Essay: Why Stanford?
Profile: Miss. N
Profile (Background): Miss. N, a Humanitarian Affairs Officer with an impressive record in the UN, pivoted and joined Facebook after getting frustrated with the slow pace of the bureaucracy in the organization. With the changes in Facebook to limit oversight on moderation, she rejoined the UN. The change she noticed at the UN from a leadership-driven to a technology-first culture made her aware that both extremes were not good for serving those affected in disaster-affected areas.
Essay Approach: “Why Stanford?”
Miss N should highlight the need for a strong Finance foundation, as most of the operational planning is driven by donations and funding from governments and high-net-worth individuals.
She wants to become a leader who is aware of the international financial markets and public policies that could have a long-term positive impact on the beneficiaries.
Note: Complete Core, Electives and Experiential Learning Courses are Quoted and narrated in F1GMAT's Why Stanford MBA Sample Essay as part of F1GMAT's Stanford MBA Essay Guide
Essay Planning
Problem: The extreme shift of positions from a leadership-first to a technology-first culture seen at the UN in a span of 5 years
Problem (Explained): The applicant saw both styles of leadership in her two-time tenure in the UN
Feasible Goals: Bring balance to the leadership style at the UN and introduce competitive metrics to attract investments to communities affected by disasters (natural and war).
Short-term Goal: Understand the UN treaties and international law at a deeper level to facilitate intervention in conflict-affected regions.
Long-Term Goal: Plan for relief work based on market reality, change the culture of the operations at UN - balancing technology and on-ground leadership, and bring impact/investment metrics to attract investors in disaster-affected areas based on potential and not ‘virtue’.
Stanford’s Strength: Stanford’s legacy of offering analytics tools, business fundamentals, and a policy framework to address complex socio-economic problems on a global scale.
Opener: To highlight the challenges of working as a Humanitarian Affairs Officer at the UN.
Strategy: By highlighting the shift in culture through the applicant’s experience at the UN in two tenures, I wanted to highlight a larger problem that requires the resources at Stanford. Since the applicant already has extensive experience at the UN, the motivation to pursue a joint degree program (MPP/MBA) should be believable.
By highlighting two problems – one cultural (overreliance on technology) and the second, better interventions in conflict-affected areas (building a strong foundation in international human rights), the applicant could offer a believable motivation for pursuing a joint degree program (MPP/ MBA).
Why Stanford MBA Essay: Public Policy and Business Acumen (MPP/MBA Dual Degree) (349 Words)
Humanitarian Affairs Officer exudes a title of authority, but in reality, I was managing a chaotic geo-political dance. A dance that involved a slow bureaucracy, leading without power, and an endless fight against misinformation.
Frustrated with the pace of change, I joined Facebook ..
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