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02 Dec 2008, 02:18
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Hi Terry,
You and kry really shed a lot of light on Haas and Stanford. I'm definitely applying for Stanford GSB after being initially scared out of it by the low acceptance rate, Yikes! I was wondering if you can give us your feeling on the relative importance of different parts of the application? For example, how important is the interview relative to the essays and the work experience, scores and GPA, etc.
Thanks in advance.
You and kry really shed a lot of light on Haas and Stanford. I'm definitely applying for Stanford GSB after being initially scared out of it by the low acceptance rate, Yikes! I was wondering if you can give us your feeling on the relative importance of different parts of the application? For example, how important is the interview relative to the essays and the work experience, scores and GPA, etc.
Thanks in advance.
kryzak
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Schools:UC Berkeley Haas School of Business MBA 2010
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02 Dec 2008, 21:56
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i know this question was directed at terry, but just for a second opinion, this is what I would guess (totally my own opinion based on last year and talking to some amazing Stanford GSB students this year):
Most Important: Work Experience/Background - they're really looking for people who are accomplished, changed the world (or want to change the world), and are unique in their own way.
Right behind that: Essays - tell your story, tell them who you are
The rest (scores, GPA, rec letters, and interview) are there to qualify you. Does NOT mean they're not important, but once you get to the "good enough" level, it's not going to get you in if you do better (i.e. 800, 4.0, and a spectacular interview will not help you much, and in some case, might hurt you - Stanford is very proud of rejecting all the 800 GMAT people
)
Most Important: Work Experience/Background - they're really looking for people who are accomplished, changed the world (or want to change the world), and are unique in their own way.
Right behind that: Essays - tell your story, tell them who you are
The rest (scores, GPA, rec letters, and interview) are there to qualify you. Does NOT mean they're not important, but once you get to the "good enough" level, it's not going to get you in if you do better (i.e. 800, 4.0, and a spectacular interview will not help you much, and in some case, might hurt you - Stanford is very proud of rejecting all the 800 GMAT people
) 
10 Dec 2008, 19:55
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Hi liubhs-
First, don't get scared of by the low acceptance rate! We gotta increase gmatclub representation here
I think kry pretty much nailed it with respect to the relative importance of things. The adcom definitely want to make sure you can do the academic work, but beyond a certain level (no, I don't know the precise numbers) a higher GPA or GMAT won't help. The quality of work experience is critical... it often involves prestigious company/nonprofit/startup experience, but that's not always the case. More important (especially if you're coming from outside a usual MBA-feeder firm) is precisely what you've done at the company and the effect you've had on the organization and the people within it. That's why the essays are so important. Explain the effects you've had on people and organizations, and how you hope to continue in the future. Remember the school's motto: change lives, change organizations, change the world. Yeah it's kinda corny, but it's also quite meaningful.
Finally, I'm not quite sure how interviews fit into all of this. I don't think they're as important as they are at other schools (think HBS), but I'm not sure. Most of the interviews are pretty low-stress... the interviewer typically just wants to make sure you're not a jerk.
First, don't get scared of by the low acceptance rate! We gotta increase gmatclub representation here
I think kry pretty much nailed it with respect to the relative importance of things. The adcom definitely want to make sure you can do the academic work, but beyond a certain level (no, I don't know the precise numbers) a higher GPA or GMAT won't help. The quality of work experience is critical... it often involves prestigious company/nonprofit/startup experience, but that's not always the case. More important (especially if you're coming from outside a usual MBA-feeder firm) is precisely what you've done at the company and the effect you've had on the organization and the people within it. That's why the essays are so important. Explain the effects you've had on people and organizations, and how you hope to continue in the future. Remember the school's motto: change lives, change organizations, change the world. Yeah it's kinda corny, but it's also quite meaningful.
Finally, I'm not quite sure how interviews fit into all of this. I don't think they're as important as they are at other schools (think HBS), but I'm not sure. Most of the interviews are pretty low-stress... the interviewer typically just wants to make sure you're not a jerk.
