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My tips and suggestions are in red. The other copy in this post is from the Stanford GSB essay page. 

Stanford GSB 2007 Application Deadlines 

                             Submissions Deadline                  Notification Date
Round 1                 October 25, 2006                                January 18, 2007

Round 2                  January 10, 2007                               April 5, 2007

Round 3                    March 14, 2007                                May 10, 2007        

Stanford GSB Essay Questions for 2007

We read the essays to get to know you as a person and to learn about the ideas and interests that motivate you. Because we want to discover who you actually are, resist the urge to "package" yourself in order to come across in a way you think Stanford wants. Such attempts simply blur our understanding of who you are and what you can accomplish.

Essay Questions for Fall 2007

Please answer essay questions A, B, and C. We provide recommended lengths for each essay, but these are only guidelines. Most applicants will find 7-11 pages (in total) sufficient. If your responses total more than 11 pages, you need to upload the remaining pages in the Additional Information section.

Stanford has changed its essay requirements this year, providing more guidance and structure. In previous years, applicants could write 3.5 - 7 pages (guidelines, not limits) on each of this year's  Essays A & B.  There were no short essays. The old structure gave applicants a lot of rope, and many used it to hang themselves. I believe the new structure and questions this year will help you present yourselves and give Stanford more of the insight it seeks.

• Essay A: What matters most to you, and why?
  (Recommended length is 3-4 pages, double-spaced)

This has been Stanford's first question for the last several years, but this year Stanford recommends  a more succinct answer. Whether short or long, this question demands introspection.  Before you put pen to paper or finger to keyboard, take time to think about what you value, how you have demonstrated those values, and why you hold them dear.

When I think back on our many successful Stanford clients, they were the ones who showed, especially in Essay A, that they did not turn away or close their eyes when they saw need. They could demonstrate that they seized the initiative when they recognized an opportunity to contribute.  They were comfortable expressing emotion, their values, and their ability to act on both. More than anything else, to me initiative and self-awareness characterize the successful Stanford application. That means you have to reflect upon your values and those times you have acted upon them. You don't have to have climbed Mt. Everest or been a victim of terrible social ills, but you do have to know the person occupying your skin.

• Essay B: What are your career aspirations? How will your education at Stanford help you achieve them?
  (Recommended length is 2-3 pages, double-spaced)

This question is a variation of a standard MBA goals question and different flavors have occupied this slot on the Stanford application for years. Like Essay A, this question provides shorter guidelines than in previous years. But you should have enough room to explain how Stanford's program will help you achieve your goals. Since Stanford is in the midst of a major curriculum overhaul, make sure you understand Stanford's new flexible curriculum and how it will help you achieve your career goals.

• Essay C: Short Essays—Options 1-4
  Please answer two of the questions below. In answering each question, please tell us not only what you did, but also how you did it. Describe what you felt, said, and thought during these experiences. Tell us the outcome, and describe how people responded. Your responses should describe experiences that have occurred within the last three years.
  Option 1: Tell us about a time when you did something that was not established, expected, or popular.
  (Recommended length is 1-2 pages, double-spaced)
  
  Option 2: Tell us about a time when you felt effective or successful.
  (Recommended length is 1-2 pages, double-spaced)
  
  Option 3: Tell us about a time when you had a significant effect on a group or individual.
  (Recommended length is 1-2 pages, double-spaced)
  
  Option 4: Tell us about a time when you tried to reach a goal or complete a task that was challenging, difficult, or frustrating.
  (Recommended length is 1-2 pages, double-spaced)

In their specificity these questions have almost an MIT-esque feel -- very different from the open-ended Stanford questions of previous years. Make sure that you answer all parts of each question.  In choosing the questions to respond to, select those that will allow you to write essays that complement Essays A & B. Obviously you also want to show throughout your essays the qualities that Stanford values: intellectual vitality, initiative, and commitment to community.

In other parts of the application, we learn about your academic and professional accomplishments (i.e., what you have done). Through your personal essays, we learn more about the person behind the achievements (i.e., who you are). This is the time to think carefully about your values, your passions, your hopes and dreams. In your short answer responses, we learn more about the experiences that have shaped your attitudes, behaviors, and aspirations.

We want to hear your genuine voice throughout the essays that you write. 

For more tips on writing the Stanford essays, please attend MBA BlastOff Teleseminar: Secrets for H/S/W . Maxx and I will give several tips for Stanford applicants.

For one-on-one guidance through the Stanford application, process please check out Accepted.com's Stanford Application Package or our other MBA essay editing and consulting assistance. Through July 31 Accepted.com is offering an Early Bird Special to MBA applicants: 10% off all essay services.