Stanford MBA 2010 Essay Topics & Deadlines

Application Dates

application deadlines for class of 2012:

Application Round	Submit your application by	We will notify you on	Your reply & deposit are due by
Round 1	07 Oct 2009*	16 Dec 2009**	TBD
Round 2	06 Jan 2010*	31 Mar 2010**	TBD
Round 3	07 Apr 2010*	19 May 2010**	TBD

Essays

Essay Questions for Class of 2012 (entering Fall 2010)

Tell us in your own words who you really are. Answer essay questions 1, 2, and two of the four 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 are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?
  • Use this essay to explain your view of your future, not to repeat accomplishments from your past.
  • You should address three distinct topics:
    • your career aspirations
    • the role of an MBA education in achieving those aspirations
    • and your rationale for earning that 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 two of the four 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 when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.
  • Option B: Tell us about a time when you made a lasting impact on your organization.
  • Option C: Tell us about a time when you motivated others to support your vision or initiative.
  • Option D: Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

Essay Length

Your answers for all of the essay questions cannot exceed 1,800 words.

You have your own story to tell, so please allocate the 1,800 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 1,800 words total.

• Essay 1: 750 words
• Essay 2: 450 words
• Essay 3: 300 words each

Formatting

• Use a 12-point font, double spaced
• Indicate which essay question you are answering at the beginning of each essay
• Number all pages
• Upload all four 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 spirit of the Fundamental Standard and Honor Code 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.

Letters of Reference

Qualitative accounts of your intellectual and professional abilities are essential to us. As we read your letters of reference, we hope to discover specific descriptions and examples illustrating your potential to make a difference in the world.

Choose individuals who know you well, and who will take the time to write thorough, detailed letters with specific anecdotes and examples. We are impressed by what the letter says and how it reads, not by the title of the person who writes it.

We Require 3 Letters of Reference

• 2 Professional/Workplace References
  • You must obtain at least one recommendation from your current direct supervisor.
  • If you are unable to provide a letter from your current direct supervisor, include a brief note of explanation in the Additional Information section of the online application.
  • College seniors may use a direct supervisor from a summer, part-time, or internship experience. Alternatively, you may ask someone who oversaw you in an extracurricular, volunteer, or community activity.
  • Your second Professional/Worklplace Letter of Reference must come from someone else in a position to evaluate your work—another supervisor, a previous supervisor, a client, etc.
• 1 Peer Reference
  • An individual with whom you have worked on a team or on a project, in a position equal to your own, should complete this recommendation. This person should not be a supervisor or subordinate. You may choose this person from any of your team experiences: charitable, extracurricular, professional, or other.
  • The peer recommender cannot be your supervisor or subordinate.
    　
• Choose individuals who have had significant direct involvement with you within the last few years.
• Encourage recommenders to write letters specifically for this application since outdated and/or general recommendations typically do not strengthen an application.
• Strictly academic Letters of Reference generally are less helpful in our evaluation.
• Your recommenders must submit their Letters of Reference via the online application.
• We strongly suggest that your recommenders sbumit Letters of Reference at least one day prior to the application deadline.
• You are responsible for ensuring that all three recommendations are submitted online before the application deadline.

Online Submission of Letters of Reference

• Recommenders are required to submit Letters of Reference online.
• We strongly recommend that Letters of Reference be submitted at least one day prior to the application deadline to ensure that your application is complete.
• You are responsible for ensuring that all three recommendations are submitted online prior to the application deadline.

Step 1: Register Your Recommender

• Go to the "Recommendations" tab on the Online Application Form.
• Enter the recommender's personal information carefully on the registration page. It is extremely important to enter the email address correctly so that your recommender receives the instructions in a timely manner.
• Read and mark one of the waiver statements on each Letter of Reference.

Step 2: Recommender Receives Email and Logs In

• Your recommender receives an automated email with instructions to log in to the Online Recommendation.

Step 3: Recommender Completes and Submits Recommendation

• After logging in, your recommender has access to an exact replica of the Letter of Reference Form and the ability to submit the recommendation directly to us.
• If your recommender is experiencing technical difficulties, please ask the recommender to contact ApplyYourself Technical Support directly by clicking on the button labeled "Tech Support."

Step 4: You and Your Recommender Receive Confirmation

• After your recommender submits the recommendation, both you and your recommender will receive an email confirmation.

Step 5: Submit Your Online Application

• Please make sure that all of your recommenders have submitted the online Letters of Reference before the appropriate application deadline. You should expect that late Letters of Reference will not be included with your application file.

Step 6: Stanford Receives Your Application Form and Letter(s) of Reference

• Please do not send a hard copy of an online Letter of Reference.
• You may also track the status of your recommendations via the "Recommendations" tab on the online application form.

Reference Link

http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/mba/admission/