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May 30, 2023

Stanford GSB MBA Application Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023 – 2024], Class Profile

In terms of its application, Stanford is once again re-using its essay questions. And there’s good reason for the recycling: Stanford has excellent questions that succinctly get to the heart of what Stanford wants to know about you. They are not easy questions to answer, but they are thoughtful, probing ones.

You should write the optional essays if you have experiences not presented in the required essays, that address the optional questions and that will reinforce the portrayal of you as a change agent and consequential member of your community , however you define that community. And most of us are members of multiple communities. 

If you have nothing to add, write nothing. However, I suspect most applicants will benefit by responding to the optional questions. Give GSB more reasons to admit you.

Stanford gives a lot of advice and guidance on its website as to what it’s looking for in the essays. You should access that advice in addition to reviewing my suggestions below.

In this post:

• Stanford GSB 2023-2024 MBA application essay questions
• Stanford GSB 2023-2024 deadlines
• Stanford MBA Class of 2024 profile
• More resources for Stanford GSB applicants

Stanford GSB 2023-24 MBA application essay questions

Essays help us learn about who you are rather than solely what you have done.

Other parts of the application give insight to your academic and professional accomplishments; the essays reveal the person behind those achievements.

We request that you write two personal essays.

In each essay, we want to hear your genuine voice. Think carefully about your values, passions, aims, and dreams. There is no “right answer” to these questions—the best answer is the one that is truest for you.

Stanford MBA 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?

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 can demand. It gives Stanford insights into who you are and what you can bring to the GSB beyond your academic 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 motivated me to make the choices that 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 the values have shaped your life. Refrain from offering career examples because you can state your achievements in the optional “impact” essays, your resume, and the application form. You 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. 

Stanford MBA 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 the following.

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 if you are considering an MBB consultancy, a giant 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 program’s website. The admissions committee already knows that the school’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 1,050 words to use for Essay A (What matters most?) and B (Why Stanford?) together, you need to understand yourself, your goals, what Stanford offers, and your unique value proposition to the Stanford community before tackling this essay. 

Additional information

If there is any information that is critical for us to know and is not captured elsewhere, include it in the “Additional Information” section of the application. Pertinent examples include:

• Extenuating circumstances affecting your candidacy, including academic, work, or test-taking experiences
• Academic experience (e.g., independent research) not noted elsewhere

Additional information “essays” exist so that you don’t have to make the admissions committee guess what happened if you have something unusual or confusing in your profile, such as the following:

• 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 great test-taker and can prove it with your inadequate ACT or SAT score and a 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, and they do not know you well, or because 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.

Stanford MBA optional short-answer questions

In this section, we provide an optional opportunity for you to discuss some of your contributions more fully. What do we mean by “optional”? We truly mean you have the opportunity to choose. If you feel that you’ve already described your contributions well in other areas of the application, congratulations, you’re done! If not, feel free to use this opportunity to tell us more.

Optional short-answer question

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) 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?

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 your “what matters most” 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 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?)

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

Personal Information, Activities and Awards: Optional question

In this section, we provide an optional opportunity for you to discuss your background more fully and how it has shaped your perspective. 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). 

Some applicants miss this question because Stanford tucks it under the personal information section. Reflect on all those drop-downs you clicked on, and consider this the bookend to Essay A. In essay A, you discussed what matters most and why your values are what they are. For this essay, you need to consider how your identity, diversity, and uniqueness motivate your actions. Consider cultural upbringing, education, abilities, and life experiences. How have these factors influenced how you view the world? This question is about your identity. How has that identity – that core of who you are, that core of most significant influences and experiences – expressed itself in your recent actions? It’s about helping the admissions committee get to know you and what motivates you.

Given the meager 1,200-character limit, select one factor that drives your decisions. Then describe the subsequent action. Your action is the evidence to support how and why that factor motivates you. For example, my own 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?

Stanford GSB at a glance

• Stanford GSB average GMAT score: 738
• Stanford GSB average GPA: 3.78
• Stanford GSB acceptance rate: 6.2%
• U.S. News ranked the Stanford GSB #3 in 2023

For expert guidance with your Stanford GSB MBA application, check out Accepted’s MBA Application Packages , which include comprehensive guidance from an experienced admissions consultant. We’ve helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to Stanford’s MBA program and look forward to helping you too!

Stanford GSB 2022-23 MBA application timeline

Your completed application, including your  and application fee payment , 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 the essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

Stanford MBA Class of 2024 Profile

Here’s a look at the Stanford Class of 2024, taken from the  Stanford Graduate School of Business website :

Applicants :  6,152

New students : 424

Women : 44%

US students of color:  51%

International students : 37%

Countries represented : 56

Languages spoken : 71

U.S. students and permanent residents

Undergraduate field of study.

Average GPA : 3.76

First generation in their family to graduate from a four-year college or university : 12%

Hold advanced degrees : 13%

US institutions : 83

Non-US institutions : 79

Average years work experience:  4.9

Organizations represented : 285

Test scores

• Average score: 737
• GMAT score range: 630-790
• Average Verbal score: 164
• Verbal score range: 149-170
• Average Quantitative score: 163
• Quantitative score range: 150-170

TOEFL 

• Average score: 113
• Score range: 106-119

*Some students submitted both GMAT and GRE scores.

More resources for GSB applicants

Not sure that Stanford is the place for you? If you are in the research stage, these resources can help guide you: 

• How to Demonstrate Impact in Your Application to Harvard, Stanford, or Wharton
• M7 MBA Programs: Everything You Need to Know
• Which MBA Program is Right for Me? The Ultimate Guide to Choosing an MBA Program

To hear about life at Stanford GSB from the mouths of real students, listen to these podcast interviews: 

• Transitioning from the Military to an MBA at Stanford GSB – podcast Episode 471
• Stanford MBA Discusses Coffee Chats – podcast Episode 437
• What These Seasoned Startup Founders Have Done Since Earning Their Stanford MBAs – podcast Episode 382
• A Stanford MBA with a Passion for Both Business and Humanities – podcast Episode 377
• Stanford MBA Grows His Amazing Tech Startup – podcast Episode 369

Have you decided that Stanford GSB is your top choice? The road to acceptance isn’t easy, but check out the following links for pro tips on crafting your stand-out GSB application: 

• What Does It Take to Get Into Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton? , a YouTube video
• Why MBA? ,  a free guide to writing about your MBA goals
• What Stanford GSB is Looking For: Intellectual Vitality
• Stanford GSB’s Take on Demonstrated Leadership Potential  
• Understanding Stanford GSB’s Interest in Personal Qualities and Contributions

Our team of MBA admissions experts includes former admissions directors, published authors, and highly experienced business school admissions consultants. And 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 consultant.

By Natalie Grinblatt, the 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!

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Tuesday Tips: Stanford MBA Essay Tips for 2023-2024

The Stanford Graduate School of Business has announced the Stanford MBA essay questions for this year’s application. Today, we’re sharing our Stanford MBA essay tips to help you create a positive impression through your application materials. This year’s essays remain unchanged from previous seasons.

The admissions committee at Stanford has gained significant insight into applicants by asking, “What matters most, and why?” along with “Why Stanford?” These questions are simple, yet the answers are revealing. Also, the optional essay allows you to go beyond your resume and describe a time you had an impact.

What is Stanford Looking For?

“The GSB is looking for people who will make a big difference AND have a better shot than most in being able to execute. Stanford GSB students also seem to have this ‘X’ factor associated with them. Almost like an ‘unexpected’ trait, talent, or experience,” says a former GSB admissions officer now on the SBC team .

Many students are intimidated to apply to Stanford GSB for their MBA in light of its high ranking and competitive admissions numbers. However, here at Stacy Blackman Consulting, we have worked with hundreds of applicants over the years who have successfully gained admission to Stanford. We shared some of our successful applicants’ essential traits to help everyone get admitted to top-tier schools.

Our successful Stanford MBA applicants demonstrated real character. That means they have helped others and shown they share a sense of community. Also, they showed that they cared about the world beyond their material wants and needs in their essays.

As Stanford advises, “answer the question. Resist the urge to ‘package’ yourself into what you think Stanford wants to see. Doing so will only prevent us from understanding who you really are and what you hope to accomplish. The most impressive essays are the most authentic.” Therefore, these essays need to be personal and reveal your personality and what drives you.

Listen to B-Schooled Podcast Episode #152 : Spotlight on Stanford GSB

Understanding Stanford’s culture and academics will help you tailor your application. Before starting these essays, it will be helpful to speak to Stanford students and alumni. If you need to start your research online, read stories from current students. You can begin with our former client, Natasha Malpani (pictured) .

Stanford MBA Essay Tips

Length both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. we recommend up to 650 words for essay a and up to 400 words for essay b. we often find effective essays that are written in fewer words., 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.

This Stanford MBA essay is about diving deep into what motivates you and why. Topics can range from personal history to big-picture visions of the future. This essay should not be explicitly career related (and the most persuasive essays are likely not career oriented at all). However, some of your themes will likely continue in the following essay, which may focus more on your career.

For example, you may have a personal passion that also has led you into a related career aspiration. Your character should shine through, and ideally, introspection and honesty carry through the entire set of essays. To generate ideas, try brainstorming for a few days. Ask friends and family what values they see you demonstrating in your life and choices.

What keeps you awake at night?

Keep a notebook by your bed so you can record your first thoughts upon waking up. Review your personal history for ideas. When you look back at your life, what do you admire and regret about your choices? Are there moments in your life that have led to a change in direction? Who has impacted your decisions? These are the kind of questions to ask yourself as you brainstorm topics for this essay.

It is tough to write such an open-ended and challenging essay. To focus, use detailed and specific anecdotes. Clear examples will provide the reader with images and stories to understand your perspective. After reading hundreds of essays, the ones that have vivid stories in them stand out the most.

However, Stanford GSB specifically advises focusing on people and experiences that have influenced you. Accomplishments and achievements are great, but Stanford wants to know you . Don’t be scared of the challenging moments in life – often, self-awareness emerges from challenges. Whatever experiences you choose, it’s imperative to talk about why they impacted your life and your values.

Along with colorful examples, talk about how you felt, thought, and reacted both at the time and as you reflected later. The “why” will come out of your reactions to your life experience or people who have influenced you and the resulting introspection.

Curious about your chances of getting into Stanford GSB? Contact us to talk strategy with a free 15-minute advising session  with an SBC Principal Consultant. 

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..

After explaining who you are, you will tell why your next step is a Stanford MBA. If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx, make sure you can highlight the advantages of both programs for your situation. For example, you might have significant work experience and also see the benefits of attending a two-year program. Therefore, you could be interested in either option to achieve your goals.

The sub-questions for this essay cover both why you are interested in pursuing an MBA and why you specifically want to attend Stanford GSB for your MBA. Stanford GSB wants to know your aspirations will be uniquely satisfied by the program. As a result, school research will help you explain how academics and community matter to you.

Be as specific as possible to provide evidence that you have done your research. Have you met current students and alumni? Who are the professors you are excited about? What are the unique programs? Is Stanford’s culture appealing to you, and why? Think about using specific examples, like the career path of one particular alum you admire.

If the question seems too vast, take a few minutes to close your eyes and reflect.

Envision your life in twenty years. Where do you live? How do you spend your days? What is your favorite activity? Does this vision fit into your career aspirations? Don’t be shy about your ambitions. Once you have identified your dream career, make sure an MBA is a big part of achieving your plans.

Also, consider that Stanford likes to see applicants who dream big and have the credibility to achieve their goals. Be bold with your aspirations. Therefore write about global, big-picture issues you would like to solve. Not what your parents or partner want you to do, and not the next job on the corporate ladder. In particular, explain what you—with your unique background and values—want for your life.

Even though you should think big, don’t make the mistake of acting as if you are already perfect with no development needed. After all, you are a work in progress, and that’s appropriate. Remember that MBA programs want to help promising candidates reach their goals and be one step on an ambitious career trajectory.

Check out the SBC Application Strategy Guide for Stanford Graduate School of Business

Optional Short Answer Question

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), what do we mean by “optional” we truly mean you have the opportunity to choose. if you feel that you’ve already described your contributions well in other areas of the application, congratulations, you’re done if not, feel free to use this opportunity to tell us more..

Stanford’s MBA essay optional short-answer questions are truly optional. Many applicants to Stanford write personal stories and describe internal motivations in the “what matters most” essay. This leaves very little space to talk about your impact on organizations or teams. If you are one of those applicants, this is the perfect place to show off some of your leadership stories.

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?

This Stanford MBA essay focuses on an example of a time when you created an impact. Stanford is looking for people who have inner strength and drive. But also, Stanford seeks those who can influence others.

First, think about when you influenced a group. Perhaps you were a leader or a vital team member. Then, think about the positive results of that experience and how you contributed. Finally, describe how it was important to you. Ideally, this significance fits with your overall application themes in the primary essays. And hopefully, it also shows a new side to your candidacy.

If you need guidance on your Stanford GSB applications or wish to discuss your MBA plans, please reach out for a complimentary analysis  of your candidacy. Meanwhile, here’s a snapshot of the elite AdCom expertise on the SBC team:

(Image credit: Corey Seeman , CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

SBC’s star-studded consultant team is unparalleled. Our clients benefit from current intelligence that we receive from the former MBA Admissions Officers from Harvard HBS, Stanford GSB and every elite business program in the US and Europe.  These MBA Admissions Officers have chosen to work exclusively with SBC.

Just two of the many superstars on the SBC team: Meet Erin , who was Assistant Director of MBA Admissions at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business (GSB) and Director of MBA Admissions at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business.

Meet Andrea , who served as the Associate Director of MBA Admissions at Harvard Business School (HBS) for over five years.

Tap into this inside knowledge for your MBA applications by requesting a consultation .

You May Also Like

Cracking Elite MBA Admissions: Do You Have What it Takes?

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B-Schooled Podcast Episode #159: Leadership Lessons from a Navy Seal/Stanford GSB Grad

Stanford MBA Acceptance Rate, Deconstructed

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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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“Why Stanford” MBA essay tips

W hy Stanford? Seems straightforward at first blush, right? Corralling the material you need to answer this classic MBA essay question is more challenging than you might think.

In this article, MBA Prep School delivers a fresh way to approach your “Why Stanford?” essay along with some practical advice on ways to make your essay stand out from other applicants’ essays.

Why Stanford?

Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford GSB experience will help you realize them.

Where Do We Begin?

To get started, imagine structuring your essay like a documentary film with three acts.

The first act of the movie must introduce the audience to your sense of purpose: a deeper motivation that has directed your career thus far and will undoubtedly drive your future endeavors.

The second act presents your desired destination: your career goals.

The last act , which is the most important to your target audience of Stanford admissions officers, explains why you need a Stanford MBA to continue your quest and ultimately reach the pinnacle of your career.

Developing Your Essay

Taking a cinematic approach to developing your essay will energize your imagination and help you capture rich detail in your writing.

Expressing your hopes and dreams to an outsider is never easy. By visualizing yourself as a character in a film, you may be better able to take a step back and describe where you have been and where you want to go from a perspective that the Stanford admissions committee will understand and appreciate.

Another benefit of the cinematic approach is that it provides a workable structure for Stanford Essay B: a hero’s journey where we meet you (the hero), learn where you dream of going in your career, and then understand how Stanford is going to prepare you to get there.

Always keep in mind that a successful essay will convey a sense of passion and emotion, not only for attending Stanford but also for the exciting career that awaits you on the other side.

Self-Awareness, Honesty

Before taking on “Why Stanford?”, the heart of the essay, you must establish your career progress up to now, while providing a brief account of your professional strengths and weaknesses.

You’ll want to be upfront and honest about what you are missing for the journey ahead. Self-awareness denotes maturity, and a degree of humility is valued by the admissions office. Be assured that every applicant has some holes in their credentials—if not, there would be no reason for them to attend Stanford.

For example, MBA candidates typically lack leadership experience and their business exposure is often one-dimensional. GSB prides itself on expanding the horizons of its students and preparing aspiring leaders to become agents of change.

Due Diligence

Before you write a word about why you want to attend Stanford, do your homework about the unique areas in which Stanford GSB excels. Visit campus, sit in on classes, talk to students, meet with alumni, and sign up for informational blogs and emails. It’s not difficult to become well-informed about the place, but it does demand time and effort.

However, your “Why Stanford?” essay will collapse if all you do is name a few classes, clubs, and professors, and offer knee-jerk praise of the alumni network. Your objective is to clearly connect the opportunities you discuss to your developmental goals.

In addition to leadership training, three main themes stand out in Stanford’s self-profile: innovation, a global view, and improving the human condition. Sixteen percent of students start companies upon graduating, often in tech and often in Silicon Valley. Innovation includes teaching methods and quirky campus traditions (Take a Professor to Lunch). Grounding your discussion of what draws you to Stanford to one or more of these key themes may help you show your fit for the school.

Obviously, GSB has many strengths, and you cannot discuss them all. Focus your essay on the greatest benefits of attending Stanford to you personally. Don’t forget to logically connect the skills and knowledge Stanford will help you to gain with the gaps you revealed in your first paragraph.

The Stanford MBA program believes in thinking and dreaming big; the school’s motto is, “Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.”

Kirsten Moss, the director of MBA admissions at Stanford, says that what remains constant at GSB is “our students’ commitment to becoming leaders who will transform their industries and communities.”

Your “documentary” will be a hit with Kirsten & Company if you keep our cinematic approach in mind while designing and writing your essay. You want your readers to be cheering for you to succeed and you must convince them that Stanford GSB is the perfect next step in your hero’s journey.

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Stanford GSB Essay Advice and Application Deadlines: 2023-2024

The Stanford MBA essay questions, as expected, will not change for 2023-2024 MBA applicants. Once again, there are two Stanford GSB essays, which have a combined word limit of 1050 words. Stanford suggests applicants allocate up to 650 words on Essay A and up to 400 words on Essay B.

Stanford 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 Are As Follows:

Round 1:  September 12, 2023

Round 2:  January 4, 2024

Round 3:  April 9, 2024

2023-2024 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?  (400 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 400 words, so be succinct.

Unlike other schools, Stanford gives the candidate discretion on how to divide the 1050 words (1100 for dual degree candidates) 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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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. 

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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7 Tips For The Infamous Stanford GSB Essay A

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The most infamous MBA admissions essay comes from the Stanford Graduate School of Business (with the Harvard MBA essay a close second!). It is simply–and perhaps maddeningly– “What matters most to you, and why?” Deceptively open-ended, the question manages to stump many applicants who agonize over what Stanford wants to hear and how to best write to it. This article will give you some tips on how to approach the question as well as some useful quotes from the Stanford GSB admissions committee on what they are looking for. 

A Personal (and Occasionally Too-Personal) Essay

This most difficult of Stanford GSB essay questions is also famously invested in the personal struggles of the applicant. There is no subject matter too taboo or too intimate. Former Stanford GSB admissions director, Derrick Bolton, once said, “Essay A 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.”

And he meant it. Successful application essays have been written on topics as diverse and potentially controversial as overcoming addiction, having an abortion, or coping with ethnic discrimination. On the other hand, topics like receiving advice from a mentor and using one’s career to make a social impact have also proved successful. 

There is no single “perfect” topic. What matters most is how you construct your story, and our seven tips below will help you do just that.

1. Crafting a Good Story

The Stanford GSB admissions reader is looking for a well-crafted story in the MBA essay that has an easily identifiable core. In the video below, Expert Admissions Consultant at Menlo Coaching, Yaron Dahan , talks about working with a client who initially went 0-for-5 with his applications due to some big issues: he was convicted of a felony, had below a 3.0 GPA, and while he had a decent job, to get into a top MBA program, he would typically need to have a better one. But Dahan was clear that “what he thought were weaknesses were in fact his greatest strengths. Meaning the fact that he had come from a position where he was a convicted felon and a high school dropout to move into a big consultancy firm […] in and of itself was incredible.”

Dahan goes on to say that his strategy was to turn those perceived weaknesses into “a very motivational story.” That kind of pivot can make a huge difference in your application. Owning up to a flaw and rewriting it as a strength shows the kind of self-awareness and dedication to self-improvement that MBA programs find valuable in their applicants. Especially in the case of the Stanford GSB Essay A, you have a rare opportunity to be vulnerable in an essay by writing your story in a legible way that proves how far you’ve come and what you might accomplish in the future.

In the case of Dahan’s client, it made what might otherwise look like a mediocre set of achievements into a story of great achievements, given the adversity he had to overcome to get there.

The Importance of Storytelling in Your MBA Application

2. keep it simple.

One important thing to keep in mind when you compose your essay is to not overwrite. Many people see an essay and feel like they must impress the admissions committee with superior creative writing skills that they may not possess. Menlo Coaching co-founder, Alice van Harten , suggests employing the “Classic” style as exemplified by Francis Noél-Thomas and Mark Turner’s Clear and Simple as the Truth: Writing Classic Prose . The basic concept of classic style is to include distinctive and descriptive features that are aimed at effective understanding rather than impressive turns of phrase or superlatives.

Van Harten insists that employing classic prose is “about more than writing style. It’s about a mindset.” She proposes that the mindset is one where you are focused on your story rather than focused on the goal of admission. That will allow your story to be maximally communicable without worrying about impressing the admissions committee with your flowery prose or hitting the right buzzwords. 

In addition to the points above, the classic style approach will also benefit you in the following ways:

• Because most applicants have a natural inclination to try and impress committees by “telling them what they want to hear,” your simple, clear essay will stand out. It will be a breath of fresh air to the committee.
• Using this technique projects confidence. You know your story and you have confidence that it will land with the admissions committee. You will be in the position of showing why your story is meaningful rather than trying to defend its meaningfulness.
• It is the most effective way to communicate your content. In an essay that asks “what is most important to you and why,” you will be communicating that very thing without any bells and whistles that might potentially dilute or confuse your audience.

3. “What Matters Most to You, and Why?” Is About Hard Choices

At its core, the Stanford MBA Essay A is about deep self-examination. This is a difficult concept to put into words. Saying that you will sit down and deeply examine yourself is not particularly actionable. One way to think about it, however, is to think about the hard choices you have had to make–the choices that have a real cost.

A useful way to look at this is through the lens of business. Although professor Robert Simons teaches at HBS, he has made a statement that’s highly relevant to Stanford’s essay: “Value statements that are lists of aspirational behaviors aren’t good enough. Real core values indicate whose interest comes first when faced with difficult trade-offs.” It’s all well and good to say that fairness or integrity is important to you, but without having to fight for it, those words are pretty empty.

Or, put another way, think about what you have given up in order to be where you are. For example:

• In choosing to live in a certain place, you have chosen not to live in others. Why did you make that choice? 
• In accepting a certain job, you might have rejected others or not pursued them in the first place. 
• What do you spend your money on (and what don’t you spend it on as a result)? What gets your time and attention? What goes ignored? 
• If you had any of these choices to do over again, would you?

Those kinds of questions may help you focus on what matters most to you in a way that is demonstrably meaningful and not just a bunch of hot air.

4. Focus on the Why

If you have identified a good example of a tough choice that you’ve had to make, it’s important to then be clear about why you made that choice. What Stanford GSB hopes to learn in your response is what an accurate assessment of your value system is. Your motivations for tough choices will end up saying a lot about you. 

• Maybe you live in a studio apartment so you can travel more often because your parents taught you that a worldly life is one well-lived.
• Maybe you lost touch with friends because you were so dedicated to learning to code and that is how you launched the website that got you your tech job.

Starting with the results (the hard choices) instead of the precepts (the values behind them) will lead to richer, stronger essays that are better rooted indemonstrable, lived experience. That kind of experience will let you support your claim in concrete ways instead of having to stretch to fit an example to the end goal. You will be showing the Stanford MBA admissions committee what matters most to you and why rather than merely telling them.

5. Make it Emotional

The writing in the Stanford MBA essay should be much more personal (and, to a certain extent, more casual) than what you write in a more traditional business school admissions essay. You need your personality to come through and that’s why it’s important to make your response emotional. 

Now, when we say “emotional” we mean happy, sad, funny, or anything in between. The response to this essay prompt should give the reader an insight into who you are: your sense of humor, your passion, your sentimentality. Something along those lines should come through. This is not what the standard MBA essay asks of its applicants. 

The good news is that, if you follow the above advice, it will be much easier for you to communicate that. Writing in a way that shows off who you are as a person is not something you can force. But if you are writing about something that is actually important to you, the built-in emotion will come through. A story you find funny will likely come across as such if you are invested in telling people about it. A particularly harrowing choice you had to make will be full of pathos if you felt strongly about it and try to communicate that sentiment in classic style.

6. Don’t Focus on Your Accomplishments

Many applicants mistakenly believe that they can write about their accomplishments or accolades they have received and tie those together as some sort of central value. Their achievements, they claim, are what is most important to them. 

This is a big mistake. You have a resume and letters of recommendation to discuss your achievements and accomplishments. Talking yourself up will have the opposite effect as you intend in the Stanford MBA Essay A. This should be a chance to be vulnerable and thoughtful. It’s about the people, places, and events that have influenced and shaped you. It’s about what you prioritize and, if you list your accomplishments, you will end up seeming arrogant as a result.

7. Remember That This is Hard! Professionals Can Help.

Writing an essay–especially a personal essay–is one of the most difficult aspects of applying to an MBA program. Stanford GSB knows that in assigning it to you. They expect it to be difficult in order to help them sort out the best candidates. 

One of the most essential things you can do, if it is in your budget and plan, is to hire an admissions consultant to help you make sense of your story. 

You do have a story to tell. There are some values in your life that you have been living by. It helps to have an outside, objective person with training and experience in MBA admissions to bounce ideas off of and help you understand how to make the most out of your story. Our MBA admissions consultants at Menlo Coaching can provide that objectivity and expertise. 

Why does Stanford GSB love this Question?

Great leaders are often people who are very self-aware or, at the very least, recognize what is important to them. They pursue their goals at all costs. Look at Steve Jobs–a leader who was so singularly focused on his goals that he sacrificed social acceptance and the confidence of friends and family to get to the top. The adoration and hagiography as a tech idol that followed was the result of his understanding of his desires and ignoring anything that wasn’t useful in achieving them.

While you may not gain the same ruthless reputation as Jobs, or be possessed of the same monomania, the Stanford MBA admissions committee wants to understand that you have a value system just as thoughtful. They want to ask you a highly personal question in order to get an understanding of how your life has been lived in accordance with your values. You’ll need to rely on friends, family, colleagues, and perhaps an admissions consultant for help as you work through your ideas.

David White has been recognized as a top reviewed MBA admissions consultant by Poets&Quants in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and is a founding partner at MBA admissions consulting firm Menlo Coaching. His 15-year tech career included executive roles at startups (Efficient Frontier, acquired by Adobe) and publicly traded companies (Yahoo, Travelzoo), during which time he hired, trained, and developed dozens of young professionals. He has been coaching MBA applicants since 2012 with a special focus on developing the right career goals.

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

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2023-2024 Stanford MBA Essay Tips and Example Essays

Jun 15, 2023

• 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. 

Need more guidance? Our MBA Resource Center has dozens of Stanford GSB MBA essays that worked to get our clients admitted to help you plan out a winning Stanford essay. Our library also includes guides for all top global MBA programs, detailed essay brainstorms, interview tips and mocks, CV templates, and recommendation letter guides. Click to join !

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 4.9 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 2024 was 737) or exceptional GRE scores (the average for the Class of 2024 was 163Q 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: 

Though there is great diversity in the class, some of the key characteristics GSB looks for in applicants are:

• Intellectual vitality
• Demonstrated leadership potential
• Personal qualities and contributions

Stanford also states:

“We always remember that there is neither an ‘ideal’ candidate nor a ‘typical’ Stanford MBA student. You should remember this, too. While the Stanford GSB community does include students who have pursued incomparable opportunities, most Stanford MBA students have excelled by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well. What you make of an experience matters to us, not simply the experience itself.”

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 400 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.

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?

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. 

Optional background question: 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, including spaces)

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 . 

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 1,050 words.

3.2. 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

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 2023-2024 deadlines. You can access the online application here .

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The essays are a key aspect of your application and are designed to inspire thoughtful reflection.

Your essays help us understand what character traits have propelled you in your career and tell us how the Stanford MSx (Masters in Management) Program is integral to maximizing your impact in the world after receiving your business masters degree.

• Requirements

We require you to write two essays that answer the following prompts:

• What matters most to you, and why? For this essay, we would like you to reflect deeply and write from the heart. Once you have 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?
• Why Stanford MSx, and why now? Describe your aspirations and how your Stanford MSx experience will help you realize them. Why is this the right time for you to pursue your master’s degree at Stanford GSB?

The admission committee can better engage with your essays if you format them appropriately. We encourage you to:

• Submit one document with both essays
• Include the prompt with its respective essay
• Write concisely (total word count must not exceed 1,050 words)

Both essays combined may not exceed 1,050 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B. We often find effective essays written in far fewer words.

Career Aspirations Short Answer Question (required)

Because the Stanford MSx program is for mid-career managers, it is valuable to have clear career goals in mind when you begin. Beyond a sentence or two, tell us about any specific career goals you have for the next few years, and how you believe the Stanford MSx Program, combined with your experience, education, or background, will help you achieve them. If you choose to explain this in your essay or other portions of the application, you can reference that here (no need to repeat), but be as specific as you can.

Optional Short Answer Question

What do we mean by “optional”? We truly mean you have the opportunity to choose. If you feel that you’ve already described your contributions well in other areas of the application, congratulations, you’re done! If not, feel free to use this opportunity to tell us more.

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. 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).

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?

Qualities of Exceptional Essays

Exceptional essays are authentic: Write about what you are compelled to tell us, not what you believe the admission committee wants to hear. In addition, they:

• Indicate self-awareness and acknowledge areas for growth opportunities
• Express an understanding of your effect on others
• Demonstrate how you want to maximize your impact on the world
• Showcase your unique worldview and goals by being personal, specific, and honest
• Detail how you see the MSx Program helping you achieve your goals and how you will leverage your year at Stanford

Additional Information (Optional)

The application provides an additional opportunity for you to share any other pertinent information not otherwise captured in your application. You might use this opportunity to:

• Describe the circumstances affecting academic or work performance
• Explain why you are not using a current supervisor as a reference
• Address an academic suspension or expulsion

Recognized at the Highest Levels

With this elite degree on your resume—and the support of a global community behind you—you will experience exciting new career opportunities.

Student Tip: Authenticity Matters

“Talk to the accomplishments or challenges that you connect to emotionally, and not necessarily the most prestigious ones. It is easier to write a genuine and moving story if you are emotionally invested in it.”

— Sourabh Chirimar, MS ’19

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The Stanford Graduate School of Business: Everything You Need to Know

The Stanford Graduate School of Business (“the GSB”) is the most selective MBA program in the world, admitting only an estimated 9% of its applicants for the Class of 2024. Why is the GSB so popular? Many would argue that its symbiotic relationship with Silicon Valley has pushed this elite MBA program to new heights—countless Stanford GSB graduates have become venture capitalists and start-up entrepreneurs, adding to the lore of the school. Still, the GSB’s impact can be felt far beyond Silicon Valley; Nike founder Phil Knight, General Motors CEO Mary Barra, and social entrepreneur Jacqueline Novogratz are all graduates, and only 15% of students in the Class of 2024 have a background in the tech industry. So maybe arguing that Silicon Valley is the appeal is an oversimplification, but students generally agree that the GSB is the place for those who are unashamed to pursue big dreams.

Beyond that, the GSB’s warm California weather and reputation for a close-knit and laid-back community (punctuated by its legendary “Touchy Feely” course, which is a catalyst for soft-skill development), along with the sky-high annual salaries that its graduates initially command ($182,272 on average for the Class of 2022), contribute to its desirability and selectivity. So with the Stanford GSB receiving 6,152 applications and matriculating 424 students for the Class of 2024, you need to think carefully about what you offer and how to carve out your place in the class. Fortunately, mbaMission offers a depth of resources and services to help you on your journey.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business Insider’s Guide

After consulting with Stanford MBA students, admissions committee members, and alumni about their GSB experiences, we have prepared our Insider’s Guide to the Stanford Graduate School of Business. We take an in-depth look at life as a Stanford GSB student, highlighting how the school’s location, class size, curriculum, teaching methods, facilities, alumni base/involvement, and rankings all affect its culture and MBA experience. Then we delve into the GSB’s standout faculty and unique professional student clubs, revealing how they facilitate the careers of GSB MBA students. Through our guide, you will learn more about the spirit of innovation that runs through the Stanford GSB—the Venture Studio, Startup Garage, interdisciplinary d.school, and other such resources and opportunities. Further, you will come to understand how a campus once known as “the Farm” is now shaped by the Knight Management Center, with its numerous meeting spaces and environmentally sustainable design. Of course, you can also read up on the Interpersonal Dynamics course (colloquially known as “Touchy Feely”) and gain a sense of its place in a larger leadership program, highlighted by the Executive Challenge and Leadership Labs, which are facilitated by second-year MBA Arbuckle Leadership Fellows. Stanford GSB dean Jonathan Levin has been guiding the Graduate School of Business since 2016—through our guide, you will experience the remarkable program that continues to develop under his watch.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business Interview Guide

Stanford GSB interviews—most often conducted by Stanford GSB MBA alumni—have a casual air, but GSB applicants should not get so comfortable that they lose their focus and fail to provide the admissions committee with the critical information that their trained GSB interviewer is seeking. Ultimately, through behavioral questions, the GSB alumni (approximately 85%) or admissions committee interviewer (approximately 15%) will generally ask about past experiences to gain insight into your decision-making abilities and your values. Further, you will need to be ready to share why you are a good fit for the school, offering particular reasons why your post-MBA goals can be best served via the Stanford Graduate School of Business’s resources. For sample essay sequences and commentary from past students, check out our Stanford Graduate School of Business Interview Guide.

Stanford GSB Essay Tips, 2023–2024

The Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) requires only two essays of its candidates, though its long-standing first essay question—about “what matters most” to applicants—is one we have seen many people struggle with over the years. The largely open-ended nature of the prompt often stymies candidates, who understandably want to avoid making any wrong moves in their application. The GSB’s second essay question is comparatively straightforward, asking applicants to explain why they have chosen the school for their MBA, but crafting the best possible response will demand some thorough research into what the institution offers and an ability to clearly show a connection between certain resources and the candidate’s unique personality and needs. With a 1,050-word total allowance for the school’s two required essays and 1,200 characters (not words) for its optional short-answer question, applicants need to be judicious in selecting their desired messages and succinct in conveying them. Read on for our full analysis of the GSB’s essay and optional question prompts.

In our essay analysis, we provide in-depth guidance on each of the Stanford GSB’s 2023–2024 essay questions:

• Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?
• Essay B: Why Stanford?
• Optional Question 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 can share up to three examples—up to 1,200 characters, or approximately 200 words, for each example.)

Click here to read our analysis

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

The application essay questions for the world’s two most competitive MBA programs—Harvard Business School and the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB)—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 their 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!

$24   $60

Stanford GSB Class Profile (Class of 2024)

Stanford gsb business school rankings.

The Stanford Graduate School of Business has consistently placed in the top ten, if not the top spot, of most popular business school rankings for many years. It is arguably one of the most selective business schools in the world and, quite subjectively, the school rivals HBS in terms of prestige and competitiveness.

Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the GSB first in their 2022–2023 U.S.-based ranking. Stanford GSB stood in sixth spot in the U.S. News & World Report rankings, sharing the position with Dartmouth Tuck. In the Financial Times 2023 ranking, the GSB was fourth internationally and second domestically, in a tie with Harvard Business School. Finally, Poets&Quants ranked the GSB third within the country in 2022.

Stanford GSB Deadlines (2023–2024 Application Season)

Round 1 September 12, 2023

Round 1 Decision December 7, 2023

Round 2 January 4, 2024

Round 2 Decision March 28, 2024

Round 3 April 9, 2024

Round 3 Decision May 23, 2024

mbaMission Stanford Graduate School of Business Client Testimonials

Rachel is fabulous.

Rachel helped me with my application to the Stanford GSB and she is an absolute GEM. Over the course of a few weeks she was able to guide and steer me in the right direction and her understanding of the entire application process is unparalleled relative to others in the market. She is approachable, kind, insightful, thoughtful and deft. She is super responsive, honest, hard-working and her work is like alchemy. Had it not been for her I would have never gotten into my dream school. You need her on your team helping you through this tough process because she is so passionate and because she is an absolute pleasure to work with. Truly first class and wonderful.

Admitted to Harvard, Stanford, Wharton

I write this testimonial as someone who was accepted to Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton in a historically competitive admissions cycle. Even if I did not achieve these incredible outcomes, I would value Katy’s services equally highly...As an HBS alum and former member of the Stanford GSB admission committee, she brings a true depth of understanding to the application process. Moreover, Katy has years of experience working with clients specifically targeting the top three MBA programs in the country...Katy was incredibly proactive at all stages of the application process.

1000% Recommend Melissa Blakeslee and mbaMission!

Melissa is an A++++ MBA Consultant! I had about 6 introductory calls with other consultants who I was unsure about but 10 minutes into my call with Melissa I knew I wanted to work with her! She was extremely helpful even in our 30-minute intro call about how I can most effectively bring my story to life. I was an hourly client with Melissa and the brainstorming sessions were instrumental to my business school success. Melissa provided me with guidance on what stories I should share and when. Without her help, I 100% believe I would not have been able to produce essays that got me into four of the five programs I was admitted to Stanford GSB, MIT Sloan, Kellogg, and Wharton. Melissa is extremely personable, friendly, and energetic!! She is professional and communicative while remaining supportive during an incredibly stressful process. I'll be attending Stanford GSB this Fall and I can't thank Melissa enough for her support! I 100% know I would not have been so successful without her support. Anyone would be lucky to work with her.

How Julie-Anne Heafey Guided Me to Stanford GSB

For the first time in a free 30-minute consultation, someone went beyond basic parameters such as my GMAT score, GPA, or my age. Julie-Anne patiently took the time to listen to my story and holistically understand my goals. On that same day, I signed a 6-school-package with her and we started right away to craft my applications. On my resume, Julie-Anne was strategic, helping me to not only evince the quant skills the admissions officers expect from good candidates, but also translate my achievements to a more clear business language. On my essays, Julie-Anne’s sharp and direct questions helped me to significantly tell my story and consistently explain how an MBA would allow me to achieve my next goals. For each of the six schools, she kept dedicated, reviewing countless versions of my applications. It was a long process, but Julie-Anne was always motivating and supportive, pushing me to overcome myself, find my voice, and deliver the candidacy that allowed me to be admitted to Stanford.

Susan Helped Me Get Into My Dream School

Susan is able to identify your greatest strengths as a candidate, and enables you to craft an application that truly shines with these characteristics. She is completely honest and meticulous with you throughout the essay editing process instead of taking the easy route and approving of your essays once they’re in “good enough” shape. I came to Susan for help with my applications only 2 months before the deadline, and even with our condensed timeframe I was able to take the GMAT, construct my essays, and polish them to a great quality. There were times even 2 weeks before the deadline (due to my condensed 2 month timeline) where I was not sure my drafts would come together, yet I was able to secure admission to my dream MBA program, Stanford GSB. Needless to say, I highly recommend Susan.

For immediate technical assistance during class time, call the GSB classroom support hotline: 1(650)736-3342

Or submit a support ticket to Stanford Service-Now

Leading Effective Discussions

• updated on April 16, 2024

Planning Ahead for Discussions

Facilitating in-class discussions, additional resources.

Leading class and business case discussions requires agility in balancing course content while inviting diverse perspectives from students.

This resource offers frameworks, examples, and tips from the GSB community for leading effective and inclusive discussions. We recommend focusing on a few that might be most relevant to your teaching and adapting and implementing them to meet your needs. Let us know if you’d like a consultation or need any support.

Create a clear game plan for how you wish to achieve your teaching goals by planning your content delivery and how you aim to engineer student engagement. Here are some areas where you can plan ahead.

• Your goals for the discussion. For example, do you want students to critically analyze the details of a case, examine the pros and/or cons of a specific point, explore conflicting views on a topic, or hypothesize scenarios and outcomes?
• The balance between reviewing assigned work and taking the discussion further. How much do you want students to recap key points from a case or assigned reading? At what point do you want them to evaluate the material more critically from a variety of angles?
• The balance between lecturing on new content and staying in the discussion space. How much of your class discussion is about students making key connections through discussion and how much is about you bringing in other information and insights through mini-lectures?
• How the topic relates to other cases in the course and/or the marketplace. Is the topic representative of a more general phenomenon?
• How the topics relate to other assigned readings, prior class discussions, and future course work or projects.
• Real-world connections. How much should students link concepts to current events? How much do you want them to bring in connections to their own experiences?

As you prepare study or discussion questions, take a moment to ensure they map to your key learning goals. You may wish to:

• Frame initial discussion questions with some case, industry, or other relevant background to set the stage and point students toward the goals you have in mind.
• Look for areas of potential confusion. For example, questions that are too broad can solicit variable and off-topic answers.
• Envision a range of responses you hope students might contribute to the discussion. What question(s) will help you elicit these responses?
• Craft questions that elicit deeper answers and avoid excessive use of Yes/No questions or questions with a single correct answer. While Yes/No and single correct answer types might be easier to craft, students will often respond with short performative answers, preventing discussions from going deeper.

Clearly state how discussions are part of your course and share your expectations for how students should participate. Ensure that students follow your discussion guidelines in the first few classes and re-emphasize them throughout the quarter. Your discussion norms will soon become routine in your course. As part of your expectations, give guidance and feedback on:

• How much you expect students to volunteer and respond to other students’ comments.
• How you implement cold calls, warm calls, or role plays to foster meaningful discussions.
• How much you expect them to contribute from their own experiences, or debate a point.
• How they should respond to other students’ comments.
• When you wish them to focus on the facts from the case or readings and when you want them to transition to offering analysis.

Engaging all students in the classroom to join in discussion is an art that can seem challenging in the moment. Some students are naturally more inclined to participate while others are more reserved in the group setting. As a facilitator, think about the role you will play to create a welcoming atmosphere in the classroom for engaged and inclusive discussions. Consider these tips:

• Strive to cast open-ended questions that elicit analysis, reactions, or insights from the class instead of using questions that fish for specific answers.
• Consider waiting for a few students to raise their hands then beginning the discussion with the last person who raised their hand. This strategy can help shy students, who can be hesitant to respond, engage early without waiting nervously. Choosing later volunteers may shape the conversation in a different way than always choosing the first or quickest hand to raise.
• Invite students to respond to one another’s ideas  instead of responding directly to you.
• Integrate brief pauses to give students time to reflect on your summaries or others’ comments before calling on the next person.
• When disagreements arise, ask students to further illustrate their position by drawing on insights from the course content.
• Invite students to review the main ideas and their conclusions toward the end of the discussion.
• Lower the stakes for making mistakes by acknowledging the challenging nature of the material and celebrating contributions especially when students are outside of their comfort zones.
• Maintain strategies for equitable discussion throughout the quarter, such as implementing warm calls, generating randomized lists, and checking in with students who seem reluctant.

Tips for Handling Engagement Challenges

• Stay curious and open to varying viewpoints. Ensure your questions maintain an approach of curiosity to your student’s perspectives and opinions. Students often pick up on the use of leading questions that imply a correct answer or slanted questions that close-down differing points of view, which may limit their willingness to explore different sides of an issue.
• Use discretion in handling unpreparedness. If a student is unprepared, calmly move on to the next student. Follow up with the student privately after class.
• Use Discussion Moves (outlined below) to keep momentum throughout the class session.

Hear from your GSB colleagues about their strategies for handling challenging moments in the classroom in this video on Challenging Students .

Discussion Moves

Your goals as a discussion facilitator might need to shift during a class session. Below are some discussion moves, or different actions you might consider to facilitate deeper discussions during your course and signal to students shifts in the discussion.

• Opening the Class
• Eliciting Deeper Answers
• Broadening Participation

Start the discussion by sharing with your students what the focus is and why it is important to them.

Frame the discussion in a way that helps students know how you wish to focus the discussion.

Today we’re going to focus on… This topic is relevant to…

Elicit initial student responses and reactions with open-ended questions .

Why…? How…? What is the significance of…?

Encourage students to deepen their analysis and thought processes by further exploring their initial responses. Consider using these question types to avoid surface-level answers and a yes/no rut.

Why…? How would you explain…? What is the importance of…? What is the meaning of…?

Compare and Contrast

Compare… Contrast… What is the difference between…? What is the similarity between…?

Cause and Effect

What are the causes/results of…? What connection is there between…? If that is so, why do you think [the protagonist] made the choice they did?

Clarification

What is meant by…? Explain how… Could you say a little more about that? How did you arrive at that conclusion? Why is that important? What connection is there between…? What are the implications of…? In your own words, describe/clarify [key idea] from the reading.

Make a point to broaden perspectives and encourage participation from more students to keep the discussion moving. Once a student has aptly articulated their key ideas, you may wish to pose some of the following questions more broadly to the class.

Are there other perspectives? What other issues might we consider? Does anyone see it differently? Can anyone build on/respond to [student’s] point? Have we missed anything on this point?

• Refocusing the Discussion
• Recasting Your Question
• Closing the Loop

Even the best and most dynamic class discussions can have off-topic moments. Depending on how the discussion has moved off topic, here are some phrases you can use to help refocus the conversation.

Students might give a long list of items or ideas in response to the topic and you may wish to drill down on only one or two of them.

You’re raising a number of issues. Let’s focus on [x]. Let’s take this one step at a time. How might you summarize your point into one or two key ideas?

A student may raise a new point or direction to the conversation, but you wish to continue with the current pathway to drive home a teaching point.

Let’s hold off on that for the moment and resolve the debate on the table. We’ll come back to that when we get to [later topic]. Let’s hold off on that for the moment. I want to finish exploring the point that [student] brought up.

A student might articulate an idea that isn’t fully consistent with what was previously stated but, with a little nudging, can be prompted to link to the idea on the table.

How does that relate to what [previous student] was saying? (Note of caution: this could come across as punitive in cases where the student is wildly off-topic.)

A student might confuse or conflate ideas. You may wish to treat this by bringing them back to the source of information or inviting alternative perspectives .

Where in the case did you find that? (Note of caution: this could come across as punitive depending on the tone or if you know this doesn’t exist in the case.) Did anyone come up with a different answer? How might we reconcile these different perspectives/ideas/results?

Sometimes you may realize that you didn’t cast your question as clearly as you hoped. In these cases, take a moment and acknowledge to the students that you wish to reframe your question.

Let me rephrase that question. I see that this question was confusing, let’s try it again.

At the end of each discussion, invite students to make connections to the goals of the day’s topic or real-world decision-making. Prompting students to articulate their takeaways can make key ideas and your teaching points more memorable and valuable to your students. Try adding a question or two from below into your course closing remarks.

What are some takeaways from today’s discussion? In what other contexts (industries/cultures) might these principles apply? Why should you care about these issues?

Teaching Strategies

• Handling Sensitive Topics , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub
• Building Classroom Community , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub
• Cultivating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the GSB Classroom , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub
• Inclusive and Equitable Discussions as part of the Inclusive Teaching Guide , Stanford Teaching Commons

GSB Faculty and Student Voices

• Faculty Tips: Teaching with Presence and Connection , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub
• Faculty Showcase on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Event Highlights , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub
• GSB Student Voices Panel: Event Highlights , GSB Teaching and Learning Hub

Looking to implement or adapt any of these tips on leading effective discussions for your courses? The Teaching and Learning Hub is here to help .

Unless otherwise noted, you may copy and redistribute this resource in its unmodified form under the terms of the Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International license (attribution, non-commercial, no-derivatives).

Stanford GSB and Wharton Top U.S. News 2024 Ranking

April 15, 2024

Erika Väätäinen

In the world of business school rankings, springtime can only mean one thing: a new U.S. News & World Report ranking. The publication ranked the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania first in its 2023–2024 list of domestic MBA programs . Stanford was ranked sixth in last year’s list, while Wharton was third. Last year’s number-one school, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, rounds out the top three this year. The rest of the top ten is largely unchanged from the previous year in terms of schools, most of which shifted position only slightly. However, the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia has entered the top ten after being ranked 14th last year.

Farther down the list, Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management saw one of the most notable climbs of the year and is now in 20th place after ranking 27th last year. The Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis similarly rose several spots, from 37th place last year to 26th. Finally, the Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University now sits in 30th place after being ranked 44th last year.

The new ranking featured slight changes in methodology. U.S. News added a new factor to its ranking process this year: assessing post-graduate salary by profession. According to the publication, this component accounts for ten percent of the scoring and puts more emphasis on the return on investment of an MBA degree.

As always, remember to approach rankings as simply a small part of a holistic process. Rankings are just one way to compare business schools; when deciding which schools to target, they should not factor into your decision too heavily, if at all. Examine all aspects of the schools that interest you in order to make an informed decision—and have fun with it!

News Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business) University of Chicago (Booth) University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)

Tags: 2024 U.S. News Ranking U.S. News Ranking

Upcoming Events

• Apr 25, 2024 Assessing Your MBA Profile (Online)
• May 19, 2024 Admissions Q&A with Booth, Fuqua, Sloan, Tuck & Yale (Online)

Upcoming Deadlines

• Apr 12, 2024 UCLA Anderson (Round 3)
• Apr 15, 2024 USC Marshall (Round 3)
• Apr 29, 2024 Toronto Rotman (Round 4)
• Apr 29, 2024 UNC Kenan-Flagler (Round 4)
• Apr 30, 2024 Georgetown McDonough (Round 4)

Click here to see the complete deadlines

2023–2024 MBA Essay Tips

• Berkeley Haas School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• BU Questrom School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Cambridge Judge Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Chicago Booth School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Columbia Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management Essay and Examples
• Dartmouth Tuck School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Duke Fuqua School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Emory Goizueta Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Esade Essay Tips and Examples
• Georgetown McDonough School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Harvard Business School 2+2 Deferred MBA Program Essay Analysis 2024
• Harvard Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• HEC Paris Essay Tips and Examples
• HKUST Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• IESE Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• INSEAD Essay Tips and Examples
• International Institute for Management Development (IMD) Essay Tips and Examples
• Ivey Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• London Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• Michigan Ross School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• MIT Sloan School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Northwestern Kellogg School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• NYU Stern School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Ohio Fisher College of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Oxford Saïd Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• SMU Cox School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Stanford Graduate School of Business Application Essay Tips and Examples
• Texas McCombs School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Essay Tips and Examples
• The Wharton School Essay Tips and Examples
• Toronto Rotman School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UCLA Anderson School of Management Essay Tips and Examples
• UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School Essay Tips and Examples
• USC Marshall School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UVA Darden School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• UW Foster School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Vanderbilt University Owen Graduate School of Management Essay Analysis, 2023–2024
• Villanova School of Business Essay Tips and Examples
• Yale School of Management Essay Tips and Examples

Click here for the 2022–2023 MBA Essay Tips

MBA Program Updates

• Berkeley-Haas
• Boston University (Questrom)
• Cambridge Judge Business School
• Carnegie Mellon University (Tepper)
• Columbia University (Columbia Business School)
• Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
• Cornell University (Johnson)
• Dartmouth College (Tuck)
• Duke University (Fuqua)
• Emory University (Goizueta)
• George Washington University (GWSB)
• Georgetown University (McDonough)
• Harvard University (Harvard Business School)
• IE Business School
• IESE Business School
• Indian School of Business
• Indiana University (Kelley)
• Ivey Business School
• London Business School
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Sloan)
• New York University (Stern)
• Northwestern University (Kellogg)
• Notre Dame (Mendoza)
• Ohio State University (Fisher College)
• Oxford University (Saïd Business School)
• Penn State Smeal College of Business
• Rotman School of Management
• Saïd Business School
• Southern Methodist University (Cox School of Business)
• Stanford University (Stanford Graduate School of Business)
• University of California Los Angeles (Anderson)
• University of Cambridge (Judge)
• University of Chicago (Booth)
• University of London (London Business School)
• University of Michigan (Ross)
• University of North Carolina (Kenan-Flagler)
• University of Pennsylvania (Wharton)
• University of Southern California (Marshall)
• University of Texas at Austin (McCombs)
• University of Virginia (Darden)
• Vanderbilt University (Owen)
• Villanova School of Business
• Yale University (School of Management)