The instructions to Stanford's application indicate that it evaluates candidates based on three high-level criteria: "demonstrated leadership potential, strong academic aptitude, and contributions to the diversity of the Stanford community." Sounds simple enough, right? The difficulty with navigating the Stanford application is the degree to which these three criteria must be emphasized. In demonstrating your fit with these criteria your emphasis should primarily be on the innovation and leadership dimensions.
The most obvious example of Stanford's alignment with innovation is its strength in entrepreneurship. Closely linked with Silicon Valley, Stanford has achieved an entrepreneurship branding that other b-schools dream of. While Stanford is a general management program to its core (students do not select majors), electives based on entrepreneurship are in abundance. Courses that focus on areas such as venture capital, business model development, private equity, and entrepreneurial strategy are the backbone of Stanford's entrepreneurial strength. Discussing your entrepreneurial inclination can be a great way to unite the innovation and leadership dimensions, but it should not be done to simply appear as though you fit with Stanford’s values. Recognize that a large percentage of applicants who apply to Stanford will discuss entrepreneurship in their application. Therefore, should you go down this path, include vivid details about your ideas and also be sure to discuss their potential impact on society. This will help separate you from the pack.
Recommendations should be viewed as an extremely important aspect of your Stanford application. The admission committee will take a close look at your recommendations in evaluating your leadership potential and your teamwork capabilities. If there is one application in which you should avoid submitting generic recommendations at all costs, this is it. Make sure that you follow the instructions closely and submit two professional recommendations and one peer recommendation.
Academic aptitude is a criterion that Stanford evaluates more rigorously than most other top b-schools. Because the curriculum is quantitatively heavy, the admissions committee will look closely for measures that indicate that you will be able to succeed within the learning model. Therefore, your GMAT score will be looked at closely in addition to your transcript(s). If your scores don't reflect a high standard of analytical background, you will need to express it through your professional experiences and/or additional coursework. You should also be aware that while those accepted by Stanford come from a multitude of undergraduate institutions, a large majority attended "high prestige" universities. If you are not among this group, you should discuss your school's strengths and your reasons for attending it.
While Stanford's emphasis on teamwork may not be as strong as it is at Fuqua, Kellogg, or Tuck, it is definitely an important part of the learning model. During their first quarter at Stanford, students are assigned to study groups of four to five people and work together on a daily basis. You can display a penchant for working with others by discussing previous professional and extracurricular team involvement.
The essay portion of the application is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to contribute to the diversity of the Stanford community. Because the Stanford essays do not have a word limit, you should really focus on telling your unique story, but doing so in a logical, flowing manner. Include headings in your essays so that your readers can follow your framework easily. Consider writing your Stanford essays after you've completed other applications. This will allow your story to be more polished. And don't even bother trying to shoehorn an essay from another application into your Stanford application. Ultimately, your essays should reveal your passions, both professional and personal, and highlight your distinctiveness. You probably haven't scaled Mt. Everest or won a marathon, but don't let that keep you from positioning yourself as unique in some way. One applicant we spoke with, who was denied admission after her interview, mentioned that the alumnus with whom she interviewed suggested that her lack of distinctiveness contributed to her ultimate denial. "He complimented my competitive profile, but stated that I had no point of differentiation in my perspective, which weakened an otherwise strong profile."
You can assert a distinct passion for Stanford by visiting the school, checking out a class, and chatting with current students (yes, this goes for those of you on the East Coast too). Make sure that this visit finds its way into your essays in your discussion of “why Stanford?” your enthusiasm for Stanford will resonate positively with the admissions committee as it strives to maintain a high yield percentage.
The Stanford learning model doesn’t offer majors, but it does offer certificates in public management and global management. The Public Management Program (PMP) prepares students for positions in the social sector and the Global Management Program (GMP) prepares students for opportunities at a global level. Both certificates are supported by a large number of electives, programs, and career resources. More than one third of the student body pursues certificates in PMP or GMP, and Stanford is actively looking for ways in which it can augment these programs. Discussing how you would utilize the resources offered by these programs in conjunction with your career objectives is a great way to display fit with Stanford.