stanford gsb essay questions

Stanford GSB Essay Questions And Strategic Guidance, 2023-2024

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The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) holds the title of being the world’s most discriminating MBA program. With an acceptance rate that hovers around 7%, the business school has the enviable position of curating a class of amazing stars. Yet, there is an unenviable side to this as well:  so many of the GSB’s applicants are extraordinary; how can the GSB admissions committee determine which candidates are a cut above the rest?

To help the decision-making process, the GSB relies in part on an essay question that has long stood the test of time:  “What matters most to you, and why?” Incredibly simple in structure, incredibly challenging to answer, the essay prompt encourages applicants to contemplate and reveal their inner self in a way that most of us have never had to.

Keep in mind that Stanford provides you with more than this one essay prompt. The GSB also asks why you are applying to Stanford. Lastly, the GSB gives you an opportunity to share up to three experiences when you have created a positive impact and a chance to share more about your background and life experiences.

Essay A:  What matters most to you, and why? (Recommended word count: Up to 650)

Stanford GSB’s first essay question—WMM, for short—is very straightforward yet can still be difficult to answer. We say “straightforward” because it is not a trick question and has no right answer you are supposed to guess; the school is not testing your ability to be original or clever, nor is it going to judge what values or “thing” you mention. Stanford sincerely wants to know what matters most to you and why. We say “difficult” because rarely do any of us ask ourselves this question. When we are tasked with stripping out everything else and forced to identify what truly matters most to us (the single most important thing!), the process is often very challenging. The only “right” answer is an authentic and sincere answer. And conversely, a wrong answer is an inauthentic answer. Being genuine and true to yourself is essential with this essay.

The Stanford GSB provides the  following guidance : “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?”

To help you get started, consider the following questions to cut through the noise and uncover “your” answer: What are you fighting for most? What inspires you above all else?  What empowers you to march toward your future? What fuels you and gives you energy? And what are you marching toward and/or chasing? As you consider potential answers, you can check each one by thinking about how it has influenced your past behavior and decisions. What matters most to you is your single most powerful motivator, so to write a strong essay about it, you will need to be able to prove that this force has guided you to where you are today.

Your essay will likely be a series of stories and examples that exemplify how your “what matters most” has manifested it in your life. Although you do not have to mention anything about your career in this essay, you do need to make sure that it is consistent with the goals you present in Essay B. Patience is important! The first several iterations of this essay might feel very challenging, but do not abandon hope. Keep working, keep exploring, and be true.

Read a successful response to “What matters most to you, and why?” along with instructive commentary.

Essay b:  why stanford (recommended word count: up to 400).

Like Essay A, the GSB’s Essay B—WS, for short—is also both straightforward and challenging. Candidates tend to feel that they need to differentiate themselves, their goals, and/or their love for the GSB when answering it, yet the truth is that it really does require an honest and direct response. When you read the question “why Stanford?,” instead think, “Where am I headed professionally, and how will I use the Stanford GSB to ensure I can get there?” If you can answer these questions well, your essay  will  be differentiated.

The Stanford GSB provides the  following guidance : “Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them.”

As the guidance above indicated, this essay requires two main parts. One involves your goals and where you are going (and perhaps a mention of where/how these relate to where you have been), and the other concerns how and why the GSB is the right school to help you get there. We generally recommend a 40/60 breakdown between the former and the latter.

In describing your goals, include what inspires you about the space you are targeting and the legacy you want to have. We find the most effective Essay Bs for the GSB are those that allow the reader to feel the applicant’s excitement.

Moreover, responding effectively to this essay question requires researching the GSB’s courses, programs, experiences, faculty, and other key elements. Go beyond the school’s materials and website and also sign up for virtual classes and contact and speak with students and alumni. As you do your research, your goal is not to find the most unique or little-known classes or resources; instead, you want to identify several offerings that will enable you to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to go after business school. However, if your essay is exclusively about the GSB, it will fail. The admissions committee is already well aware of everything the GSB has to offer! What they do  not  know so well is YOU!

One trap we often see people fall into is simply waxing poetic about the GSB’s various resources and offerings. Yet, it is impossible to succeed in the GSB’s application process by love alone. (Quite frankly, the GSB knows how much everyone loves the school—it is Stanford, after all! Limiting yourself to praising the school and describing what you think is so special about the school will bore the admissions committee and do nothing to strengthen your candidacy.) Instead, share what you hope to accomplish professionally and/or how you want to make your mark in the world and show that you have thought deeply about what you need to gain from your GSB experience to maximize it.

Essay B is a goal statement essay, a common essay type that many MBA programs use in the admissions process to better understand your vision for the future.

Optional Short Answer Question: Think about times when 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 others?  (You can have three such examples, each no longer than 1,200 characters or approximately 200 words.)

The GSB is very specific that submitting any response to the above question is optional. Yet, we at Gatehouse view submitting three responses as critical. Doing so gives you more opportunity to show who you are as a candidate.

We encourage you to hold off on working on these until your “What matters most?” and “Why Stanford?” essays are at least 80% complete. You do not want to risk using a story for an impact story that would be a better fit in one of your core essays, nor do you want to repeat any stories in multiple essays.

When you are ready to start working on your impact stories, strive to select a range of stories that reveal multiple sides of you rather than offering multiple stories on the same topic (e.g., having each story be about a time when your mentored someone). Impact can come in all shapes and sizes and in all situations—personal and professional—so think expansively.

Also, keep in mind the GSB’s motto: “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.” Perhaps you could discuss a time when you changed someone’s life, a time when you changed an organization, and a time when you changed something more macro.

Remember that you have only 1,200 characters (including spaces!) with which to present your chosen stories. You will paste your story into a text box that has a character counter to prevent you from going over. That space will fill up quickly, and you need to convey a full story (with a clear beginning, middle, and end), as well as results and some reflection. The STARR format can work great here: situation, task, actions, results, and reflection/growth/learning. And despite the required brevity of your answers, showing rather than telling is still critical. Including vivid, specific details is key.

The online application for the GSB also includes a prompt in the “Personal Information” section.

Additional context: we know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. with this question, we provide you with an optional opportunity to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices. (limit:  1,200 characters).

This question provides an opportunity for you to tell the admissions committee something new or different about you.

Really think about your upbringing/formative years—the environmental and situational factors that have made you “you.” Here are two strategies for coming up with potential stories for this topic: one, select a key influence or characteristic from your early life and see if you can trace it to relevant choices or actions you made recently. Two, think about different times recently when you chose a certain path or took a certain action, and then identify what motivated your behavior.

Ideally, you want to demonstrate a somewhat causal relationship between the actions/choices and your personal past (e.g., “I grew up with my mom as the breadwinner, so I was surprised that our organization had so few women leaders and was inspired to found a women’s group”). The example you offer does not have to be momentous, but it does need to have meaning for you (e.g., “My dad ran a laundromat when I was growing up, so when my PE firm was looking at a laundromat business, I raised my hand to join it”).

We generally suggest that you allocate one-third to one-half of the word count to the “background or life experiences” and the remaining one-half to two-thirds to your “recent actions or choices.” Aim to present the actions/choices part as a complete story, though it does not need to showcase any impact.

Similar to the impact mini essays, you have only 1,200 characters (including spaces!) with which to present your chosen stories.

Questions about this article? Email us or leave a comment below.

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Stanford GSB Essay Advice and Application Deadlines: 2024-2025

Stanford GSB ‘s 2024-2025 MBA application is now live. It appears that this year Stanford lowered the word count for essay B. It is suggested to allocate up to 650 words on Essay A and up to 350 words on Essay B.

Stanford had already shortened the combined word limit a few years ago, a sign that the school encourages applicants to remain focused and concise in their answers. Below, please find Personal MBA Coach’s advice on how to approach the two Stanford GSB essay questions.

The Upcoming Stanford GSB Application Deadlines 2024-2025 Are:

Round 1: September 10, 2024

Round 2: January 8, 2025

Round 3: April 8, 2025

2024-2025 Stanford GSB Essays:

Stanford gsb essay a: what matters most to you, and why  (650 words suggested).

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 first Stanford MBA essay is arguably one of the hardest MBA application questions across all schools. This challenging 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. Personal MBA Coach recommends 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 why, 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.

Stanford GSB Essay B: Why Stanford? (350 words suggested)

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.

In this short Stanford MBA 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 350 words, so be succinct.

Unlike other schools, Stanford gives the candidate discretion on how to divide the 1000 words across the two essays. The breakdown above is a suggestion and, in general, this is an ideal breakdown for most candidates.

In addition, there is one optional question in the Stanford GSB application.

Stanford GSB Optional Question: 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)

For many other top MBA programs, Personal MBA Coach advises clients to answer optional essays only to discuss unique circumstances. Take a look at  our blog  on optional essay questions to learn more.

However, the requirements for addressing one or more of the optional Stanford MBA essays are not quite as stringent. You can use these optional essays to share other aspects of your candidacy not included in your essays.

That said, use these Stanford MBA essays sparingly. Less continues to be more here.

Answer these questions only if you have something very powerful to add that is not already included elsewhere in your Stanford GSB application.

Looking help developing your Stanford GSB essays? Find out how we can help with our comprehensive packages . Plus, for more information on the full-time Stanford MBA program, check out Personal MBA Coach’s Stanford guide .

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June 28, 2024

Stanford GSB MBA Application Essay Tips and Deadlines [2024 – 2025], Class Profile

In this post, we provide guidance and information to support you in creating and submitting your application to the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB):

Stanford GSB application essay tips

Stanford gsb application deadlines, stanford gsb class profile, 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, please 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?

The Stanford GSB’s tried and true essay question “What matters most to you and why?” is one of the most challenging MBA application prompts to respond to (so start early). Unlike most MBA essays, Stanford’s is not about describing your accomplishments, even if “achievement” is what you value most. It is not about highlighting your career, even if “ambition” matters most to you. It is not about revealing your “humble beginnings,” even if your childhood is the stuff about which memoirs are written. The school’s primary essay is about what you value most and, more importantly, why it matters most to you. It requires a level of maturity and introspection that only such a question as this can demand. It gives Stanford insights into who you are and what you can bring to the GSB beyond your academics background, professional accomplishments, and personal attributes. 

So, where do you start? Start with the “what.” Ask yourself, “For what would I walk over hot coals?” Still stuck? Review lists of values that resonate with you. Is it peace, relationships, health, creativity, compassion, expression? The lists go on and on, and you should not worry about being cliché with your “what,” because your why will be unique to you and how you have lived your life.

Moreover, you can choose something symbolic to help you tell your story. I often talk about a ring my mother gave me. The ring is precious to me because of what it represents and how it has motivated me to make the choices I have made. It is a symbol of an unbreakable mother-daughter bond. 

Where do you go after identifying your “what matters most”? Remember that your “why” is more important than your “what.” You need to explain why the values you highlight are essential to you. The best way to illustrate your “why” is by providing specific examples of how these values have shaped your life. Refrain from offering career examples, because you can state your achievements in the optional “impact” essays, resume, and application form. Your recommenders should be writing about your career achievements as well. If your values only motivate you for work, then these values are likely ones that don’t truly matter most to you, despite your spending 60-100 hours per week working.  

• State the value that matters most to you.
• Explain why this value is essential to you.
• Provide specific examples (anecdotes) that illustrate how the value has shaped your life.
• Discuss how your value has influenced your decisions and actions.
• Explain why you are better off by having this value drive you.

The essay requires a level of honesty and authenticity that few others demand. Be specific and concise. The admissions committee wants to get to know the real you, so don’t be afraid to share your personal stories and experiences. 

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.

Why Stanford? 

Two words pack quite a punch: why Stanford, indeed? As you approach this essay, consider that Stanford values intellectually curious individuals who can solve problems, see beyond the obvious, and connect the dots. Therefore, I suggest you begin your essay with what you hope to achieve after you graduate from the Stanford GSB. Don’t think about a role as you might with other post-MBA goals essays. Instead, consider the problems you want to solve at the organizations for which you hope to work in the future. It does not matter whether you are considering an MBB consultancy, a Fortune 100 behemoth, a small start-up, a large private equity firm, a midsize family business, or a nonprofit organization. Focus on identifying the problems you can solve with your current skill set and the knowledge you will gain at Stanford.

Next, address the crux of the essay: Why Stanford? Note that the question is not “Why the GSB?” It is “Why Stanford?” While you want most of your essay to be about how the GSB can help you achieve your aspirations, consider how other parts of Stanford can add value to your education. And please don’t state the obvious. Resist the temptation to lift your information directly from the school’s website. The admissions committee already knows that Stanford’s location is perfect for entrepreneurship, tech, and venture capital. They already know they are highly selective and, therefore, highly ranked. They already know the Stanford brand resonates worldwide — they communicated all this to you in their marketing materials. Instead, think about the resources, opportunities, and community Stanford can offer you that will enable you to reach your unique goals. Why does this program make sense for you?

Finally, you will want to discuss how you will contribute to the Stanford GSB community. How will you make a difference at Stanford? What unique skills and experiences do you bring to the table? Why will your peers benefit from having you as a member of their class? 

With only 1,000 words to use for Essay A (What matters most?) and B (Why Stanford?) together, you need to understand yourself, your goals, what  offers, and your unique value proposition to the Stanford community before tackling this essay. Stanford recommends dedicating up to 650 words for Essay A and 350 for Essay B. With this suggestion, the admissions committee is expressing their desire to see your introspection, but you don’t need to obsess over the suggested word count; just write fewer than 1,001 words for both essays combined.

If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, the school suggests that you use Essay B to discuss why you are interested in both. In your essay, you will want to clearly spell out your reasons for applying to both programs and explain how you believe each one will help you achieve your goals. Also, if you strongly prefer one program over the other, you should express this in your essay.

Additional Context 

We know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. With this space, we provide you with an optional opportunity to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices. (1,200 characters)

Some applicants overlook this question, because Stanford tucks it within the Personal Information section of the application. Reflect on all the drop-downs menus you clicked on, and consider this mini essay a kind of bookend to Essay A, in which you discussed what matters most and why your values are what they are. For this essay, you need to consider how your identity and the uniqueness you bring to the table motivate your actions. Consider cultural upbringing, education, abilities, and life experiences. How have these factors influenced how you view the world? How has your identity – that core of who you are, that core of most significant influences and experiences – expressed itself in your recent actions? This essay is about getting to know you and what motivates you.

Given that you have only a meager 1,200 characters, select one factor that drives your decisions. Then, describe the action. Your action is the evidence you will use to support how and why that factor motivates you. For example, my life was heavily influenced by being the daughter of immigrants and a first-generation college student. It drove the overachiever in me. That background influences every action I take, from preparing clients for their GSB interview to advocating for the rights of disabled and infirm people. That identity is how I tell my story. Now, how will you tell yours?

Optional Short-Answer Question

Think about a time in the last few years when 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? (1,200 characters)

Why does Stanford have optional essays? The school offers these impact essays because too many applicants tried to squeeze their accomplishments into their “what matters most essay.” If you are tempted to write about your achievements in that essay, stop. Then, cut and paste that information here instead. Now you have a space where you can highlight activities and describe your impact on work, extracurriculars, community service, family, or anything else. 

The best approach to writing an impact essay is to use a CAR or STAR with an added Sig (significance) framework. Select each impact to show some variety in your life (in other words, don’t draw all three examples from your daily work).

C = Challenge (What challenge did you face?)

A = Action (How did you address the challenge? What specific steps did you take?)

R = Result (What was the outcome? Quantify the outcome, if possible. Did you increase revenues? Did you decrease costs? Did you increase membership? Did you minimize the danger? If so, by how much?)

Sig = Significance (Why was this important to you? What did it mean for others in your life?)

S = Situation (What background must you describe for the reader to understand your example?)

T = Task (What was your goal?)

A = Action (What steps did you take to achieve your goal?)

R = Result (What was the outcome? Did you achieve the goal? Did you surpass the goal. If so, by how much?)

Sig = Significance (Why was this important to you? What did it mean for others?)

These frameworks will work for any behavioral question that an admissions committee or interviewers asks you. They will help you stay on point, so use them. Finally, be succinct, because the 1,200-character allotment includes spaces. 

Additional Information

We are deliberate in the questions we ask. We believe that we get to know you well through all of the elements of your application. Complete this section only if you have critical information you could not convey elsewhere on your application (e.g., extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance). This section should not be used as an additional essay. (1,200 characters)

Additional information “essays” exist so that you don’t have to make the admissions committee guess about any of the following scenarios:

• You had terrible grades your first year of university when your parent became ill, and you flew back and forth to care for your parent, or you worked 30 hours a week to make ends meet.
• You received a subpar GMAT or GRE score because you are not a strong test-taker and can prove it with your inadequate ACT or SAT score and your 4.0 GPA or because you were initially premed and realized after volunteering at a hospital that medicine was not your thing.
• You did not ask an immediate supervisor to recommend you because you have only been with the company for a short time, they do not know you well, or doing so could lead to losing your job.

Stanford also suggests that you use this section to discuss any academic research, because they do not want to see it on your one-page resume.

Additional information does not mean you should add an essay you wrote for another school. Feel free to bullet your reasons, making the section easier to read. If you have many bullets, you might have too many excuses, and many schools, including Stanford, could be a long shot for you.

Finally, no matter what your aspirations are, the Stanford MBA program can help you achieve them.

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

Source: Stanford GSB website

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

Here’s a look at the Stanford GSB’s Class of 2025 (data taken from the Stanford GSB website ):

Applicants: 6,190

New students: 431

U.S. students of color: 50%

International students: 36%

Countries represented: 55

Languages spoken: 53

U.S. students & Permanent Residents (Federal Guidelines)

• White (including Middle Eastern): 47%
• Asian (including Indian subcontinent and Philippines): 24%
• Hispanic/Latino: 12%
• Black or African American (including Africa and Caribbean): 8%
• Multi-race: 7%
• Declined to identify: 3%
• American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Other Pacific Islander: 0%

Undergraduate Degrees

• Engineering: 26%
• Economics: 21%
• Business/Commerce: 20%
• Math/Sciences: 15%
• Social Sciences: 13%
• Arts/Humanities: 5%

Average GPA: 3.77

First-generation college graduate: 11%

Hold advanced degrees: 17%

U.S. institutions: 82

Non-U.S. institutions: 83

Average years of work experience: 5

Industries Represented

• Investment Management/Private Equity/Venture Capital: 19%
• Consulting: 17%
• Technology: 13%
• Government/Education/Nonprofit: 10%
• Consumer Products & Services: 9%
• Healthcare: 7%
• Financial Services: 5%
• Military: 5%
• Arts/Media/Entertainment: 4%
• Cleantech/Energy/Environmental: 4%
• Manufacturing: 3%

Organizations represented: 295

Average GMAT: 738

GMAT range: 630-790

Average GRE Verbal: 164

GRE Verbal range: 149-170

Average GRE Quantitative: 164

GRE Quantitative range: 150-170

Average TOEFL: 113

TOEFL range: 104-120

Our team of MBA admissions experts includes former admissions directors, published authors, and highly experienced business school admissions consultants. We are all primed and ready to help you secure a seat at your dream school, just as we have done for thousands of clients for the past 25 years. Schedule your free consultation , and speak to an expert admissions expert!

By Natalie Grinblatt, a former admissions dean/director at three top business schools. Natalie has reviewed more than 70,000 applications, interviewed more than 2,500 candidates, and trained nearly 700 admissions directors and alumni volunteers to select outstanding candidates for admission. Her clients gain admission to top programs, including those at Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, Berkeley, Chicago, Northwestern, and NYU. Natalie holds an MBA from Michigan Ross. Want Natalie to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know in 2024
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast
• Five Tips for Applying for Stanford’s Knight-Hennessy Scholarship

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Stanford GSB Essay Questions & Tips

Applying to Stanford GSB ? If so, you’ve likely begun thinking about how to approach the Stanford GSB essay questions and, more specifically, pondering ‘what matters most to you and why’. Who knew you would be doing so much soul searching during the MBA application process, right? We’ve got you covered. Read on for the Stanford GSB essay questions and tips to ensure your responses are as strong as possible.

Stanford GSB Essay Questions

• 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?
• 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.

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. Stanford GSB admissions recommends up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B.

Note that Stanford’s application also includes two optional short answer questions – see our advice on these at the end of this article:

• We know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. Please feel free to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices- (up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words).
• 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? You are welcome to share up to three examples (up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words, for each example).

Before you think about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as the case may be), it’s critical to take the time to truly understand Stanford GSB and what it looks for in successful applicants. To us, the best encapsulation of this can be found in the GSB’s mission statement: “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.”

While many business schools aspire to educate leaders that will make a difference in the world, there is a reason that ‘change lives’ comes first in this motto. The GSB embraces a strong belief that change originates from people. People with different perspectives interacting, challenging each other, and ultimately joining forces to push the limits of what seems possible. No man or woman can create change in a vacuum.

In practice, we find that successful applicants personify this mission statement by displaying the following characteristics:

• A belief that EQ and people are just as important as IQ and profits – While demonstrating impact is critical, Stanford GSB seeks those who deliver it through collaboration with and/or for the benefit of others.
• Strong self-awareness – The essay prompt says it all, Stanford GSB cares what matters to you and how it has influenced your choices in life. Scratching the surface of self-awareness is not enough; beyond articulating your emotions in a given situation, they want to see that you can connect situations to your core values and underlying motivations.
• A willingness to take risks – Change is impossible without some level of risk and change is the crux of the GSB’s mission. They want to see that you don’t let fear stand in the way of progress – for yourself and for others.

How to Answer the Stanford GSB Essay Questions

How do i uncover ‘what matters most to me’.

Attempting to crystallize what matters most to you is incredibly intimidating! If you’re digging deep enough, figuring this out is not something that can be done in a day or even a week. That’s why starting early is critical.

To begin, we love suggesting that clients read two great books, True North by Bill George and What You’re Really Meant to Do by Robert Kaplan.  Give thought to where you dream of taking your career (and life more broadly) and why.

From there, it can be helpful to think back to each major decision you’ve made in your life and reflect on why you made the choice you did. Are there any commonalities? Lastly, think about influential people or events in your life stretching back to childhood. What or who has made you who you are and why?

Once you’ve done all this reflection (and written it down!), look for points of intersection and interrelation. Sometimes another set of eyes from a trusted friend or family member can be helpful here. More times than not, there is a common passion, motivation, value, or trait that connects what you’ve done in the past and what you hope to do in the future. This common thread can serve as your overarching theme and answer to ‘what matters most to you’.

Turning Your Theme into a Strong Essay A

The essay itself should prove that this ‘thing’ is truly what matters most to you by laying out 2-3 stories and describing how they connect back to it. While the stories are typically told in chronological order, the essay should not read as your memoir. Be thoughtful and strategic, choosing only your most powerful examples.

Many times, successful essays begin with what we refer to as a ‘superhero origin story’. By this we mean the time in your life or experience that first brought your ‘thing’ (i.e., what matters most to you) into play for you. It is the defining moment that triggered a shift in your thinking or approach in a way that has stuck with you from then on out, influencing who you’ve become and who you hope to be in the future.

The balance of the essay should focus on one or two other situations from your life since the ‘superhero origin’ where the thing that matters most to you influenced your actions or choices. One of these (or a third topical area if you have space) can be devoted to your vision of the future. You have space to further spell out your plans in Essay B, but you should lay out, in broad strokes, how your ‘thing’ influences where you want to take your life in Essay A. 

Once you have the backbone of your essay in place, our advice is to go back and add stylistic nuances that demonstrate you possess the characteristics the GSB seeks. Describe interpersonal dynamics within each story and how you successfully navigated them. Layer in emotion and insights about yourself that demonstrate self-awareness.  Importantly, write so that the adcom feels your authentic passion for the topic you have chosen to discuss.

If this sounds difficult, that’s because it is. Writing a strong Stanford essay takes upfront investment in introspection and time to iterate (and then iterate again). It’s not uncommon for us to work through 10-20 drafts of this essay with clients because, even with professional help, that’s how long it takes to make it perfect.

Essay B is Straightforward but Not ‘Easy’

Once you’ve outlined generally where you want to take your life in Essay A, Essay B is your opportunity to get tactical. Share your specific post-MBA goals and describe why an MBA and the GSB’s program in particular are necessary to help you achieve them.

The keys here are specificity and personalization. If someone could blindly read your essay and think it applies to another MBA program, you are not being specific enough. If they could read it and think the ‘why Stanford’ you describe could help someone achieve different goals than those you are targeting, you are not personalizing your reasons sufficiently.

Writing a successful Essay B requires more than just perusing the GSB’s website for classes and its own description of why the program is unique. Talk to alums and current students, attend webinars, stroll campus if you can, and, critically, reflect on the specific skillsets (hard or soft) you need to build to achieve your most aspirational goals.

How to Answer Stanford’s Short Answer Questions

While these are truly optional, it seems like a missed opportunity not to highlight your unique perspective as well as a few of your best accomplishments. View these as a place to fill in any gaps – in other words, parts of your personal brand or ‘story portfolio’ that you haven’t covered in the main essays. It may help to write a list of all the stories you want to cover upfront and then move the puzzle pieces around, prioritizing the main essays.

A blend of personal and professional is best, both here and in the main essays – the adcom wants to understand the entirety of who you are as a person. Additionally, your short answers should be complementary but not repetitive with your main essays. Remember, you are trying to highlight personal qualities, experiences, and accomplishments that you haven’t been able to cover elsewhere.

Lastly, don’t grasp for straws here, so if you only have two accomplishments to share instead of three in short answer #2, that is ok. But do you best to answer both questions as thoroughly and thoughtfully as possible.

Overwhelmed? We get it – the Stanford GSB application is perhaps the most challenging MBA application out there. If you need assistance, feel free to reach out to schedule a free consultation. 

The post Stanford GSB Essay Questions & Tips appeared first on Vantage Point MBA .

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2024-2025 Stanford MBA Essay Tips and Example Essays

Jun 24, 2024

• Who is Stanford GSB looking for?
• How should I answer the Stanford essay questions?
• Essay Length
• Make sure you get into Stanford GSB

UPDATE : This article was originally posted on August 20, 2018. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

With a mission to “ to create ideas that deepen and advance our understanding of management and with those ideas to develop innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change the world ,” Stanford Graduate School of Business is at the top of many applicants’ list of dream schools.  

However, with increasing competition over the small number of spots at this haven for innovative thinkers, securing a place at Stanford is more challenging than ever. 

That’s why we’ve prepared this guide to help you use your Stanford GSB admissions essays to stand out . We’ve rounded up our best tips and links to Stanford MBA sample essays to ensure you give your Stanford application your best shot. 

1. Who is Stanford GSB looking for?

“At Stanford, we strive to ensure that a diversity of cultures, races and ethnicities, genders, political and religious beliefs, physical and learning differences, sexual orientations and identities is thriving on campus. Such diversity will inspire new angles of inquiry, new modes of analysis, new discoveries and new solutions … Our diversity ensures our strength as an intellectual community. In today’s world, diversity represents the key to excellence and achievement.” – Persis Drell, Provost, Stanford University

Every year, Stanford GSB’s admissions team selects around 400 students from over 6,000 applications for the honor of joining their prestigious MBA program. Though what “fits” at Stanford is constantly evolving, they do tend to admit slightly younger applicants (with an average of 5.0 years of work experience). Stanford also works hard to admit a highly diverse group of students. 

Applicants offered admission also tend to have outstanding GMAT scores (the average for the Class of 2025 was 738) or exceptional GRE scores (the average for the Class of 2025 was 164Q and 164V) .  

Nonetheless, that does not mean that Stanford looks simply for good test-takers. Instead, they want a talented, principled group of leaders who will use business to positively impact the world. 

According to Stanford’s Admissions team: 

If this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll first have to prove you’ve got what it takes by successfully answering Stanford’s open-ended admissions essay questions. 

2. How should I answer the Stanford essay questions?

Writing any admissions essay is a tough task , however, Stanford raises the bar when it comes to presenting a highly challenging yet open-ended prompt. 

According to Stanford, here’s what they want to see in your admissions essays. 

Keep reading for a more in-depth look at how to turn this rather open-ended task into a standout essay! 

2.1. Essay A

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?

Like most excellent admissions essays, this essay begins with in-depth brainstorming. 

Questions like “What matters most to you” are not questions we commonly ask ourselves on a daily basis, so the answer might not be readily apparent to you. 

During this brainstorming period, you should focus on retroactively connecting the dots and thinking about the future. What moments in your life did you feel most engaged or fulfilled? Have you overcome any challenges that marked your identity? What are your values ?

Regardless of which topic you choose, make sure it is genuine and that you can point to specific moments in your life during which you have acted on this value. This is not a purely philosophical essay in which you examine a core value. Instead, it is a picture of your motivations, intentions, and lessons as you have navigated your life’s many ups and downs. As I always tell clients, if you argue that what matters most to you is sustainability but you can’t provide a single example of acting to make your company or community more sustainable, perhaps you should go back to the drawing board or consider how to tweak your examples to tell a clearer, more compelling story.

If you’re having trouble getting started, or aren’t sure you’ve really identified the right path forward, family members and close friends can be an excellent resource to help you zero in on the best topic.

After you choose your theme, you must go about supporting it . This does not mean you should simply copy/paste examples from other essays. This simply won’t work for Stanford. 

Instead, carefully consider times when you clearly acted upon the core value you’ve presented. For example, if you state that being an independent thinker is what matters most, describe a time in your life when you went against the grain — and it paid off. 

In writing your examples, be sure not to lose your theme, as this essay must be a coherent exploration of how your life has centered around what matters most to you. 

TOP TIP : Striking upon a core value that GSB has never heard of before is almost impossible. The admissions committee has read thousands upon thousands of essays. Instead of standing out by choosing a unique (but perhaps under-supported) theme, choose the theme that genuinely demonstrates what you’re all about .

Lastly, be sure to make sure the essay includes you and your personality . The key to this is what we call voice . To help you demonstrate your voice, we suggest you keep the following tips in mind:

• While writing, imagine you were explaining what matters most to you to a good friend or family member. How would you explain it to them? Which words would you use?
• Explain the feelings and emotions you experienced during the events you are describing.
• Think about the tone you want to write in and how it reflects how you feel or felt about the experience you describe.
• Use sensory descriptors like how specific environments, events, people, or objects looked, smelled, tasted, felt, or sounded.
• It’s okay to use informal language (e.g. contractions, slang, exclamations, etc.) in this essay to reinforce your voice! While this is a formal essay, these elements are often a welcome addition.

2.2. Essay B

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.

This question is essentially a goals essay , a common type of essay required of applicants at many elite business schools. 

In this essay, you have a big task. In around 350 words, you need to discuss:

• Any context from your past experience that helps underline your motivation for your goals
• Your specific-post MBA goals
• Why you believe an MBA is necessary to reach these goals
• How a Stanford MBA will help you reach these goals

Each of these elements must be included and must build off of each other.

We suggest beginning your essay with a hook or experience from your past that demonstrates your motivation or past experience with your target industry. For example, if you are looking to go into developing green technologies, you could write about your country’s current green energy capacity; your first experience with sustainability as a teenager; a past work project focused on applying technology effectively; or your experience with sustainable business practices. As long as the story underlines why you care about your goals, it can work as an effective introduction to your essay.

Second of all, many candidates think they do not need to specifically state their goals, or that it’s better to leave “their options open.” If you are applying to elite business schools, however, you must have and present absolutely clarity about your goals. 

Second, you should clearly demonstrate why you need an MBA . 

An MBA is not a catch-all degree that serves a purpose for all career paths. As such, you need to demonstrate that the goals you have set for yourself require the additional training an MBA can provide. 

Be thoughtful about this particular section. If you don’t need to improve in any meaningful way, you might be presenting the argument the admissions committee needs for why you can’t actually benefit from an MBA. 

Furthermore, if you show fluffy or unsupported reasons you need to hone your skills, you’ll also likely see your application tossed aside in favor of an applicant who was able to clearly demonstrate how they plan to leverage their time at business school. 

Third, show how Stanford can specifically help you grow in the areas you’ve identified. Mentioning that you want to go to Stanford because of its ranking or sunny California location will not cut it here. 

Instead, show that you understand the flexibility of Stanford’s curriculum and have done significant, thoughtful research into how the opportunities both inside and outside of the classroom can help you grow. You should also definitely mention how you can contribute to the community. 

Unlike other goals essays, however, you should also keep the theme you’ve presented in your first essay in mind. If you write a goals essay that is completely at odds with what you’ve shown is most important to you in life in your first essay, this inconsistency will likely end your Stanford application journey. However, it is okay if they are not explicitly related.

Finally, if you are applying for the Stanford MSx program , you are given an additional 50 words to also discuss your interest in this particular program. 

2.3. Optional Essays

In addition to the two main essays, Stanford also has four optional short essays. These essays give you additional space to show off different elements of your profile and highlight areas you might not have been able to include in your What Matters Most and Why Stanford essays. 

2.3.1 Optional Impact Essays

Question: Think about a time in the last few years when 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?

If you would like to discuss your contributions more fully, this section is the place to do so. Perhaps you would like to expand upon a bullet item from your resume and tell us more about the “how” or “why” behind the “what.” Or maybe you have had an impact in a way that doesn’t fit neatly in another part of the application. You are welcome to share up to three examples (up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words, for each example).

Though these responses are technically optional, we highly suggest using this space to highlight professional or extracurricular achievements that you may not have been able to address in your What Matters Most essay. In particular, try to show a variety of achievements that complement your stories in other parts of your application and work to include stories with clear outcomes. 

2.3.2 Additional Context Essay

Additional Context: We know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. With this question, we provide you with an optional opportunity to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices. (1,200 characters) 

Stanford GSB values applicants who can contribute to its greater community and the educational experience for all. This question tests how prepared, willing, and capable you are to draw on what you’ve experienced thus far in life to contribute to a project, class discussion, or community or interpersonal challenge. For that reason, it’s important to keep in mind that they are not asking you to show a time when you offered input — instead, they want to see when something about your personal or professional background proved to be the key to winning the day. 

For example, one of our clients, Fabrizio, had a brother who had been unemployed for a long period of time, and he personally witnessed how demoralizing the lack of support he received during this period was. Then, when tasked with working on a workforce transition project at his consulting firm, he made sure to design initiatives that took into consideration how layoffs affect real people. In your essay, similarly look for a time when your previous experience or core values inspired you to take action. 

Keep in mind you must limit yourself to 1,200 characters including spaces . 

2.3.3 Additional Information Essay

Additional Information: We are deliberate in the questions we ask. We believe that we get to know you well through all of the elements of your application. Complete this section only if you have critical information you could not convey elsewhere on your application (e.g., extenuating circumstances affecting academic or work performance). This section should not be used as an additional essay. (1,200 characters

Stanford, like most top business schools, gives you space to explain any gaps or weaknesses in your profile. This should not be a place to discuss why Stanford should admit you, who you know from Stanford, or who you know from Stanford. It most certainly should not be a continuation of your Why Stanford essay. 

Furthermore, just because there is no stated word limit does not mean you should write more than is absolutely necessary here. In my opinion, if you’re writing more than 200 words you might want to revisit your essay to ensure every part is needed. 

If you’d like to learn more about what topics justify an optional essay – and how to write these essays – check out our post on the topic here . 

3. Essay Length (Essays A and B)

Your answers for both essays A and B combined may not exceed 1,000 words.

Each of you has your own story to tell, so please allocate these words between the essays in the way that is most effective for you. In our experience, the recommended 650/350 word length suggestions works very well. 

Looking for Stanford GSB MBA essay examples? Check out our real sample essays that got our clients admitted here .

4. Make sure you get into Stanford GSB

One of the most common mistakes we see in MBA essays is that candidates fail to tell compelling stories . This is important because if your stories are not compelling, they will not be persuasive. At the same time, they must be backed by strong examples that establish a track record of success and prove to the admissions committees why you belong at their school. 

Striking this balance between content and creativity can be tough, however, as succeeding means not only choosing the right stories but ensuring they are told in an optimal manner. 

This is why our iterative developmental feedback process here at Ellin Lolis Consulting helps you mold your message through the application of our storytelling expertise until it reflects exactly what makes your profile stand out and show fit with your target program. 

That’s the approach we took with Giulia, who was admitted to Stanford. In her words, “I will never forget when I told Ellin I wasn’t applying for my dream school because I was sure I wouldn’t be accepted. She encouraged me to apply, and in the end, I was accepted. 

The team is so well prepared to help the applicants with their specific needs. Above all, I felt I invested in mentoring and coaching, more than just help with the MBA process. Ellin and her team balanced perfectly dreaming with having my feet on the ground!”

Not only can you take advantage of our editing expertise through multiple edits – you can also benefit from it after a single review! If your budget is tight, our editors will be happy to help polish your text as much as possible and leave “bonus comments” so you can keep working on it on your own!

No matter how long we work with you, we will always ensure your essays shine . Sign up to work with our team of storytelling experts and get accepted.

5. Deadlines

Here are the 2024-2025 deadlines. You can access the online application here .

Stanford Round 1 Deadlines

Application Deadline : September 10, 2024

Interview Notification : Ongoing

Decisions Released : December 5, 2024

Stanford Round 2 Deadlines

Application Deadline : January 8, 2025

Decisions Released : April 3, 2025

Stanford Round 3 Deadlines

Application Deadline : April 8, 2025

Decisions Released : May 29, 2025

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How to Write the Stanford GSB Essays

Introduction ‍.

Now that you’ve decided you want to apply for an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (Stanford GSB), you need to craft an application that will demonstrate your professional skills, experience, and academic record. You will also need to showcase your skills as a writer, your aspirations, and your individuality. 

The Stanford GSB essays are a crucial component of your Stanford application; they will illuminate your voice and authentic self to the admissions committee. Although writing the Stanford GSB essays can seem like a daunting task, this guide will help you understand, execute, and perfect your essays.

What are the Stanford GSB Essays? ‍

The Stanford GSB essays are two personal essays you'll complete as part of your application to Stanford. The infamous ‘ essay A ’ asks applicants, “What matters most to you, and why?” 

Stanford’s website encourages applicants to “ write from the heart ” and be genuine about what matters most to you and to make an argument for why it is so important. 

Essay B , on the other hand, asks applicants, “Why Stanford?” 

This essay provides the opportunity to describe your personal aspirations and how Stanford fits around them. 

Stanford also allows you to submit several optional short answer essay questions . These questions are completely optional and provide you with more words to discuss topics you may not have been able to address elsewhere in your application. The first prompt reads: 

“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?” 

This prompt allows you to provide up to three examples to discuss your resume further. 

The other optional short-answer Stanford GSB essay question asks you to:

“Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation in a situation, interaction, or project.”

This essay facilitates discussion about your background, like education, work, skills, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or gender identity. 

Stanford GSB Essay Length

Both Essay A and B together should not exceed 1,050 words. 

Stanford recommends writing no more than 650 words for essay A and no more than 400 words for essay B. Stanford asks that all essays are double-spaced and submitted in one document with numbered pages. 

For Stanford’s optional question A, you can provide up to three 200-word responses. You should write around 200 words for Stanford’s optional question B essay. 

This length constraint may seem restrictive, but being concise and adopting the “less is more” approach can make for a particularly effective essay. As Stanford notes, “We often find effective essays that are written in fewer words.” 

What Is the Purpose of the Stanford GSB Essays? 

The rest of your application includes everything you need to make a good impression: adequate work experience , high grades, a lengthy list of extracurriculars, and a stellar resume . 

Stanford understands that you are more than the sum of your total experiences and credentials laid out on these pages. The Stanford GSB essays humanize your application and demonstrate to the admissions committee what makes you unique. 

Stanford GSB Essay A

Essay A is a deeply personal and subjective essay. There is no such thing as a perfect topic to write about here. 

The question, “What matters to you most, and why?” is purposefully tricky to answer as it forces you to delve deep into yourself and choose something that is most important to you. That is easier said than done, especially when so many of us have many great things in our lives that are important to us, like our families, friends, and jobs. 

Some may take the route of writing about big-picture ideas like eliminating poverty, ending world hunger, or halting climate change. But essay A is not the space to write what you think Stanford wants to hear, and doing so would be doing yourself a disservice. 

Derrick Bolton, the former Stanford admissions director , said that your essay should “... be so personal that if you were working on it at 2 AM and accidentally printed a copy to your office printer, you would break out in a cold sweat, grab the keys, floor it and drive as fast as you could to the office to snatch the essay before anyone could read it.” 

Some applicants write about controversial or uncomfortable topics, whereas others write about how they want to impact the world, or how their weaknesses have helped cultivate their strengths. 

Ultimately, how you want to portray your individuality and what you choose to write about is entirely up to you. 

Stanford GSB Essay B

Essay B reflects your personal reasons for applying to Stanford. This writing demonstrates why Stanford is the best fit for you and how completing your Stanford MBA will help you achieve your goals. 

Although you have a tight word limit to explain why Stanford is the school for you, you want to be specific to show that you researched the school and program. You also need to explain how Stanford’s program is a significant stepping stone to achieving your career and personal goals. 

You should have an understanding of your industry and what your working life could look like post-MBA. The other purpose of this essay is to demonstrate how your admittance will enrich Stanford’s class. 

Stanford Optional Short Answer Question A 

The optional question A is focused on uncovering more about you beyond your resume. 

Specifically, Stanford is “... interested in learning about the things you have done that are most meaningful to you.” While you can write about your most impactful experiences in the Stanford GSB Essay A, this prompt allows you to go beyond your resume. 

Perhaps you didn’t have enough words to discuss your love of photography in Essay A. In that case, this optional essay allows you to discuss your contributions more fully. 

Of course, you shouldn’t use this essay to ramble on about why you love Stanford. Write about that in your “why Stanford essay.” Instead, answer the question’s main focus — what positive impact did you create, and what made it significant? 

Write about your impact on a situation and emphasize your skills and abilities that will help you achieve academic and professional success. If you can point to your stellar leadership skills, you will show you are ready for an MBA.  

Stanford Optional Short Answer Question B

Stanford’s optional short answer question B asks you to discuss your background. “Background” is purposefully defined broadly. So, you can write about almost anything, ranging from your socioeconomic status to gender identity. 

Perhaps you chose to pursue a part-time job in college because of your gender identity. In that case, explain how and why your background influenced your decision. Self-reflection is key here.

What Is Stanford GSB Looking for in the Essays?

Stanford’s admissions team uses your Stanford GSB application essays to get to know you beyond your academic achievements. 

Specifically, they want to read about your experiences and hear your “genuine voice.” Each Stanford MBA essay is designed to allow you to open up to the admissions committee. Being authentic is vital here; Stanford’s admissions officers can tell if you are not genuine in your responses. 

There is no “right” or “perfect” answer to Stanford’s prompts. As Stanford says, “... the best answer is the one that is truest for you.” 

Looking at Stanford example essays is helpful, as they show you how other applicants have written about their lives. But they are written by other applicants with different experiences. 

Reflect on your own experiences in your Stanford business school essay, and you’ll increase your chances of admission. 

Step-by-step Guide to Writing the Stanford GSB Essays

Writing the Stanford GSB essays can be a daunting task; you may be asking yourself, “How can I effectively convey all that I want to in so few words?” 

Writing an effective essay about yourself can feel challenging, especially with such a low word limit. These essays are quite different from essays you may have done as an undergrad, where long essays are part of the curriculum. 

Remember that these essays are designed to be challenging, and it’s OK to find them difficult. This step-by-step guide will help get you started and provide tips to write a great essay. 

1. Pick Your Topic 

The first step to any essay is to pick your topic. 

For the Stanford GSB essay A, the best course is to brainstorm; think about all the things that are important to you and why you consider them important. Also, think about your achievements and why you set out to achieve them. 

2. Create an Outline 

After you’ve compiled a list, you can narrow down your topic and begin writing. A bullet-pointed list outlining your Stanford MBA essay’s rough structure will help you develop an overall framework.

3. Start Writing 

You can build upon the points you want to touch on and use supporting points as the foundation of your essay. Your essay should be easily separated into three parts:

• Introduction 
• Body paragraphs
• Conclusion 

Your introduction will introduce the topic, the body paragraphs will provide evidence to support your writing, and your conclusion will wrap up your essay neatly. 

4. Create Your Introduction 

Your introduction should captivate the reader immediately. The introduction is often where candidates introduce a relevant anecdote. 

Many people find it helpful to complete their introduction after the main essay is complete. It’s suitable to begin with your introduction or dive right into the body of your essay.

5. Write the Body 

The body of your essay should provide specific examples related to your anecdote. You should discuss what you’ve learned or gained from your experience. 

6. Write Your Conclusion 

Your conclusion should summarize your main points and reference the future you want. It should also leave the reader feeling satisfied that Stanford will help you toward that future. 

1. Brainstorm Why You Want to Attend Stanford 

With the “why Stanford” MBA essay, because you already have your topic, you will want to work out your specific reasons for why Stanford is the school for you. 

Again, brainstorming reasons will help you develop the framework of your essay. Does the school culture excite you? Are you looking to make connections within Silicon Valley?

Jot down every reason you can think of to narrow down your argument. Similar to essay A, your essay should have an identifiable introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. 

3. Create Your Introduction

Your “why Stanford” essay introduction should immediately explain your interest in Stanford. Why is Stanford the school you want to go to? Alternatively, you can start writing the body of your essay first and return to the introduction after.

4. Write the Body 

The body of your essay should highlight some of your achievements and what you have learned from your experiences. You can also relate your background to classes offered in the program and how they would help you grow. 

5. Write Your Conclusion 

Your conclusion should leave the reader satisfied that Stanford is the only school for you. Be passionate, and be specific. 

For both essays, remember to revise, revise, revise. Your essays should be free of all grammar and spelling mistakes and should flow well. Be sure to read your writing aloud to see how it reads as this can help identify possible errors or substantive issues.

Stanford GSB Essay Examples and What Made Them Successful

Reviewing Stanford essay examples is a great way to understand how your writing should generally look, feel, and flow. Below are two compelling essay examples of Stanford GSB essays that worked. 

These are paragraphs taken from full examples of Stanford essays that worked and are not complete essays alone. To better understand the essays’ makeup, the introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs are labeled. 

Stanford What Matters Most to You and Why Essay Example

What matters most to you, and why?

Sample Introduction:

One evening during a winter break in college, I was driving home and saw my disabled neighbor on our street, slumped over in his driveway, sobbing. I jumped out of my car and ran. 

The ramp to his house was obstructed by a few recently dropped off packages, and he badly needed to use the restroom, having been stuck there for almost an hour. He was a husband, father, grandfather, and former breadwinner, dehumanized by his disability and utterly helpless in this moment. 

Sample Body Paragraph:

I’m driven by finding answers to the most complex, most challenging problems faced by humanity; the ones that are too daunting, or those that go unrecognized. I had to do something. 

So, I rallied a friend, and together we built a low-cost, AI-driven speech-recognition platform that enabled voice-activated control over electronic systems in a household, thus affording increased independence to individuals suffering from ALS and multiple sclerosis. 

It was an exercise in creativity and persistence, and quite daunting at the outset. But, in the end, our solution worked, and cost a fraction of a now commercially available solution like Alexa.

Sample Conclusion:

In the long run, by proving the benefits of AI-driven healthcare to the world, I want to build an enterprise that not only develops sophisticated technology that improves quality of life but also molds the underlying fabric of healthcare policy. 

Like Uber or Airbnb, I dream of leading an organization that fundamentally shifts the contemporary regulatory paradigm in healthcare to one that appropriately reflects both the medical and psychological needs of the modern patient.

We’re all companions on a journey through life; the same random forces that imbue me with good health compel countless others to live in a state of constant suffering. Humanity is a gift, and I have a social and moral responsibility to empower others to live life with passion, dignity, and hope. It is a mission I am dedicated to for the rest of my life.

What Made This Essay Effective?

• The beginning of this Stanford MBA essay sample immerses the reader immediately into the story the student is telling. The rich anecdote is an excellent starting point to lead the rest of their writing, and we instantly want to know more about their journey. 
• The student’s motivations and passions are illuminated and supported throughout the essay. 
• The student demonstrated how they have worked with their passions and motivations creatively to develop a tool to increase independence for individuals living with disabilities.
• The student’s conclusion articulates their long-term goal and restates their passion. The student explained how they plan to dedicate themselves to their cause and improve others’ quality of life.
• The essay leaves the reader satisfied due to its genuineness.

Why Stanford Essay Example

Why Stanford?

Example Introduction:

Silicon Valley is the cradle of global innovation, a melting pot of creators and visionaries. Its one-of-a-kind community paces the world in invention, creativity, and impact. Stanford is at the nucleus of this ecosystem. 

I dream of building a company that pushes the frontiers of AI to fundamentally reshape the global health paradigm, and the GSB MBA offers unparalleled opportunities to explore myself and my passions on that journey.

Example Body Paragraph:

One important lesson I have learned through my experiences as an inventor is the importance of creativity in navigating constraints and creating lasting impact. I once spent months in rural [Country], with limited materials and guidance, building a [medical device]. Only much later, following conversation with a colleague, did I realize I was intuitively applying design thinking and frugal innovation principles in solving challenges. 

I now want a structured education in accessible, cost-effective, and human-centric design through courses such as Design for Health, which will be invaluable in realizing my mission of improving the quality of life for the disabled.

Example Conclusion:

Steve Jobs once famously said that you can only connect the dots in hindsight. I plan to spend my future creating impactful, long-term change in healthcare. When I reflect on life down the road, I am confident I will see my time at Stanford GSB as the brightest dot along the journey.

What Made This Essay Effective? 

• The student immediately states why they’re interested in attending Stanford and discusses how they will fit into the school. 
• They discuss what they’ve learned in their experiences. This shows that they are mature, reflective, and self-aware. 
• They link their experiences to a specific course at Stanford. This shows that the student has researched the program and is excited about Stanford’s course offerings. 
• This is an exciting and confident conclusion. The student summarizes where they expect to be in the future and how Stanford will help propel them to that goal.

Top Tips for Crafting Memorable Essays 

You want to make sure that your essays stand out for their exceptional quality; it’s not enough to develop pieces that get your point across but come off as formulaic and uncreative. 

Below we have compiled a few top tips for Essay A and B to ensure your essays help you stand out in the best way possible. You can also use these tips if you are struggling to understand how to write the Stanford short essays.

Be a Storyteller

Stanford GSB admissions readers are looking for rich anecdotes and well-crafted stories in essay A . 

Your unique experience is important — and a story worth telling. These elements will entice the reader to want to know more about you and your passions. These stories can be emotional and humanize you and your aspirations to the admissions committee. 

Think about the central theme for your essay, and relay a supporting anecdote. Be sure to give context to help the reader understand why this topic is so important to you. Don’t be afraid to get personal . 

Watch the Length and Keep It Fairly Simple 

When you’re writing about yourself, it can be tempting to write pages and pages to make sure you’re getting your point across. After all, you’re the only expert on the subject! But keep things concise, easily digestible, and confident. 

This assignment is not the space to show off your long-winded creative writing skills and detailed description. It’s also not the space to impress the admissions committee by writing what you think they want to hear. 

Your writing shouldn’t have any frills that can dilute or muddle your answer. Remember to keep things simple, be genuine, and be confident — these are the best ways to set yourself up for success. 

Do Not Focus on Your Accomplishments 

Your essays are not meant to be an opportunity to expand or regurgitate your previous work experience. Your essays can highlight things that you haven’t already discussed. Your resume and letters of recommendation already summarize your professional experiences — this an assignment to show your vulnerability and thoughtfulness. 

If there is an accomplishment that encompasses your passions that you haven’t previously discussed, that is OK. Talk about a person, event, or place that has shaped you. Your essay should give the admissions committee a glimpse at the real person behind the accolades.

Do Your School Research 

Stanford GSB essay B calls for you to do adequate school research. Think about why Stanford is the perfect school for you, and let your research support you. Are there classes, clubs, events, or program elements that will help you realize your goals? 

Be as specific as you can to demonstrate that you have done more than casually surf the school’s website. Your research will help you craft a stellar essay. 

There are No ‘Right’ Answers 

There are no right or wrong ways to write both of your Stanford GSB essays. Your story is yours to tell in whatever way you see fit. If your writing honestly reflects your passions, motivations, and dreams, you are on the right track. 

If you feel yourself agonizing and poring over every line, your essays may not be your brand of “right” quite yet. It sounds a little scary to rely on your intuition and to open up, but you will reap the rewards. 

Stanford GSB Essay FAQs

Writing the Stanford GSB essays isn't easy. However, we’ve put together several questions and answers to help you write killer MBA essays. 

1. How do I submit my Stanford GSB essays? 

You should upload essays electronically in one document. Preview the document to make sure that the formatting of your writing does not change. 

2. What’s the best way to go about editing my essays? 

Beyond checking your essays for plagiarism issues and spelling and grammar mistakes, you should also reflect on your essays’ flow and voice. 

Read your essays aloud and see if they sound and feel right.  An unbiased professional opinion is the best way to polish your essays. The experience of a professional review of your essays would be priceless. 

3. What if I want to exceed the word limit on my essays to fit in everything I want to say?

Exceeding the word limit is not recommended. Stanford is looking for MBA candidates who can write concise and compelling essays about themselves and their aspirations. Try to stay within the recommended 650 words for essay A and 400 words for essay B. 

4. Am I allowed to receive feedback on my essays from consulting services? 

Yes. You are allowed to have your essays reviewed after completion — appropriate feedback is when omissions or errors are addressed and you correct them after. Your thoughts and voice should remain the same. 

Inappropriate coaching occurs when someone else has crafted any part of your essay for you. If this happens, your essays are no longer an accurate representation of you and violate terms. Your application will then either be denied or revoked. 

5. What are the optional essays? 

There are two additional optional essays that candidates can complete as part of their application. The first is, “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?” This essay gives you the chance to discuss your resume further. You can provide up to three examples for a total of 600 words, or 200 words per example. 

The second optional essay asks, “Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation at work or school.” This essay facilitates discussion about your background, like education, work, skills, race, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, or gender identity. The word limit for this essay is approximately 200 words. 

6. Will it hurt my chances if I do not write the optional essays? 

The optional essays are just that — optional. If you feel that you’ve already addressed these topics in your application, there is no need. 

But if you want to expand on something that you may not have discussed already, feel free to complete these optional essays. Stanford has accepted applicants who have not completed these additional essays and has not accepted applicants who have completed them.

Excel on the Stanford GSB Essays, Ace the Application

Writing the Stanford GSB essays can be an intimidating task, but this guide should help you polish your essays to perfection. Remember to keep the purpose of both essays in mind as you write. Make sure that your writing is answering the questions that Stanford is asking. 

The step-by-step guide above can help you to complete your essay. The sample Stanford essays that worked illustrated above will help give you an idea of what makes a great Stanford GSB essay. The tips shared in the article will assist you in the memorability of your essay. 

Remember to tell your stories authentically and be genuine in your Stanford GSB essays, and you will be on the path to success.

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Advice, tips and insights from the admissions dream team., table of contents, stanford gsb essays: tips & strategy on writing what matters most.

• By Matt Symonds

The Stanford GSB essays continue to present a formidable exercise in self-awareness.

The Stanford GSB application esssays include two required questions and two optional short-answer questions. From these questions, the GSB wants to understand why we do the things we do, why we make certain choices in life, and the opportunities and challenges we face. Take this on as a personal feat, not just a series of MBA essay questions.

Rather than providing a hard word limit for each essay, the school sets a combined limit for both Stanford GSB essays at 1,000 words. They recommend up to 650 words for the iconic “What matters most to you and why” Essay A and up to 350 words for the “Why Stanford GSB?” essay. They say that they often find effective essays written in far fewer words.

By offering not just one but two optional short answer essays, the GSB is inviting you to get more personal in the main essay A, providing another space for you to detail your professional accomplishments and contributions. The second optional question, under Personal Information, invites you to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices

Stanford GSB Essay A

“What matters most to you and why?” (approx. 650 words)

This notorious question has become emblematic of the Stanford GSB essays, and typically ties applicants in knots as they try to come up with an answer that they hope is clever, striking or profound. The school is looking not just for extremely bright and successful individuals, but also people who have strong values and want to have a positive impact in the world. Taking the time to really think about this question provides invaluable insight into your life purpose and values. The “true you” that emerges from this introspection helps the GSB to evaluate your fit and and potential contribution to the class, which helps them select students forming a diverse and dynamic community.

Stanford suggests aiming to write 650 words/ Maybe you feel that you can answer the first part of the question in one word, with things like love, family or chocolate. But the heart of the question, the part that reveals your life’s calling and uniquely personal journey to get there, requires deeper introspection. Why does that one thing matter more than any other?

If you’re staring in terror at the blank page, Fortuna’s Tatiana Nemo , a Stanford GSB alumna and former MBA admissions interviewer, advises: “Invest some effort in building a timeline of the influences, instances and moments that have shaped you. Dig deep, connecting the dots between what has shaped you and who you’ve become. Devote essay A to talk about the past and present; talk about the future in essay B. Both essays need to be coherent and connected, so they could read as a single story.”

To best tackle the structure of this Stanford GSB essay question, start with identifying a person, event or experience that greatly impacted you, and think about the morals, values and lessons you gained from this experience or interaction. How do you use these lessons today, and how do they impact your drive, your motivation, and your vision of the world? The best Stanford GSB essays that worked in the past delivered a narrative that’s both personal and courageous in answering this question. (Fortuna coaches have sample Stanford GSB essays that have proven effective in the past.)

Even though you might have to spend hours on this essay brainstorming, researching, talking with others, writing a draft, and then another (and then another), just remember that it’s all inside you. It’s your story, and you just have to find it and pull it out.

Kirsten Moss, Stanford GSB’s former assistant dean of MBA admissions & financial aid, explained to Fortuna’s Matt Symonds why the GSB has stuck with this question for so long: “One of the things that has been proven over and over in research is that highly inspirational leaders who get the highest level of performance from their organizations really know what drives them, and they are thinking beyond themselves to the problems they can make change and have an impact on,” Moss told Symonds at a CentreCourt MBA Festival in San Francisco. “Taking the time to understand what matters to you will be your true north as a leader, no matter what school you go to, in the rest of your life… You will be one step ahead of the game in terms of being able to motivate others.”

For more guidance on this question, view my analysis in Forbes .

Why Stanford GSB Essay B

“Why Stanford? Describe your aspirations and how Stanford and your GSB experience will help you realize them.”   (approx. 350 words)

If the first Stanford GSB essay is about your past and present, the second “ Why Stanford GSB ” essay is about your future. Stanford asks you to explain your decision to pursue graduate education in management and the distinctive opportunities you will pursue at Stanford. If you hope to create one of the best Stanford MBA essay examples , then your school research really needs to shine. What classes, clubs, events or other elements of the program and community will catalyze the impact you are aiming to make in the short, medium and long term? Dig deep and get specific; show Stanford that you’ve done more than just read about the different programs on the GSB website .

This is also where you should lay out career vision, in a highly focused and concise way. Beyond connecting the dots for your interviewer, you also really need to be specific to you. Fortuna’s Heidi Hillis , Stanford GSB alum and former alumni interviewer, advises her clients: “Look at every sentence and make sure no one else could have said it. Why do you need to be a better leader? In what way? How is the Stanford MBA and its offerings uniquely positioned to help? Consider specific aspects of your career vision when making the case to Stanford. If you have the room, potentially cite what kind of internship or post-MBA job you’re seeking.”

Optional Essay 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? You are welcome to share up to three examples.” (200 words for each example)

Introduced for the first time in 2019, this short answer question is a valuable invitation to reveal where you’ve been most impactful. You’ll do well not to consider it optional, and respond with with both substance and specificity. Behind this question is Stanford GSB’s belief that past behavior is the best predictor of future potential. It’s very likely your examples will appear in other parts of the application: a bullet on the resume, a story used to support the recommendation — even on the application itself, which asks you to talk about your “most significant accomplishment” for each job. The best Stanford GSB essay examples all went  deeper with this question and didn’t repeat something that may be found elsewhere. Your responses should add value to your overall application. They should support the essays and the rest of the application, in highlighting why you find each circumstance to be impactful.

Stanford GSB Optional Essay 2

Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation in a situation, interaction, or project. (200 words)

This is a slight revision of a previously used Stanford GSB optional essau, which posed the question in the context of work or school. This wording invites you to draw upon a wider spectrum of situational examples or experiences. In this question, the GSB seeks to uncover the less visible forces that shape candidates’ lives, opportunities, decisions and achievements. This optional essay is a way for the admissions committee to recognize the challenges – or privileges ­– certain applicants face to get to where they are, even when students themselves may not see them as distinctive or noteworthy. Like the required essays, answering this question in an authentic and compelling way requires both substantial introspection and self-awareness. It’s a recognition that beyond your test scores, college  transcripts, and career achievements, prospective students come from different backgrounds that shape both their decisions and actions in invisible ways. Similar to this Berkeley Haas optional essay , it’s a signal that the GSB wants to support the admissions committee’s decision-making by supplying a full and rich understanding of who each applicant truly is.

This question has always been part of the GSB application but has been elevated from a short-answer field on the form to an optional essay. Think of it as a place to talk about an aspect of your life that hasn’t been addressed anywhere else. The good news is that it can also take a more lighthearted turn, touching on a sport you’re involved in, your side gig in improv comedy, your training as a concert pianist. Be sure to show how this has shaped your presence and impact in the workplace.

When you understand and articulate what matters most to you, along with the forces that shape you, you’re claiming a self-awareness and clarity of purpose that set you up for success not just at business school, but also with relationships and career. Stanford wants to know what matters most to you, and so should you.

Let’s Get You In

Fortuna Admissions is a dream team of former MBA admissions directors and officers from top business schools, including Wharton. With our unparalleled collective expertise, we can help you develop a clear vision of your goals for business school and beyond. We work closely with you throughout the application process and provide expert guidance at every stage to maximize your chances of admission to a top school.

Our free consultations are consistently rated as the best in the industry. To learn more about Fortuna and get a candid assessment of your chances of admission to Wharton and other top programs, book your consultation session now .

Want more free advice?

View related articles by Fortuna’s expert coaches on Stanford GSB:

• MBA Admissions Masterclass: How to Get Into Stanford GS B (video)
• MBA Interview Prep for Stanford GSB + Example Behavioral Questions
• MBA Letters of Recommendation: Strategy for Stanford GSB & HBS

You can also view one of our top resources , the MBA Admissions Essay Masterclass featuring   Stanford GSB, below.

All MBA Admissions Essay Masterclasses in our series, featuring insider advice from former gatekeepers of the world’s top business schools, are available on Fortuna’s YouTube channel .

Fortuna Admissions Co-Founder and Director Matt Symonds is business education industry expert and columnist for Forbes , The Economist, BusinessWeek and the BBC, among other publications. For more free advice and a personal, candid assessment of your chances, sign up now for a free consultation .

• Posted on July 31, 2024

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Services & Publications

“What Matters?” and “What More?”: 50 Successful Essays for the Stanford GSB and HBS (and Why They Worked)

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The application essay questions for the world’s two most competitive MBA programs— Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business —are notoriously challenging. Even if these schools had more generous acceptance rates (currently 10% and 6%, respectively), their essay prompts would still vex candidates with both their simplicity and open-ended nature. Yet therein lies the beauty of these essay questions—you are in control! You are a unique individual, and this is your chance to show HBS and the GSB who you really are and why you are an applicant worthy of admittance.

Having helped hundreds of candidates gain acceptance to these programs, Jeremy Shinewald of mbaMission and Liza Weale of Gatehouse Admissions, in partnership with Poets&Quants , have pooled their collective experience to now help you . Using a carefully curated collection of 50 successful essays to HBS and the GSB, they have broken down why each one worked and created a truly essential guide to crafting essays for these schools more confidently and effectively.

“What Matters?” and “What More?”: 50 Successful Essays for the Stanford GSB and HBS (and Why They Worked)  is a 190-page digital book offering the following:

• Actual HBS and Stanford GSB essays, submitted by past candidates who were ultimately admitted, along with expert commentary on the strengths (and sometimes weaknesses!) of each one
• Ten “pairs” of essays for HBS and the GSB, showing how the same candidate approached the two schools’ differing essay prompts
• Two essays by reapplicants, highlighting useful tactics for writing these essays the second time around
• Overviews and examples of four different approaches you can take to composing your essays: thematic, inflection points, single anecdote, and mosaic
• Best practices for each program’s essay question, such as how to handle the prompts’ vastly different word counts and what not to include in your essays

The widely varying essays in this guide prove that no one definitive path to success exists. On the contrary, the schools are clearly open to a vast range of topics, experiences, styles, and voices. The guidance, samples, and critiques in What Matters? and What More? will help you find the best approach for sharing your strongest stories with these programs—and position yourself for success!

If you plan to apply to Harvard Business School or the Stanford GSB, this book is a must-have resource!

Click here to read an excerpt from the book.

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Stanford Class of 2027 essay analysis

Updated: Jun 20

Stanford GSB has confirmed their application questions for the 2024/25 application cycle. You can find more details on their questions here .

As in prior years, Stanford is looking to learn a number of things about you through the application process:

1. What matters to you – what motivates you to your core?

2. What you aspire to do – how do you aspire to drive change in the world?

3. What impact you have had on your communities?

4. How your experiences and background impact your perspectives?

Essay questions

Stanford’s iconic essays remain the same for another year, albeit with slightly shorter word limit. The first question “What Matters Most?” suggests a 650-word limit and “Why Stanford?” has a suggested 350-word limit (1,000 words total). The school also offers applications the opportunity to submit up to three essays highlighting positive impacts you have had, as well as information on how your background has influenced you.

What matters most to you, and why?

Instructions from the GSB: 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?

Each year, Stanford’s question #1 is one of the most challenging questions for many applicants across any school. It is also where our clients often learn the most about themselves.

The essay should focus on motivation , not achievement. The essay requires thoughtful self-reflection and serves a dual purpose of introducing you to the committee while also sharing clear insight about how you think. The key here is that no answer is better than another; explaining why your topic matters most to you is more important than what topic you choose in the first place.

In our experience, some successful applicants have chosen fairly common topics, such as family, faith, heritage, perseverance, and commitment to excellence. Those topics can work if you have strong examples to differentiate from what other applicants might write. However, what we recommend to clients is to choose a topic that allows you to highlight what makes you truly unique and exceptional. And stories that allow you to showcase your authenticity to the GSB.

One of our favorite topics remains an article of clothing, as it reminded our client of various important life events, and lessons learned from those events. Not only are these essays more fun to read, they have a higher success rate for our clients. What makes a good topic for you? It should be intensely personal, allowing the reader to learn your past and how that will drive your future. These stories should reflect characteristics that will make you a better Stanford student and alum. In fact, this is an essay we highly recommend you don't read what others wrote - doing so tends to cement in peoples' minds a "template" that they will then look to follow, rather than showcasing their true authenticity. Finally, the essay should begin to lay the groundwork for the next essay… why Stanford?

Why Stanford?

Instructions from the GSB: 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.

You are applying to Stanford GSB – your aspirations should reflect the power of what the school can bring to your ability to drive impact in the world. Successful applications do not only have big dreams, they have a track record that shows that those dreams are well-explored and will drive lasting impact. Successful applications show very thoughtful reflection on how, specifically, the program will allow you to take ownership of your own success. Some will highlight short-term goals, almost all will outline long-term goals. It needs to be clear through the essay that an MBA is a necessary step in the process, and allow the reader to understand how the GSB is the place to achieve those goals in a differential way.

Short answer questions

The application includes the same three optional 1200-character short answer questions from last year “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?”. While some applicants are successful without submitting all three optional essays (some submitted none), we recommend using these essays to highlight important achievements and impact you are proud of.

Given the tight word limit, structuring these answers is critical. Avoid spending more than 25% of the essay discussing what you did. And when you do, focus on the key decisions you made, and why you made those decisions. For the remainder of each essay, discuss the impact your decisions had on the outcome. Did you provide a critical insight that convinced key decision-makers to pursue a different path, with a different outcome? Did you ask for help at a critical time? The closer the link between your decisions and the positive impact created, the more effective the example will be in convincing the reader that you belong at Stanford.   

"Background" Question

Instructions from the GSB: We know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. With this question we provide you with an optional opportunity to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices. (1200 characters)

Similar to last year, they want you to focus more on your actions and choices, and how your background shaped them.

2024/25 deadlines

Deadline time: 4pm PT on below dates

Round 1: Application deadline: Sep 10, 2024, Decision date: Dec 5, 2024

Round 2: Application deadline: Jan 8, 2025, Decision date: Apr 3, 2025

Round 3: Application deadline: Apr 8, 2025, Decision date: May 29, 2025

Other application details

Click here for school interaction opportunities.

Re-applicant?

Check out information here .

School resources

Check out client resources page , including blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

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Stanford Graduate School of Business Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance, 2024-2025

The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) holds the title of being the world’s most discriminating MBA program. With an acceptance rate that hovers around 7%, the business school has the enviable position of curating a class of amazing stars. Yet, there is an unenviable side to this as well:  so many of the GSB’s applicants are extraordinary; how can the GSB admissions committee determine which candidates are a cut above the rest?

To help the decision-making process, the GSB relies in part on an essay question that has long stood the test of time:  “What matters most to you, and why?” Incredibly simple in structure, incredibly challenging to answer, the essay prompt encourages applicants to contemplate and reveal their inner self in a way that most of us have never had to.

Keep in mind that Stanford provides you with more than this one essay prompt. The GSB also asks why you are applying to Stanford. Lastly, the GSB gives you an opportunity to share up to three experiences when you have created a positive impact and a chance to share more about your background and life experiences.

Essay A:  What matters most to you, and why? (Recommended word count: ~650; 1000-word limit for Essays A and B together)

Stanford GSB’s first essay question—WMM, for short—is very straightforward yet can still be difficult to answer. We say “straightforward” because it is not a trick question and has no right answer you are supposed to guess; the school is not testing your ability to be original or clever, nor is it going to judge what values or “thing” you mention. Stanford sincerely wants to know what matters most to you and why. We say “difficult” because rarely do any of us ask ourselves this question. When we are tasked with stripping out everything else and forced to identify what truly matters most to us (the single most important thing!), the process is often very challenging. The only “right” answer is an authentic and sincere answer. And conversely, a wrong answer is an inauthentic answer. Being genuine and true to yourself is essential with this essay.

The Stanford GSB provides the following guidance : “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?”

To help you get started, consider the following questions to cut through the noise and uncover “your” answer: What are you fighting for most? What inspires you above all else?  What empowers you to march toward your future? What fuels you and gives you energy? And what are you marching toward and/or chasing? As you consider potential answers, you can check each one by thinking about how it has influenced your past behavior and decisions. What matters most to you is your single most powerful motivator, so to write a strong essay about it, you will need to be able to prove that this force has guided you to where you are today.

Your essay will likely be a series of stories and examples that exemplify how your “what matters most” has manifested it in your life. Although you do not have to mention anything about your career in this essay, you do need to make sure that it is consistent with the goals you present in Essay B. Patience is important! The first several iterations of this essay might feel very challenging, but do not abandon hope. Keep working, keep exploring, and be true.

Read a successful response to “What matters most to you, and why?” along with instructive commentary.

Essay b:  why stanford (recommended word count: ~350 words; 1000-word limit for essays a and b together).

Like Essay A, the GSB’s Essay B—WS, for short—is also both straightforward and challenging. Candidates tend to feel that they need to differentiate themselves, their goals, and/or their love for the GSB when answering it, yet the truth is that it really does require an honest and direct response. When you read the question “why Stanford?,” instead think, “Where am I headed professionally, and how will I use the Stanford GSB to ensure I can get there?” If you can answer these questions well, your essay will be differentiated.

The Stanford GSB provides the following guidance : “Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them.”

As the guidance above indicated, this essay requires two main parts. One involves your goals and where you are going (and perhaps a mention of where/how these relate to where you have been), and the other concerns how and why the GSB is the right school to help you get there. We generally recommend a 30/70 breakdown between the former and the latter. (Coincidentally, GSB’s suggested target length of 350 words is down from past years when it was 400 words; therefore, every word will have to count to ensure that you are presenting a compelling argument.)

In describing your goals, include what inspires you about the space you are targeting and the legacy you want to have. We find the most effective Essay Bs for the GSB are those that allow the reader to feel the applicant’s excitement.

Moreover, responding effectively to this essay question requires researching the GSB’s courses, programs, experiences, faculty, and other key elements. Go beyond the school’s materials and website and also sign up for virtual classes and contact and speak with students and alumni. As you do your research, your goal is not to find the most unique or little-known classes or resources; instead, you want to identify several offerings that will enable you to close the gap between where you are now and where you want to go after business school. However, if your essay is exclusively about the GSB, it will fail. The admissions committee is already well aware of everything the GSB has to offer! What they do not know so well is YOU!

One trap we often see people fall into is simply waxing poetic about the GSB’s various resources and offerings. Yet, it is impossible to succeed in the GSB’s application process by love alone. (Quite frankly, the GSB knows how much everyone loves the school—it is Stanford, after all! Limiting yourself to praising the school and describing what you think is so special about the school will bore the admissions committee and do nothing to strengthen your candidacy.) Instead, share what you hope to accomplish professionally and/or how you want to make your mark in the world and show that you have thought deeply about what you need to gain from your GSB experience to maximize it.

Essay B is a goal statement essay, a common essay type that many MBA programs use in the admissions process to better understand your vision for the future. For more tips on how to craft your goal statement, please view our video workshop on the Career Statement .

Optional Short Answer Question: Think about times when 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 others?  (You can have three such examples, each no longer than 1,200 characters or approximately 200 words.)

The GSB is very specific that submitting any response to the above question is optional. Yet, we at Gatehouse view submitting three responses as critical. Doing so gives you more opportunity to show who you are as a candidate.

We encourage you to hold off on working on these until your “What matters most?” and “Why Stanford?” essays are at least 80% complete. You do not want to risk using a story for an impact story that would be a better fit in one of your core essays, nor do you want to repeat any stories in multiple essays.

When you are ready to start working on your impact stories, strive to select a range of stories that reveal multiple sides of you rather than offering multiple stories on the same topic (e.g., having each story be about a time when your mentored someone). Impact can come in all shapes and sizes and in all situations—personal and professional—so think expansively.

Also, keep in mind the GSB’s motto: “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.” Perhaps you could discuss a time when you changed someone’s life, a time when you changed an organization, and a time when you changed something more macro.

Remember that you have only 1,200 characters (including spaces!) with which to present your chosen stories. You will paste your story into a text box that has a character counter to prevent you from going over. That space will fill up quickly, and you need to convey a full story (with a clear beginning, middle, and end), as well as results and some reflection. The STARR format can work great here: situation, task, actions, results, and reflection/growth/learning. And despite the required brevity of your answers, showing rather than telling is still critical. Including vivid, specific details is key.

The online application for the GSB also includes a prompt in the “Personal Information” section.

Additional context: we know that each person is more than a list of facts or pre-defined categories. with this question, we provide you with an optional opportunity to elaborate on how your background or life experiences have helped shape your recent actions or choices. (limit:  1,200 characters).

This question provides an opportunity for you to tell the admissions committee something new or different about you.

Really think about your upbringing/formative years—the environmental and situational factors that have made you “you.” Here are two strategies for coming up with potential stories for this topic: one, select a key influence or characteristic from your early life and see if you can trace it to relevant choices or actions you made recently. Two, think about different times recently when you chose a certain path or took a certain action, and then identify what motivated your behavior.

Ideally, you want to demonstrate a somewhat causal relationship between the actions/choices and your personal past (e.g., “I grew up with my mom as the breadwinner, so I was surprised that our organization had so few women leaders and was inspired to found a women’s group”). The example you offer does not have to be momentous, but it does need to have meaning for you (e.g., “My dad ran a laundromat when I was growing up, so when my PE firm was looking at a laundromat business, I raised my hand to join it”).

We generally suggest that you allocate one-third to one-half of the word count to the “background or life experiences” and the remaining one-half to two-thirds to your “recent actions or choices.” Aim to present the actions/choices part as a complete story, though it does not need to showcase any impact.

Similar to the impact mini essays, you have only 1,200 characters (including spaces!) with which to present your chosen stories.

For additional support on writing these short essays, view our video workshop on crafting business school essays . In it, you will learn several strategies for effective writing.

Topics in this resource:

MBA Essay Questions and Strategic Guidance

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Answers to common questions about Stanford Executive Education.

Application Information

Getting around and staying on campus, payments and cancellations, stanford executive program (sep), stanford lead online business program, what differentiates stanford from other leading executive education schools.

At Stanford, be ready to challenge ideas, take risks, make connections, and emerge as a principled leader. Start by watching the Feel the Difference video. Our curricula leverage a rich combination of experiential learning, case studies, discussions, and lectures — all created to both engage and transform learners. Please visit the Difference page to read more about the Stanford Executive Education teaching approach and check out this 30 second video from Stanford’s Senior Associate Dean. Get ready to be inspired.

How do I know if Stanford Executive Education is right for me?

Start by going to the Difference page and exploring the various tabs. See if you are the ideal candidate for a particular program by visiting the “Participant Profile” tab on each program page.

How can I compare and contrast programs?

Next to each program on the Programs for Individual page, there is a checkbox next to the word, “Compare.” Check up to three programs and click the green compare button at the top of the page to review.

What do participants say about Stanford Executive Education programs?

Peruse Participant Stories and Voices to get a real feel for Stanford Executive Education.

Where can I go to read more about the Stanford professors that teach Executive Education?

Our faculty members, who also teach in the MBA program, are world-renowned experts in the global business community. Please visit Faculty Spotlights to read several stories and search Faculty Profiles to learn more about our prestigious faculty and their research.

I am interested in taking an Exec Ed Program. Where do I start?

Visit Academic Experience to get started on your learning exploration journey.

Does Stanford offer an executive MBA program?

Stanford GSB does not offer a part-time/online MBA or an Executive MBA. We do offer a range of leadership and general management programs for professionals who want to take their career to the next level. Visit Seeking an Executive MBA from Stanford? page to learn more.

What do I receive after completing a program?

See the Awarded Upon Completion section to learn about continuing education credits, certificates, and more.

I am early on in my career. Where should I start to explore?

Peruse Participant Spotlights to hear from others firsthand on how Stanford Executive Education enriched their lives. Consider the High-Potential Women Leaders Program in addition to Stanford Ignite . Managing Teams for Innovation and Success is another option to explore. Register for an On-Demand program to build knowledge as you gain more experience in your career.

Are there any programs that teach entrepreneurship?

Venture forward with Stanford Ignite and explore new endeavors with Launching a Startup .

I am unable to come to campus, but I would still like to interact live with peers and Professors. Do you have options for me?

The Live Online programs allow participants to interact real time with professors and other participants in the comfort of their own home.

I have a busy schedule. Do you have programs I can complete on my own time?

Start your online learning journey today and choose from a robust collection of On-Demand courses.

We are happy to speak to you about your organization’s unique needs. Learn more about Custom Programs and reach out through this form . We will get back to you.

How do I know if I qualify for a Stanford Executive Education program?

For programs where applications are required, acceptance is based on distinct requirements for each program. See Eligibility Admission for further application information. For registration-only learning, explore On-Demand Online Courses .

How long is the application process for a typical program?

The online application process typically takes about 25 minutes to complete. You can also find a sample application for every program once you hit the apply button.

Do I need a Letter of Recommendation to apply to any Executive Education program?

The only programs that require a letter of recommendation are LEAD and Stanford Ignite . While a letter of recommendation is not required for Stanford Executive Program (SEP) , it is recommended as it provides more context for your candidacy.

Application cycles depend on seating capacity and number of applications submitted. Therefore, acceptance changes every cycle. Visit Application Process for Executive Education Programs for more information on the acceptance notification process.

What is the COVID-19 Policy?

We will continue to follow mandates by Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties and guidance from Stanford University .

Are VISAs needed to attend an on-campus program?

Please visit the International Participants page for more information regarding VISA requirements, English level proficiency, and more.

Which airport should I fly into?

Stanford is nearly equidistant (less than 20 miles / 30 km) from the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and the San Jose International Airport (SJC). Participants are responsible for their own transportation to and from the airport.

What are the Executive Residences like?

Welcome to California-style living. Visit Campus Experience for suite features, photos, and more. Please visit Our Campus to learn more about what the GSB offers. A key part of the Stanford Executive Education experience is the opportunity to stay on campus, and accommodations are included in the cost of most on-campus programs. Since all of our rooms are single occupancy and filled by Executive Education participants or MBA students, we are unable to accommodate family or guests. 

Will Stanford be able to accommodate dietary restrictions?

Get ready for a memorable dining experience where Chef Raul Lacara ensures that there is something for everyone! Visit Delightful Surprises of Executive Dining to learn more about dining.

What is the recommended attire for on-campus programs?

Sunny California climate is temperate year-round, with comfortably warm days and pleasantly cool evenings. Business casual clothing is recommended (jeans okay) for program sessions. We suggest you check the weather before arriving.

There is a small exercise room at the Schwab Residential Center for guest use. Equipment includes treadmills, bicycles, stairmaster, rowing machine, and free weights. Stanford Recreation Facilities also offers a comprehensive set of fitness equipment including weights, spin bikes, squash courts, etc. Swimming and track facilities are also within walking distance. Simply bring your government-issued ID with you for entry.

What does tuition include for on-campus programs?

Program fee includes tuition, and may also include accommodations, meals, course materials, and more. See each specific program’s overview page for complete details, including cost of program.

When is payment due?

To secure your place in the program, please remit payment within 30 days of the invoice date or upon receipt if the invoice is received within 45 days of the start of the program. Go to Payment & Cancellation for more details.

Do you offer scholarships or grants for your programs? 

Stanford does not offer scholarships, grants, or financial aid for our Executive Education programs. For cost savings, see Discounts to see if you or your organization qualify. 

What if my schedule changes and I need to cancel? 

There are Cancellation policies you should be aware of in the event a change is requested. Visit the Cancellation and Deferral Policy to learn more.

A W-9 form is an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax form that is used to confirm a person’s name, address, and taxpayer identification number (TIN) for employment or other income-generating purposes. The confirmation can be requested for either an individual defined as a U.S. citizen or a person defined as a resident alien .

Does Stanford have an executive program?

The Stanford Executive Program is a flagship program, founded in 1952. Today, there are two program options for executives to consider in their quest to be a leader that matters. Hear first hand on the impact this program has had on SEP participants both personally and professionally. Head over to the SEP Experience page as well as Alumni Voices and peruse a number of testimonials and videos.

How much time is typically spent on SEP coursework and what is earned?

SEP is an intensive full-time, in-person program with core curriculum taking place on weekdays from 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. with optional morning group exercise and many evening enrichment activities. For SEP Flex, which includes a live online component, expect to spend 4-10 hours on average a week in sessions and preparation work.  SEP participants earn Stanford Graduate School of Business Alumni Status and a Stanford GSB Professional Certificate. Learn more about the SEP Curriculum and download sample program schedules for a detailed overview.

Is there someone I can speak with to see if the SEP program is right for me?

Yes! We would be happy to speak with you. Reach out to the contact listed on this page, and we will get back to you shortly.

Where can I get more details on the application process for SEP?

The SEP application should take no more than a couple of hours to complete. It is an online application with a handful of short essay questions. See this sample application and get more details on the Stanford Executive Program Application Process page.

The SEP program fee includes tuition, private accommodations, all meals, one year of coaching, and course materials. Payment is due upon admission. Your space is secured upon receipt of full payment

Does LEAD take place on campus?

LEAD is designed to be most effective as an online business program and is only offered in this modality.

How much time is typically spent on LEAD coursework?

You can expect to dedicate 5-10 hours weekly to this enriching experience. Watch Successfully Fitting Stanford LEAD into Your Life for more tips from past LEADers.

What does tuition include for LEAD?

LEAD tuition includes 8 courses, live faculty interaction, dedicated time and personalized feedback from course facilitators, as well as ongoing access to the community. This program  is designed to be completed fully online with elements of self-paced content, live events, group projects, collaboration, and networking. LEAD participants earn a GSB Professional Certificate and 24 Continuing Education Units.  For LEAD, there are some options to consider for your payment convenience, including the option to pay in multiple installments. Visit Payment & Cancellations for more details.

I am debating between LEAD and an MBA. How different are they?

While there is some overlap in course content between the MBA program and LEAD , the two programs are distinct in their design. LEAD is an online program for mid-to-senior career professionals who are motivated to drive, change, and elevate their impact within organizations and industries. The MBA program is an in-person program and theory focused, instilling holistic and foundational business knowledge. Watch Stanford LEAD Participant Perspective: MBA or LEAD for more contextual information.

Is there someone I can speak with to better understand if LEAD is the right program for me?

Yes! We encourage you to take the LEAD Self-Assessment to determine if the program is the right fit for you. Reach out to the team to discuss further: Email: [email protected] Call +1 (650) 736-7901 Schedule an appointment for a personalized consultation with a program advisor.

Where can I get more details on the application process for LEAD?

The application process for Stanford LEAD requires you to complete four components: the online application, a short essay, a professional recommendation, and an online video interview. There is no application fee and no GMAT/GRE requirements. Visit Stanford LEAD Applications Process page to read more about each component

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Stanford GSB Essay Tips

If Stanford GSB is your dream school, you may already be thinking about how to craft perfect essays. We’re here to help! Read on for Stanford GSB essay tips to ensure your submission stands out from the (very crowded) pack.

If you’re applying to Stanford GSB, here is what you need to know.

Stanford GSB Application Run Down

Stanford gsb application deadlines.

• Round 1 – September 9, 2021*
• Round 2 – January 5, 2022*
• Round 3 / Deferred Enrollment – April 12, 2022

*Note: while Round 1 and Round 2 deadlines have passed for 2022 matriculation, we don’t expect much change for the upcoming application cycle.

Stanford GSB Essay Prompts *

• 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? An MBA is as much about personal growth as it is about professional development. In addition to sharing your experience and goals in terms of career, we’d like to learn more about you outside of the office. Use this opportunity to tell us something about who you are… (Minimum 250 words, no maximum.)
• 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.

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. Stanford GSB admissions recommends up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B.

*Note: These essay questions apply to the 2021-2022 application cycle. We expect any updates to be released early summer.

What Does Stanford GSB Look For?

Before you even think about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keys, as the case may be), it’s critical to take the time to truly understand Stanford GSB and what it looks for in successful applicants. To us, the best encapsulation of this can be found in the GSB’s mission statement: “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.”

While many business schools aspire to educate leaders that will make a difference in the world, there is a reason that ‘change lives’ comes first in this motto. There is a strong belief that change originates from people. People with different perspectives interacting, challenging each other, and ultimately joining forces to push the limits of what seems possible. No man or woman can create change in a vacuum.

In practice, we find that successful applicants personify this mission statement by displaying the following characteristics:

• A belief that EQ and people are just as important as IQ and profits – While demonstrating impact is critical, Stanford GSB seeks those who deliver it through collaboration with and/or for the benefit of others.
• Strong self-awareness – The essay prompt says it all, Stanford GSB cares what matters to you and how it has influenced your choices in life. Scratching the surface of self-awareness is not enough; beyond articulating your emotions in a given situation, they want to see that you can connect situations to your core values and underlying motivations.
• A willingness to take risks – Change is impossible without some level of risk and change is the crux of the GSB’s mission. They want to see that you don’t let fear stand in the way of progress – for yourself and for others.

How Do I Uncover ‘What Matters Most to Me’?

Attempting to crystallize what matters most to you is incredibly intimidating! If you’re digging deep enough, figuring this out is not something that can be done in a day or even a week. That’s why starting early is critical.

To begin, we love suggesting that clients read two great books, True North by Bill George and What You’re Really Meant to Do by Robert Kaplan.  Give thought to where you dream of taking your career (and life more broadly) and why.

From there, it can be helpful to think back to each major decision you’ve made in your life and reflect on why you made the choice you did. Are there any commonalities? Lastly, think about influential people or events in your life stretching back to childhood. What or who has made you who you are and why?

Once you’ve done all this reflection (and written it down!), look for points of intersection and interrelation. Sometimes another set of eyes from a trusted friend or family member can be helpful here. More times than not, there is a common passion, motivation, value, or trait that connects what you’ve done in the past and what you hope to do in the future. This common thread can serve as your overarching theme and answer to ‘what matters most to you’.

How Do I Structure Stanford GSB Essay A?

The essay itself should prove that this ‘thing’ is truly what matters most to you by laying out 2-3 stories and describing how they connect back to it. While the stories are typically told in chronological order, the essay should not read as your memoir. Be thoughtful and strategic, choosing only your most powerful examples.

Many times, successful essays begin with what we refer to as a ‘superhero origin story’. By this we mean the time in your life or experience that first brought your ‘thing’ (i.e., what matters most to you) into play for you. It is the defining moment that triggered a shift in your thinking or approach in a way that has stuck with you from then on out, influencing who you’ve become and who you hope to be in the future.

The balance of the essay should focus on one or two other situations from your life since the ‘superhero origin’ where the thing that matters most to you influenced your actions or choices. One of these (or a third topical area if you have space) can be devoted to your vision of the future. You have space to further spell out your plans in Essay B, but you should lay out, in broad strokes, how your ‘thing’ influences where you want to take your life in Essay A.  

Once you have the backbone of your essay in place, our advice is to go back and add stylistic nuances that demonstrate you possess the characteristics the GSB seeks. Describe interpersonal dynamics within each story and how you successfully navigated them. Layer in emotion and insights about yourself that demonstrate self-awareness.  Importantly, write so that the adcom feels your authentic passion for the topic you have chosen to discuss.

If this sounds difficult, that’s because it is. Writing a strong Stanford essay takes upfront investment in introspection and time to iterate (and then iterate again). It’s not uncommon for us to work through 10-20 drafts of this essay with clients because, even with professional help, that’s how long it takes to make it perfect.

What Does a Strong Stanford Essay A Look Like?

To demonstrate how our advice can be put into practice, here is a successful Essay A from a past client (privatized and with permission of course).

The thing that makes me most unique is that, genetically, I am not unique at all. Like 0.3% of the population, I am an identical twin. And although my brother and I cannot read each other’s minds, growing up so close did teach me to better empathize with those around me. From a lifetime of practice as a twin, I’ve come to appreciate how empathy – the ability to share the feelings of others – has influenced the way I connect with those around me. Ultimately, empathy matters most to me because it has taught me to leverage diverse perspectives and it has driven me to collaborate more effectively. These skills have not only made me a better teammate, but also empowered me as a leader to motivate others and build stronger teams.

Growing up, I developed a deep sense of empathy by witnessing every behind-closed doors moment of my brother’s vulnerability. Whether he was bullied or enduring a breakup, it was like looking in a mirror: I felt his pain as tangibly as my own. For example, during our sophomore year of college, my brother suffered a serious eye injury. I could feel his anxiety as his voice trembled while he explained to me he’d have to study for final exams without his right eye. Driven to help, I called him each night to read his study guides aloud so he could prepare without straining his vision. Then, when I put down the phone, I studied for my own exams late into the night. From a lifetime of experiences like this, I learned not just to feel empathy, but to harness it to help others succeed.

At [undergraduate institution], I was proud to leverage empathy as Captain of [undergraduate institution’s] co-ed, student run Club Tennis Team to unlock the diversity of passions of my teammates and inspire greater engagement. Elected as a sophomore, I initially struggled to figure out how to motivate my peers to practice during midterm season or miss homecoming to play in a tournament. For example, [name redacted] was a talented freshman from Greece, but she only attended five practices one semester. Tennis wasn’t her passion, so I needed to empathize with her to figure out what actually made her tick. Taking her out for lunch, I discovered that we shared a passion for community service. Bingo! I swiftly created a Service Chair role and nominated [name redacted] to fill it. We then collaborated to initiate a partnership with ACEing Autism, a charity that develops the motor and social skills of autistic children through tennis. Win-win: DC’s community was strengthened while our team gained a high impact leader. My strategy to leverage the diverse passions of my teammates paid dividends, as attendance and tournament results both skyrocketed. That year, the United States Tennis Association even recognized our team as the National Club of the Year.

At [current firm], I again had the opportunity to leverage empathy as a leader, but this time to save [current firm’s] premier, bi-annual Equity Conference by more effectively collaborating with others and catalyzing innovation. When I volunteered to spearhead the event, I was both excited and nervous: managing a cross-functional team of bankers and corporate access professionals was very different from my “day job.” However, I quickly discovered a problem: conference speakers (senior bankers and lawyers) felt they were “too busy” to innovate with their presentations. Because content was stale, clients were disengaged, manifesting in declining satisfaction scores. As a junior banker, my challenge was to connect with overwhelmed senior bankers to inspire change. Having balanced rigorous academics with extracurricular leadership at [undergraduate institution], I empathized with feeling “too busy.” From this vantage point, I tactfully approached each banker with pre-researched topics that I knew were relevant to conference attendees and interesting to them, proactively making it easier for them to innovate. Ultimately, this strategy proved successful in inspiring change. Reenergized, the conference boasted record turnout of 33 CEO and CFOs, and [current firm] was engaged by several attendees as an advisor, representing millions of dollars in potential revenues.

In both my personal and professional lives, I have actively harnessed the empathy I developed as twin as a powerful leadership tool to bring people together. At Stanford, I know that I will continue developing as an empathetic leader as my peers and I embark on our collaborative journey towards a better world.

If we can be of assistance with your Stanford GSB essays, don’t hesitate to reach out !

Applying elsewhere? We also have articles devoted to:

The HBS Essay: Where to Start – Vantage Point MBA

Essay Advice – University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School – Vantage Point MBA

Essay Advice – Columbia Business School – Vantage Point MBA

Essay Advice – Kellogg School of Management – Vantage Point MBA

Katie is a passionate mentor and coach, helping her clients craft a unique, compelling story by leveraging her experience as a corporate executive, alumni interviewer, and campus recruiter. Before completing her MBA at Kellogg, Katie spent five years in banking where she learned practical finance skills as well as how to operate in a demanding, high pressure environment. She pursued an MBA in order to transition to an industry role where she could utilize her finance knowledge to drive change within an organization. Post-MBA, she worked in finance and strategy for a leading CPG firm, progressing to an executive role leading the finance function for a $2B business segment. Her experience managing diverse teams led to a passion for developing others. In addition to her day-to-day responsibilities, she led her firm’s MBA recruiting efforts and served as an alumni admissions interviewer for Kellogg.

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Craft a Powerful Essay for Stanford GSB: What Matters Most & Why?

A GSB MBA, expert admissions coach, and pro writer, outlines his top advice for nailing the challenging and broad Stanford essay prompt, to help you get into one of the most prestigious MBA programs in the world.

Posted May 11, 2024

Featuring Alice O.

MBA Application AMA: Ask Me Anything!

Starting monday, august 5.

11:30 PM UTC · 45 minutes

Table of Contents

The GSB essays sound like they should be the easiest thing in the world, but I’ve found applicants often lose focus in writing their responses to seemingly straightforward questions. Here’s my advice for getting through the turbulence of “I don’t know if I have enough to write about?”, “What do they want to hear?”, and “Why do I actually want to go to Stanford?” to land the plane on these essays.

Already interested in working with me on essays, MBA applications, or anything else? That didn’t take long (see my profile here ). Now for the actual advice…

The Prompts

GSB asks for two main essays, the combined length of which cannot exceed 1,050 words. The main objective of the essays is to see who you are beyond the pale of academic and professional work. Stanford emphasizes there is no “right answer”; but, the best essays consistently portray an applicant’s values, passions, and dreams in an honest, forthright way.

The prompts for the two essays are as follows:

1. What matters most to you and why?

With a recommended length of up to 650 words, GSB asks applicants to self-reflect and write from the heart. Consider what different people and experiences have shaped your perspectives.

2. Why Stanford?

This essay has a recommended length of up to 400 words. Applicants should describe their dreams and goals and what role GSB will play in helping fulfill them.

Top 5 Tips for the GSB Essays

As a former GSB MBA candidate with years of writing experience and a coach here on Leland, here are the top five tips I’ve curated to help you with your essays:

1. Answer the Question

Though it may sound obvious, many applicants struggle with this. Both prompts are open-ended, so it’s easy to go off on tangents and include irrelevant information. As you’re writing, continue to ground yourself by asking, “What is the exact question I’m trying to answer?” To use the first essay as an example, every paragraph should help the reader under what matters most to you, why it matters, and how you arrived at this understanding. If it’s not doing that, it’s probably not worth getting too attached to – and you should probably delete it.

2. Differentiate

Glenn Kramon, a mentor, longtime editor at The New York Times, and renowned teacher of GSB’s Winning Writing class never fails to ask, “What makes you go from one of a million applicants to one in a million applicants?” Almost everyone who applies to GSB will have a great resume, test scores, and GPA. But part of your job with the essay is to make clear (implicitly at least) why and how your perspective can uniquely contribute to the incoming class.

Typical avenues for showing why you stand out are through explanation of your work and life experience, but another way to differentiate is through self-reflection and the specific lessons extracted you’ve extracted as a result. I’ve seen dozens of essays on very similar topics (your admissions readers have seen thousands), but those that focus on what’s been learned and how that learning has shaped a future vision find a way to stand out through their psychology as well. GSB doesn’t just want another resident smart person walking around; they want someone with a combination of emotional maturity, professional acumen, and a sense of humility who’s going to take full advantage of everything Stanford has to offer.

3. Create a Vision

Especially relevant to the second essay, laying out a clear vision for the admissions committee is key. Why do you want an MBA? Actually though. If you don’t have a good reason, don’t go! And why do you want to go to Stanford specifically? How will your Stanford degree help you reach your professional and personal goals? If you can’t answer these questions, again, an MBA probably isn’t the best move for you. But if you can come up with a few sound reasons right off the bat (an industry pivot, targeted entrepreneurial ambitions, etc.), try to stretch your imagination a bit to think about your 3-year, 10-year, and 30-year goals. You don’t need a Gantt chart for your life, but if you take a couple of hours to sit and think about what a Stanford MBA would mean for your future, your case to admissions will be much stronger – and help give you added personal clarity beyond the application.

4. Build and Flow

Both of your essays should have a structure that flows and builds momentum. Essays can be written well and have all that beautiful GMAT syntax you definitely need for the real world, but if what you’ve written doesn’t coalesce into a larger narrative about who you are, the reader will end up distracted and confused. The GSB admissions committee wants you to present a story. They don’t want disjointed paragraphs that portray an inconsistent picture (e.g. a paragraph on each of your three most “impressive” resume elements that aren’t thematically tied). Every detail should contribute to the reader’s understanding of what matters to you, why it matters, and why you see GSB as the next step in your career.

5. Give Yourself Enough Time

For many people, writing the essay is the most difficult part of the application. It can be hard to organize your thoughts and put them down on paper in a clear, succinct manner. Start the essays early, ideally three months or more before submission.

So what’s step one? Write a terrible first draft. Like bad. Then put it down for a few days to avoid the deserved shame that will inevitably come from reviewing it. At the end of the week, pick it up and ask yourself if what you’ve written answers the questions you’re supposed to answer, differentiates you, and so on. It also doesn’t hurt to ask yourself the simple questions of, “Do I even like this essay?” and, “Would I want to read this?” The magic number is around four to six drafts, comprehensively reviewed.

When it comes to how and with whom you should review your essays, ideally you should choose someone with experience writing and familiarity with the application process. An alum of your top-choice school is probably the best choice, given they’ll know the ins and outs of the place and have successfully navigated the application process themselves.

By giving yourself at least a few months, you’ll be able to put the right pieces in place to ensure that you get the help you need and can do the self-inventory required to put together a top-notch set of essays.

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Final Thoughts

Though they can be intimidating, the application essays give you a chance to show who you are beyond your resume and a few numbers. Crafting a compelling narrative that best exudes who you are has evolved into the most important part of your application – and it’s the one part of your application you can still completely control. Even if you feel held back by a low GPA or GMAT, going from A to Z on this dimension of your app is well worth the time – and can genuinely set you apart.

If you’re interested in working 1:1 with me, you can view my profile here . I’ve worked with more than 250 individuals on essays and resumes for top MBA programs, consulting firms, and the broader job market. During my time at Stanford, I was the Lead Editor for Stanford GSB’s Nondisclosure magazine and a Managing Editor for the Stanford International Policy Review.

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