Mr. Marine To Business

You know the drill about Stanford. They are looking for people who Change Lives, Change Organizations, Change the World. Your profile tells me that you’ve already done a bit of changing things for the good and are highly likely to be in a position to fulfill the school’s mission. We often talk about the X factor of successful applicants to Stanford. Your X factor, beyond your superb credentials and service, is the fact that you grew an after school tutoring/mentorship program for underprivileged children from 10 volunteers once per week to over 100 volunteers three times per week. That is super impressive. Congrats. Pack your bags for the West Coast.

Hi Mr Marine to Business! Liza here from Gatehouse Admissions (and a military brat, full disclosure – my father served in the Cold War in submarines – thank you for your service!). Looking at your resume, I see a lot of strengths that will catch GSB’s eyes – really phenomenal stats & academic performance (from the Naval Academy no less!), excellent leadership training that was no doubt tested during deployment, and a commitment to improving the the communities you’re a part of. Make sure that when you tackle GSB’s essays, they see the real you – the influences and motivators that have given you energy and vision to craft the path you have. My biggest advice: consider HBS, Wharton, Sloan, and maybe Haas or Kellogg too. All are power houses when it comes to consulting – but they could also help you with prod mgmt & technology. It’s not that GSB will be a “no” – it’s more that you want to hedge your bet with other schools that will still enable the outcomes you seek. I’m excited for you!

Hi, it’s Nisha from mbaMission! You have such strong elements to your profile – excellent academics in a rigorous major/institution, progressive and impactful experience in the military, and impressive community involvement. While Stanford GSB is extraordinarily competitive (7% acceptance rate overall) they are looking for candidates who have made, and aspire to make, great change. You’ve already demonstrated your ability to do so, which makes you a very viable applicant.

To maximize your chances, be very thoughtful about each essay. Questions to think about: what are your key values, and what has motivated your actions to date? Why do you feel that GSB is a strong fit for you – what aspects of its resources and culture interest you the most given your goals?

I hope that this helps a bit – best of luck!

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson. You have a super impressive background! It’s wonderful to see the pattern of involvement in something you’re passionate about — education — that also factors into your goals. It’s critical for GSB to show that you want to change the world so highlighting what you’ve done and what you’d be capable of doing with an MBA from GSB will serve you well. Your stats are fantastic, you’ve had management experience and being a leader in the military is a phenomenal training ground for being a leader in your business career. You’ve likely learned how to motivate different types of people to get the results you want. This will be something that you can bring to a program since plenty of applicants haven’t had supervisory experience yet. Show Stanford your big and bold ideas for change in the education space and how with the right formalized business training you’re the guy that will make a difference. I only gave you a 20% chance here but that’s more than twice the average person at Stanford (6-7% admit rate). I would suggest applying to a number of schools and think you’ll be competitive at all of them if you write compelling essays. Good luck!