Ms. Test Engineer

Wow. You are a super impressive candidate. I love what you’ve been able to achieve. There are few women with STEM backgrounds at a public Ivy with a3.74 GPA in mechanical engineering and a 750 GMAT. And even fewer with experience at two Fortune 500 companies. And being a lover of music myself, I especially like a quant who has a real creative or poet side as evidenced by your involvement in the Collegiate Marching Band and in a Community Orchestra that peforms for the elderly in assisted living centers. That said, Stanford is a tough one given the low acceptance rate of under 7%. But your story should tilt the odds very much in your favor. I hope you do know that you could probably get a full ride by applying elsewhere (Chicago Booth immediately comes to mind). But if your heart is set on Stanford, go there. It’s their loss if they turn you down.

Rock solid professional profile featuring two (!) Fortune 500 brands, no less. The rigor of your job responsibilities is obvious and significant, helping differentiate you from all the consultants and bankers banging on Stanford GSB’s door! And your stated post-MBA goal of working the autonomous vehicle space is way cool. However, you should go beyond that to state an even cooler long-term goal, even if just hypothetical. GSB expects candidates like you you to reach beyond the stars because they can actually get there! Your academic background is outstanding with a 3.7 ME degree from UT (Hook ‘Em Horns!) topped off with a 750 GMAT. I’d say your biggest, immediate constraint is in the realm of current non-work activities as I see no evidence of “leadership” — that’s a big void given the selectivity of your target school GSB. So why not pursue a strategic role with the community orchestrate and a committee chair with the Seattle chapter of ASME? “Round out and elevate” should be your mantra. For extra motivation, just remember the historic, single-digit admission rate at Stanford GSB. Enough said?

Hello Ms. Test Engineer! Krista Nannery from mbaMission here. Every so often, a profile like yours comes across my desk and I just get so excited. You are one of those super-rare types of candidates. Female engineer, great stats, (presumably) great brands on your resume. As an engineer, your challenge in this process is going to be making sure the AdComs “get” what you do. Watch out for jargon and don’t get too technical on your resume. AdComs know a little bit about a lot of things but they are not experts and will not take time to google anything to understand it. Given that with your musical interests, you seem like a good balanced right brain/left brain person, but just be careful here!

GSB would obviously be a great fit for you and you do seem to fit the “unicorn” nature of what they look for, but it’s just so so tough that nothing is guaranteed. Given your goals, add Haas please as a back-up. Booth, Wharton, and CBS are also great options — check out their employment reports and/or talk to their Tech or Transportation clubs to see who is hiring in the autonomous vehicle space. (Aside: I’m current reading The Passengers by John Marrs. Interesting stuff!) HBS might also go for the brands on your resume, but here’s where you need to reduce tech-speak and show leadership in spades for it to all come together.

I wish you all the best in this process. I think it will be fun for you!!

(Putting 50% for overall odds. Not GSB specific. For GSB, I’d say if the acceptance rate these days is 6 to 7%, you probably have double those chances. That may seem low but GSB has said before that 80% of their applicants are totally qualified to be there. It’s just so tough!)

Hi, it’s Jennifer Jackson from Stratus Admissions. I’m super impressed with your profile! Such great stats alongside strong work experience. You will stand out in your demographic with these stats and will be competitive at Stanford. The problem is that so many people are super-qualified and still don’t wind up getting a seat at the GSB. So to maximize your chances and really make your application shine, you need to really shine through as a person and as a candidate. Emphasize WHY you want to go into the autonomous vehicle industry, and how, with the help of an MBA from Stanford, you will be able to change the industry, and the world. Stanford gives you ample space in your essays to delve into who you are, so take advantage. Perhaps there’s something from your past experience, personal or professional, that is drawing you toward this work. I’m not seeing any extracurriculars necessarily related to this interest, but if there is a story or anecdote from your life that feeds this interest, it would be good to share it. I think you have a well better than average chance at Stanford, one of the hardest admits in the country. Good luck!