Not long ago I went to a Stanford MBA info session. It was more than enough to have a gut feeling. It was different from the Wharton one in many ways (the adcom, the alumni, even the applicant pool…).
Here is some unsorted notes of what I took away from it. These are not as comprehensive as the ones I compiled from the Wharton info session, but I easily got a gut feeling early from it.
My general perception:
- Stanford message seems to be “if you get here, you’re already the smartest, now let’s figure out how to change the world”
- “Outgrow old thoughts and ways”: the adcom compliments the school a lot about being at the edge of innovation and always shaping the future. They try to reflect that through some different and new methodologies, programs or classes.
- Interestingly 50% of the courses are case studies and 1/4 experimental/theory. Innovation is meant to be the cornerstone of every effort. They offer classes such as “incentives on productivity”, experiment videotaping in class, simulation, they have an “executive challenge” where you are put in the shows of a CEO in a tough position (160 executives alumni participate).
- There is no concentration, only general management. I think they have the belief you can figure out how to get into a specific industry once you get in the program.
- Everything is meant to be super-personalized, supposedly to “maximize potential”: the faculty-to-student ratio is very high (6:1), they have a coaching system for academics and career planning, and they believe having a small class (370) helps create a greater amount of connections between students.
- The learning environment (very residential, very innovation and leardership-oriented) reminds me of my honors program in college. In fact, it seems that the Stanford MBA prides themselves on being a honors program among top programs.
- The program aims to be very international-friendly: a globa study trip is required your first year, they have dedicated internaltional career advisors and offer the GMIX (Global Management Immersion Experience) program where you can work in a country new to you.
What the adcom wants you to show in your application:
- “Intellectual vitality” as they put it. The median GMAT score of admitted students is 730, I forgot what is the average undergrad GPA was but it is also pretty high.
- Your attitude about learning: show that you are curious, that you love learning
- Passion, committment and the ability to “change the world”. What is your “noble calling” is a recurring theme. It seems the application is used to gauge how special of a person you are, through what you have done and how you see the world. “What matters to you and why?” has been the first essay question for several years.
That’s what I got. Two alumni in the info session work at my company so I’ll take one of them to lunch like I did after the Wharton session. I regard the Stanford MBA program very highly, but I must admit I still give Wharton a slight edge personally. Needless to say, if I had the chance to get admitted to either one I’d run away with it!
Next will be Harvard and Columbia if they have a session around where I live soon.
Filed under: research
Looks like you’re investigating all the top schools. I think what school you choose has a lot to do with what kind of career you are seeking, as the top schools have slightly different positioning (Wharton=Finance, etc.) I just wrote a couple of related articles for those who are interested:
Best MBA
MBA Rankings
There are obviously a lot of factors that go into your choice, so it is important to weigh all of them carefully.
Hey, nice articles by the way.
It is true that top schools have different strengths, but it is also worth noting that all are trying hard to look more well-rounded these days. Wharton refuses the “mostly finance” label just as much Stanford plays down the fact that a great deal of their students go in the tech industry.
MBA rankings are just that, rankings. The comparison with NCAA rankings is straightforward. Would you choose Chicago over Harvard just because they are one rank better in marketing if that happens to be your post-MBA dream field? I don’t know, but we can agree it is not clear cut.