Following up on the announcement of its 2016-2017 deadlines, Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has revealed its essays for the coming admissions season. Applicants are required to respond to two essay questions and given 1,150 words in which to do so. The essays are unchanged from last year. Applicants to both the MBA and MBx program are given an additional 50 words—for a total word count of 1,200—and asked to describe their interest in both programs as part of their response to Essay B.

Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (Suggested word count: 750)

For this essay we would like you to:

• Do some deep self-examination, so you can genuinely illustrate who you are and how you came to be the person you are.
• Share the insights, experiences, and lessons that shaped your perspectives, rather than focusing merely on what you’ve done or accomplished.
• Write from the heart, and illustrate how a person, situation, or event has influenced you.
• Focus on the “why” rather than the “what.”

Essay B: Why Stanford? (Suggested word count: 400; 450 for applicants to both the MBA and MBx programs)

• Enlighten us on how earning your MBA at Stanford will enable you to realize your ambitions.
• Explain your decision to pursue graduate education in management.
• Explain the distinctive opportunities you will pursue at Stanford.
• If you are applying to both the MBA and MSx programs, use Essay B to address your interest in both programs.

For more information, applicants can visit the Stanford GSB website.