Admission CriteriaWhat are we really looking for?
We're looking for outstanding individuals, and the very qualities that make you different from all of our other students are the qualities that make the X a stimulating place to learn.
We evaluate all applicants in three areas:
Intellectual Vitality
The idea or theme that is primary in our minds as we evaluate an application is your intellectual vitality. You can demonstrate this in many ways, not simply through grades and test scores. In other words, your attitude toward learning is as important as your aptitude. Because the X community believes in the power of ideas, we want to see your passion, dedication, and genuine interest in expanding your intellectual horizons throughout your application.
We look for evidence of the kind of curiosity and passion that will allow you to spark a lively discussion in class and continue that conversation during coffee with a faculty member, walking back to the X Residential Center with a classmate, or over dinner with alumni.
Another consideration is the initiative with which you seek out opportunities that enhance your knowledge.
We want to understand your willingness to "suspend disbelief"—to master concepts that may not be immediately relevant to your intended career, to carve your path in ambiguous environments, and to support the School's goal of developing knowledge that deepens and advances the practice of management.
Demonstrated Leadership Potential
Another factor that is foremost in our minds as we read your application is your demonstrated leadership potential. In short, we try to understand your character and your professional competence.
Your personal character matters not only because integrity is the cornerstone of any academic community, but also because of the vast responsibility our society reposes in leaders of business and social-sector organizations. As a result, we look for evidence of your behaviors consistent with your ideals, even under difficult circumstances—a sort of directed idealism.
We want to understand your personal motivation and convictions, and your ability to confront complex, unfamiliar issues with good judgment.
We envision you defending your position with vigor and respect to a peer advocating a different view.
We also try to uncover the ways in which challenges to your beliefs may have changed some of your perspectives and reinforced others.
In understanding your competence, we look for both leadership experiences and potential. In doing so, we don't limit ourselves to your professional life. Neither should you.
We look comprehensively at your background for evidence of your impact on the people and organizations around you, and the impact of those experiences on you.
Learning about your activities, experiences, interests, and aspirations helps us discover your potential contributions to X and to society.
We envision you working with a group of students and faculty to design a new multidisciplinary course on ethical issues in life sciences or leading the Sports Business Conference.
We imagine you building a legacy in the organizations you serve throughout your career, inspiring and motivating your colleagues.
We consider your awareness of what you do well and the areas in which you can improve; group and interpersonal skills; and commitment to utilizing fully your opportunities and available resources. These qualities will help you to shape your own experience as a student, and will influence your ability to make a difference as an alumna or alumnus.
Personal Qualities and Contributions
A third factor that we consider is the perspective that you bring to the community—your personal qualities and contributions. In a world that often emphasizes conformity, the community thrives only with the unique perspectives and interests of our students.
So the strongest applications we see each year are those in which your thoughts and style remain intact. To understand how you will contribute to and benefit from the Business School community, we want to know about you: your beliefs, your passions, your hopes, your aspirations, what matters most.
Will you revolutionize the Energy Conference, take the Global Management Program in a different direction, or be the dissenting voice in a classroom discussion?
Think carefully about who you are, and have confidence in yourself. We always remember that there is neither an "ideal" candidate nor a "typical" student. You should remember this, too. Yes, our community includes students who have pursued incomparable opportunities. But this doesn't mean that something remarkable (either positive or negative) must have happened to you. In fact, most students have excelled by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.
It is what you make of an experience that matters to us, not simply the experience itself.
disclaimer.. standford.. admission criteria
