Stanford GSB MBA Application Essay Tips Analysis Deadlines [20212022]

Question

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In terms of its application, Stanford is once again re-using its essay questions. And there’s good reason for the recycling: Stanford has excellent questions that succinctly  get to the heart of what Stanford wants to know  about you. They are not easy questions to answer, but they are thoughtful, probing ones.

Last year, Stanford GSB also added  optional short answer questions  to its application.

Stanford gives a lot of advice and guidance on its website as to what it’s looking for in the essays. You should access that advice in addition to reviewing my suggestions below.

Stanford GSB 2020-21 MBA application essay questions

Essays help us learn about who you are rather than solely what you have done. Other parts of the application give insight to your academic and professional accomplishments; the essays reveal the person behind those achievements.

We request that you write two personal essays.

In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams. There is no “right answer” to these questions—the best answer is the one that is truest for you.

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

For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?
 
This superficially straightforward question has been Stanford’s first for at least the last seventeen years, but it is actually one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult MBA essay question to answer. Superficial responses will fail. The prompt demands introspection. Before you put finger to keyboard or pen to paper, really reflect on what you value, how you have acted upon those principles, and why you live by them. Stanford’s advice urges reflection. The question requires it.

When I reflect on our many successful Stanford clients, initiative in the face of need is the common thread among them. They are always the ones who showed, especially in Essay A, that they do not turn away when they see a problem or need for action. They grab the initiative when faced with an opportunity to contribute. They are comfortable expressing emotion and their values, and their actions reflect both, but particularly the latter. Think purpose-driven, principled lives and leadership.

More than anything else, initiative and self-awareness characterize the successful Stanford MBA applicant. Implication: You have to know your values and those times you have acted upon them. Yes I wrote that a few seconds ago, but it bears repeating. Climbing Mt. Everest or suffering from terrible social ills is not a requirement of admission, but you do have to know the person occupying your skin.

Stanford MBA Essay B: Why Stanford?

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.
 
Now that question is succinct, and really says what they want to know.

Two pieces of information are required to answer this question well: A clear MBA goal and an in-depth understanding of  Stanford GSB’s curriculum . (Folks: It’s not just the ranking, brand, or location.)

This question is a variation of a  standard MBA goals question . For this forward-looking question, discuss why you want an MBA. The best way to do so is in terms of your desired post-MBA professional direction. Then explain how specifically Stanford’s highly customizable program will help you travel down that path.

Do your homework. You need to know what are the distinctive characteristics of the Stanford MBA program, or you simply can’t answer the question. Understand the flexibility inherent in Stanford’s curriculum, its integrated approach to management education, its entrepreneurial culture, and how all these elements (and others) will help you learn what you need to know to realize your aspirations. Recognize that the curriculum allows for personalization based on your goal and your past experience, specifically your previous business education.

Please do NOT write that you want to attend Stanford because of “the flexibility inherent in Stanford’s curriculum, its integrated approach to management, its entrepreneurial culture….” That phrasing is too general for your specific reasons (and besides the Stanford adcom can google the phrase if they see it too often and see that you found it here). Go deeper and be more distinctive in your writing so that you really tie your goals to different facets of Stanford’s MBA program.

Length

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B. We often find effective essays that are written in fewer words.

Formatting :

* Double-spaced

* Number all pages

* Upload one document that includes both essays

Be sure to save a copy of your essays, and preview the uploaded document to ensure that the formatting is preserved.

Stanford MBA optional short-answer questions

In this section, we provide an optional opportunity for you to discuss some of your contributions and background more fully. What do we mean by “optional”? We truly mean you have the opportunity to choose. In evaluating your application, we want to know about who you are, what you have done, and how your background may have influenced your experiences. If you feel that you’ve already addressed these questions well in other areas of the application, congratulations, you’re done! If not, feel free to use this opportunity to tell us more by answering one or both questions.

Optional short-answer question #1

Think about times you’ve created a positive impact, whether in professional, extracurricular, academic, or other settings. What was your impact? What made it significant to you or to others?

In the Essays section of the application, we ask you to tell us about who you are and how you think Stanford will help you achieve your aspirations. We are also interested in learning about the things you have done that are most meaningful to you. If you would like to go beyond your resume to discuss some of your contributions more fully, you are welcome to share up to three examples. (Up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words, for each example)

I think this question gets to the heart of the initiative, impact, and leadership we’ve seen in successful Stanford applicants. It gives you more opportunity to show those times when you’ve made a difference.

While the question is officially optional, Stanford wants people of impact. Show the Stanford GSB that you are that kind of person. All the essays should lead Stanford to that conclusion.

Using a CAR approach with each example would be very effective for these short responses:

Challenge: What was the situation or issue you were addressing?

Action: What did you do?

Result: What was the impact of your actions on you and others and why does it matter?

Given the character limit, you clearly need to be concise.

Optional short-answer question #2

Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation at work or school.

We know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. We are interested in how your background may have influenced your life experiences. In answering this question, consider how your background, such as your work, education, skills, interests, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, where/how you grew up, and/or other factors, had an impact on your recent actions and choices. How did one specific aspect of your background influence whether or how you participated in a situation, interaction, or project? (Up to 1,100 characters, or approximately 180 words)

For expert guidance with your Stanford GSB MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages, which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to Stanford’s MBA program and look forward to helping you too!

Stanford GSB 2020-21 MBA application deadlines

Round 1 application deadline: September 15, 2020 
Round 2 application deadline: January 6, 2021 
Round 3 application deadline: April 6, 2021

Your completed application, including your letters of reference and application fee payment, is due at 4:00 p.m. Pacific Time on the deadline date for the round in which you apply.

Source: Stanford GSB website

Stay on top of MBA deadlines with the MBA Admissions Calendar!

Click here  to add the calendar to your Google calendar.]

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/58291/hub_generated/resized/bd1da214-0d41-4aef-b7cc-d63a2ffc59d3.jpeg

https://blog.accepted.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Linda-Abraham-80x80.jpg  
 By  Linda Abraham , president and founder of Accepted and co-author of the definitive book on MBA admissions, MBA Admission for Smarties: The No-Nonsense Guide to Acceptance at Top Business Schools.

Related Resources:

*  Why MBA? , a free guide to writing about your MBA goals
*  Stanford MBA Grows His Amazing Tech Startup , a podcast episode
*  Stanford MBA Class of 2021 Profile

This article  originally appeared on  blog.accepted.com .

Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.

Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you  get accepted!

myEssayReview · Answer

Stanford's Graduate School of Business, the top Silicon Valley B-school, is one of the most selective business schools in the world. The school prides itself on innovation in the classroom and emphasis on new ideas and cutting-edge developments.
From the Stanford website, "Our global reputation is hard-earned. Stanford GSB offers unparalleled opportunities that will help you launch a meaningful career and make an impact."

Application Deadlines:

The deadlines for the 2020-21 season are listed below.

Round Application Deadline Admissions Decision Posted

Round 1 September 15, 2020 December 10, 2020
Round 2 January 6, 2021 April 1, 2021
Round 3 April 6, 2021 May 20, 2021

Applications are due by 4 p.m. PST on the day of the deadline. For additional information on applying, please visit the Stanford GSB admissions website.

Essays:

Like previous years, the Stanford Graduate School of Business asks MBA applicants to submit the same two required essay questions. It has reduced the word limit from 1,150-words to 1050 words, with the recommendation of using 650 words for Essay A and 400 for Essay B. All of you have your own story to tell, so please allocate these words between the essays in a way that is most effective for you. We often find effective essays written in far fewer words.

Stanford GSB offers guidelines and advice on its website for writing essays, "Essays help us learn about who you are rather than solely what you have done. Other parts of the application give insight to your academic and professional accomplishments; the essays reveal the person behind those achievements. In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams. There is no "right answer" to these questions—the best answer is the one that is truest for you."

Explicit instructions for formatting are given on Stanford Website. The essays should have double space with a number on all pages. Only one document that includes both essays is to be uploaded. The short-answer response will not be uploaded in your essays upload; use the text boxes in the application for the optional essay.

When writing Stanford essays, our best advice is simple: answer the question. Resist the urge to 'package' yourself into what you think Stanford wants to see. Doing so will only prevent you from understanding who you are and what you hope to accomplish. The most impressive essays, after all, are the most authentic ones.

Here is MER's analysis of Stanford GSB's essays:

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

For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you've identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

This is one of the most challenging essays asked by the business schools, and Stanford has asked applicants this essay question for a long time now. This essay requires you to introspect and reflect on your experiences and lessons learned along the journey. The answer to this question will reveal the undisclosed profound side of the applicant that cannot be found anywhere in the application. This essay is an opportunity to demonstrate who you are, what motivates you, and why. We would like you to do some deep self-reflection, so you can genuinely illustrate who you are and how you became the person you are. Instead of focusing merely on what you have done or accomplished, share insights, experiences, and lessons that shaped your perspective. Write from the heart, and illustrate how a person, situation, or event has influenced you. Focus on the 'why' rather than the 'what.'

We are who we are because of the experiences and events that we have gone through in our life. To brainstorm ideas for this essay, you will need to look back and reflect on your past experiences - growing up years, schooling, college, professional life, volunteer activities, general interests, etc., and look for some common thread that runs through some or all of them. Since there is no direct answer to this essay, do not try to write a response right away. Prewriting your experiences to identify a unifying theme would be of great help. Try to focus on life experiences that have shaped your values and priorities all these years. Don't shy away from sharing the challenging experiences– often tough experiences make us stronger and instill a zeal in us to fight. Whatever stories you choose, focus on their impact on your life and your values.

As you recount your experiences, make sure to share your thought process- how you felt, thought, and reacted at that time and what lessons you eventually learned. I suggest providing a chronological account of events that have influenced your thoughts, values, and beliefs and have shaped you into a person you are now with your firm belief system and priorities. Please remember this essay is not directly about your accomplishments; it is about your values and perspectives that you have developed over the years. So, your focus has to be on the events, people, and anecdotes that made you the unique person you are today. Also, elucidate here how you have translated your values into actions. This way, your accomplishments will naturally stem from your values and priorities.

Essay B: Why Stanford?
Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

The second essay concentrates on the candidates' career goals and reasons for pursuing a management degree at Stanford. After you have explained in the first essay what matters most to you in life, you need to tell why your next step is a Stanford MBA. Explain why you are interested in pursuing an MBA, and why you specifically want to attend Stanford GSB. You need to have clarity regarding your goals and the additional training you require, which a Stanford MBA can provide. Thorough research of the school's resources and curriculum will help you determine how the Stanford MBA program aligns with your aspirations. Instead of mapping out a specific career path in this essay, applicants should focus on defining the broad impact they aim to make on a service, a sector, or society. While Essay A is your opportunity to explain what matters most to you, Essay B allows you to show how you would use your time at Stanford to further your career and what matters most to you. In a way, Essay B picks up from where Essay A ends.

Be as specific as possible in your response to provide evidence that you have done your research. You should know everything about the aspects of the program that interest you the most. Talk about specific classes, programs, collaboration with other parts of the school, clubs, conferences, or other offerings that distinguish Stanford from other top business schools. Are there any particular courses that appeal to you most? Have you met current students and alumni? Have you attended any admission events that offered you additional insights about the programs and confirmed your decision to apply to Stanford? Are there any professors whose classes you are most excited about?

Stanford likes to see applicants who have big dreams and have the potential to realize those dreams. Be bold with your aspirations, but at the same time, be realistic in showing that you have the ability to fulfill your dreams.

Additional Information
If there is any information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, include it in the “Additional Information” section of the application. Pertinent examples include:
• Extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance
• Academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere

As directed in the essay prompt, you may use this essay question to address a weakness in your profile, such as employment gap, low GPA/low GMAT, completion of supplemental work, unusual choice of the recommender, or academic experience not noted elsewhere. Your weakness may also bring out a positive aspect of your personality.

Common Myths about Admissions: Finally, please go through this video by Kristen Moss, Assistant Dean of admissions at Stanford wherein she talks about common myths that some students have about admission to Stanford and what is most important in the application process:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... e=emb_logo

Free Resources:

10 Key Essay Tips with Exampleshttps://myessayreview.com/essay ... ol-essays/
Interviews of Successful MER Students- https://myessayreview.com/category/student-interviews/
An E-book of 30 Essays that Worked - https://myessayreview.com/wp-content/up ... essays.pdf
Case Studies https://myessayreview.com/category/case-studies/

Since 2011, MER (myEssayReview) has helped many applicants get accepted into the top 20 MBA programs, including Stanford. (Poonam is one of the top 5 most reviewed consultants on the GMAT Club.)

Do you have questions about your application for the 2020-21 admission cycle? E-mail Poonam at [email protected] or sign up here for a free consultation.

This blog post was first published in myEssayReview blog.https://myessayreview.com/question-anal ... s-2020-21/

PersonalMBACoach · Answer

Stanford GSB , as expected, did not change the essay questions this year. However, Stanford lowered the combined word limit from 1150 to 1050 words, suggesting clients allocate up to 650 words on Essay A and up to 400 words on Essay B. This will encourage applicants to remain focused and concise in their answers. Below, please find this year’s deadlines along with Personal MBA Coach’s advice on how to approach the two essay questions. Round 1: September 15, 2020 Round 2: January 6, 2021 Round 3: April 6, 2021 Essay A: “What matters most to you, and why? (650 words suggested)” This is arguably one of the hardest MBA application questions across all schools. This challenging first question requires candidates to speak from the heart. As Stanford advises, think more about your values here and WHY you made the choices you have made than WHAT you have done. I recommend you do some serious soul searching before starting. Think about what you are most passionate about. What drives you to get out of bed each morning? If you could spend your time as you wish, what would you do? Ideally, you have acted on this passion and it extends throughout multiple aspects of your life. Then, think carefully about why this matters to you. Did you have an experience as a child? Are you following a passion held by others in your family? Finally, once you have established the way, you should include some WHAT here. After all, a passion or cause that you have done nothing with will not be very believable. Remember though, this is only PART of this personal essay. Essay B: “Why Stanford? (400 words suggested )” In this short essay, candidates have a lot to cover. First, you should set up why you want an MBA. Naturally, this would include what your goals are and what skills you need to develop to achieve these goals. Then, establish how Stanford will help you to fill these skill gaps. Once again, be specific! Name classes, clubs, programs, etc. and how they will help. Finally, be sure to articulate what attracts you to Stanford’s culture. We realize this is a tall order with a suggested word count of only 400 words so be succinct. Unlike other schools, Stanford gives the candidate discretion on how to divide the 1150 words (1200 for dual degree candidates) across the two essays. The breakdown above is a suggestion and in general, this is an ideal breakdown for most candidates. Need help? Personal MBA Coach is willing to be your guide. Founded by a Wharton and MIT graduate, we regularly help applicants navigate their applications each year. We also conduct mock interviews with former M7 interviewers on our team. Personal MBA Coach has been guiding candidates through all aspects of the MBA application process for 13 years with a 96% success rate. Call us today at +1 617-645-2424 or email scott@personalmbacoach.com for a free consultation on your profile along with how we can help make your MBA dreams a reality!

StratusSoterios · Answer

Best of luck to all Stanford GSB Applicants and anyone considering applying in the future!

My company, Stratus Admissions, is now offering our "Stratus Admissions' Guide to Getting Into Stanford Graduate School of Business" along with guides to getting into other top MBA programs absolutely free via  this link . Please feel free to download if you are interested.

What other free resources are out there for GSB Applicants?

MBADecoder · Answer

STANFORD MBA

The application dates for 2021-22 are:
 
 ROUND 1 Deadline : 9 September, 2021 
Decision notification by: 09, December 2021

ROUND 2 Deadline:  5 January, 2022 
Decision notification by: 31 March, 2022

ROUND 3 Deadline:  TBA
Decision notification by: TBA

Essay Questions:

TWO MANDATORY ESSAYS:

1. What matters most to you, and why? 
 For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you’ve identified what matters most to you, help us understand why. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?
 
 2. Why Stanford? 
Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs

Word Limit: Both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B.

Optional Questions:  
 Optional Question A : Think about times you’ve created a positive impact, whether in professional, extracurricular, academic, or other settings. What was your impact? What made it significant to you or to others?
 (up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words).

Optional Question B : Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation in a situation, interaction, or project.
 (up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words).

mbaMissionJenK · Answer

When candidates ask us, “What should I write for what matters most to me?,” we offer some pretty simple guidance: start brainstorming for this essay by asking yourself that very question. What does matter most to you? This might seem like obvious advice, of course, but many applicants get flustered by the question, believing that an actual “right” answer exists that they must provide to satisfy the admissions committee. As a result, they never pause to actually consider their sincere responses, which are typically the most compelling. The GSB itself notes on its essay page, “There is no ‘right answer’ to these questions—the best answer is the one that is truest for you.”

We therefore encourage you to contemplate this question in depth and push yourself to explore the psychological and philosophical motivations behind your goals and achievements—behind who you are today. We cannot emphasize this enough: do not make a snap decision about the content of this essay. Once you have identified what you believe is an appropriate theme, discuss your idea(s) with those with whom you are closest and whose input you respect. Doing so can help validate deeply personal and authentic themes, leading to an essay that truly stands out.

Read on for more analysis and tips for the 2021-22 GSB essays at:
https://www.mbamission.com/blog/2021/06 ... 2021-2022/

bb · Answer

Stanford GSB MBA Application Essay Tips Analysis Deadlines [20212022]

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