Key Tips for Stanford GSB and HBS-only MBA Applicants

For those of you pursing the ultimate MBA challenge of applying only to Stanford GSB and HBS, let me offer a few keys for getting started.

1)  Despite the temptation, don’t begin with GSB’s “What matters most?” or HBS’s “What more would you like us to know?” (the “Main Essays”). These are the most demanding essay topics, and most applicants who start here struggle with them for many weeks or months before finding their direction, wasting a lot of time in the process. (If you are applying to other schools, then I strongly recommend you complete at least one of them before tackling GSB or HBS.)

2)  Instead, begin with GSB’s “Why GSB?” and the 500-character GSB Goals Question in the online application. Your career goals anchor your entire application, and without well-established, logical, realistic, and ambitious targets, you won’t know what you are “writing towards” in the Main Essays.

3)  Next, complete all 4 GSB Optional Essays about “Impact” and “Background”, which are basically achievement essays. After completing them, you should hopefully see some kind of pattern to your successes that could indicate “What matters most”. For example, if your Optional Essays show a history of you forming strong teams or fixing broken teams on your way to achieving an objective, then BOOM! You might have just found what matters most to you.

4)  When it does come time to draft the Main Essays, write long. The GSB limit is about 650 words, while HBS gives you 900. There is a lot of overlap between these essays. By writing long for HBS, you can then cut down for GSB. It’s much easier doing that than trying to inflate a 650-word essay into a 900-word essay.

There are many more aspects and subtleties to these applications, but by following these tips you can apply much more efficiently and effectively. If you’d like to discuss your GSB and HBS applications, please schedule a Free Trial Consultation.