The Application Process

Stanford Essay Topic Analysis 2009-2010

Following the announcement of Stanford’s deadlines and essay topics, we’d like to take some time to provide guidance on the essays.

Essay 1: What matters most to you, and why?
The open-ended and somewhat philosophical nature of this question can make it a challenging starting point. If a topic doesn’t immediately spring to mind, a constructive approach might be to think about your experiences to date (growing up, attending school, working, pursuing outside activities and general interests) and look for some unifying theme among some or all of them. Because it’s always a good idea to introduce specific details and anecdotes to really tie the general ideas expressed in your essays to the key elements of your candidacy, it would be wise to select a topic that not only gives the adcom a sense of your values and priorities, but also allows to you discuss some of the ways you have translated these into action. Needless to say, this is one of the more challenging essays in the business school world, so feel free to reach out to Clear Admit if you seek tailored guidance vis-a-vis your candidacy.

Essay 2: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?
All told, this is a fairly standard career goals essay. In fact, Stanford narrows the scope of the question to keep the focus on one’s professional objectives. Though Stanford leaves the question somewhat open, it will still be to the applicant’s benefit to sketch out a specific short and long-term goal, explaining the motivation and reasoning behind each, and to provide a detailed discussion of the ways a Stanford MBA would be conducive to achieving these aims, as well as the potential contribution he or she could make to the program.

To read the full article and see our analysis of the remaining Stanford essays, click here:
https://blog.clearadmit.com/2009/05/stan ... 2009-2010/