How To Get Into Stanford GSB

Update: This article was originally posted on August 1, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below. 

Stanford GSB is known for its dedication to preparing change-making leaders, excellent reputation amongst employers, and innovative curriculum. Considering that GSB offers one of the best MBA programs and receives more than 7,000 applications per year, earning a spot at this school requires you to really stand out from the competition. 

In this guide, we will go through how to get into GSB. While many applicants think that simply marketing themselves well is enough to gain admission, successful applicants are the ones who understand a) who Stanford is looking for, b) how GSB’s MBA program, community, and opportunities fit their profile and goals, and c) how to prepare a GSB-specific essay and interview. Read on for our expert advice on how to master these three things.

 

Understand who Stanford is looking for

(Photo courtesy of @stanfordgsb on Instagram)

“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 430 students from over 6,000 applications for the honor of joining their prestigious MBA program. Though what “fits” at Stanford is constantly evolving, they do tend to admit slightly younger applicants (with an average of 5 years of work experience). Stanford also works hard to admit a highly diverse group of students. 

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

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

According to Stanford’s Admissions team: 

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.”

So, if this sounds like a community in which you’d be right at home, you’ll have to think of the ways in which you align with the main characteristics of Stanford’s students. This means forming your business school brand and then focusing on the aspects of that brand that align with leadership, analytical aptitude, and a desire to enact positive impact. 

 

Know GSB’s program and how you can use it

The second thing you must do to get into GSB is to know the MBA program and how it applies to your career goals. If you want to get into Stanford, you really need to show the admissions committee why it’s a good fit for you (and why you’re a good fit for the community too)!

While you will have to do your own research to find the specifics of what aligns specifically with your goals and profile, below we are highlighting some of the main aspects of Stanford’s MBA program so you can be informed about what makes it unique in comparison to other business schools.

 

GSB’s innovative and globally-focused curriculum

GSB’s MBA curriculum is focused on preparing students to develop and, eventually, implement big visions for their careers. As a result, the curriculum is highly personalizable.

During the first year at GSB, students focus on gaining general management knowledge and global exposure. Through the core courses offered during this time, students are exposed to practical experience and detailed feedback on their management approach and style from classmates and leadership coaches. Students have the opportunity to make choices in many of the core courses, calibrated to their own skills, experience, and goals.

First-year MBA students are also required to participate in and complete one Global Experience to fulfill the Global Experience Requirement (GER). During the GER, students learn about, practice, and develop their global management skills

Year two is when GSB students really have the chance to customize their academic experience through electives (which will be almost all courses during this year), seminars, a joint or dual degree, and courses at other Stanford schools. While Stanford’s electives are constantly updated according to changes in the business environment, the social sector, and students’ interests, elective topics include: entrepreneurship, global/strategic management, political economics, healthcare, education, and energy.

 

Experiential learning opportunities

There are a number of experiential learning opportunities available to GSB students. This includes the global experiences and internships, as well as the Social Entrepreneurship Program and Stanford GSB Impact Fund.

There are also many labs and research initiatives that allow students to pursue projects in their particular areas of interest during their MBA studies.

The Behavioral Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory that supports students to conduct research that uses human participants for topics from organizational behavior and behavioral marketing to behavioral economics.

Other labs and initiatives include the Cities, Housing, and Society Lab, which brings together students, faculty, and industry/government stakeholders across disciplines to look into how geographic place, labor markets, and public policy influence households’ economic lives and inequality, and the Golub Capital Social Impact Lab, which focuses on digital technology and social science research to improve the effectiveness of leading social sector organizations.

 

Supportive community

With plenty of clubs and extracurricular activities available for GSB students to participate in, there are many ways to refine leadership, networks, and skills while studying at Stanford.

In addition to experiencing GSB’s tight-knit student body, MBA students and grads have access to the school’s one-of-a-kind alumni community. GSB’s alumni network has more than 30,000 members and over 60 global chapters. As the school’s website says, “They are generous with their time, supportive of your efforts, and famously responsive.” 

Whether you are a student or an alumna, you also have access to the GSB Connect network where you can find and connect with other members of the GSB community who have volunteered to speak with one another about their career goals. Using GSB Connect, you can connect with alumni who may be in the industries or companies that you are aiming to be in, seek mentorship, or even find career collaboration opportunities.

Looking for more than just a summary of the Stanford GSB MBA? Luckily, we’ve created a complete guide on Stanford, including program specifics, MBA class profile, and Stanford post-MBA salary and employment information. Additionally, we have dozens of sample Stanford MBA essays (including optional essays!) that got our past clients into Stanford, plus essays for numerous other top schools, all in one place. Click to join!

 

Prepare a winning Stanford GSB application

Last but certainly not least is knowing how to write an outstanding essay and prepare for a successful interview. Below are our top tips on succeeding at both of these key aspects of your GSB application!

 

Write an outstanding essay

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.* 

*Though these questions are accurate at the time of publication, check out our Stanford Essay Analysis post for the most up-to-date questions and analysis

The maximum word count for both essays A and B is 1,050 words. We recommend up to 650 words for Essay A and up to 400 words for Essay B. We detail our advice on each of these essays below.

 

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

For this essay, you should write from the heart and explain your reasoning. You might consider, for example, what makes this so important to you? What people, insights, or experiences have shaped your perspectives?

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. Spend some serious time thinking about what has motivated you as you took each step in your career and consider where this path is leading you. 

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, show a time in your life when you went against the grain — and it paid off. 

Finally, it’s important to note that this question does not ask “What matters most to you” but instead asks “What matters most to you and why?” The “and why” here is key. 

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.

 

Essay B: Why Stanford?

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:

• 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

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. 

Show how Stanford can specifically help you grow in the areas you’ve identified. 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 may also want to 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. 

To check out more information on Stanford’s essays (including their optional essays) and sample essays that got our clients into Stanford GSB, click here!

*Note: these are the latest essay questions as of the date this guide was published, but we suggest that you check for recent changes, as schools often update their essay questions closer to the round 1 deadline. You can access Stanford GSB’s essay question and more application info here.

 

Prepare a winning interview

After you’ve submitted your application and essays, you must wait to see if you get an invitation to interview. If you do get to the interview phase of the GSB application process, congratulations! This is an exceptional achievement. 

Stanford interviews are conducted by alumni, and you are interviewed blind (meaning that the interviewers do not have access to your application, only your CV). They usually last 45-60 minutes but can go longer. Interviewers tend to be very friendly yet still highly rigorous. In the interview, the alumnus or alumna is still trying to gauge how solid your motivations for wanting to pursue an MBA are, how deeply you have thought about why the Stanford MBA is right for you, and if you fit well with the program’s focus on self-reflection. 

Interviewers often ask many standard MBA interview questions, as well as numerous follow-up questions intended to probe your motivations for making certain decisions. 

Our clients who have interviewed with Stanford in the past say that the interviewer was very friendly and demonstrated a genuine interest in their answers. 

For some clients, questions were far more personal in nature, covering topics like their childhood and family upbringing. Other clients reported their interview was more focused on educational and professional achievements, so make sure you’re ready for anything when you interview with Stanford.

To see a list of potential interview questions you can prepare for, click here. 

 

Make sure you prepare a successful Stanford GSB application

Getting into the Stanford MBA is no easy feat. 

With multiple essays, numerous letters of recommendation, and admissions interviews, a successful application to Stanford requires that you carefully think about all aspects of your profile and craft the most cohesive, compelling narrative possible. 

Starting from scratch, though, can leave many applicants like you feeling confused and uncertain they are developing an application that will impress the Stanford admissions committee.

That’s why we created our MBA Resource Center, which includes everything you need to get into the Stanford MBA, all in one place. This includes dozens of sample essays, recommendation letter questions and guides, sample letters of recommendation, MBA CV templates, interview mock sequences, and even sample answers to the most common interview questions. 

In short, our Resource Center puts the Ellin Lolis Advantage into your hands, giving you exclusive access to the materials we used to help maintain our 98.9% success rate.