UPDATE: This article was originally posted on October 5, 2022. It has been updated with new information and tips below.
Earning a Knight-Hennessy scholarship (KHS) from Stanford is an exciting accomplishment that allows students to not only get financial help with their MBA studies, but also be part of an interdisciplinary program of change-oriented graduate students. The program, promoting Stanford’s mission 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,” recruits talented leaders from all fields, including business, who are interested in tackling some of the world’s biggest and most urgent problems.
Given its diverse, tight-knit network, leadership development opportunities, and tuition reimbursement (plus a living stipend!), landing a spot in the Knight-Hennessy program is no small feat.
That’s why we’ve prepared this guide – to help you craft Knight-Hennessy essay responses that make you stand out from the competition. We’ve rounded up our best tips to ensure you give your Knight-Hennessy application your best shot.
1. Who is Knight-Hennessy looking for?
(Photo courtesy of @stanford on Instagram)
“Knight-Hennessy scholars have lived, studied, and worked in a wide array of communities and cities, colleges and universities, companies and organizations throughout the world. Knight-Hennessy scholars also bring varied cultural perspectives based on (but not limited to) sex and gender identity, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, socioeconomic status, veteran status, and more. Each cohort includes a breadth of backgrounds, beliefs, lived experiences, and aspirations. This is a multicultural community united by independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and civic mindset.” – From Knight-Hennessy’s “Why KHS” page
Every year, the KHS committee selects around 80 students from Stanford’s seven schools. The KHS program states that there is no “typical” recipient, as they consider a range of strengths and problem-solving abilities. This is true of Stanford’s overall philosophy:
“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.”
However, there are a few requirements and values that the KHS committee does consider when making their decision.
First, all KHS applicants must receive an offer of admission to one of Stanford’s eligible schools, including, but not limited to, the DMA, JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MPP, MS, or Ph.D. programs. This means that if you are an MBA candidate applying to be a Knight-Hennessy scholar, you must prepare and submit two applications: one for KHS, and one for an eligible Stanford program.
Second, there are three key qualities that you must demonstrate in order to be successful in your KHS application: independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and a civic mindset.
So, if you feel you align with these criteria and are committed to applying for KHS, you’ll have to think of the ways you can demonstrate your fit to the scholarship committee. In addition to submitting a KHS-tailored resume, recommendation letters, and an optional institutional endorsement, your KHS essay responses will be the main way of proving yourself to the committee.
2. How should I answer the Knight Hennessy essay questions?
Writing any admissions essay is a tough task, but competing for a spot within Knight Hennessy’s extremely selective process is particularly difficult.
The KHS application asks you to answer three short-answer questions and complete one longer essay. Keep reading for a more in-depth look at how to use each word to concisely but powerfully market yourself to the scholarship committee!
2.1 Short Answers
- Describe your short term and long term academic and professional intentions. (250 word limit)
For this response, you are asked to write a relatively standard short- and long-term goals statement. Essentially, you will want to describe your immediate and long-term plans for after the MBA, including what role you want to take on, what responsibilities you will have, and what you want to achieve.
Before jumping into this, however, start with a mini-story that provides a bit of context and shows that your goals are meaningful and achievable for you. This makes your goals pack a greater punch once you share them.
Next, we suggest you dedicate a small amount of space to discussing how the KHS experience will enable you to pursue those goals. To do this, we suggest demonstrating that you have clearly researched the program and the opportunities it provides to recipients, such as guest speakers, hands-on projects, and the KHS community. Be specific about what you expect to learn and gain and how you will apply these learnings toward your goals. For instance, are there aspects of KHS’ leadership training that will be particularly useful to you? Are there any faculty whose work aligns with your own? How will you engage with the KHS community and how might this impact your success?
- Please tell us when you: a) engaged with someone with a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of expectations. (250 word limit combined)
This three-part question can be a bit tricky, largely because there are multiple options on how to answer each section. First, you could respond to all three in a single story in which you did not meet expectations, rose to a difficult challenge, and then made someone proud of you. Alternatively, you could tell three separate 50-to-100-word stories.
Whichever strategy you choose, take this opportunity to highlight something that the committee cannot see on your resume and that you are not addressing in your other responses. Ideally, you will want to highlight an aspect of your past that aligns with independence of thought, purposeful leadership, and/or a civic mindset.
Each aspect of this question gives you an opportunity to highlight important aspects of your profile, including your extracurricular or personal life. For example, you may choose to respond in a way that highlights how you have a) engaged with someone from a different perspective, b) acted with courage, and c) fell short of expectations.
TOP TIP: C is all about self-awareness, so make sure you explore an example where you fell short of expectations rather than where you were affected by others’ actions or circumstances outside of your control.
- Please tell us eight improbable facts (things that are unlikely but true) about you. (150 word limit combined)
Quite an unusual question, this list of eight improbable facts is a chance for you to show how well-rounded you are and share some information about your values, experiences, and other accomplishments. We suggest that you complete this question last, after reviewing your resume and other responses to identify any missed opportunities for information you can market to the KHS committee.
A helpful exercise to make the most of this question is considering what makes you YOU. This could include meaningful tipping points in your life, such as a childhood mission trip that ignited your passion for volunteer work, or even more lighthearted information like the origins of your nickname or favorite soccer team. The list is truly endless, but ensure you have a good variety of topics on your list and that you complement (rather than simply repeat) elements of your application that you’ve already discussed elsewhere.
2.2 The Main Knight Hennessy Essay
Connect the dots. How have the influences in your life shaped you? (500 word limit)
The essay prompt invites you to reflect deeply on your life’s journey and the people, events, and circumstances that have impacted it.
There is no right answer, topic, or format — only you can tell your own story — and yet we hope you will focus much less on what you have done and much more on who you are. The strongest essays balance introspection with recognition of external influences, and are so personal that no one else could have possibly written it.
For this essay, you have a little more space to discuss key experiences in your life that have informed your current career path and motivations. While you have much more space to elaborate in this essay, you should ensure that your ideas are focused and clearly illustrate why you have chosen to pursue the goals mentioned earlier.
Thus, this essay is about 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? What moments from the past have shown you that your goals matter to people other than yourself? Why do you wish to have the impact that you wish to have?
Regardless of which topic you choose, make sure you can point to specific moments in your life that have influenced you to do what you want to do in your career. Once again, this essay can include professional examples, but it’s always a good idea to include extracurricular and extraprofessional stories as well so you highlight your true commitment to your values and motivations.
Thus, 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.
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.
Ultimately, this essay helps the Knight Hennessy Scholars application review committee understand who you are and how this aligns with your career goals.
3. Worried you won’t get into your dream school?
You’ve built an impressive career and worked hard to get to this point, but now you’re facing the daunting task of pulling together a compelling MBA application. The pressure to choose which stories best sell your profile, write essays that reflect your achievements, prepare for interviews, and manage multiple deadlines can feel overwhelming. Are you doing enough to be noticed by admissions committees at top business schools?
At Ellin Lolis Consulting, we understand the stakes. With a 98.9% success rate, we’ve helped countless applicants just like you secure spots at their dream schools. Our expert consultants will work with you to develop a strategy tailored to your goals, ensuring every part of your application—from essays to interviews—tells a cohesive, compelling story that gets you in.
Don’t leave your future to chance. Learn more about working with us and take the first step toward a successful MBA application journey.
4. 2024 – 2025 Knight Hennessy Deadlines
The deadline for KHS’ 2024-2025 application cycle is October 9, 2024 at 1:00pm Pacific Time.
You can access the online application here.
Real MBA Essays That Got People In
School-specific sample essays that got our clients accepted
