Before offering tips on answering each of Stanford’s specific essay questions, we wanted to share a few thoughts about the way these questions are framed by the instructions in order to help our readers avoid some common pitfalls that applicants encounter in completing their Stanford materials.
The question of length:
While Stanford’s essay guidelines state that they do not impose word limits and even provide instructions to applicants who’ve written essays that are longer than ten pages, we would encourage candidates to read between the lines of their assertion that most applicants find that three to seven pages per essay is an “appropriate” length. Keep in mind that the person reviewing your application will have somewhat limited time to spend on each file. It’s important that you take the time to fully articulate your motivations and describe the experiences that have been most meaningful to you, but it would be beneficial for you to do so as concisely as possible.
The question of content:
You should take care to fully elaborate upon your interests and experiences, but should always remember the audience to whom your comments are addressed (i.e. a graduate school admissions committee) and keep your remarks relevant to your business school candidacy. While it’s true that your professional accomplishments and responsibilities will be detailed in your application forms, don’t take this comment as meaning that these things cannot be mentioned in your essays. You’ll just need to keep in mind that the adcom is interested in more than the end result of your actions, and that you should be discussing the skills you’ve gained and the lessons you’ve learned over the course of your activities, employment, education, etc.
That having been said, let’s take a look at each of Stanford’s questions in a bit more detail:
Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?
This question in particular says a good deal about what this school is looking for in its students. Successful applicants to Stanford are those who have some common theme or guiding motivation running throughout their work experiences and extracurricular activities, and that ultimately ties into their career goals. This essay is the place to reflect on your values, interests and experiences and arrive at the one factor that has most influenced your actions and endeavors. You have a fair amount of leeway to take your time developing themes given the seven page suggested “limit,” so be sure to include as many details and examples in support of your positioning as possible. Keep in mind that in spite of Stanford’s unique question, your task in these essays remains the same as those of other schools: communicating as much interesting and impressive information as possible about the aspects of your background that are relevant to your candidacy. While it might be appropriate for you to comment on elements of your personal life over the course of your discussion of what matters most to you, your focus should also be on your academics, activities, and work experience.
Essay B: How do you plan to achieve your learning objectives at Stanford? How do you see your career developing?
This is a fairly standard “career goals/why MBA” essay, but with a broader framework that is new for this year. While you should definitely outline your specific short and long-term career goals and explain the ways that particular courses and initiatives at Stanford will prepare you for success, there is also room for you to comment on the campus culture, student body and other elements of the school itself that will be conducive to your learning experience. And of course, it will also be important to demonstrate that you would make an equally valuable contribution to the community by linking your past experiences to future participation in campus clubs, and explaining how you would bring your unique interests and skills to benefit others. This essay will be the place for you to recount the details of visits to the school and discussions with current students with whom you have been in contact. Remember that the more you are able to say about the program’s offerings, the more evident it will be that you have done your homework on the school and are making an informed decision in applying.
