MBA essay topic analysis for the year Stanford University Another essay that involves quite a lot of work from the applicant. But the best part (seen by many as the scariest part) is “REALLY”. This word actually gives the applicants a lot of flexibility to work with. Even if the goals do not logically flow from your background, this word is put in the essay prompt to give you the strength to go for it. Be honest and open. If you have worked on the shop-floor throughout your life but want to move to a technology company, be true. Tell them exactly why want to go there. What were some experiences and interactions that you have had with you peers in such firms. Once you have answered what you want to do, the next step is to put things into perspective. Exactly how would Stanford help you get there? Be specific, talk about your talks with alumni and current students… Talk about the various clubs that you intend to participate.....

Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why? (Suggested 750 words) This seemingly simple seven-word question is likely the most challenging essay applicants face in all applications combined. Clearly, there are no right or wrong answers here and things that make you tick can be completely different from the rest of the application pool.

The key is to introspect and spend time in understanding yourself and then, sharing the same with the admissions committee. Do not worry about what anybody would think. Be true to yourself and your application. In case you do not find anything meaningful to share just yet, a suggested way is to go through your life (on paper!). Write about the various highs and lows that you faced. What were your feelings through those times.

Try to find a common theme and that could help lead you to the answer for… What matters most to you, and why? The winning essay would be one that gives the admissions committee a clear insight into your process of introspection. You must establish a strong connection with your reader and to do so, the essay must be passionate and written straight from the heart… After all, they are talking about what matters most… so if the thing you shared does matter most to you, then you ought to be passionate about it!

Essay 2: What do you want to do—REALLY—and why Stanford? (Suggested 450 words)  Another essay that involves quite a lot of work from the applicant. But the best part (seen by many as the scariest part) is “REALLY”. This word actually gives the applicants a lot of flexibility to work with.  Even if the goals do not logically flow from your background, this word is put in the essay prompt to give you the strength to go for it. Be honest and open.  If you have worked on the shop-floor throughout your life but want to move to a technology company, be true.  Tell them exactly why want to go there. What were some experiences and interactions that you have had with you peers in such firms.  Once you have answered what you want to do, the next step is to put things into perspective. Exactly how would Stanford help you get there? Be specific, talk about your talks with alumni and current students… Talk about the various clubs that you intend to participate.....   Talk about the special conferences held at Stanford… Avoid generalizing and saying “A Stanford MBA is a door-opener”… “I will learn about business” etc. etc. Show the admissions committee that you have indeed thought it through and you are not just some applicant chancing his/her luck.  This essay is similar to the standard career goals essay, despite not actually asking for short-term and long-term goals. THINK BIG! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND THE PATH YOU HAVE CHOSEN!

 Another essay that involves quite a lot of work from the applicant. But the best part (seen by many as the scariest part) is “REALLY”. This word actually gives the applicants a lot of flexibility to work with.  Even if the goals do not logically flow from your background, this word is put in the essay prompt to give you the strength to go for it. Be honest and open.  If you have worked on the shop-floor throughout your life but want to move to a technology company, be true.  Tell them exactly why want to go there. What were some experiences and interactions that you have had with you peers in such firms.  Once you have answered what you want to do, the next step is to put things into perspective. Exactly how would Stanford help you get there? Be specific, talk about your talks with alumni and current students… Talk about the various clubs that you intend to participate.....

Talk about the special conferences held at Stanford… Avoid generalizing and saying “A Stanford MBA is a door-opener”… “I will learn about business” etc. etc. Show the admissions committee that you have indeed thought it through and you are not just some applicant chancing his/her luck. This essay is similar to the standard career goals essay, despite not actually asking for short-term and long-term goals. THINK BIG! BELIEVE IN YOURSELF AND THE PATH YOU HAVE CHOSEN!

Essay 3: Answer one of the three questions below. Tell us not only what you did but also how you did it. What was the outcome? How did people respond? Only describe experiences that have occurred during the last three years. (Recommended 400 words) Option A: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you built or developed a team whose performance exceeded expectations.

 This prompt is an excellent opportunity provided by the school to you, the applicant, to showcase your leadership and management skills. Think (within the last three years) when you were responsible for building or nurturing the team.  Did you create a team and launch a new product/service in the market? Did you lead a simplification effort at work? These might be valid questions for people with more experience… but in case you do not have that… Think back to your Senior year at college.  Did you lead a team to host the college fest? Once you have identified the experience, make sure that you talk about the impact that the team had. And then talk about your strengths.  Also, if the space permits, you can talk about some lessons as well (might help you come across as humble and humane and someone willing to learn from mistakes and successes).

Option B: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you identified and pursued an opportunity to improve an organization. Show the school that you can take initiative. Was there an opportunity you spotted and convinced the Senior Management to go for? Can you challenge the status quo? Here again, once the experience is finalized, the important part is to demonstrate how you pursued the opportunity. Another essay that involves quite a lot of work from the applicant. But the best part (seen by many as the scariest part) is “REALLY”. This word actually gives the applicants a lot of flexibility to work with. Even if the goals do not logically flow from your background, this word is put in the essay prompt to give you the strength to go for it. Be honest and open. If you have worked on the shop-floor throughout your life but want to move to a technology company, be true. Tell them exactly why want to go there. What were some experiences and interactions that you have had with you peers in such firms. Once you have answered what you want to do, the next step is to put things into perspective. Exactly how would Stanford help you get there? Be specific, talk about your talks with alumni and current students… Talk about the various clubs that you intend to participate.....

Talk about the problems you faced. Were others opposed to the idea of change? Where did the resistance come from? How did you convince people. Once you got the clearance, what happened next? Give an insight into the result of the opportunity. Increase in sales? Decrease in base cost? Boosted employee morale? How did the organization improve?

Option C: Tell us about a time in the last three years when you went beyond what was defined or established. Time and again, we all are faced with this situation. We all have a piece of paper that defines or tries to define our roles and responsibilities. When did you do something between the lines, where the task was not defined. Did you take any risks in doing so, and if yes, what was the return?

The perfect story would be one that shows you growing through the experience and making your organization a better place. Remember also, that Stanford word count is only suggested. You have a total of 1600 words to play around with so do not be overly concerned if the first essay is 700 words instead of 750 and the other two essay are 25 words over the suggested count.

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