Stanford GSB Essay 2: What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?

This is the third of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for Class of 2015 Admission. The five posts are overall comments, Essay 1, Essay 2, Essay 3, and additional information/resume/employment history/activities.  My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here. In addition to the Class of 2015 posts, I also recommend reading and/or listening to my presentation, "So you want to get into Stanford GSB?" which was made to a Japanese audience in March 2011. That presentation focuses on issues that are applicable to all applicants as well as some issues specific to Japanese applicants.

In the 2011-2012 application cycle, I had one client admitted in R1 and one client in R2. You can find results and/or testimonials from my clients admitted to to the Stanford Classes of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 here.  My full Stanford results prior to the Class of 2014 can be found here. My clients admitted to Stanford GSB have come from China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States and have had extremely diverse professional and educational backgrounds. The advice I provide below is based on that experience.

What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?
A good answer to Essay 2 will do the following three things:

1. The essay demonstrates that applicant intends to be an agent of change in whatever career he or she pursues after his or her MBA.

2. The applicant's career goals are believable.

3. The applicant can clearly and effectively explain why Stanford GSB is the ideal MBA program to attend in order to achieve his or her goals.

If you have a draft of Essay 2 that does these three things, chances are that you are well on your way to writing a great essay. 

I think the inclusion of "REALLY" reflects the fact that Stanford was tired of receiving answers to this question that were simply based on what applicants thought Stanford wanted to hear.  I can say that my past clients who received interview invitations as well as the the smaller group of those who were admitted were able to put forward goals that do all of the following:

1. Consistent with Stanford's mission to "Change lives, Change organizations, Change the world."  This really does matter.  Stanford takes 400 people a year  and is typically admitting approximately 7% of those that apply. It is a precious opportunity to go there and hence giving a spot to someone whose goals are simply mundane and not focused on impacting the wider world is not what Dean Bolton and his team are interested in doing. I had known this before meeting Dean Bolton when I was part of a group of admissions consultants who met with him in 2011, but I am even more convinced of it now. Whatever your objectives, whether it is to be a partner at a consulting firm, a leading investment banker, a social entrepreneur, a global marketer, an executive in the energy industry, a politician, etc., you need to provide a sense that you have the capability to have wide impact in your chosen field.
2. Consistent with the applicant's biography.  That is to say, applicants have facts in their past experience that must make their goals believable.  I work with reapplicants to Stanford and for those who are dinged without an interview, I frequently find their goals essays lack this consistency. For instance, someone who says they want to go into social entrepreneurship, but has no history of getting involved with non-profit organizations, lacks significant recent volunteer experience, and/or has no significant entrepreneurial experience, simply lacks credibility.  

Before reading the rest of the post, you might want to take a look at interviews I conducted with members of the Class of 2013, Class of 2011, and Class of 2010 as a number of their comments relate directly to Essay 2. If you are considering an entrepreneurial career path, please see one of my earlier posts. Japanese applicants should also take a look at the blog sutebuu survival@Stanford GSB by a member of the Class of 2011, which provides insights into the curriculum and other aspects of life at Stanford. You can find my interview with "Sutebuu" here. 

THIS IS A FUTURE DIRECTED QUESTION
Unlike some other "Why MBA" questions, Stanford is not asking about the past.  You have essays 1 and 3 to discuss 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. For more about writing goals that are both ambitious and visionary, see here.


ARE YOUR GOALS EXCITING?
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. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download the Stanford Business Magazine App for free. You can also read the Stanford Business Magazine online or download it. 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. If you are still trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, you can use the following grid.

A GAP, SWOT AND ROI MATRIX FOR FORMULATING POST-MBA GOALS

YOUR…	Present Career	Post-MBA	GAP BETWEEN PRESENT & FUTURE	DEGREE ROI: What skills and other aspects of the MBA will help you achieve your post-MBA objectives?
ORGANIZATIONAL ROLE	Industry: Function: Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3.	Industry: Function: Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3.	Industry: Function: Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3.	Industry: Function: Responsibilities: 1. 2. 3.
STRENGTHS	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.
WEAKNESSES	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.
OPPORTUNITIES	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.
THREATS	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.	1. 2. 3.

(To use the above table for yourself, simply copy and paste it. I checked it on both Google Docs and MS Word and it works.)

How to use this matrix:

Step 1. Begin by analyzing your "Present Career." What  roles and responsibilities have you had in clubs, part-time jobs, internships, volunteer activities, etc.? 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. 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 your situation 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-MBA" future after you have earned your graduate degree. If you cannot complete this step you need to do more research and need to think more about it. I frequently help clients with this sort of thing through a process of brainstorming.

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, then 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? What are you strengths? What are your weaknesses? What are your goals?

"and why Stanford?"
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 career goals that require Stanford. Assume that for your goals 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 what you want to do after your MBA and why Stanford GSB is the best place for you to do that. 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.

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. 
  

-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.

Q&A with Columbia Law School LL.M Class of 2012 Alumnus

In addition to MBA admissions consulting, I work with a small number of clients each year who are applying to Master of Laws (LL.M.) programs.  I developed expertise on LL.M. consulting back when I still working at was the Princeton Review of Japan.  When I went independent and established my own consulting service and this blog in 2007, I decided to focus primarily on MBA and secondarily on LL.M.   I have been extremely picky about my LL.M. clients.  So far, since going independent, they have all been admitted to Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Chicago, and/or University of California, Berkeley.  More of my LL.M.  clients have been admitted to  and attended Columbia Law School (followed by Harvard) than anywhere else, so it seems fitting that my first LL.M. Q&A should be with a graduate from that program.
 
My former client, CLS2012, who recently graduated from Columbia, describes himself as follows: “I  read law as an undergraduate and worked as a law firm associate for 5 years prior to undertaking the LL.M. program at Columbia University. After graduation,  I returned to work as a senior associate at an international law firm.“
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Adam: Looking back on your Columbia LL.M. experience, what do you think you have gained?

CLS2012: I have gained so much from my Columbia LL.M. experience, including the chance to study under some outstanding professors, to meet and network with other people from all over the world and from all walks of life, and to experience living in New York for a year. I particularly enjoyed the different approach taken by the professors at Columbia as compared to the more conservative approach I had previously been exposed to while studying law as an undergraduate. The professors at Columbia focused not only on what the law is, but what it should be and brought in political, social and economic analysis to inform their legal discussions. This has taught me to approach the law in a more creative and thoughtful way and to think more effectively about problem solving and finding solutions when confronted with legal issues. The experience and knowledge gained has been very valuable and will influence the way I approach and think about the law in my future work and career.

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

CLS2012: The part of the program I enjoyed the most was the flexibility and the ability to tailor the LL.M. program to what one was interested in. There were so many interesting courses that it was really a struggle to fit all that I wanted to do within the number of courses I was allowed. Further, besides the traditional law courses, there were a lot of very practical courses like a course on investment banking where students were taught how to do investment banking work, as well as a large number of other courses on subjects like mergers and acquisitions and deals, which were taught by practitioners from some of the top New York law firms. LL.M. students can also choose to take a number of courses at other schools in Columbia such as Columbia Business School and have the courses taken at the other schools count towards the LL.M. degree. It should be noted that the workload can be heavy, especially if one chooses to do near the maximum number of courses one is allowed to do. Further, the school requires all LL.M. candidates to complete an LL.M. paper, which is a major writing project involving original research, in order to graduate.

The part of the program I liked the least was the fact that a number of the most popular courses were scheduled at the same time, meaning that one had to prioritize the courses one really wanted to do over other courses. This appeared to have been done to ensure that most students had the chance to get into some of the more popular courses, but given that the LL.M. program is only a year long, and that some courses are only conducted once either during the Fall or Spring term, it meant that in some cases, a number of LL.M. students did not get all the courses they wanted. That being said, the large number of courses offered by the law school did mitigate this somewhat and most LL.M. students were relatively happy with the courses they got in the end as it was normally possible for one to get most of the courses one wanted.

Adam:: What most surprised you about Columbia Law School?

CLS2012: The school really went out of its way to try and ensure that all LL.M. students enjoyed themselves during their year there. This was done mainly by the law school and to some extent the university organizing a large number of events, such as frequent drink sessions on Friday evening, a cruise down the Hudson river which went past the Statute of Liberty and many other similar type events to ensure that LL.M. students got to explore and enjoy New York.

Adam:: How would you describe the atmosphere of the school?

CLS2012: In general, the school had a very friendly and welcoming feel to it. LL.M. students take classes with J.D. students and so you get a chance to interact with both the LL.M. and the J.D. students in a number of settings. Most of the people I met in law school were friendly and genuinely interested in meeting and interacting with the other students. One thing to note though is that one tends to get to know and interact more with the J.D. and LL.M. student who happen to be interested in the same subjects and courses. While I knew most of the corporate law focused LL.M. and J.D. students quite well, I had less opportunity to interact with the LL.M. and J.D. students who focused on other subjects such as international law.

The quality of the faculty was amazing. The professors were mostly very nice and made time to speak to and interact with students even though some of them were very eminent names in their chosen fields. A few of the professors were outstanding, in that they were genuinely interested in the progress of their students during the course of the term and frequently revised the structure of their courses in light of student feedback received over the course of the term. Special mention must also go to the staff of the graduate legal studies department who were in charge of LL.M. students. They were lovely and always very helpful even though they were constantly bombarded with questions and issues by the LL.M. students.

Adam:: What are hot topics, activities, classes, etc. at Columbia right now?

CLS2012: There were frequent talks and lectures on a wide range of topics organized by the law school(there were several lectures and workshops held by guest speakers almost every day) including lectures given by two sitting US Supreme Court justices during the time I was there. The University also organized a lot of lectures and conferences and invited a lot of world-renowned speakers to come and speak at the university on a myriad range of topics.  It was an amazing experience to be able to attend some of those lectures.

Adam:: How did you feel about living in New York City?

CLS2012: I loved it. New York City is amazing in terms of the number of things to do. In the time I was there, I visited most of the museums including the Metropolitan Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim Museum, visited a number of tourist spots such as the Statue of Liberty, watched a number of sporting events including the US Open and the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden and tried out all kinds of cuisine at eating places all over New York. The energy and dynamism of New York City just cannot be described, you have to be there to feel it.  

Adam:: Do you have any specific advice for those considering application to Columbia’s LL.M. program?

CLS2012: While good academics are a prerequisite, previous work experience is very important for any potential applicants who wish to apply to Columbia’s LL.M. program. Most of the LL.M. students had at least two to three years of work experience. LL.M. students also came from both the public and the private sector, the admissions committee appears to like diversity in life experiences and the resulting mix of ideas and perspectives it brings to the classroom. The personal statement is very important as it is the main way in which the admissions committee can get a feel as to what your motivations are and whether you are a good fit for the program, not only in terms of what you might gain from it, but also what you can contribute to it. Finally the large number of courses and the flexibility in structuring your program of study means that Columbia is a good fit for both people who already know what they want to focus on and for people who may want to try out and take a range of different subjects that they have not previously studied.  

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

CLS2012: Columbia Law School is situated at the main Columbia University campus in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in Manhattan. Morningside Heights tends to be albeit more quiet and feels more like a student town and an oasis of calm when compared to the hustle and bustle of places like midtown Manhattan and Greenwich Village. I would encourage people considering applying to the Columbia LL.M. program to visit the campus and the law school to get a feel as to whether they would like living in Morningside Heights as well as the atmosphere at the law school and/or Columbia University in general. The good news is that if you like hustle and bustle, the more lively parts of Manhattan are just a short subway ride away from Morningside Heights.

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I want to thank  for taking the time to answer my questions. 

-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.

米国ロースクール 米国大学法学院 大学院入学 カウンセリング コンサルティング 合格対策 合格率 エッサイ LLM留学 

Stanford GSB Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why?

This is the second of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for Class of 2015 Admission. The five posts are overall comments, Essay 1, Essay 2, Essay 3, and additional information/resume/employment history/activities. My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here. In addition to the Class of 2015 posts, I also recommend reading and/or listening to my presentation, "So you want to get into Stanford GSB?" which was made to a Japanese audience in March 2011. That presentation focuses on issues that are applicable to all applicants as well as some  issues specific to Japanese applicants.

In the 2011-2012 application cycle, I had one client admitted in R1 and one client in R2. You can find results and/or testimonials from my clients admitted to to the Stanford Classes of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 here.  My full Stanford results prior to the Class of 2014 can be found here. My clients admitted to Stanford GSB have come from China, India, Japan, South Korea, and the United States and have had extremely diverse professional and educational backgrounds. The advice I provide below is based on that experience.

"What matters most to you, and why?"

This is the classic Stanford GSB essay question.  If you want to enter into the MBA Class of 2015, you will need to find your answer to it.  Essay 1 for admission to the  2013 entering MBA class has not changed and it would have been big news if it had.
 

WHERE DO SUCCESSFUL ANSWERS TO ESSAY 1 COME FROM?
In my experience, answers to this question that result in acceptance come from the HEART and the HEAD. The two combined will allow you to tell your story about what matters most. GSB's Admissions Director, Derrick Bolton, makes this very clear in his advice regarding the question:
In the first essay, tell a story—and tell a story that only you can tell.This essay should be descriptive and told in a straightforward and sincere way. This probably sounds strange, since these are essays for business school, but we don’t expect to hear about your business experience in this essay (though, of course, you are free to write about whatever you would like).Remember that we have your entire application—work history, letters of reference, short-answer responses, etc.—to learn what you have accomplished and the type of impact you have made. Your task in this first essay is to connect the people, situations, and events in your life with the values you adhere to and the choices you have made. This essay gives you a terrific opportunity to learn about yourself!Many good essays describe the "what," but great essays move to the next order and describe how and why these "whats" have influenced your life.The most common mistake applicants make is spending too much time describing the "what" and not enough time describing how and why these guiding forces have shaped your behavior, attitudes, and objectives in your personal and professional lives.
While you will need to consider the leadership implications of what matters most to you. I suggest beginning with no fixed assumptions about what Stanford wants here. One of the easiest ways to write a bad version of Essay 1 is to have a theme that does not directly relate to your actual experience: Round pegs do not fit into square holes.
HEART: The admits I worked with found what matters most to them by looking inside of themselves and finding something essential about who they are. No one is reducible to a core single concept, a single motivation, or any other sort of singularity, but certain things do make each of us tick. Beyond the most basic things of survival, what motivates you? What do you live for? What do you care about? How do you relate to other people? Are you driven by a particular idea or issue? Where do you find meaning?
HEAD: Once you think you have identified that essential thing that matters most to you, begin analyzing it. What is its source? WHY does it remain important to you? HOW? How does it relate to the career aspirations you discuss in Essay 2?
The heart will tell what it is, but the head must explain it. From my perspective, great answers to this question combine a very strong analytical foundation-A FULL ANSWER TO WHY AND HOW IS MANDATORY- and specific examples. Avoid the common mistake that Derrick Bolton mentions above of ignoring the "Why?" and the "How?" by focusing too much on the "What?"

If you are having difficulty answering Essay 1 to your own satisfaction, I have few suggestions:
1. Write some other schools essays first. In the process of doing so, you may discover the answer. This has worked for a number of my clients, while other prefer focusing on Stanford first. Both ways can work well.
2. Stanford admissions repeatedly emphasizes that there is no one right answer. Some applicants become paralyzed because they want THE RIGHT MESSAGE. You need to fully account for who you are and what you have done, but should not try to overly sell yourself to Stanford because that is simply at odds with the way in which the school selects candidates. Therefore don't focus on finding THE RIGHT MESSAGE, instead be honest and give an answer that is real.
If you are having some more fundamental difficulties with this question, one book I suggest taking a look at is Victor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning. This classic is worth a look for anyone who is thinking about what their life is about. Frankl makes us think about meaning from the most extreme of perspectives, inside a concentration camp, and in the process helps us to understand that meaning itself is deeply tied to our own survival. If you need to engage in some self-reflection, Frankl’s book is one place to start. I might also suggest reading Plato or doing some mediation, but in my experience those take more time and Frankl's book has the advantage of being short, inexpensive, available at many libraries, and has been translated from the original German into twenty-two languages.

3. The answer may be real, but is it a good one? If you are not sure, look critically at Stanford GSB's mission statement:
Our mission is to create ideas that deepen and advance our understanding of management and with those ideas to develop innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change the world.
Does what matters most to you fit within this mission? Think about this statement in the widest possible way. Given the small class size and the highly collaborative nature of the program, admissions will only be doing its job right if they select students who fit into Stanford GSB's mission. Stanford is looking for leaders, but leaders come in many forms and the values and ideals that inform them vary greatly. In my experience, Stanford highly values "Thought Leaders" as well as those who demonstrate more standard forms of leadership. If what matters most to you is something that admissions can clearly connect to informing your ideals as a leader and your professional goals than you are on the way to forming an effective answer to what is Stanford's most unique essay question.

3. MAKE A CHOICE! All successful versions of this essay that I have read involve making a choice. That is to say, you must actually clearly indicate something that matters most. As someone who is frequently contacted by those who have failed to obtain admission to Stanford and want to know why, I often find that they don't make this choice. Their "what matters most" lacks clarity and unity. Make a clear choice and really explore it. This will best reveal your self-awareness and your passion.

-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.

Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for Class of 2015

This is the first of five posts analyzing the Stanford GSB MBA Essay Questions for Class of 2015 Admission. The five posts are overall comments, Essay 1, Essay 2, Essay 3, and additional information/resume/employment history/activities. My analysis of Stanford GSB interviews can be found here. In addition to the Class of 2015 posts, I also recommend reading and/or listening to my presentation, "So you want to get into Stanford GSB?" which was made to a Japanese audience in March 2011. That presentation focuses on issues that are applicable to all applicants as well as some issues specific to Japanese applicants. 

In the 2011-2012 application cycle, I had one client admitted in R1 and one client in R2. You can find results and/or testimonials from my clients admitted to to the Stanford Classes of 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, and 2010 here.  My full Stanford results prior to the Class of 2014 can be found here. My clients admitted to Stanford GSB have come from China, India, Japan,South Korea, and the United States and have had extremely diverse professional and educational backgrounds. The advice I provide below is based on that experience.

In this post I provide some overall comments about the Stanford GSB MBA essay set for admission to the Class of 2015, an analysis of the centrality of demonstrating Stanford GSB's three central admissions criteria- Intellectual Vitality,  Demonstrated Leadership Potential, and Personal Qualities and Qualifications-, and some suggestions for how to proceed in order to put together a great application for Stanford GSB.

Here are the complete essays and instructions from the Stanford GSB website:

Essay Questions for Class of 2015
(entering Fall 2013)

Tell us in your own words who you are. Answer essay questions 1, 2, and one of the three options for essay 3.

• Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why?
  • The best examples of Essay 1 reflect the process of self-examination that you have undertaken to write them.
  • They give us a vivid and genuine image of who you are—and they also convey how you became the person you are.
  • They do not focus merely on what you've done or accomplished. Instead, they share with us the values, experiences, and lessons that have shaped your perspectives.
  • They are written from the heart and address not only a person, situation, or event, but also how that person, situation, or event has influenced your life.
• Essay 2: What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford?
  • Use this essay to explain your view of your future, not to repeat accomplishments from your past.
  • You should address two distinct topics:
    • your career aspirations
    • and your rationale for earning your MBA at Stanford, in particular.
  • The best examples of Essay 2 express your passions or focused interests, explain why you have decided to pursue graduate education in management,  and demonstrate your desire to take advantage of the opportunities that are distinctive to the Stanford MBA Program.
• Essay 3: Answer one of the three 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.
• Option A: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
• Option B: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you identified and pursued an opportunity to improve an organization.
• Option C: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you went beyond what was defined or established.

Essay Length

Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot exceed 1,600 words.

You have your own story to tell, so please allocate the 1,600 words among all of the essays in the way that is most effective for you. We provide some guidelines below as a starting point, but you should feel comfortable to write as much or as little as you like on any essay question, as long as you do not exceed 1,600 words total.

• Essay 1: 750 words
• Essay 2: 450 words
• Essay 3: 400 words

Formatting

• Use a 12-point font, double spaced
• Recommended fonts are Arial, Courier, and Times New Roman
• Indicate which essay question you are answering at the beginning of each essay (this does not count towards the 1,600 word limit).
• Number all pages
• Upload all three essays as one document
• Preview the uploaded document to ensure that the formatting is true to the original
• Save a copy of your essays

Editing Your Essays

Begin work on these essays early, to give yourself time to reflect, write, and edit.

Feel free to ask your friends or family members to provide constructive feedback. When you ask for feedback, ask if the essays' tone sounds like your voice. It should. Your family and friends know you better than anyone else. If they do not believe that the essays capture who you are, how you live, what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely the Committee on Admissions will be unable to recognize what is most distinctive about you.

There is a big difference, however, between 'feedback' and 'coaching.' There are few hard and fast rules, but you cross a line when any part of the application (excluding the Letters of Reference) ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word.

Appropriate feedback occurs when you show someone your completed application, perhaps one or two times, and are apprised of errors or omissions.

In contrast, inappropriate coaching occurs when your application or your self-presentation is colored by someone else.

You best serve your own interests when your personal thoughts, individual voice, and unique style remain intact at the end of your editing process.

It is improper and a violation of the terms of this application process, to have someone else write any part of your Stanford MBA Program application. Such an act will result in denial of your application or withdrawal of your offer of admission.

Additional Information

If there is any other information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, please include it. 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 or peer
• Explanation of criminal conviction, criminal charges sustained against you in a juvenile proceeding, and/or court-supervised probation
• Explanation of academic suspension or expulsion
• Any other information that you did not have sufficient space to complete in another section of the application (please begin the information in the appropriate section)
• Additional work experience that cannot fit into the space provided
• Additional information about your academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere

I know that was long, but I think it is really important to actually read the whole thing. Especially note the three year limit on Essay 3 topics and the fact that you can decide how to divide your 1600 words amongst the three essays. The rest of this post consists of my general comments on Stanford GSB and writing the essays. Specific essay questions are analyzed in the rest of this series.

USE ADAM'S AMAZING STANFORD WORD COUNTER!
I 'developed' a very simply spreadsheet so that word count between essays can be easily calculated simultaneously.  You can find it as a shared GoogleDoc here. You have 1600 words to play with, but you don't have to use them in any particular way.  I can say that my successful clients distributed word count in a variety of ways. 

INTELLECTUAL VITALITY
The simple reality is that Stanford is for really smart people. My clients who get interviews and most certainly those who are admitted are, without exception, objectively smart people. One primary way, but not the only way, to measure this criteria is by looking at the key numbers (Taken from the premium version of US News & World Report):
GPA: Average 3.7 80% range from 3.36-3.97
GMAT:  Average 730   80% range from: 680 to 770
When I am helping clients determine whether to apply to Stanford, GPA is a major consideration, simply because the numbers make that clear enough.  While GMAT can be a hinderance, it is a solvable problem, whereas undergraduate GPA is simply a fact.

When I am talking with a client or potential, if I have somebody with a really strong academic background and I see a real sense of purpose and focus to their academic and professional career, I might advise them to apply to Stanford. And in the last few years, I have literally convinced three of my clients to apply to Stanford because basically I said "Hey, you’re perfect, you’re what they are looking for."  And that’s a sense.  It’s not objective.  And so, it’s just based on my experience. I am not always right about this, but I am right about it enough of the time to think I know when I have an applicant who is right for Stanford.

The Curriculum: Hard!
Consider what my former client, a member of the Class of 2010, said in an interview with me:
Adam: How hard was the first year?
Yukihiro: The first year in GSB was very tough! Especially in the first quarter, students must prepare hard for each class and deal with tons of readings and assignments. Actually, if there is one thing I have to complain about the program, it is that there is a risk that the understanding about each subject might be become halfway due to the lack of time. Even American students said the first quarter was very tough. Also, there are a lot of parties, networking and recruiting events in MBA. The students must manage their time efficiently to tackle the academic requirements.

When I visited GSB in May 2010, I had the opportunity to meet with Yukihiro as well as a former client who is a member of the Class of 2011, both expressed that the program was challenging. Please also see my interview with a member of the Class of 2011 as he also discusses this issue.

DEMONSTRATED LEADERSHIP: THE CENTRAL ROLE OF LEADERSHIP AT STANFORD
Stanford should, like HBS, be associated with a leadership-focused education. Consider what Stanford says about its First Year Curriculum: These required courses in the first quarter and second quarter are designed to give students insight into the perspective of a senior manager and leader. A 2008 blog post by Stanford GSB's Director of Evaluation, indicated the extent to which there is a focus in the essay set itself on finding students who demonstrate leadership potential:
We wanted to develop a set of questions that would stand the test of time--that would effectively elicit only the information most critical to our assessment criteria.
The 2008/2009 questions have changed little from last year; based on our satisfaction with the thousands of essay responses we read last year, we only made slight refinements.
Let me summarize why each of them is meaningful to our committee:
Essay A [WHAT IS NOW ESSAY 1]: What matters most to you and why?
This question helps us learn about your ideals and values. They set the context for how you see the world. They are your guideposts when you make any decision from what type of job you pursue to what type of culture you will create in leading an organization.
Essay B [Now 2]: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?
This question helps us understand your professional dreams and from where your passion comes to achieve them. We also get a glimpse of what skills or knowledge you think you need to develop to reach them.....
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 [Now 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.
Good luck completing your application this year. I hope my "confessions" have given you a little more insight into the journey you are about to begin.
Moss's "confession" makes it very clear that rather than having completely open-ended criteria about who will fit at Stanford, the admissions committee is specifically looking to admit applicants who can (ESSAY 1) express values and ideals that will guide them as leaders and/or decision makers, (ESSAY 2) express why their professional goals require a Stanford MBA education, and (ESSAY 3) clearly demonstrate leadership potential. Though the wording of the questions has changed since 2008 and Essay 3 now consists of a single story, the overall structure of the Stanford essay has not changed. They are still looking for those with clear leadership potential.

PERSONAL QUALITIES AND QUALIFICATIONS
I think reading what Stanford says about  Personal Qualities and Qualifications is the best place to start when thinking about this third criteria.  In essence, Stanford wants to why should be a part of the 6%-7% of the applicant pool that they will be admitting.  What makes you stand out?  How will contribute?  What is it about your experience and attitude that will not only make you a good fit for Stanford, but will give you the potential to make an impact to the Stanford community?  This does not just come out in one particular place, but is something will come of your entire application as well as in an interview.  

STANFORD IS LOOKING FOR HONESTY
In my analysis of Essay 1, I will discuss the critical importance of providing honest answers to Stanford's questions, but the following comments from Derrick Bolton apply to the essay set as a whole:
Please think of the Stanford essays as conversations on paper—when we read files, we feel that we meet people, also known as our "flat friends"—and tell us your story in a natural, genuine way.
Our goal is to understand what motivates you and how you have become the person you are today. In addition, we’re interested in what kind of person you wish the Stanford MBA Program to help you become.
Reflective, insightful essays help us envision the individual behind all of the experiences and accomplishments that we read about elsewhere in your application.
I can confirm that what has always made a winning set of essays for Stanford is the ability to commit to making an honest and insightful presentation of yourself. Based on my experience I can say the following are not effective:
1. Over-marketing: While I believe in the value of the marketing metaphor to some degree, I also believe you have to be able to understand that a crude, over-determined approach to doing so will not work here (For more about this, click here).   If you are not real, you fail as one of Derrick Bolton's "flat friends."
2. Not writing your own essays. If your essays are not written in your own voice and don't reflect your English ability, don't expect to make it past Derrick Bolton's team. My own approach to helping my clients does not involve me writing their essays, but instead I act as a coach, a close reader, and someone who can benchmark their work against those who have been admitted. I make the assumption that overly cooked essays that look like they were written by a professional journalist when you are not one or by a native English speaker when you are not one or similar inconsistencies are unlikely to succeed.

IS STANFORD RIGHT FOR YOU? Stanford really does provide great advice about both the Stanford GSB essays and about how to handle your applications. Review the curriculum, the school's mission statement, and the vast online resources (including a blog, podcasts, and "Myth Busters" ) that admissions provides to make this determination.  Also see my discussion of Stanford GSB in my analysis of Essay 2. Don't make assumptions about what Stanford GSB is or based on what someone told you it is. Instead, make that determination yourself after sufficient research. If you are thinking about Stanford GSB and have not yet attended one of their Outreach Events, I suggest doing so if you can. Visiting when school is in session is ideal.

SHOULD I WRITE ESSAY 1 OR 2 OR 3 FIRST?
Applicants often ask me this question. I think it is important that your goals, Essay 2, be clearly established first. If you think about it, what matters to you most (Essay 1) must be consistent with and complimentary to your goals. As far as Essay 3 goes, the potential you show through the skills and values that you demonstrate in Essay 3 must also support the goals you write about in Essay 2. Therefore start with Essay 2.
As to whether you should then do 1 or 3, chances are, if you have written a bunch of essays for other schools first, that you have multiple options for Essay 3, but don't make any final decisions on Essay 3 until you write Essay 1 because you might very well find that a particular story that is ideal for Essay 1 was one you were considering  for Essay 3. Use your best examples to support what you say matters to you most because you should try to make your answer to Essay 1, the only truly Stanford specific question, as strong as possible.

CONCLUSION
Getting into Stanford GSB is simply harder than getting into any other MBA program, but if it is where you want to go and if you think you fit there, commit to putting a significant amount of time into making a great application.

-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.