How To Answer the Most Infamous MBA Admissions Essay Question
From the Stanford Graduate School of Business
It’s a question that many Stanford applicants love to hate. “What matters most to you, and why?”. It seems easy enough to answer — but once you put pen to paper, you might catch yourself drawing a blank.
Truth be told, there’s no definitive right or wrong answer for this question. It requires a personal and subjective answer — one that’s unique to you, and you only. However, by following an approach like the one outlined below, you’ll be able to ace this question by providing a heartfelt answer that shares your values and beliefs.
What is Stanford Really Asking?
Before diving into the answer, it’s important to truly understand the motive behind this question. It’s a way for Stanford admissions to find out what makes you tick — they’re eager to learn what your purpose, values and motivations are in life. It’s suggested and recommended that you use personal anecdotes to illustrate these concepts, which will be explained further below.
Do Some Deep Soul Searching
Think about your life, and your experiences and any overarching themes that come about. What motivates you to get up every day? What do you think your purpose in life is? What choices led you to take the path you’re on today? It may take some time to fully find the answer, and that’s okay. You should strive to be as authentic and original as possible. Don’t worry about your answer sounding too cliché — if it’s an experience that’s authentic to you and best describes what matters most, speak your truth! Remember that even if someone uses the same answer as you, their anecdotes will be completely different to yours.
Tell the Story
Once you’ve picked out your “purpose”, it’s time to tell your story. Don’t try and structure your answer like a regular essay (listing your purpose as a thesis statement, giving three examples, and ending your answer there). This doesn’t really sell yourself — you want to make a personal connection with the reader, and frame your anecdotes in a way that draws the reader in.
Let’s say you chose perseverance as your purpose. It may be wise to start off with an anecdote of how you showed perseverance by getting into a respected and prestigious college, and then use that anecdote to set the stage for your journey with perseverance. If you frame your examples in a way that makes them an integral part of your story, it loops the reader in and keeps them interested. Remember to be creative with it, but as original and authentic as possible — when you speak from the heart, your passion exudes in your writing, and that can’t be faked.
Review, Review, Review
So, you’ve poured your heart out and told your story using real-world anecdotes, being as authentic as possible. The last step is to read what you’ve written — and read it again, and again, and again. Take a break from reading it, and read it again after you’ve come back from that break. Make sure that your answer isn’t too long, and that you’ve made your points without the reader getting bored. Ask yourself, “what is the reader learning about me?”. Practice writing multiple responses if you need to — not everyone gets it right on the first try.
There’s no denying that Stanford GSB’s iconic Essay A is a difficult question to answer — but, equipped with authenticity and the power of good storytelling, you’ll be well on your way to an acceptance.
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