Ms. Education Non-profit

Hi Ms. Education Non-Profit, Melisa here from Stratus Admissions. I am hoping that the amateur boxing doesn’t interfere with your performing arts – or maybe you can combine them! Other than your post doc, it’s not completely clear if you are currently in Malaysia working in education – but let’s start there. I worked with a client a couple years ago who was focused on improving education in an East Asian country. I believe she was successful in her application to Stanford because she had enough experience and knowledge to articulate the problem and demonstrate how she wanted to ‘change the world’ in this country. If you plan to return to Malaysia post-MBA, you will need to convince AdComm that this is a viable opportunity. Think about what type of role you would like to have and in what type of company/NGO – where can you have the greatest impact? And then you want to be able to explain what type of social impact and cultural responsibility you want to change. It’s unlikely that AdComm will know Malaysia, so it is up to you to articulate the opportunity – short and long term. I jumped here, because it looks like you have solid stats – your 330 is on Stanford’s average and while your university GPA is lower than Stanford’s average of 3.7, with your test you have shown you can handle the rigor of the program. Your work experience is in line – based on your title I will assume you’ve had some promotions. Make sure you highlight your leadership experiences – both within your current role in the NGO and if you do anything outside of work with your performing arts/theater. I never like to see a 1 school strategy – other schools you may want to consider for social impact focus are Harvard, Haas, Kellogg, Ross, Columbia and Duke. Assuming you can tell a compelling story of the opportunity in Malaysia, I think you have slightly better than average changes. Best of luck!