Stanford encourages college seniors to consider applying to the MBA Program for direct or deferred enrolment. They offer admission to college seniors who present superior academic credentials and outstanding evidence of leadership potential through extracurricular and community activities.
If you are a college senior and feel you would benefit from obtaining fulltime work experience before enrolling, you may defer enrolment for one to three years. The Committee on Admissions also may offer deferred admission to college seniors whom they feel would better contribute, grow, and learn in the MBA Program after obtaining full-time work experience.
Qualities Stanford Seek in Undergraduate Applicants

• Extensive leadership demonstrated through activities, research, or work experiences.
• Superb academic credentials
• Maturity and self-confidence
• An ability to articulate why you wish to attend business school now

Application Deadlines: 2017/2018

Class Profile

GMAT Range : 610 to 790
Average GMAT 737
Range of work experience 0 to 13 years
Average undergraduate GPA 3.74

Essay Questions

We request that you write two personal essays. The personal essays give us glimpses of your character and hopes. In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams prior to writing them.

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

For this essay, we would like you to:

• Do some deep self-examination, so you can genuinely illustrate who you are and how you came to be the person you are.
• Share the insights, experiences, and lessons that shaped your perspectives, rather than focusing merely on what you’ve done or accomplished.
• Write from the heart, and illustrate how a person, situation, or event has influenced you.
• Focus on the “why” rather than the “what.”

Essay B: Why Stanford?

Enlighten us on how earning your MBA at Stanford will enable you to realize your ambitions.

• Explain your decision to pursue graduate education in management.
• Explain the distinctive opportunities you will pursue at Stanford.
• If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

Length

Your answers for both essay questions combined may not exceed 1,150words (1,200words if you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs).Each of you has your own story to tell, so please allocate thesewords between the essays in the way that is most effective for you. Below is a suggested word count, based on what we typically see.

Formatting

• Double-spaced
• Indicate the question you are answering at the beginning of each essay (does not count toward the word limit)
• Number all pages
• Upload one document that includes both essays

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

Editing Your Essays

Begin work on the essays early to give yourself time to reflect, write, and edit.

Feel free to ask friends or family members for feedback — especially about whetherthe tone and voice sound like you. Your family and friends know you better than anyone. If they think the essays do not capture who you are, how you live, what you believe, and what you aspire to do, then surely we will be unable to recognize what is most distinctive about you.

Feedback Vs. Coaching

There is a big difference, however, between “feedback” and “coaching.” You cross that line when any part of the application (excluding the letters of reference) ceases to be exclusively yours in either thought or word.

Appropriate feedbackoccurs when others review your completed application — perhaps once or twice — and apprise you of omissions, errors, or inaccuracies that you later correct or address. After editing is complete, your thoughts, voice, and style remain intact.Inappropriate coachingoccurs when you allow others to craft your application for you and, as a result, your application or self-presentation is not authentic.

It is improper and a violation of the terms of this application process to have someone else write your essays. Such behavior will result in denial of your application or withdrawal of your offer of admission.