Who gets in to Stanford?

[Guest]

It seems that every profile I read where folks are dreaming of Stanford, the response by admissions consultants is "you're dreaming" or "it's a real stretch." Why is that? What does it take for one to get in to Stanford? I know it's not a high GMAT, GPA, or great work experience. Can you offer some insight on the backgrounds of people who have actually been admitted to Stanford?

Thanks.

[MBA Mission]

Thank you for your inquiry.

In our experience, there is certainly no typical individual who gets into Stanford, but I would make a distinction between people who are very high achievers and those who are initiators. We find that the prototypical strong candidate (standout career progression, great scores, strong community involvement, emphatic references, etc) gets into most schools, but those who get into HBS and Stanford, especially in a competitive year, have something extra - they have created opportunities for themselves and others. They don’t need to have founded Microsoft or the Grameen Bank, but they just have a record of additional achievement where they have propelled themsleves and others forward. It is an intangible, but it can be generalized as initiation. I hope that helps...

Sincerely,
Jeremy Shinewald
MBA Mission

Website: www.mbamission.com
Blog: www.mbamission.com/blog
MBA Mission Insider’s Guides: www.mbamission.com/store.php

It seems that every profile I read where folks are dreaming of Stanford, the response by admissions consultants is "you're dreaming" or "it's a real stretch." Why is that? What does it take for one to get in to Stanford? I know it's not a high GMAT, GPA, or great work experience. Can you offer some insight on the backgrounds of people who have actually been admitted to Stanford?

Thanks.