather than joining classes, there are bunch of ways to minimize classes and maximize time for your own business.
I daresay the weakest feature of Haas program is, in general, lack of rigidity. Compared to what I’ve have heard about other top schools, I feel it is very easy at Haas to graduate with “decent” grades, due to many safety-nets for left-behind students, too cooperative faculty/staff/students, basic principle to trust student as business people, and the liberal Berkeley culture. Therefore, I don’t recommend Haas for people who expect business school to train students strictly. I think Haas provides only a place to learn and fully delegates how to use the opportunity to the students, since it chooses relatively mature students and treats them as professionals. Thus, passive people can learn nothing at Haas.

Question: I know you worked hard to organize the Haas Japan Trek. Can you tell my readers about it?

Answer: Haas Japan Trek is a student-organized trip in order to show business, history, and culture in Japan. Our Japan Trek this year was from March 21 to March 27. The first Japan Trek was in 2008. Unlike other treks at Haas or some of the other business schools’ Japan Trek, students do not get credits, nor do professors join it. Thus Japanese students produce everything including gathering requests from participants, scheduling, arranging visitors, negotiating about logistics, asking for sponsors, etc. Personally, I think Japan Trek was a great opportunity for Japanese students to deeply consider the role of Japan in the world, to actually promote our country, and to profoundly network with classmates. Please see the details at http://groups.haas.berkeley.edu/japan/Japantrek2009.htm.

Question: How would you describe the culture of Haas?

Answer: I would describe three cultural characteristics: welcoming diversity, confidence without attitude, and encouraging new actions. 39% of students are international and two-thirds can speak more than one language. Then, unlike ordinary US citizens, no students are arrogant. Everyone is helpful each other since all the 240 students have different purposes and think differently. New trials are always welcomed and supported. Maybe admission office carefully chooses such people from more than 4,000 applicants. In addition, students often evolve their mind in the following environmental factors

• Bay Area’s warm weather and atmosphere
• Super liberal city of Berkeley
• State university: selection of faculty and program seems deep rooted to the public
• No open grade policy

Question: Do you actually have any time for clubs? If so, which ones are you active in?
Answer: I belong to following 6 six clubs, although I don’t actively take leadership in any of them. DMEC (Digital Media Entertainment Club) /EA(Entrepreneurship Association) produce many events to know digital media technology/local entrepreneur and venture capital. HTC (Haas Technology Club) and Finance Club introduces tons of recruiting information and events for tech/finance companies. Pacific Rim Club is networking opportunities for students from the Pan-Pacific area. Wine Club produces tasting events, winery and wine bar visits monthly.

Instead, I was actively dedicated to the following two opportunities. One was UC Berkeley business plan competition. Three Haas students including me (lawyer, investment banker, management consultant) supported a local entrepreneur to enhance her business plan. Then, in order to gain some funding, we entered the competition as one of more than 80 teams. Although we lost at the semifinal, developing business plan together, and making a pitch in front of real venture capitalists were very exciting experiences. The other was launching JGRB (Japanese Graduates and Researchers Society at Berkeley), in order to network local Japanese researchers and graduates students at 36 departments at Berkeley. See http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~jgrb/index.html


Question: How has the financial crisis impacted life at Haas?
Answer: Many negative impacts occurred after the financial turmoil. I think the biggest one is the decrease of job opportunities in not only financial/consulting but technology sectors. The effect of shrink in financial industry is limited at Haas compared with other business schools, since not so many students aim at the financial sector. However, this downturn also affect seriously in the Silicon Valley area. International students are in fiercer competition for jobs because companies which recently lay off workers or are financially supported by government, tend to hire U.S. citizen only. Also, the opportunity of scholarship and students loan shrinks. In addition, the fee and tuition will increase significantly due to the worse financial status of the State of California.

One positive impact is that lots of special lectures occurred right after the turmoil. For example, our dean was the chief training officer at an investment bank. Then, he started “Dean’s speaker series” and invited many leading business people and professors in the financial industry and governmental sector. I felt happy to take time to observe what was going on in the financial turmoil as a MBA student.

Question: Do you have any specific advice for those considering application to Haas?

Answer: I recommend applicants to consider “why ONLY Haas can develop you.” I think admission officers wouldn’t accept if they imagine “this person suits better at other schools than at Haas”, no matter how the applicants are brilliant. I think the best way to tackle with this matter is a campus visit. If it is difficult to visit, try to gather as many information as possible from internet, alumni, and current students.

Question: What are your favorite MBA related blogs (English or Japanese sites)?
Answer:
I don’t know any particular interesting MBA blogs in general, but here are Haas related blogs:
Berkeley MBA Student Blogs
Haas Japanese students/alumni blogs

Question: Anything else you would like to tell us?

Answer: Since one of Haas admission officer said to me that the decrease of Japanese students is not preferable, I think more opportunities are available for Japanese students. So, please be prepared and I hope more Japanese students get tickets to Haas.
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I want to thank this member of the Haas Class of 2010 for taking the time to answer my questions. You can find another Q&A with a Haas student here.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. If you are looking for a highly experienced admissions consultant who is passionate about helping his clients succeed, please feel free to contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. To learn more about my services, see here. Initial consultations are conducted by Skype or telephone. For clients in Tokyo, a free face-to-face consultation is possible after an initial Skype or telephone consultation. I only work with a limited number of clients per year and believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit. Whether you use my service or another, I suggest making certain that the fit feels right to you.

ビジネススクール エッセイ 大学院入学 カウンセリング コンサルティング 合格対策 MBA留学 カリフォルニア大学バークレー ハース

Interview with IMD MBA Class of 2009 Student

Ryo, my former client and a member of the IMD MBA Class of 2009, was kind enough to take time out of his very busy schedule to answer my questions. For more about IMD, please see my analysis of the IMD essay questions for the Class of 2010.
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Adam: So, what have you learned at IMD so far?

Ryo: The first 6 months at IMD have been structured as the Building Block I and II. In those blocks, the students take the same core classes incl. (not exhaustive) Strategy, Finance, Marketing and Innovation. One of the features of the program is that there is “leadership stream” which continues throughout the year. This stream is not graded but we are given many chances to work in groups and to consider group dynamics, peoples’ behaviors and our own leadership styles through many reflections, peer reviews and others.

Adam: What part of the program have you liked the most? The least?

Ryo: I believe the best part of the program is the orientation to the “real-world”. Needless to say, most of the classes are case-based. Not just going through the cases, the program often requires us to analyze, consider and prepare the cases with other diverse students as if we are in an office. Also we have Start-up project (advisory to start-up companies) and International Consulting Project in which the students engage in the consulting to international companies. Also, we go to one of the developing countries to learn the complexities and difficulties there. We closely work with local companies, another hands-on project. There is no emphasis on mere desktop study. We are encouraged to study in the interactions with real world.
I do not have a strong dissatisfaction. If I am forced to say, however, I sometimes felt that I needed time to digest the learning during the classes.

Adam: How would you describe the culture of IMD?

Ryo: The culture of the school is very intense, demanding but warm, I would say. The program requires a lot of preparation within short period. Not only the prep, we are expected to make professional presentations and reports. Frequent and direct feedbacks from the professors and peers are built in the program. At the same time, I feel the school has a very warm culture which mainly comes from the small size of the class (90 people). Every faculty, staff and students have a lot of chances to know each other.

Adam: I know the interview process to get into IMD is harder than any other MBA program, but how hard is the program itself?

Ryo: The program is very tough. I suppose that it partly derives from the curriculum structure. As mentioned above, all core classes are completed within the first 6 months incl. 2 major exams. Therefore, naturally we need to go through a lot of cases and readings in such a short term. In parallel, we have other activities such as the Start-up project and integrative exercises (which force us to mobilize and combine all learning up-to-then).

Adam: Do you actually have any time for clubs? If so, which ones are you active in?

Ryo: There are some clubs set up by students such as Entrepreneurship club, Responsible Leadership club etc. I personally belong to Football club in which we play matches on Sundays and an ad hoc basis.

Adam: Are there any common characteristics you find amongst your classmates?

Ryo: The culture of IMD students is very mature, intimate and international. The average age of the Class of 2009 is 31. Including the partners and children, the students know each other well since we are small school (90 students). I have plenty of opportunities to interact with students in depth, taking about the life, job and future. The 90 students consisted of 38 nationalities. No student group from a country exceeds the 10% of the student number.

Adam: Do you have any specific advice for those considering application to IMD?

Ryo: As is well presented in the recent post by you, IMD has a combination of very unique features. To understand the program and atmosphere, I suggest you to talk to students/ alumni, and check the web-site and other information carefully.

Adam: What are your favorite MBA related blogs (English or Japanese sites)?

Ryo: Let me introduce IMD related blogs. We, IMD MBA 2009 students has IMD MBA diary which you can subscribe to on the IMD web-site. Also IMD MBA 2009 Japanese students have a group blog as well.

Adam: Anything else you would like to tell us else about IMD?

Ryo: There are many opportunities to interact with corporate managers and executives throughout a year. IMD runs many short to long-term business education programs to senior people. It is easy to find the interesting people and have lunch or coffee together at the campus.

Lastly, the city where IMD is located, Lausanne, is very beautiful place. The school is located next to Lake Leman. The access to other cities is easy although you may not have time to do so during the first few months… It takes just 30 minutes to go to Evian in France. We can go to Milan or Paris by train as well.
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I want to thank Ryo for taking the time to answer my questions.

-Adam Markus
アダム マーカス

Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. If you are looking for a highly experienced admissions consultant who is passionate about helping his clients succeed, please feel free to contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. To learn more about my services, see here. Initial consultations are conducted by Skype or telephone. For clients in Tokyo, a free face-to-face consultation is possible after an initial Skype or telephone consultation. I only work with a limited number of clients per year and believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit. Whether you use my service or another, I suggest making certain that the fit feels right to you.

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Stanford GSB Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?

This is the third of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for 2008/2009 Admission. The first post provides an overall perspective on applying to Stanford GSB. The second post is on Essay 1. The fourth post is on Essay 3. The fifth post is on additional information, resume, employment history, and activities. My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here.

Unlike Essay 1, which is a question specific to Stanford, Essay 2 appears to be a fairly standard education and career goals essay:
Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?

Commenting on Essay 2, Eric Abrams, at the Stanford GSB presentation in 2007 in Tokyo, said to think beyond goals. He suggested thinking of aspirations in terms of the following question: "What do you hope to become?" Given the amount of personal attention you will receive, how will you leverage that attention and your opportunities at Stanford GSB to become as Abrams said, "your best self."

Before reading the rest of the post, you might want to take a look at an interview I conducted with a member of the Class of 2010 as a number of his comments relate directly to Essay 2. Those who read Japanese should also take a look at the blog  sutebuu survival@Stanford GSB by a member of the Class of 2011.

THIS IS A FUTURE DIRECTED QUESTION
Unlike some other "Why MBA" questions, Stanford is not asking about the past. You will write about that in the other essays. Instead focus not just on your goals, but on your mission. How will you make a difference and how can Stanford GSB help you do that?

You need to be ambitious. Simply stating what your goals are and why Stanford is the best place for you to accomplish them is not exactly what you need here. Instead, you need to articulate a vision related to your goals and a vision that is connected to Stanford's mission to train global leaders.

ARE YOUR GOALS HOT?
Making career goals exciting requires thinking about whether your goals are compelling. Admissions committees ask applicants to write about their goals after graduate school, but can applicants actually know what will be on the cutting-edge in two or three years? While many applicants will be able to successfully apply with relatively standard goals ("I want to be a consultant because..."), communicating aspirations requires going beyond the typical.

Be informed. Stanford Admissions needs to believe you know what you are talking about. If you are changing careers, no one expects you to be an expert, but you should come across as having a clear plan based on real research into your future. If you are planning on staying in your present industry, you should be well informed not only about the companies you have worked for, but about the industry as a whole. If you are not already doing so, read industry related publications and network.

Those who are changing fields should most certainly read industry related publications in their intended field. I also suggest conducting informational interviews with at least one peer level and one senior level person in that field. Conduct a peer level interview to get a good idea of what it would be like to actually work in that industry. Conduct a senior level interview to get the perspective of someone who can see the big picture and all the little details as well.

Don't know anyone in your intended field? Network! One great way to start is through LinkedIn. Another is by making use of your undergraduate alumni network and/or career center.

LEARN WHAT IS HOT. No matter whether you are changing fields or not, learn what is hot now and try to figure out what will be hot by the time you graduate. Now, of course, this is just a plan and chances are that what is hot in your industry or field now may very well be cold in the future. The point is to come across to Stanford as someone who is not only well informed, but has CUTTING-EDGE knowledge. Some great general sources for learning what is hot:

From the Business Schools: Feed your brain with cutting-edge ideas from the best business schools in the world. Most Stanford GSB faculty research papers are available for free in PDF format on the Stanford GSB website at https://gsbapps.stanford.edu/researchpapers/. Other great sources of information include Stanford Social Innovation Review, Harvard Working Knowledge, Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business School Publishing, University of Chicago GSB's Working Papers, The University of Chicago's Capital Ideas, Knowledge @ Wharton, and MIT Sloan Management Review.

You may also want to do a search on itunes for podcasts: My favorites are Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders (from the Stanford School of Engineering, but totally relevant to the GSB), Chicago GSB Podcast, Net Impact, and Harvard Business IdeaCast. INSEAD, IMD, LBS, and Wharton also have podcasts.

LinkedIn Answers: I would suggest that everyone join LinkedIn and make use of LinkedIn Answers. LinkedIn Answers is a great way to tap into cutting edge expertise. Follow LinkedIn's rules and you will often be able to obtain excellent information.

Hoovers: For information about specific companies, Hoovers is just a great way to learn about key facts including competitors (a very useful way of knowing who else you might want to work for and to learn about an industry). While primarily focused on the US, Hoovers does have listings for companies worldwide.

Vault: For scope of coverage, this site is a must. Vault includes both career and admissions information. It includes both company specific and industry-wide information.

Other sources: Read magazines, websites, and books that relate to your intended field.

DOES IT ALL MAKE SENSE?
When formulating goals, the necessary prerequisite for formulating aspirations, I suggest going through a formal process of goals analysis.

You can use my GAP, SWOT, AND ROI TABLE FOR FORMULATING GRADUATE DEGREE GOALS for this purpose (see below). I think Gap, SWOT, and ROI analysis are great ways for understanding what your goals are, why you want a degree, and how you will use it. (Click here for a GMAC report on MBA ROI. )

(To best view the following table, click on it.)

How to use this table:

Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Situation." What job(s) have you held? What was/is your functional role(s)? What was/are your responsibilities?

Next, analyze your present strengths and weaknesses for succeeding in your present career. REMEMBER:WHEN YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESS DON'T ONLY THINK ABOUT WORK, THINK ABOUT OTHER ASPECTS OF YOUR LIFE. In particular, some of your greatest strengths may have been demonstrated outside of work, so make sure you are accounting for them.
Strengths: What are you good at? Where do you add value? What are you praised for? What are you proud of?
Weakness: What are you bad at? What are you criticized for? What do you try to avoid due to your own limitations? What do you fear?

Next, analyze the environment you work in right now. What opportunities exist for your growth and success? What threats could limit your career growth?

Step 2. Now, do the same thing in Step 1 for your "Post-Degree" future after you have earned your graduate degree. IF YOU CANNOT COMPLETE STEP 2, YOU HAVE NOT SUFFICIENTLY PLANNED FOR YOUR FUTURE and therefore you need to do more research and need to think more about it.

Step 3. If you could complete step 2, than you should see the "Gap" between your present and your future. What skills, knowledge, and other resources do you need to close the gap between your present and future responsibilities, strengths, and opportunities?

Step 4. After completing Step 3, you now need to determine how an MBA will add value to you. It is possible that an increased salary as a result of job change will be sufficient "ROI" for the degree to justify itself, but you should show how a degree will allow you to reach your career goals. How will the degree enhance your skills and opportunities and help you overcome your weaknesses and external threats? If you can complete Step 4 than you should be ready to explain what your goals are, why you want a degree, and the relationship between your past and future career, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.

The above table will also help you answer such common interview questions as: Where do you want to work after you finish your degree? Why do you want an MBA (or other degree)? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals? Thinking about these issues now will help you to develop a fully worked-out strategy for how you will best present yourself both in the application and in an interview.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT STANFORD!!!!
How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?
Your objective in the essay is demonstrate why you would greatly benefit from a Stanford MBA education. Actually without that, your aspirations will not make sense because you must have aspirations that require Stanford. Assume that for your aspirations to be effective, Stanford admissions has to make the determination that you are someone who will make best use of their resources. Stanford is proud of what they are and what they can offer. They can reject anyone and they do reject a higher percentage of applicants than other schools. Keep in mind what Derrick Bolton, the Director of Admissions, says about Stanford Essay 2:

How do you plan to take advantage of the incredible opportunities at Stanford? How do you envision yourself contributing, growing, and learning here at the Business School? And how will the Stanford experience help you become the person you described in the first part of Essay B [Essay 2]?

One thing I think that separates great versions of Essay 2 (the ones that get applicants an interview) and mediocre versions (the ones that usually don't get applicants an interview) is the extent to which the applicant is able to show that Stanford is not a mere afterthought or an option, but actually a necessity to accomplish one's aspirations. Fully account for that in your essay. Learn as much as you can about the program and think deeply about who it will impact you. Stanford views itself as a change agent. Show in you essay how it will change you.

The writing process: After going through a process of reflection and analysis, prepare a version of Essay 2 that includes everything you want to say. Next begin the process of revision. Here are a few key things to consider when revising:

1. Think about the most important thing you need admissions to know about your aspirations and why Stanford GSB is the best place to prepare you for them. Begin your essay with that. Chances are good that on your initial draft the most important thing is somewhere in the middle or end of your essay.

2. Prioritize the rest of your content: What do they really need to know? Chances are you have lots of details that can be cut.

3. Make a formal argument: Your essay should be neither a set of disembodied points or a summary, instead it should be a formal statement. Effective forms of this statement vary. The important part is that the reader should be able to understand it clearly and be convinced by it.

Finally, once you have put together Essay 2, consider how the rest of your application supports what you say in it. Without over-marketing yourself or even necessarily writing it directly in the essays, make that your other essays and other aspects of your application show how your potential will contribute to your future aspirations.

STANFORD GSB IN A TIME OF CHANGE
Finally, I think it is important to understand that Stanford GSB is going through a process of change. Not just in terms of the new curriculum that was launched beginning with the Class of 2009 (see the first post in this series), but also in terms of "developing new multidisciplinary programs with the seven other schools to help understand issues facing society and to bring about important changes," and the construction of the Knight Management Center, a new campus for GSB, scheduled to open in Academic Year 2010-2011. For more about all of these changes, click here. All these changes will impact those who want to join the Class of 2012. These second two changes may or may not impact what you write in Essay 2, but I do suggest you consider them.


Questions? Write comments or contact me directly at adammarkus@gmail.com. Please see my FAQ regarding the types of questions I will respond to. If you are looking for a highly experienced admissions consultant who is passionate about helping his clients succeed, please feel free to contact me at adammarkus@gmail.com to arrange an initial consultation. To learn more about my services, see here. Initial consultations are conducted by Skype or telephone. For clients in Tokyo, a free face-to-face consultation is possible after an initial Skype or telephone consultation. I only work with a limited number of clients per year and believe that an initial consultation is the best way to determine whether there is a good fit. Whether you use my service or another, I suggest making certain that the fit feels right to you.

-Adam Markus
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