Calling All Stanford Fall 2010 applicants!

1. Please describe your relationship to the candidate, and describe the circumstances under which you have known him/her.
2. How does the candidate’s performance compare to other well-qualified individuals in similar roles?
3. What (if any) legacy has this candidate left on your organization?
4. Describe the most constructive feedback you have given the candidate. Please also detail the circumstances that caused you to give the feedback.
5. Is there anything else (positive or negative) we should know about the candidate?

The questions largely overlap with HBS. The only somewhat unique question Stanford asks is #3 about legacy.

Congrats to everyone on making it through the first 5 weeks of waiting - only 5 more to go! I hope that you've been anxiously, busily engaged in good causes. My time has been divided between cancer, deaths, work, theater, and NaNoWriMo; I guess with or without an interview invitation, we live life and make plans to move forward no matter what happens.

On a side note, has anyone been successful in contacting clubs & professors for more information on the social & cultural environment at Stanford? I thought it might be a faux pas, but the admissions office suggested it would be worth trying to reach out to the professors and cross-curricular clubs that fit my interests. I've tried a half dozen times with no response. I'm not sure whether my/their email server is relegating my messages to Junk mail, they are simply too busy to respond to external inquiries, or if I'm asking the wrong questions. Whether I attend Stanford or not, I'd like to understand the culture behind the GSB's environment beyond the facts and profiles on the web.

Actually, I did contact one of the clubs very successfully. The president of the club replied my email right away and then we talked over the phone for about an hour or so. I have also been in contact with current students and recent grads to get a feel of the culture of the school. Anyways, I have not received an invite so far and I am losing my hopes a bit...

Contacting clubs = very common and a good idea. Contacting a prof probably not the best idea unless they are a family friend...it wont help you at all to talk to them and they probably will be far too busy (or least they should be). I know my profs get flooded with email from current students, have office hours, teach classes, work on research and papers...bothering to talk to applicants not gonna be very high on their list of priorities.

Pretty true Snowhappy. Atleast as an international applicant, it is OK to face the 'no call' situation positively. STANFORD is definitely a life changing tag but in the current ailing US economy thats posed to be in only recovery mode for another decade, what great chances does an Indian have, to get some world class post MBA work ex?? ( especially with the increasing reluctance amongst US best to work places to sponsor for H1 B!!!)

Wudnt even GSB MBA be a mere opportunity for some bright minds to meet and study for 2 years at a world class place and get back to India (say) for a start up or a entry level executive post???

I know this is very negative an attitude for a person on THIS thread but its a very positive way of thinking in the present times ahead of an international applicant!! Wat say people?

R

Does anyone know of any interview invites from India? Find it really hard to believe that no invites for Indian applicants have gone so far.

@tempguy
I was so sure of at least an interview call, but nothing so far...

@northernstar

I was also pretty confident man . BTW could you share your profile ?

I am in touch with guys from all the top management consulting firms. Many (around 8) of them have already got interview invites from HBS but none from Stan. It is highly unlikely that no one amongst them (as all of them are highly accomplished individuals) would get that unless the interview invites are not yet out. Some Indian in the BW forum got an invite, but he is an undergrad from US working in US currently.

From what I and others could figure out, it has something to do with arranging alumni interviews. Seems like the delay is coz of the alumni-interviewee pairing and fixing time. This does happen at times, especially with schools where interviews are taken by alums. So I believe that interview invites for Indians will flow in together within a week's period. That week can even be as late as early December... so don't worry as long as no one from India received the invite

Cheers!

@tempoguy,

i might be older than most of you guys...turned 29 last month..750 GMAT, one of top non-IIT engg colleges in India, good overall percentage, 4 years international experience, reasonably successful entrepreneur now for last 3 years, several firsts to my credit in India, been involved with NGOs years before I started thinking of MBA, founded the first one in 2006, good mix of other extra curricular activities...

Till a few days ago I felt I had a decent chance

@northernstar

Awesome Profile! almost a dream profile for Stan..

@lostphoton Thank you so much for sharing man

@northernstart Old or Young you have a fab profile, has given me hope that invites have indeed not trickled out yet. All the very best to everyone!

I am a reapp. Applied last year, was interviewed, as was on the WL till late June. So far, not a word about an interview from GSB on the second go-around.

I would say to keep the faith, though. I got my interview invite about a month before the decision date (remember, the process was much longer last year--apps were due late October, and decisions weren't released till late January). A good number of other people got their invites around the same time, and a couple days later, Bolton posted that the bulk of invites had gone out. I'd say keep up the faith until he posts a similar message goes up. My guess would be that no more than 60% of invites have gone oue.

And if you look on BW forums, Sandy just confirmed what I said about the GSB interviews, that they are essentially meaningless (unless you shoot yourself in the foot). Good luck all!

Hi - thanks for your thoughts -- if the interviews are essentially meaningless, then what is the reason that there are so many people that get waitlisted or dinged after the interview? Do you suppose it's because they've "shot themselves in the foot" as you said, or is it really just that the interview is used to screen for culture fit and that Stanford admissions has pretty much made up its mind about most candidates already?

They do keep a HUGE waitlist, and the reason is because of yield and uncertainty about the volume/quality in the next round. They want to see how the next round's apps look, and see who accepts their offers (most of the ppl they lose are of course to HBS).

Another reason why they keep such a huge WL is b/c they literally fills spots to the seat, so if you are on the WL, really the only shot of you getting in is if an admit with your EXACT profile turns down the offer.

WL really has nothing to do with the interview.

I got an interview from Stanford last week and completed my interview early this week. All the questions were very standard Stanford interview questions and no surprises. Though I did find the interview very structured. Don't be disheartened if you didn't get an interview yet because I applied early 9/20 and Stanford started looking at applications before the submission deadline this year. Best of luck to you all. Hit me up with any questions if you have them.
I am:

Indian male software guy,
In New York
23 yrs
770/3.9 US undergrad

Hey guys!

I just joined and have been reading through your emoticons of pain, and (some) joy! Anyway, since you guys seem to be pretty well-informed on what profiles get in and what profiles don't get in, I wanted to know your thoughts on my unorthodox profile. I'm applying R2.

Graduated in 2006, 3 Yrs of work experience. 27 years old, however. (2 Yrs away from school to do athletics)
GMAT: 690 (will retake)
GPA: 3.42 from Ivy League, Econ major GPA: 3.63
-Olympic Team member, trained full-time while in school (when injured, GPA jumped to 3.93; however, when not injured.......you can do the math)
Working for bulge-braket ibank
Trustee of $60 million foundation
Significant leadership experience in Olympic federation for my sport

Any feedback or application strategies would be awesome guys!

AND best of luck!!!!!!! I'll add a couple happy emoticons to make up for the overwhelmingly sucky ones.