Stanford GSB MBA Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (650 Words)
Background Information: The applicant – a designer for an App development startup has an interesting passion – to counsel those suffering from PTSD in the veteran community. With the legacy of a military family, the applicant is deeply aware of the strong exterior and the silent suffering veterans endure to manage the demon. He built an App with haptic feedback to monitor biomarkers of high stress for veterans suffering from PTSD.
Theme: Mental Health, Policy Change
Theme (Explained): The essay balances the need for technology and policy intervention to increase the coverage for the high cost of qualified therapists.
Profile: App Designer, Counselor
Industry: Technology, Military
MBA Essay Strategy: Changing a culture or intervening in a government policy is not a one-person job. Often, applicants quote the GSB ecosystem as a catalyst or a partner to drive change. The applicant narrates his relationship with his veteran father to reiterate the point that the percentage suffering from PTSD is far higher than the 9-20% quoted in official documents. The second half is a solution narrative that the applicant plans to realize with the support of GSB.
Opener: Starting the essay with the father-son dynamic is a strategy to introduce PTSD and the many silent sufferers who don’t report the condition.
Sample Stanford GSB MBA Essay A: What matters most to you, and why? (646 Words)(Veterans PTSD and Healing)
When my friend put his arms around his father, I would glance at mine. There was an expression of disgust on his face that only family insiders could recognize.
My father is a 3rd generation military veteran. Growing up, I had all the cliches of a military family – timekeeping to the last second, spick and span shoes, and no shirts/trousers with wrinkles.
"Sir." No, Sir." The strange practice ...
