Mr. Sustainable Business

Do you know how many BYU grads are in Stanford’s MBA Class of 2020? I looked it up and found one who majored in computer science. And LSE? Zero. That’s very telling because generally where you have earned your undergraduate degree and in your case a master’s is meaningful in elite MBA admissions. I still love your story and my gut tells me that Stanford will, too. Your stats raise no questions at all so you check those boxes. And even though BYU and LSE are not “feeders” into the GSB, they are great universities with high standards. More importantly, though, your work with international non-profits and a local start-up looking to end energy poverty in the world through small-scale solar tells me your heart and your soul are in the right place for Stanford. So I’m thinking you would make an ideal candidate for Stanford which, as you know, has the lowest admit rate of any prestige MBA program in the world. Frankly, I think your chances at HBS are substantially better, largely because Harvard’s 930 class and 12% acceptance rate means they have more room for you. But your work history convinces me you have great alignment with the GSB. I’m rooting for you.

Hi Mr. Sustainable Business! This is Talon Rindels, Sr. Admissions Consultant at The MBA Exchange. There’s a lot to like about you. You seem like a genuine guy who just wants to leave the world a better place than you found it. And, you’ve traveled the globe working to carry out that mission, which gives you fantastic global perspective. And, clearly your smart, with a fantastic GRE score and GPA. However, I have a few potential watch outs. First, I wonder what Stanford will think about your Master’s Degree in Management and Strategy. Already having an MBA is definitely a red flag for adcoms and, while you degree is not an MBA, it is a business-focused master’s degree. So, you’ll really need to explain why you pursued that degree and why you still need/want an MBA to ensure you put to rest any concerns they may have about your inability to think/plan ahead. My second potential watch-out is that you don’t have a big brand name on your resume through work or school. When a candidate does, it’s easy for adcom to immediately grasp his/her ambition and skills. When a candidate doesn’t, it’s his/her job to communicate that to adcom. You will need to make sure to be crystal clear about the large contributions you’ve made at the start-up. You’ll want to articulate specifically what YOU did and paint a picture of how it wouldn’t be in as good of position today if you hadn’t been involved in it (i.e. how would it be different if you removed yourself from ever touching it -that’s how you really communicate your impact!). I am optimistic for you, especially with crafting your story around these two things in the right way!

Hi Mr. Sustainable Business,
This is Debbie Choy, GSB alum and Senior Consultant at mbaMission. I admire your passion for sustainability and emerging markets, which is backed up by your work background and community engagement. Nice! I think your story will resonate with a school like GSB as well. Since you already have a graduate degree in Management and Strategy, be sure to explain clearly in your application why you need an MBA. Also, given your international experiences, do share in your essays how they have shaped you and your perspectives on the problems you are trying to solve. I think you could bring valuable insights to the classroom discussion. These could be key differentiators for your candidacy. If you can tell your stories compellingly, I think you have an above average chance at Stanford. Best of luck!

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. You have a promising profile for GSB and I think you have a better-than-average shot at getting in (6% of people are admitted there). You’ll need to be very clear why you need the MBA so you don’t appear to be a degree collector. Be sure to answer Why MBA, Why Now, Why GSB in your application. What skills are you missing to reach those ST and LT goals that only an MBA can get you? (As an aside, if you’re interested in consulting at MBB, take the GMAT since they’ll look at that in recruiting). I suggest being quite personal about what makes you passionate about sustainability, based on perhaps what you’ve experienced in Botswana or elsewhere? You want to come across as someone who truly will be a changemaker so highlight how you’ve changed communities already and the big impact you want to make in the future. Good luck!