Essay: Why Stanford?
Profile: Mr. SK
Profile (Background): Mr. SK, an accounting specialist in M&A, finds himself frustrated with contributing meaningfully to acquisitions and investment decisions. Although his accounting role is limited to due diligence, he witnessed deals that were driven by flawed beliefs of the founder/entrepreneur.
With a Pivot to PE, Mr. SK wants to bring people-first principles to the PE industry.
Essay Approach: “Why Stanford?”
The biggest reason for Mr. SK to choose Stanford is to work with Professor Graham Weaver and understand the people-first principles he applied in his venture. Through the Managing Growing Enterprise course, he will learn the framework to successfully nurture and develop talent – a fundamental factor that influences the culture of a PE firm. He also wants to expand his perspective by working with PE peers in student clubs and through the LBO course to gain a practical perspective on the forces at play that could jeopardize his people-first framework.
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: Cost Restructuring as the standard fix in Private Equity
Problem (Explained): Often, cost restructuring is the first step in Private Equity, but the short-sightedness has destroyed brands, optimized businesses for short-term returns while ignoring the unique brand position, and the communities outside the customer base that propagate the brand's visibility.
Feasible Goals: Develop an alternative framework on productivity, brand positioning, and sensible cost restructuring that doesn't affect the portfolio company's unique position in the market
Short-term Goal: Understand how to create a people-first culture in the PE industry
Long-Term Goal: Bring a broader repertoire of interventions and strategies instead of turning PE into a bust-out operation with cost restructuring as the only modus operandi.
Stanford’s Strength: Stanford’s support of empowering candidates with extreme ambitions
Opener: I wanted to hint at the applicant's functional expertise, and quote two CEOs he collaborated with to contrast two styles of leadership - one leading to a bankruptcy and the second, although impressive, also turning into a short-term win.
Strategy: To present the need for reform in the PE industry, I have captured experiences with 2 CEOs and 1 incident where the applicant's suggestion to keep certain costs was ignored. Through citing the applicant's experiences, I am personalizing the essay to a vision where PE is beyond a cost restructuring vehicle, but a value add to any investment ecosystem.
Why Stanford MBA Essay: Accounting to Private Equity (Expand PE’s Toolkit from Cost Restructuring) (350 Words)
I have a gift for finding insights from complex data. By correlating expenses to market trends, I helped <x> - a media-savvy CEO, acquire a high-value brand. Later, working for <y> - another CEO, a low-profile leader who was obsessed with asset valuation - I found a new framework for valuing assets, including algorithmic staying power, a metric that is often ignored in digital-first businesses. Despite my contributions, <x> declared bankruptcy with a risky acquisition while <y> diversified and became the #1 telecom operator in <country_z>
One time, my interruption on retaining certain costs triggered a PE manager to say, “Why is he in the meeting after the due diligence?”
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