Mr. EdTech Enthusiast

This is Deepak Punwani from MBA Exchange. You tick a lot of boxes for GSB and other schools on your list. Tech, education, up-skilling, Africa, 3.9, 750, impact. Its rare to see so many “hooks” in one single profile. if you execute well – you can create a “market” for application at the schools and also aim for scholarship $$$. They key will be explain your motivations and also to distill your learnings from your diverse work experience. And your age belies your quantum and quality of achievements. Every school loves young achievers and they have more time and energy to leave their impact on the world. Am very bullish and if you execute well, I foresee multiple top 10 admits with a scholarship to boot. Go for it !

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission. You’ve got a really impressive background – strong academics, meaningful community involvement (including a 2-year mission – that’s a commitment!) and significant impact in EdTech that also includes international experience. I’ve worked with a number of people eager to join EdTech or are currently in education in some capacity – what I’ve always emphasized to them is the importance of owning their story and making it clear what has driven their specific passion for the education techology industry and what kind of change they aspire to make in the future based on what they’ve observed so far (though in general, that’s sound advice for any applicant).

Additionally, since you started out in consulting, you’ll want to make it clear: why do you want to go back to consulting before ultimately returning to EdTech – what are the skills/experiences you feel that you still need to gain before really making the difference you want to make in the EdTech space, and how will you gain those skills/experiences at Stanford? And speaking of career goals – one thing I caution about VC is that typically (but not 100% of the time) ideally they’re seeking a combination of finance and startup experience. So if you have a keen interest in finance and are very serious about entering a VC as a long-term goal, you might even consider investment banking as a post-MBA goal.

Regardless of which path you choose, you’ll want to fully communicate your motivations underpinning your goals and how your experiences to date have led you down this path. To answer GSB’s all-important “What Matters Most?” question, you’ll want to deeply reflect on what has shaped you into who you are today, and what you would truly miss if it were lacking from your life and priorities. And finally, despite everything you have going for you, keep in mind that Stanford’s acceptance rate is extremely low (well under 10%) and that admissions can be unpredictable in nature, so I do encourage you to expand your list. For example, Haas and Kellogg are two programs that are very well-known for social impact, and have strong ties to consulting firms as well. Best of luck!

Mr. EdTech Enthusiast – thanks for posting! Susan Cera, Director of MBA Admissions, here. Your background in EdTech reminds me a bit of a client I’m working with who is currently in play at Stanford GSB. However, your profile kicks it up a notch with top stats and a solid social impact story. Your work, both through your mission and professional experience, is already changing lives. The challenge for you will be offering a compelling narrative that showcases how you will take lessons learned to date and build on them with the Stanford resources in order to change organizations and, ultimately, change the world. Dream big and look beyond just the GSB to the ed school and other social impact oriented offerings at Stanford. If not Stanford, you have a number of other great options listed which will set you up for success. All the best!