Essay Questions for the 2007/2008 Application Year

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

Essay B: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?

As a Stanford MBA student, you will be assigned a team of advisors who will guide both your academic experience and your personal development. Your team will include a faculty advisor, a career counselor, and a leadership coach. Use Essay B to help you prepare for your first conversations with these mentors.

Essay C: Answer 2 of the questions listed below.

In answering both questions in Essay C, tell us not only what you did, but also how you did it. Tell us the outcome and describe how people responded. Describe only experiences that have occurred during the last three years.

1) Tell us about a time when you empowered others.
2) Tell us about a time when you had a significant impact on a person, group or organization.
3) Tell us about a time when you tried to reach a goal or complete a task that was challenging, difficult, or frustrating.
4) Tell us about a time when you went beyond what was defined, established, or expected.

Essay Length & Format

Your answers for all 3 essay questions cannot exceed 7 pages in total, double spaced using a 12-point font.

Each of you has your own story to tell, so be sure you allocate these 7 pages among the essays in the way that is most effective for you.

We provide some guidelines below as a starting point, but you should feel comfortable to write as much or little as you like on any question, as long as you do not exceed 7 pages total.

Essay A: 3 pages
Essay B: 2 pages
Essay C: 1 page each
Required Formatting

Use a 12-point font, double spaced
Indicate which essay question you are answering at the beginning of each essay.
Number all pages
Preview each uploaded document to ensure that the formatting is true to the original
Save a copy of your essays