The admission team values candidates who can effortlessly integrate with the culture at work. The trait is highly influential in determining the kind of post-MBA opportunities you receive after Stanford.
Optional Question 2: Tell us about a time within the last three years when your background influenced your participation at work or school. (180 Words)
You don’t have to guess the context the school is expecting. Mention one of the following based on your background:
• Education
Obviously, your undergraduate degree is the foundation on which your professional contributions began. However, the admission team is expecting more than functional knowledge. If your undergraduate degree had an interesting mix of electives that expanded your thinking, mention it strategically.
• Skills
Education and skill acquisition might not have a perfect correlation. Your engagement outside school or a unique experience might have given you the skills that a traditional course might not have offered. Brainstorm and highlight the unique combination of experiential learning or an innate trait that helped you develop the skills proficiently.
• Interest
A much larger consequence on your skill development is your interest in a vocation, cause, or a subject-matter. Most organizations have a corporate responsibility team that routinely organizes events, funding drives, and volunteering engagements during weekends. Articulate how your interest influenced your participation at work. It could also be related to a hobby or a passion for arts, sports, healthy living, or performance arts.
• Socio-economic background
The literature on child psychology consistently has demonstrated the lasting impact of socio-economic background on your values, learning capacity, and grit.
If you could recognize the impact of family’s exposure to poverty, entrepreneurship, wealth, hardship, or inter-generational tradition (doctors, military, lawyers) on your goal-setting and problem-solving capability, highlight it in the essay.
• Upbringing and Unique Experience
The safe narrative applicants use, include some form of mentorship from a father figure or the unique experiences they had from living in a neighborhood, terrain, or the adaptability from frequent relocation. Try to go back to your childhood and list experiences that helped you become who you are.
Examples: Unique Background influence Stanford MBA (Optional Essay)
• A trip to the Antarctic helped in planning for contingencies during an oil exploration project.
• Coming from a military background helped develop a productivity process that encouraged goal setting and incentivized the pursuit of strategic goals
• A 2-month exchange program in Japan helped the applicant understand the cultural nuance of interacting with clients in Tokyo
• An improv class helped the applicant pick up the pieces after a disappointing presentation
